Column By: ROBERT SYMONDS / RPW – WOODHULL, NY – In a display of skill and determination, Jake Dgien emerged triumphant the Insinger Performance Modified feature at Woodhull Raceway this past Saturday (June 3rd). Dgien outshined fierce competitor Ajay Potrzebowski II who led a majority of the event. With only five laps remaining, Dgien executed a daring move that left spectators in awe: riding the wall to secure his well-deserved victory, however not everyone would see it this way depending on your perspective.
As the race unfolded at Woodhull Raceway, both Dgien and Potrzebowski suffered some suspension damage related to a lap 1 incident that stacked up a majority of the field. Working their way through the field, Potrzebowski used the bottom to middle grooves while Dgien used the top lane. After working by Russell Morseman, Potrzebowski took the lead at the half way mark, little did he know but Dgien was right on his rear bumper.
With the laps winding down, Dgien made a calculated decision. Coming off the top of turn 4, Dgien expertly maneuvered his number 3 Modified in between the wall and Potrzebowski’s number 72, utilizing what room was left on the high side to take the lead which would earn his victory.
Dgien skillfully balanced on the edge of control, riding the unforgiving concrete wall to take the lead. The daring move was not seen as the same across the speedway, including by Dgien himself. Here is what Dgien said during a midweek interview.
DGIEN – “I thought I got a good enough run on him coming out of turn 4 that he would have saw me. However looking back at the pictures & videos, I don’t think he would have. When we kind of got together on the front stretch, we kind of got stuck together.”
SYMONDS – “From a lot of perspectives in turn 1, it looked like he kind of came up into you on the front stretch. Do you think Ajay Potrzebowski was running the same line as laps previous?”
DGIEN – “I think he had damage from the lap 1 wreck that damaged a lot of different race cars. I don’t think he could run his car necessary the way he wanted to. I think he had some handling issues so I think he ran his car the best that he could. We all had some damage from the lap 1 accident.”
SYMONDS – “Thinking back on it, did you try to fill a hole that wasn’t there on the top or do you think he came up from your perspective?”
DGIEN – “I knew it was going to be a tight fit (on the outside). I thought he was gonna leave me enough room but I think once I tried to make it work, I think we kinda got stuck together wheel to wheel and with our rub rails.”
Potrzebowski did end up shining some light on the race for the lead a little later on.
POTRZEBOWSKI – “Honestly I did not see or hear Jake at all before. I didn’t know he was to my outside until after I saw his wheels on the front stretch wall. At the last second, I resorted to turning left as much as I could just to get off of him. I tried to get off of him as best as I could. Even in your pictures you could see I was turning left at the flag stand which is about where he got up on the wall.”
SYMONDS – “Do you think you ran your line? Did you leave a lane open?”
POTRZEBOWSKI – “I ran the same line nearly the entire race. I had a broken shock from the lap 1 wreck which made the car tighter but I ran the bottom then to the top on the straightaways. In this case, I don’t know if I didn’t come up enough, or if he was trying to coordinate a tight pass. I don’t think it was anyones fault really. It was just a racing deal.”
Jerry Symonds, former long time employee of the Woodhull Raceway, echoed Potrzebowski’s view point after watching the race from the grandstand area in turn 4.
“I told (Jake’s Dad) Andy that I don’t think Jake was far enough alongside Potrzebowski for Ajay to know Jake was there. I think it was a racing deal. Both Jake and Ajay were running their lines.”
From turn 1, it looked about the same that the two cars met on the front stretch which created this wall ride for Jake Dgien to take the lead. However in the moment, feelings and emotions can trigger different thoughts. Sometimes the best thing to do is take a look back and reflect on what actually happened.
DGIEN – “Even now, I don’t have an issue with Ajay. We did end up talking about it and I saw the video along with your photos to see what actually happened.”
POTRZEBOWSKI – “I hate that it happened. I like Jake, we raced since together for years since our Crate days so I definitely did not want to put him into the fence. After watching the video and seeing the pictures, we talked about it and it was definitely a racing deal.”
Dgien’s wall ride, sparks and all, earned him the victory last Saturday and a new nickname among fellow drivers as Lightning McQueen. This was truly a controversial racing move for the win that will end up being written into the history books as another great battle for the win at New Yorks Toughest Bull Ring, the Woodhull Raceway.