WKA: Double winners at second Delaware Dirt race

Story by Bruce C. Walls Photos by Bruce C. Walls And Susan Taylor-Walls

Hubbard and Stockel earn double wins at second WKA Delaware Dirt Divisional

DELMAR, DE -- Ethan Stockel, of Greenwood, DE and Austin Hubbard, of Seaford, DE, each earned double wins during round two of the WKA Delaware Dirt Divisional series sponsored by Robinson Speed Shop that drew 140 regional racers from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia to US-13 Kartway in Demar, DE Saturday May 4th. Rain canceled seven of the 16 classes scheduled to race that night.

Stockel, a 12-year-old Walt Ramsey Racing Engines powered Stinger kart pilot, swept both Briggs Junior Sportsman-2 classes, Lite and Heavy, with perfection trailed by TJ Henry each time. A 13.275-seconds lap that topped out at 54.237-miles per hour earned him Lite's pole from where he built a slim 0.285-seconds finish line advantage over Henry who turned the race's fastest lap time of 13.544 on lap five.

"It takes a good kart, good setup and a good motor to come here and win two divisional races," Stockel credited. "I was just a little bit faster than him in the straight-aways that was all."

Nick Bishop, Bridgeville, DE based Sap Racing Engines powered Illusion kart pilot Brent Sutton who's backed by Ace Hardware, Perdue Agra Recycling, Roberts Oxygen, Seaford Machine and Jan O Grams took third and fourth followed by Greenwood, DE driver Erika Hearn who rounded out the top five of eight.

Henry trailed Stockel by 1.038-seconds in Heavy. Hearn crossed third and was followed in the top five of eight by Aaron Morris and Brooks Smith.

Hubbard, who was trying to match his three wins in the previous Delaware Dirt Divisional, handled Briggs Junior Sportsman-1 Heavy and Briggs Junior Sportsman scoring both wins ahead of Brandon White. He was forced to settle for rain points in Briggs Junior Sportsman- 1 Lite where he was poised on the pole with a top qualifying lap of 13.449-seconds that reached 53.536-miles per hour.

In the event's first feature Hubbard beat White to the finish with a comfortable 2.662-seconds advantage and then by a whopping 5.832-seconds in Briggs Junior Sportsman Champ.

"Both Shadow karts ran really good, especially the new Storm Champ kart it was really fast and both Beef Performance Racing Engines motors ran really good," said the HabNab Trucking of Seaford, DE backed winner.

Rounding out the top five of 10 in Junior Sportsman-1 Heavy behind White were Cameron Mattox, Tyler Bear and Nick Hughes. Michael Scott completed Briggs Junior Sportsman Champ's three-racer field.

Grotto's Pizza, G-Man Kart Works backed Coyote Kart factory driver Matt Jester, of Milford, DE, tightened his grip on Briggs Stock Heavy's points led with a second straight win Jester clocked the pole time with a 12.838-seconds lap that reached 58.0874-miles per hour and led the 18-racer filed through four caution restarts before taking the final flag just 0.306-seconds ahead of Jamie Lewis.

"I thought we'd run out of fuel with all of those cautions," admitted the 17-year-old SuperTech Racing Engines by Kevin Colborn powered Coyote Assassin Kart pilot who is also a defending National Champion in the WKA/Horstman Gold Cup Series and Maryland Sprint Divisional Series.

Charles Vallandingham, of Saint Mary's, MD was third across the stripe, Craig Moore followed in fourth and Bryan Bradford, of Salisbury, MD, finished out the top five.

Earlier that night Vallandingham did it all in Briggs Stock Medium where he set the pole with a blistering 12.947-seconds lap topping out at 55.611-miles per hour. Then he led the 17-racer field flawlessly through two caution restarts before finishing the race just 0.994-seconds ahead of Richie Hornsby, Jr.

"The Olimpic Kart ran great and I want to thank Marc Mode for all the help he and his crew down at Trick/Olimpic Karts, Marc told me what to do as far as setting up the kart and we did it and we won. I want to thank Chris Mason of Robinson Speed Shop for the motor he built me it ran real hard the whole time and turned more R's than we've ever turned," Vallandingham credited. "I also want to thank my wife Marcy, my son Tyler, my father-in-law Jimmy Gaties and my brother-in-law Jeff Young."

Matt Mobray, who won Stock Medium in the first Delaware Divisional race, crossed third and was followed in the top five by Ryan Donovan and Jamie Goslee.

Bradford bagged Briggs Limited Medium's checkered flag just 0.325-seconds ahead of Bridgeville, DE based Randy Wroten's Taz Powered machine driven in the race by his engine builder Terry Patchett of Taz Power Racing Engines. Wroten turned the top-qualifying lap himself, before having to leave for a wedding, at 12.966-seconds reaching 55.530-miles per hour. His substitute driver let Bradford by early on and never caught him again.

"It was getting close at the end. I could feel him (Patchett) catching me," Bradford admitted. "The Phantom kart was loose from the get go, but the Robinson Speed Shop motor was strong all weekend."

Alfred Macmillan, Buddy Bozman and Mark Bell completed the top five of six entrees.

Pasadena, MD based Titan kart pilot Steve Danko dominated Briggs Senior Champ's three-racer field. Danko set the pace with a 13.624-seconds qualifying lap for the pole and began lapping the field at mid-race.

"The Titan kart by Myers Fabrication run real good and Richard Clark Racing Engines gave us a good motor and we've had good luck with it all this year so far," said the Absolute Underground sponsored winner.

Daniel Garett and Andre Cannon rounded out the filed over five seconds behind Danko.

Four more races remain on the WKA/Delaware Dirt Divisional Series schedule. Series racers return to US-13 Kartway June 8th, July 13th, August 17th and September 28th. US-13 Friday night club races will be held through October.