Dachenhausen Day at Bethel Speedway!

Hi Everybody!
Ed “The Magician” Dachenhausen pulls two Feature wins out of his hat in two Divisions the day before his 50th Birthday and the Day before Mother’s Day! Dachenhausen Raced both the Asphalt and Dirt Mod tonight as both classes were on the schedule.
In the Dirt Mod Feature Ed and the #39 Chris Cook, among several returning Racers for tonight’s Event took the pack out for a ride from the pole when Flagger Kyle Dunham waved the green flag. Then right in front of him the #12 (with 4 cyl Racer Jeffrey Tubbs at the helm) sideswiped with the #27 Rich Coons negating the lap and forcing a new start. Dachenhausen takes an early lead while Cook and Ritchie Coons,(Both returning for this Race) battled for second ahead of Tubbs and #348 John Cole. With 5 laps to go the Field had settled to Dachenhausen, Coons, Cook, Tubbs and Cole well spaced, single filed and right to the finish line.
Beginner Bandos started off the Night with a holdover Feature from last week. Easton Houghtaling and Jordan Smith on the pole, Houghtaling ahead of Jordan Smith when the 07 James Bauernfiend spun and Houghtaling hit the backstretch wall. The race was stopped and Houghtaling’s car was towed off.
Restarting the race are Bauernfiend against Jordan Smith with Sister Alyson Smith trailing. Alyson comes out of turn 4, “The Crisco Corner” (dubbed that by the Late Ron Hills) but saves it remarkably! Then Bauernfiend spun going into turn two and Alyson spins in an attempt to avoid hitting him and again saves the Race Car!
On another restart Bauernfiend and Jordan Smith are battling for the lead with Jordan gaining with every turn until he has a sizeable lead but Bauernfiend spins again for another caution/restart. This time it’s a SFRS with both Jordan and Alyson ahead of James. Jordan took off, James grabbed p2 as the race ended with Alyson getting third place and keeping herself in the race for points no matter what. She’s a “quiet Menace”! Always right there, just waiting. She’ll get there and that’s what I love about her. She’s driven!
In the other Holdover Race from last week, the 4cyl Novice Race has two Racers, both number one, figuratively and literally, one red, the other black. The red #1 driven by Jeff DeGroat’s GF Carly Brown (they’re both sharing the Race Car) and none other than the Fastest Broom in the East, Frank Bauernfiend racing Kylee Curry’s black #1, filling in for the ailing Kylee. Brown is racing for the first time ever and Bauernfiend has raced on every conveyance around the track (while a Member of the safety crew) except a Race Car, until tonight!
Carly Brown spun before the first lap was completed. Starting the race over these two were immediately side by side for several laps. Them Brown spun out of turn three and hit a tire bumper. I think that may have caused a steering issue On the restart they are side by side, bounce off each other and Brown hit’s the infield grass. That would happen again as the Race wound down with Bauernfiend in the lead until lap 12 of the 15 lap race when Brown spun the last time. SFRS to the finish with Bauernfiend winning the Holdover Feature Race.
Scott Young brings out a new #16. Scott told me that his Daughters told him since their ages added up to 16, that’s the number he should run in their honor. I thought that was very touching. Dressed out in yellow, a color he has ran here before, paired with Tisha Curry in the Gulf Oil #7. Racing with them are Jeff Jeff Degroat in the red #1 and Dan Houghtaling in the 03m that he literally dug out of the dirt this morning where it has sat since the end of last season!’ Curry owns some real estate ahead of Young (who won the Heat Race against Curry), Jeff Degroat and Houghtaling through the halfway mark and down to three laps left when Houghtaling stops on the backstretch bringing out the only caution and a single file restart to the finish. Curry wins the Feature followed by Young, DeGroat and Houghtaling through a few sprinkles of rain. For Brown’s first time in a Race Car and having just learned how to drive stick I’d say she did quite well!
Ed Dachenhausen has the pole alongside #39Cook off the hop as the 27 and the 12 Coons and DeGroat collide in turn two and no lap is scored until the restart. Dachenhausen takes command of the race and sets the pace after Coons takes second from Cook followed by DeGroat and John Cole in the 348 who apparently still has a starter issues from ACCORD Speedway last week, requiring a push start. In a smooth and uneventful race Dachenhausen brings the Sanford owned #18 to the checkers ahead of Ritchie Coons, Cook, the Jaime Yannone owned #12 driven by Jeffrey Tubbs(!) and Cole. Nice job, Guys!
Welcoming back Makenzie Fialkovich, (I remembered how to spell her name!) and her twin Sister Madison in the #15 and #27, her first Race along with the premiere of #357 Colten Welsch and the veteran Beginner Bando the #03L Levi Houghtaling, coming off his first Feature win of the Season two weeks ago on Opening Day, Ma4 4th and yes, the “Forth” was with him.
Makenzie Fialkovitch and Levi Houghtaling take the pack of 4 out to start the race while my Assistant Makenzie Houghtaling and I continue to observe with her Bff, Riley on hand. Levi takes the lead over Makenzie out of turn two and will try like the devil to hold onto it, lap after lap amid some calamity.
Mad Hatter Maddison Fialkovich on her maiden race began to slow early on and stayed behind for most of the race as she got the feel of car and track. Meanwhile, with Levi ahead of her Sister Makenzie and Colten Welsch, tearing it up on his first race like it was old hat deftly spun to avoid a collision with Maddison to bring out the first caution. As I type I’m watching some crazy good NASCAR Racing on TV!
Speaking of crazy, these kids are so intensely focused that they all hammered down from caution laps when the Flagger accidentally hit the green light for an instant! Hair triggers! On the restart Maddison spun before a lap was completed. She would have an issue throughout her first race ever as her sister trailed leader Levi Houghtaling in a grueling race to the flag as Levi takes another Feature win, Makenzie getting second, Colten Welsch finishing third in hus first race ever and likewise for Mad Hatter Maddison, fourth. These kids are the future of Car Racing!
Owner of the #03e Charlie Houghtaling somehow managed to get son Easton back in the Race Car for the Feature after a wreck in the Heat Race with the 07 which left the 07 wrecking out for this Feature Race after getting too high out of turn two and hitting the backstretch wall.. #99 Alyson Smith has had an all night lesson on how to avoid cars spinning ahead of her. If anything it has hardened her.
There’s no question the track changed throughout the Day even though the temperature was in the mid to low ’50’s the entire time under cloudy skies. Some rubber was washed away by rains and the last two weeks were shortened by rain so there wasn’t much to begin with leaving the track green.
Easton Houghtaling and Jordan Smith face off from the pole similarly in tonight’s Feature as the Holdover Feature earlier. Easton back with a handful of Race Car I’d later learn was in it with damage to the front end to save his points position. Just the same he drove what he got. At the half Jordan Smith spins in turn two as sister Alyson avoided a collision. Alyson sidles Easton on the restart and in short order her brother Jordan takes over second. 5 laps left Easton blocks Jordan Smith to retain the lead and with a poor handling Race Car is going to win the Feature. Then on the very last lap under the white flag, entering turn three Easton lost the battle with his mended Race Car and lost the lead to Jordan Smith who took the lead with a smart move and takes the checkered over Easton with Alyson in third place. This race was truly amazing!
Tonight we’re running the Renegades Class. Any 8,6 or 4 cylinder Race Car with the proper safety equipment and roll cage is eligible. we have three V8s and a 4cylinder driven by Shane Turner in the Dan (Makenzie) Houghtaling #03M. The 8’s had the advantage tonight. A cylinder head hir Racer Joe Barnes in the head and he handed the reigns of the #21 over to Racer Kyke Welsch! Welsch paied up with Tom Katz in the #84 and in the Frey is #86 Darryl DeBetta! In the mid ’70’s I owned a “souped up “68 Chevelle with an engine I built,(my first one, a 283 with 307 heads). It was Maroon. Or Burgundy. Depending on if you took my side or my neighbor’s. I’m going with the Maroon #86. The name on the color controversy is the only challenge for the class tonight. Welsch in the Joe Barnes #21 won both the Heat and the Feature by a long distance ahead of DeBetta, Katz and Turner.
Seven (BMS) Asphalt Mods enter their Feature Race tonight. The Boys from Danbury in my Home State of CT rule the roost. Ed The Magician Dachenhausen in the #92 against John Wile E. Coyote Cote at the green flag as Dachenhausen puts some distance between himself and the pack. second is taken over by Thunderbolt Skip LaPolt and followed by 98 Bill Deak Sr, HOFer Steve Conklin is driving a Historic #4 tonight. Built by John Cote, Driven by Veteran Racers Steve Galgano and last by Dan Archiere, now in the hands of Conklin. Following is Mike Dudtka and the venerable bounce back jack Fred Nees. The race is clean and uneventful down to five laps left of the 20 lapper when Dudtka collides with Nees and pits for a dnf. On the single file restart, Dechenhausen keeps the lead followed by LaPolt, Cote, Deak Sr.,Conklin and Nees.
Frank Bauernfiend and Carly Brown topped off the night with the 4cyl Novice Division Race in the Kylee Curry #1 Black and the Jeff DeGroat #1 Red like the race car sets of the ’60’s. Frank took the lead early on and just gained, lap after lap as the 15 laps counted down to the finish and Frank got his first “and last” Feature win of the Evening. I got a picture with Frank in Victory Lane to go with the picture of him driving the Pace Car with me and Thomas Crane some 6 years ago! Also, I’d like to point out that John Cole is sporting new vinyl courtesy of his Sponsor Cano’s Recycling! Sponsors are awesome!
That’s how it went tonight at Bethel Speedway. I’ll be at “The Battle of The Bull Ring” at The OFFICIAL ACCORD Speedway on Tuesday for the annual running of the Bulls (Ring). Support your Local Speedways! Be safe and until we meet again, keep those wheels turning!
As always, please correct me and I’ll make the adjustments.