The second longest active speedway in the state of Maryland played host to their 50th anniversary season in 2023. The shorter than usual season found only 13 completed shows, but produced multiple first time feature winners and six first time ever track champions. This season would also be unique in the fact that the once headline Late Model division did not crown a track champion since the track opened in 1973. Rumors still surround that the speedway grounds will be taken over at the end of the 2025 season by the adjoining motocross complex, but still no official word has been released on the future of the speedway. In spite of the off-season chatter, promoter and general manager Denise Hollidge, plan to host the tracks annual awards banquet in December, and will outline plans for the upcoming 2024 campaign.
Late Models- Just four events were run for the class this season, but did produce four different winners along the way. Delaware’s Trevor Collins collected his first-ever Late Model win when the class made their season debut on memorial day weekend. Veteran Jamie Lathroum drove to his 19th career Late Model win in the second event of the season that fell on July 3rd. Kenny Moreland banked $5000 during the “Larry Hills Memorial” on July 22nd, with a 525 Crate power plant, to secure his 10th career division win. Derick Quade won the final event of the season on Labor Day Sunday as he drove to his first ever division feature win, with his Limited Late Model legal no.74, during the “Huey Wilcoxon Memorial.”
Limited Late Models- Six events were run for the class this season and would produce four different feature winners. Former three time track champion Derick Quade would be the only repeat winner of the season as he clicked for 3 wins, including the southern Maryland nationals in October, upping his career division total to 33. Derick’s banner season would also see him crowned the 2023 “Steel Block Bandits Series” champion… Eventual track champion Kyle Lear drove his Ray Ciccarelli owned no.49 to his 26th career win in May which would propel Lear to his second career division crown with his first coming in 2013…Lear had a banner season as well as he scored 2023 feature wins at Potomac, Hagerstown, Winchester, Path Valley and Bedford. Jamie Lathroum took the season opener in May for his 36th career class triumph and former two time track champion Brandon Long would post his solo victory of the season in August. The quartet of 2023 feature winners have combined for 10 track titles and 97 feature wins.
Crate Late Models- This class was the one that had the most parity as six events were run and featured six different winners. Cody Dawson Brooke through for his first career Potomac win in the track season opener…Veteran Mike Walls also became a first time division feature winner with a May feature win…Kyle Hardy posted his 9th career division victory after he won the RUSH Battle of the Bay series event in April…Former two-time champion Jeremy Pilkerton’s August triumph would be the 12th of his career, placing him second all time…Ben Scott secured his elusive first career Potomac win on August 25th and Trevor Collins took the southern Maryland nationals victory for his second career division feature win in October. Consistency paid dividends for Ed Pope Jr as he was crowned the 2023 Crate champion.
Street Stocks- After an early May win, the Potomac faithful would get a glimpse of what they would see quite often as the season progressed, Wyatt Hanson in victory lane. Overall Hanson would collect 5 feature wins, including the southern Maryland nationals, in route to his first career division championship…Three time track champion PJ Hatcher drove to three wins on the season, giving him 33 for his career…Mason Hanson was the early-season star has he won the first two events of the season with Scotty Nelson scoring his 11th career win with an August 4th verdict. The victory’s for Wyatt and Mason Hanson would be their career first wins with the Street Stocks.
Hobby Stocks- Mikey Latham took a win in the season opener in March and would add two more during the season upping his career output to 25 class victories…Second year pilot Justin Hatcher drove to his first career division win on April 21st and would add two more during the season, including the southern Maryland nationals, tying Mikey Latham, for the most wins in the division…Mason Hanson also found success with the Hobby Stocks producing two wins…Colin Long was also a two time winner during the season as he would also claim his first career division championship. Eric Hanson was the only single event winner during the season with a July 22nd victory.
Strictly Stocks- After finding victory lane in the first event of the season High School Junior Jayden Hatcher would collect a division leading 6 wins, including the Friday night portion of the southern Maryland nationals, and would go on to claim the 2023 division title. Former track Champion Greg Mattingly would be the only other multiple winner of the season as he scored two wins, raising his career total to 25…John Hardesty broke a one year win drought with a May feature win, the 28th of his career…Veteran Billy Tucker scored his first ever division win in May and Johnny Hardesty took his lone win of the season on July 22nd.
UCars- Some new faces found success in the class that produced five different feature winners. Richard Inscoe scored his first career division win in April and would back that up with two more trips to victory lane to score his first career track championship. Kelly Crouse was also a 3 time winner during the season and took third in points. Eventual point runner up Faith Lacey came within 58 points of her first Career Championship, but her season will be rewarded with her first ever feature on July 22nd. Rookie Keith Brown added his name to Potomac win list with a July 28th victory and Earl Whitehouse IV joined the division win list with a victory in the southern Maryland nationals.
Roadsters- Four drivers found victory lane in the five events the class competed in this season. Cody Bottorf was the only repeat winner of the season, scoring two wins…Dominic king was a one time winner and would go on to claim the track title, the second of his Potomac career. Former division champion Jason Jarvis took one win on the season, and Allen Griffith closed the season with a win in the southern Maryland nationals.
Modifieds- Veteran Rick Hulson, a former Late Model winner at the track, drove to his first career modified win on memorial day…Teenage sensation Drake Troutman scored a win during the July 3rd program and gave his car owner Jerry Foster, Potomac’s 1997 Late Model champion, his first track score as an owner. Michael Altobelli was victorious on August 8th for his second career, Potomac feature win and his overall 101st career Modified Victory. Ray Kable found victory lane in the last race of the season for the class on the Labor Day Sunday event.