MECHANICSVILLE, MD – October 7, 2023 – The 2023 racing season concluded with a thrilling spectacle as Derick Quade, hailing from Mechanicsville, Maryland, clinched victory in the “Kevin Cooke Memorial” at Potomac Speedway on Saturday night. Quade’s impressive win behind the wheel of his Longhorn no.74 marked his 33rd career division feature win and earned him a prize of $3,022.
The 30-lap race saw Quade and David Williams leading the field to the green flag, with Quade quickly seizing the race lead as they entered turn one. Despite a relentless challenge from competitors like David Williams, Kyle Lear, and Kyle Hardy, Quade held onto his lead throughout all 30 laps.
Kyle Hardy, who eventually secured the runner-up position on lap 17, attempted to close the gap on Quade in the closing laps but couldn’t mount a serious challenge. Quade crossed the checkered flag uncontested, expressing his delight in victory lane, saying, “We have so much support here, and it’s always nice to win in front of all these fans.”
Reflecting on the race, Quade acknowledged the tough competition, stating, “We’ve had a good car tonight, but when I saw Kyle in second, I knew he would be there at the end, but the guys had this car dialed in, and we had enough to get the win.”
Kyle Lear, the 2023 track champion, secured the third position, followed by David Williams and Sam Archer, who completed the top five. The heat wins for this event went to Derick Quade and David Williams.
In the Crate Late Model Main event, Trevor Collins claimed victory in the 30-lap race. Collins started from the outside front row and maintained his lead from the first lap to the checkered flag. Kyle Hardy, who started 11th, battled his way to the second spot on lap 17 but had to settle for second place. Collins expressed his happiness with the win, saying, “We had a fast car when we unloaded, and as the feature went on, we just got better, and it’s great to be in victory lane right now.”
Dale Hollidge secured the third position, with Davis Lipscombe in fourth and Ronnie Martin Jr., who started 17th, rounding out the top five. Heat wins for the Crate Late Model Main went to Ben Bowie, Joey Love, and Davis Lipscombe.
The “Dale Reamy Sr Memorial” Street Stock event witnessed Wyatt Hanson, the 2023 track champion, dominating the 25-lap race, claiming his fifth win of the season. PJ Hatcher, Scotty Nelson, Mason Hanson, and a remarkable 20th-starting Adam Breeden completed the top five in this race. The heats for the Street Stock event were won by Wyatt Hanson, PJ Hatcher, and Tommy Wagner.
Additionally, other racing action over the weekend included Justin Hatcher’s third win of the season in the “Jim Gardner Sr Memorial” Hobby Stock feature, twin 20-lap Strictly Stock events won by Jayden Hatcher and Greg Mattingly, Earl Whitehouse IV securing his first career 20-lap U Car win, and Allen Griffith Jr. claiming top honors in the 20-lap Roadster main.
The Potomac Speedway provided a thrilling conclusion to the 2023 racing season, with Derick Quade, Trevor Collins, and Wyatt Hanson emerging as victorious in their respective divisions. Racing enthusiasts and fans can look forward to the excitement of the upcoming racing season after this thrilling finale.
