Woody had a rough outing with the #48 Late Model.
“I did not know where Ted was going to go,” said Pitkat of the intense on-track battle between himself and Christopher. “I figured if he was going to go to the outside, it would be the long way around. I tried to get in there and he got into me. He is such a gentleman. He is an awesome racer. To be able to run with him every week is unbelievable. Obviously I want to gain points and keep Christopher behind me. I am glad and we need to just keep doing what we are doing. I cannot thank the crew guys enough and everybody this is unbelievable.”
With two wins already under his belt Friday night, making it four straight Stafford victories, Pitkat entered the regularly-scheduled 30-lap Late Model feature with an incredible amount of momentum. Pitkat flied towards the front, but rather than risking a strong points night in his hunt for a second-straight Stafford Late Model Championship, Pitkat settled for second behind Ryan Posocco and focused on the big picture.
Pitkat’s second-place finish Thursday night in the Sunoco Modified division at Thompson kicked off the weekend, but Friday night was nearly a night to remember. Early in the evening, Pitkat dominated the 30-lap Late Model feature that was a make-up for a rained-out event earlier this month. He then jumped inside his #52 TSI Harley-Davidson / The Davidson Company open-wheeled SK Modified and held off Ted Christopher, a former NASCAR National Champion himself, for the impressive victory.
Woody picked up victories in both the Late Model and SK Modified. (Jim DuPont Photos)
Pitkat came up just two positions short of a clean sweep of his four feature events this past weekend, winning two features and finishing second in the other two. The young Stafford, CT native won the SK Modified and one of the double Late Model features Friday night at Stafford Motor Speedway. Runner-up finishes in the Sunoco Modified feature at Thompson International Speedway (CT) Thursday night and also in the second half of the Late Model double-dip on Friday at Stafford made Pitkat’s weekend one of the most memorable in the young racer’s stellar career.
“The last two weeks are like somebody needs to pinch me because this is unbelievable,” said Pitkat. “Just to be able to compete and have an opportunity to run this awesome equipment as I have and to be here on the podium every week is incredible.”
Making Pitkat’s weekend even more spectacular, Pitkat’s fifth win of the season in the ultra-competitive SK Modified division at Stafford increased his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Championship point lead. Pitkat’s name leads a list of the top short track racers in the country with just a few weeks remaining in the National Title chase, but don’t expect the young driver to ease up on his hunt for the lucrative NASCAR title.
“I am not even thinking about points,” said Pitkat. “There are still two months to go. As I look at it, after (Friday night’s win at Stafford) we are into August and there are probably eight to 10 more races. We will just go to the next month and try to keep doing what we are doing. When there are two or three weeks to go and we are still there, then you start to think about it. Everybody else is probably thinking about it, but I try to stay as cool as I can. We just take it one lap at a time.”
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 On Top Of NASCAR World After Stellar Weekend
Late Model and SK Victories Highlight Amazing Weekend at Stafford & Beyond
“With the season that we have had with the Late Model, I am glad to know that we have done good,” added Pitkat. “I just try to race as clean as I can and as smart as I can. Hopefully they respect me. Same thing with the SK, I know that they want to beat me, but hopefully they are not going to just go out there and wreck me just to beat me. I drive the same way. I do not want to be over aggressive and get into people.”
It will be another busy weekend for Pitkat coming up, as he will compete in the Sunoco Modified event at Thompson Thursday night, the SK Modified and Late Model features at Stafford Friday night followed by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway (NY) with the Hillbilly Racing #79 Coors Light team.
For more information on Woody Pitkat, contact Matt Kentfield at (704) 788-2134 and check out the official online home for the 2006 NASCAR Weekly Series Division IV Champion, www.woodypitkatracing.com
