Ajay Potrzebowski II Wins Short Track Super Series Opener at Georgetown Over 75 Car Field

It was a big Day for Ajay Potrzebowski II when he raced at for the first time at Georgetown Speedway in Delaware with an event record setting 75 cars.  It was also the first time he ever lapped his dad in a race and his first Short Track Super Series win.  And for some reason the ride home to Horseheads, New York didn’t seem quit as long as the ride to get to Georgetown.

A strong field of 602 Crate modifieds found AJ Potrzebowski starting from the pole position and he lead every lap from start to finish of the 25 lap one caution feature.  Potrzebowski came to the checkered flag with a 6 second lead over 2^nd place Corey Cormier.    

The 602 Crate top ten was rounded out with Corey Cormier in second followed by Payton Talbot, Joe Toth, Matt Janczuk, Justin Grosso, L.J. Lombardo, Steven Kemery, Steve Davis and Brad Tice.

The extraordinary 75 car field produced 7 heats with only the top 3 of 11 cars qualifying.  Crate racing is known to be rather draw centric with most heat winners coming from the 1^st row or sometimes 2^nd row.   Not today.  The 3 qualifiers from each heat race were from all over the field with Steve Davis winning an 8 lap heat race from the 10^th starting position.

The heat race winners were:

Heat 1 – Steve Kemery (5^th starting position)

Heat 2 – Corey Cormier (8^th starting position)

Heat 3 – Joey Bruning   (3^rd starting position)

Heat 4 – Steve Davis (10^th starting position)

Heat 5 – Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. (4^th starting position)

Heat 6 – Brad Trice (1^st starting position)

Heat 7 – Matt Janczuk (6^th starting position)

The three consolations qualified 2 cars out of 17 or 18 cars in each last chance qualifier.  James Hill, Bobby Flood and JJ Courcy won the last chance consolations.

Short Track Super Series Melvin Joseph Memorial – Georgetown Speedway 602 Crate Results – Saturday March 13, 2021

1. A-JAY POTRZEBOWSKI, JR., 2. Corey Cormier, 3. Payton Talbot, 4. Joe Toth, 5. Matt Janczuk, 6. Justin Grosso, 7. L.J. Lombardo, 8. Stephen Kemery, 9. Steve Davis, 10. Brad Trice, 11. Kyle Smith, 12 Adam White, 13. Joey Bruning, 14. Tommy Collins, 15. Michael Ballestero, 16. Greg Reed, 17. Paul Mancini, 18. Dylan Swinehart, 19 Zachary Payne, 20. Ryan Godown, 21. Jr., Scott Hitchens, 22. Doug Snyder, 23. James Hill, 24. Robby Dunn, 25. Tanner Van Doren, 26. A-Jay Potrzebowski, Sr., 27. Brendon Gibbons, 28. Tighe Sherlock, 29. Bobby Flood, 30. Anthony Tramontana, 31. J.J. Courcy, 32. Michael White.

Did Not Qualify: Sean Metz, Addison Bowman, Chas Wolbert, Danny Maher, Greg Humlhanz, Ryan Simmons, Jake Mason, Jared Labagh, Sammy Martz, Jr., Cody Manmiller, Chad Sandt, John Stevenson, Kevin Borden, Joshua Allen, Ricky Quick, Lance Irwin, Isabella Van Orden, Pat Wall, Sean Weiss, Kenny Bock, Logan Watt, Jared Miller, Dakota Kohler, Brett Buono, Trent Willey, Tracy Gauger, Nick Van Wickle, Jimmy DeVitt, Scott Kohler, David Jenkins, Daniel Morgiewicz, Jim Dallett, Jordan Lawrence, Rodney Henri, Greg Nailor, Jr., Kerry Ryder, Matt Smith, Zac Weller, William Adams, Zachary Steffy, Anthony Raisner, Ryan Stangle, Shawn McPhee.

Pit Notes – Short Track Super Series South Region Race # 1 @ Georgetown Speedway

Postrace Ajay Potrzebowski II noted “I’m not usually good with big tracks but somehow I just clicked with Georgetown right from the start.  I love dry, slick and taking rubber tracks back home but Georgetown was completely unique yet was still dry, slick and taking rubber with its own character.  With this STSS points lead in the south we will definitely be running the full South Series and possibly the North Series”.

Ajay Potrzebowski Sr. qualified in HIS heat race with a 3^rd place finish from an 8^th starting spot putting both father and son in the 25 lap feature event.  Ajay II commented “Today was my 4^th win and Dad has over 100 crate wins at Woodhull Raceway and Outlaw Speedway.  We both run Outlaw weekly but we don’t usually run in the same class.  So when I lapped dad in the feature that was a first and definitely something I never dreamed would happen.”

Corey Cormier was moving forward all day long and came up one spot short with a solid 2^nd place finish in the 25 lap feature from 5^th on the starting grid.  Earlier in the day he charged from his 8^th starting position to win his heat race.

Joe Toth and Payton Talbot qualified for the redraw on Friday by virtue of being the two quickest timed hot laps of 3 sessions. Payton Talbot finished 3^rd and defending Georgetown track champion finished 4^th.

Justin Grosso continues to make Georgetown his home away from home as the 2020 feature winner finished 6^th in the feature from a 10^th place starting position.

Anthony Tramontana drew 11th in his heat race and had worked his way forward to 8th and then jumped the berm sending him back to 11th and a last place finish.  That put Tramontana in the unenviable position of starting 18^th in a last chance consolation which was only 8 laps in distance with only two cars are transferring into the feature. Many would have tucked the car in the trailer and gone home but Tramontana made adjustments and gave it a shot from the 18th starting position. In the last chance consolation Tramontana moved forward 14 positions in 8 laps to secure a 4^th place finish from an 18^th starting position.  He missed qualifying by 2 spots but did secure a track provisional and started in the feature event.

Some old racing family names added some new drivers this weekend.  Ryan Stangle moves to a 602 Crate from the 600 micro ranks to join Cole and Matt Stangle and expand the Stangle racing family.  Logan Watt will be joining father Ryan as the Watt family now has two drivers.  Both Logan Watt and Ryan Stangle made solid forward progress during their 602 Crate last chance consolations.

 The 75 car count was nearly 50/50 between South region drivers and North region drivers.

The Short Track Super Series modifieds and Crates will visit Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday March 20^th for “Icebreaker” which is Selinsgrove’s season opener with racing starting at 2:00 PM.