Emotional Victory for Alex Yankowski at Georgetown Speedway ‘12k for the 12k’
GEORGETOWN, DE – Emotional.
In 2021, Alex Yankowski drove the Gary Simpson-owned No. 12K machine.
On Saturday night, the Covington Township, Pa., native won the second annual ‘12K for the 12K’ Gary Simpson Memorial at Georgetown Speedway.
“Gary was an awesome guy,” proclaimed an emotional Yankowski. “It’s awesome to have Kerrigan (Simpson, Gary’s daughter) here and we’re thinking of the whole Simpson family.”
Yankowski started on the outside of the front row and led all 32 laps of the Millman’s NAPA Modified main event for the $12,000 top prize in honor of his former car owner.
Yankowski has been snake-bitten for much of 2023, coming up short of Victory Lane throughout the season, despite several close calls at his home tracks in New York; Fonda, and Utica-Rome speedways.
‘Kid Rocket’ even boasts a runner-up finish with the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, Del.
“I had it in my head that I wasn’t going to win one this year,” Yankowski explained. “To get this one in Gary’s race just means everything and I’m so thankful for it.”
Yankowski fired from second alongside Milford, Del.’s Jordan Watson as the field came to life for the 32-lap main event.
The driver of the Millman’s NAPA Auto Parts No. 84y quickly raced to the lead and paced the field until the race’s first yellow flag flew on lap 11 for a slowing Jimmy Horton.
Neshanic Station, N.J.’s Matt Stangle emerged as a threat for victory when the race went back to green, driving around Sprakers, N.Y.’s Stewart Friesen and taking the final podium spot.
Stangle then began to apply pressure to Watson’s back bumper for the runner-up spot, but the challenge only lasted a pair of laps before Watson pulled away.
Further back, the race for the Millman’s NAPA Modified Championship was on, as Ringoes, N.J.’s Ryan Godown had raced from the 13th starting position and into the seventh position.
Meanwhile, his championship competitor, Pipersville, Pa.’s Danny Bouc was struggling running in eighth after starting seventh.
Another yellow flag fell on lap 15, giving Watson another shot at Yankowski and Godown an opportunity to gain more spots through the field.
The rest of the race clicked off caution-free, and Yankowski never looked back, racing his way to his first career Georgetown Speedway Modified win.
Yankowski won the 2018 Melvin L. Joseph Memorial with the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman.
Ryan Godown came home in fifth position, securing the Millman’s NAPA Modified NASCAR Championship.
“We drew the worst pill in the bucket, so we had our work cut out for us,” Godown said with a laugh of the pre-race draw. “I could tell the bottom was the better groove so I just tried to keep plugging around and do the best we could.”
Jordan Watson settled for the runner-up finish in his No. 1J and Harleysville, Pa.’s Mike Gular rounded out the top-three in the Terry Fasnacht-owned No. 2A.
Stangle settled for fourth and Godown rounded out the top five.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Danny Bouc aboard the Craig and Leslie Pondish, BDR Speed.com No. 6; Walden, N.Y.’s Anthony Perrego in the Vinnie Salerno owned No. 4*; Stewart Friesen, who battled back after a pit stop at the halfway point; Oley, Pa.’s Louden Reimert piloting the Don Grebe owned No. 33; and Horseheads, N.Y.’s Tyler Siri in the Outlaw Speedway No. 5*.
Stangle and Friesen were the Heat winners.
Upper Makefield, Pa.’s Joe Toth led all 22 laps in the Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman feature, claiming the $1,212 winner’s share.
With the win, Toth also secured his third consecutive Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman track championship.
Greg Humlhanz, Jesse Hirthler, Greg Reed, and Jordn Justice rounded out the top five.
Seaford, Del.’s Trevor Collins was victorious with the First State Chevrolet Crate Late Models, earning $1,000.
Derek Magee led the race’s opening lap, but Collins took the lead on lap two, a lead he would never relinquish, taking the win and the track championship.
Matt Hill, Nick Davis, Magee, and A.J. Miller rounded out the top five.
Melvin Joseph Jr. used an impressive drive to top the 12-lap Little Lincoln feature and Tony Guinta outdueled Jerry Hill to take the Delaware Super Truck victory.
Ashley Merrit won perhaps the race of the night with the Delmarva Chargers, emerging from a five-car battle to take her second win of the season.
Kerry King (Modified) and Nathan Austin (Sportsman) each took wins in the 12-lap Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car feature.
That concludes the 2023 racing season at Georgetown Speedway. Racing does resume at Delaware International Speedway on Nov. 17-18 with the Delaware State Dirt-Track Championships featuring two days of racing on the clay oval headlined by the Millman’s NAPA Auto Parts Modifieds ($7,000 to win), Stockley Speed & Supply Super Late Models ($7,000 to win) and Small-Block Modifieds ($5,000 to win).
Go to http://www.delawareinternationalspeedway.com/ for more information.
Stay tuned for updates at Georgetown Speedway over the offseason on the speedway website.
Georgetown Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.
A website is live for the speedway at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com. Like Georgetown Speedway on Facebook, follow @thegtownspdwy on Twitter, e-mail georgetownspeedway@gmail.com, or contact the speedway hotline at 302.563.GTWN (4896).
MILLMAN’S NAPA AUTO PARTS ‘GARY SIMPSON MEMORIAL’ RESULTS SUMMARY – GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2023
‘Gary Simpson Memorial’ Millman’s NAPA Auto Parts Modified Feature Finish (32 laps): 1. 84Y-ALEX YANKOWSKI[2]; 2. 1J-Jordan Watson[1]; 3. 2A-Mike Gular[6]; 4. 6S-Matt Stangle[4]; 5. 26-Ryan Godown[13]; 6. 6B-Danny Bouc[7]; 7. 4-Anthony Perrego[5]; 8. 44-Stewart Friesen[3]; 9. 33-Louden Reimert[10]; 10. 5*-Tyler Siri[9]; 11. 2H-Jack Lehner[15]; 12. 43-Jimmy Horton[16]; 13. 32G-Brandon Grosso[12]; 14. 0-Neal Williams[18]; 15. 30-HJ Bunting[14]; 16. 29-Ryan Krachun[8]; 17. 91-Carson Wright[17]; 18. 28-Thomas Solderich[20]; 19. 117-Kevin Hirthler[11]; 20. 8-Norman Short Jr[19]
Ad-Art Sign Company Top Spec Small-Block Bonus ($250): Tom Solderich (18th)
Kruger Trailer Hard Charger Award ($200): Ryan Godown (13th to fifth)
Georgetown Speedway Millman’s NAPA Auto Parts Modified Champion: RYAN GODOWN ($2,500)
‘Gary Simpson Memorial’ Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (22 laps): 1. 917-JOE TOTH[1]; 2. 02-Greg Humlhanz[7]; 3. 117-Jesse Hirthler[11]; 4. 21R-Greg Reed[9]; 5. 94-Jordn Justice[6]; 6. 94J-Jacob King[10]; 7. 23-Devin Dodson[5]; 8. 52-Jason Musser[16]; 9. 91-Luke Bunting[13]; 10. 1R-Anthony Raisner[8]; 11. 302-Art Workman[18]; 12. 25-Ashley Metz[4]; 13. 37-Chris Martinez[14]; 14. 17-Kris Thompson[25]; 15. 97-Matt Smith[3]; 16. 22-Ronnie Solomon[22]; 17. 18-Jeff Marker[21]; 18. 7-Jarod Millman[15]; 19. 21-Monte Pool[17]; 20. 15H-Scott Hitchens[12]; 21. 39-Richie Walls Jr[19]; 22. 9-Greg Nailor[2]
Did Not Start: 1-Ed Collins, 7J-Ryan Mckinney, K39-Kaleb Steele
Georgetown Speedway Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman Champion: JOE TOTH ($750)
First State Chevrolet Crate Late Model Feature Finish (20 laps): 1. 72-TREVOR COLLINS[2]; 2. 84-Matt Hill[3]; 3. 92-Nick Davis[7]; 4. 96-Derek Magee[1]; 5. 14AJ-AJ Miller[8]; 6. KB-Kerry King[9]; 7. 47-David Smith[5]; 8. 80-Ben Scott[4]; 9. 51-Jerry Barker[6]
Georgetown Speedway First State Chevrolet Crate Late Model Champion: TREVOR COLLINS ($750)
Little Lincoln Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. 49-MEL JOSEPH JR[6]; 2. X-Kirk Lawson[4]; 3. 65-Dylan Betts[3]; 4. 47-Jordan Herbert[2]; 5. 10-Tyler White[5]; 6. 3-Eric Bodenweiser[7]; 7. 25-Andy Olenik[8]; 8. 9-Ryan Walsen[1]
Delaware Super Truck Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. 68-TONY GUINTA[6]; 2. 69-Jerry Hill[7]; 3. 80-Nate Benson[2]; 4. 14-Zack Phillips[1]; 5. 89-Thomas Jackson[8]; 6. 34-Scott Trice[13]; 7. 16-Nick Rust[15]; 8. 29-Cameron Benson[4]; 9. 23-Troy Hopkins[3]; 10. 48-Chris Carroll[14]; 11. 77-Tim Williams[10]; 12. 10-Trent Marine[11]; 13. 27-Michelle Jackson[9]; 14. 71Q-Tim Quay[12]
Did Not Start: 01-Robert Smith
Delmarva Charger Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. 61-ASHLEY MERRITT[4]; 2. 2A-Jay Lowman[5]; 3. 44R-Randy Gallaway[9]; 4. 67-Ron Falkner[12]; 5. 37-Josh Dahling[2]; 6. 23-Kyle Hurley[3]; 7. 48-Jeff Merryman[7]; 8. 62-Randy Merritt[10]; 9. 39-Robert Paczkowski[13]; 10. 4-Tyler Hottle[11]; 11. 72-Billy Cummings[8]; 12. 13-Paul Gary[1]; 13. 92-Robbie Strain[6]
Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car Modified Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. 51-KERRY KING[5]; 2. 21-Jamie Eichholz[4]; 3. 20-Roscoe Clough[3]; 4. 3A-Allan Austin[6]; 5. 23-CJ Schirmer[1]; 6. 34-Terry Chaney[7]; 7. 4M-Dave Schamp[8]; 8. 24-Luke Dill[2]
Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car Sportsman Feature Finish (12 laps): 1. 3S-NATHAN AUSTIN[1]; 2. 15S-Jamie Schirmer[6]; 3. 1S-Cale Pettyjohn[7]; 4. 71S-Garrit Reagan[2]; 5. 5S-Rob Schirmer[8]; 6. 32S-Maddy Jefferson[3]; 7. 18S-Chris Killen[4]; 8. 56S-Mike Harman Jr[10]; 9. 58S-Donald Porter[11]; 10. 66S-John Gladman[9]; 11. 14S-Hunter Bensel[12]; 12. 28S-Andy Cassel[5]
Sources: Chris Moore/Georgetown Speedway PR