Woody had a rough outing with the #48 Late Model.
You can’t think like that. You just have to go out and do the best that you can with the SK.
“Just keep digging. That was the logo on my birthday cake.”
Even though the Late Model race didn’t go his way, nor did the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Riverhead Raceway on Saturday (Pitkat was not able to make the feature race because of the influx of strong track regulars invading the WMT regulars and the #79 did not have the points to fall back on for a provisional), Pitkat was still satisfied knowing he improved on an already stellar season with another victory.
“Eighty-percent of it is luck and 20-percent is the driver. A perfect example was the Late Model race tonight. I got down into turn one and Mambo thought that he had a spot there and I tried to get on the brakes because he came down in front of me. I got onto the brakes and I spun him out. They
“There is one guy that I forget every weekend that is my spotter Doug Coby. If it wasn’t for him I would not be here. He knows what is going on. I feel so bad because he should be in a car and he should be in a Modified Tour ride. He is an unbelievable spotter up there. He tells me what I should do or not do. Between him and my crew chief (Jimmy Fuller), you could not ask for two better guys out there. My whole crew has also been with me for the last five to six years and we are all working together awesome.”
Earlier in the night at Stafford, however, things did not go as smoothly for Pitkat. The defending Late Model division champion found himself turned around in his #48 TSI Harley-Davidson Late Model. He was able to recover to finish 14th.
“I could see where the steering wheel was moved because I keep it centered,” said Pitkat. “I saw that the center was moved so we bent something. So after that I was just going to salvage a top 10 finish and then I got spun. I do not even know what happened. Then it came over the radio that (Dave Mavlouganes) had just dumped me.
“When you are running two races like that you just have to get over it. I went into the trailer and changed getting ready for the other race. The car has been great. If thought if I have one bad night with the Late Model then it is going to be a bad night with the SK.
Woody scored win number six, his fourth in a row, on Friday. (Jim DuPont Photos)
On Friday night, Woody Pitkat added his name to the list that also includes Ted Christopher, Richie Evans and Geoff Bodine, to name a few with his third-straight SK Modified victory at Stafford in the #52 TSI Harley-Davidson / The Davidson Company machine.
“I hope that the fans keep coming because if it were not for them we would not be here and I know that it is probably getting old seeing me win every week,” said Pitkat, who now has six overall SK Modified victories on the season at Stafford. “Eventually somebody is going to dethrone us. We just keep digging and keep doing the best that we can and here we are.”
Pitkat has had everything clicking in recent weeks in the SK division, thanks in large part to a group of dedicated crew members that have helped place him as the most powerful short track racer in the country in the NASCAR National Points race.
Winning one race during a weekend is an accomplishment. Winning two on the same night, that’s impressive. Woody Pitkat did that just last weekend at Stafford Motor Speedway (CT) with a win in the SK Modified and Late Model feature events.
But to win four races over the course of two nights? That’s just unheard of. To accomplish that feat would make history, but after the season that young Pitkat has been having so far in 2007, it certainly wasn’t out of the question.
Pitkat a Member of Stafford's "Three-Peat" Club
Third-Straight SK Modified Win Has Woody Among Select Company
black flagged me and I had to go to the back. I had no problem with that and went to the rear. Then he wrecked me and they did not do anything about it.
“Right there it shows that I have a lot of luck. I have had some pretty decent breaks like making through wrecks and getting to the bottom. Being able to restart on the bottom is huge here. We will just keep going at it every week and trying to do the best that I can. And we have been winning which has been awesome.”
