NEW EGYPT — Last year, Ryan Godown was the golden boy at New Egypt Speedway, a regular visitor to victory lane and the track’s $20,000 Superstars Series champion.

This year, he hasn’t been able to buy a win — the 30-year-old from Ringoes finished second five times in 2005, then suffered a huge disappointment on Wednesday night when the rear-end in his No. 26 let go within sight of winning the $6,000 Super DIRT Series special. On Saturday, however, young Godown finally managed to grab the gold ring, blowing everyone else away in the Modified feature during the track’s Ladies’ Night program sponsored by Burnett Racing Engines.

“It’s been hard, especially with the year we had last year. My hat’s off to this crew and our sponsors. The guys have really rallied around me when I was getting down,” a relieved Godown said, after finally recording one in the ’05 win column. “Wednesday night was a heartbreaker. But we went out on top and showed ’em what we had. We’re glad to get this one tonight.”

Dead set on redeeming himself after two straight weeks of teeth-grating frustration, Godown wasted no time showing the rest of the field just who was who in the 30-lap Modified event. Within six laps, Godown had motored into the lead and completely checked out on all comers. A four-way battle brewed for bragging rights to the bridesmaid slot, but it was all Godown this night, with no accidents, no mechanical failures, no missteps to keep him out of victory lane. Godown lapped all but the top 12 cars en route to his long-awaited first checker of the year. Keith Hoffman bested Darren McCaughey for the runner-up position, with Billy Pauch and early leader Bruce Hooper following. Frank Cozze, who finished seventh, continues to sit atop the Modified points.

Scott Singley, of Upper Black Eddy, Pa., beat back a last-ditch bid by Mike Lyons to win his fourth of the year in the Sportsman 20-lapper. Lyons settled for second, with Mike Howardson third, Bill Tanner IV in fourth and Gary Butler in fifth. Although Rich Rutski was eliminated in a first-lap crash, he still maintains the lead in the division point chase.

It was an 18-month dry spell, but Flemington’s Billy Bauer finally got the job done in the Super Stock ranks, claiming the 17th of his career, and becoming the division’s all-time winningest driver. Spider Ensinger Jr., Al Cheney III, Bryan Reed and Mick Search trailed Bauer at the checkers. Suffering through a sub-par night, Jake Roveda still leads the championship point standings over defending titleholder Rob Ormsbee.

As part of the Ladies’ Night program, 30 women competed in three exciting Women on Wheels events. Race winners were Emmy Swearingen, Wendy Kennedy and Sandra Jo Kell, who all received cash prizes and trophies, courtesy of Burnett Racing Engines.

Fuller avenges DIRT boys at

New Egypt

DIRT Elite 11 driver Tim Fuller, of Edwards, N.Y., was in the right place at the right time at New Egypt Speedway on Wednesday night, capitalizing on track regular Godown’s misfortune to ink a big $6,000 victory in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series Showdown in the Pines.

“That [No.] 26 car [Godown] was setting a pretty wild pace out there in the early going. I couldn’t stay with him,” Fuller, 37, acknowledged after securing his sixth Modified Super DIRT Series win of the season, and his very first at New Egypt. When the rear-end broke on Godown’s car on lap 61,

Cozze, New Egypt’s 2003 track champion, led the first 14 laps of the 100-lap Modified shoot-out, until Rick Grosso decided to step up the pace and take over the point on lap 15. Grosso set a rapid pace up front, but not quick enough to keep a hell-bent Godown at bay. Godown, who finished second to Billy Pauch in DIRT’s first round at New Egypt on June 22, rocketed into the lead on lap 19 and looked to settle himself into the top spot. Fuller — the current Super DIRT Series points leader on the Northeast tour, with more scores than any other contender — certainly had other ideas. Starting ninth on the grid, Fuller surprised Godown on the high side to lead lap 27 by a wheel. But Godown, who’s still searching for his first elusive victory this season, wouldn’t lay down for Fuller. Six laps later, Godown was back on top and going for the gold. The Ringoes Rocket was in control for the next 28 laps, until the rear-end in his Bicknell car let go, leaving Godown high and dry and handing Fuller the lead.

Meanwhile, there were all kinds of interesting things going on behind Fuller. Defending track champion Jimmy Horton, who managed to claw his way up from a 23rd starting spot, was showing second at that point, with Alan Johnson and Matt Sheppard also within striking distance. Sheppard had a story of his own. After he spun while running second on lap nine, young Sheppard battled back from the depths of the field to break back into the top five and give Alan and then Horton a run for their money. And Cozze, forced to pit with a suspension problem on lap 18 while running up front, rebounded like a boomerang to contend in the top group at the end. At the finish, it was a triumphant Fuller taking his first flag at New Egypt for car owners Bob and Michelle Faust, over Sheppard, an out-of-nowhere Brett Hearn, Horton and Cozze. Billy Decker, Danny Johnson, Pat Ward, Rick Grosso and Stewart Friesen completed the top 10. June 22 series winner Pauch came from 12th to third before his car broke 34 laps in.

Lawrenceville’s Jeff Geiges was the whole show in the companion 20-lap Sportsman event, winning for the second time this year, his first since opening night.

This Saturday, it’s Wing Night at New Egypt Speedway, featuring the third and final appearance this season of the popular URC Sprint Cars.

Big-block Modifieds, Sportsman and Super Stocks complete the big four-division race card.