GEORGETOWN, Del. — For the fifth consecutive time, Billy Pauch Jr. claimed victory in the in the Mid-Atlantic Championship at Georgetown Speedway.
The win was his second Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series victory of the campaign.
For his efforts, the Kid’s Kid was awarded $7,000, $5,000 for picking up the win and an extra $2,000 for posting the Stockley Materials ‘Gambler’s Fee.’
“My Dad (legendary driver Billy Pauch Sr.) has won 10 in a row at a track before, but I think five in a row is pretty impressive for what we do,” proclaimed Pauch Jr.
Despite coming home with a 12th-place run, Mike Mahaney picked up his first career STSS championship.
“This point title was something we really wanted, and it feels great to get it,” said Mahaney of his $10,000 championship, his first with the series.
When the green flag flew, Mark Pettyjohn and Joseph Watson led the field into the 40-lap event.
Pauch Jr., who started third, quickly raced into second on the initial green and followed Pettyjohn before a lap four yellow. On the restart, Pauch Jr. raced around Pettyjohn for the top spot.
Soon thereafter, Pauch Jr. would have a new challenger, as Anthony Perrego would slipped by Mark Pettyjohn into the runner-up spot. Perrego entered the South Region finale with an outside chance to claim the title.
Perrego’s march continued, as just two laps later the title contender raced to the inside of Pauch Jr. and took the top spot away, attempting to steal the race and the championship all in one night.
A lap-13 yellow gave attention to Mike Maresca, who had risen from the 14th starting position into sixth before the halfway point of the race.
When the field went back to racing, Perrego continued to pace the field while Maresca climbed to fourth and Ryan Watt went on a charge to the sixth position from 11th before a lap-21 yellow restacked the field.
Perrego picked up the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz $200 halfway bonus adding to his $500 in memory of Gary Simpson for leading lap 12.
The lap-21 restart was the one Pauch Jr. was looking for. The ‘Kid’s Kid’ executed a perfectly timed slide job, reclaiming the top spot. A few laps later, on lap 26, Maresca fell victim to a left rear flat tire, dashing his charge for his first career Georgetown win.
Watt continued to navigate a tricky racetrack perfectly on the restart, going around both Perrego and Jordan Watson to take the runner-up spot and lock eyes on Pauch Jr.’s back bumper.
The next 14 laps went caution free, and Perrego showed all he needed all race was some green flag racing. ‘Kid Giddy Up’ drove from fourth to second, while he and Watt reeled in Pauch Jr. in lap traffic, before another yellow came out with just two laps remaining.
The final restart proved to be no sweat for the Kid’s Kid, as he claimed his fifth consecutive Georgetown win in his Rick Holsten-owned No. 96.
Perrego did all he could in the championship chase, coming home with a runner-up finish in the Brian Smith-owned No. 44. Watt rounded out the podium in his Ron Roberts Racing No. 14w.
The podium finish was good enough to award Watt with the Georgetown Speedway Sunoco Championship Series $2,500 title in the Chesapeake Paving Modified division.
Jordan Watson raced to fourth in his Brent Hall-owned No. 18 and Mike Gular snuck into a top five in the Terry Fasnacht-owned No. 2a.
The Super Late Models returned to Georgetown for the second time this season and Ross Robinson returned to victory lane once again, earning $7,000 after posting the $100 JD Shuckers of Georgetown “Gambler’s Fee” pre-race.
Despite starting from the outside pole position, Robinson earned every bit of his triumph over the 21-car field.
Ryan Godown Jr. came from the 19th starting position to pick up the win in the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman 25-lap feature event.
Melvin Joseph claimed the dominant victory in the Little Lincoln feature over Jordan Herbert and Kirk Lawson. Joseph led all 12 laps, claiming all of the $240 in lap money posted for the event.
Jesse West got his first 12-lap Delaware Super Truck win of 2021 over Andrew Nelson and Ryan Efford.
Geoff Carey was the victor in the Delmarva Charger 12-lap feature for the first time in 2021. Carey upended Robert Paczkowski and Ashley Merritt for the win.
The finish:
Feature(40 laps): Billy Pauch Jr., Anthony Perrego, Ryan Watt, Jordan Watson, Mike Gular, Matt Sheppard, Matt Stangle, Brandon Grosso, Dominick Buffalino, Wade Hendrickson, Joseph Watson, Mike Mahaney, Mike Maresca, Ryan Godown, Richie Pratt, Jr., Jim Britt, H.J. Bunting, Ryan Riddle, Kevin Sockriter, Frank Cozze, Jared Umbenhauer, Mark Pettyjohn, Roger Manning, Robert Dutton, John Willman, Mark Van Vorst, Ray Swinehart.