Tim Sears Jr. Uses Late Caution To Win Fulton Speedway 358 Modified Feature
FULTON, NY – There is an old saying of what’s old is new again. That played out Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway as the track returned to its roots with the 358 Modifieds as the headline division.
A fantastic field of 124 cars filled the pits for the opening points night to kick-off the 2018 points season with great racing in all divisions on Ferris Mowers night.
Feature winners were, Tim Sears Jr. (DIRTcar 358 Modifieds) Brandon Ford, Mike Stanton Jr. and Billy Clark Jr. (DIRTcar Sportsman) Jason Parkhurst (Late Models) Addison Bowman and Quinn Wallis (Novice Sportsman).
Larry Welling and Larry Wight brought the 27 Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar 358 Modified field to the green with Welling leading the opening lap before Wight would take command of the race one lap later in the 35-lap feature.
With 10 laps complete, Wight would open a four-second lead on the field. Behind Wight, Billy Whittaker, Welling, Pat Ward and Tim Sears Jr. were putting on a show with tight racing for second through fifth.
At the halfway point, Wight was still leading, Sears had moved into second and was slowly chipping away at Wight’s lead. Whittaker, Bobby Herrington and 358 modified rookie, Glenn Forward raced in tight quarters inside the top-five.
With no yellows to slow the action, Wight was still in control with 10-laps to go. Sears and Whittaker were slugging it out for second and third with Forward and Herrington still in the top-five.
The turning point in the race came with a handful of laps left when the first yellow of the feature waved erasing the 3.3 seconds lead Wight had setting up a shootout to the finish with defending track champion Tim Sears Jr.
When the green came back out, Wight and Sears raced side-by-side around the entire speedway leaving the winner in doubt. Sears made the winning pass with 2-laps to go finding the bite he needed using the bottom of the speedway to grab the narrow win over Wight. Billy Whittaker finished third, with 358 Modified rookies Glenn Forward and Ron Davis III finishing fourth and fifth.
With 65 SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman in the pits, three 25-lap features were run in appreciation for racers supporting the speedway.
In the first feature, two and three-wide racing was seen throughout the field in the opening laps with Tyler Thompson setting the early pace out front.
With 5-laps in the record book you could have thrown a blanket over the top-five of Thompson, Garett Rushlow, Wade Chrisman, Corey Barker and Brandon Ford.
On lap-8 Ford made an impressive move going from third to the first to be scored the new leader of the race.
With 10-laps remaining Ford bolted out to a 2.1 seconds lead. Rushlow, Barker, Thompson, Will Shields and Chrisman raced in close quarters for second through sixth.
A yellow with 9-laps to go took away the large lead Ford had built-up setting up a shootout to the checkers.
Over the final laps Corey Barker threw everything he had a Ford, but Brandon Ford held on for the narrow 0.219 of a second win. Will Shields finished third flowed by Nate Higgins and Wade Chrisman to complete the top-five.
In the second 25-lap Sportsman feature, there was close side-by-side racing throughout the entire 20-car field with Jessica Power setting the early quick pace out front.
The show over most of the race was between Power running the low line and Mike Stanton Jr. racing the top groove as they ran side-by-side lap after lap never knowing who would be out front. The winning pass came with 2-laps to go as Stanton led by a bumper. Jessica Power fought back, but Stanton held on for the narrow 0.766 second win. Mark Yorker, Mike Phelps and Alan Fink finished third through fifth.
In the final 25-lap Sportsman feature, Billy Clark Jr. set the quick pace grabbing the lead at the drop of the green.
By lap-10 Clark opened a 1.5 second lead as Mike Button, Zach Sobotka, Nick Krause and Ricky Yelle raced for top-five positions.
Over the second half of the race Clark was still fast out front trying to put cars a lap down. Over the final 5-laps Mike Button was able to reel in Billy Clark Jr. setting up an exciting finish. Clark was not to be denied as AMB scoring showed him the winner by 0.733 over Button. Zach Sobotka, Nick Krause and Jeff Taylor finished third through fifth.
Jason Parkhurst made a statement in the 20-lap Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Model feature leading every lap. The only thing that slowed down Parkhurst was quick caution periods. The racing behind Parkhurst was nose-to-tail and side-by-side that saw Sean Beardsley, Dale Caswell, Kevan Cook and Chad Homan finish second through fifth. Jason Occhino, Chris Fleming, AJ Kingsley, Billy Eisele and Dane Keller Jr. completed the top-ten.
A strong field of E&V Energy Novice Sportsman signed in the pits with them running a pair of 15-lap features.
Addison Bowman totally dominated feature one with a convincing victory. Wesley Hayes, Pat Nolan, Robert Gage and Matt Becker finished second through fifth.
In the second feature, Quinn Wallis was the class of the field as he was never seriously challenged over the 15-lap distance. Tyler Murray, Jake Holmes, Chris Bonoffski and Jake Davis came home second through fifth.
This coming Saturday, May 12, Ehrlich Pest Control will present a night of fast, family, affordable fun featuring the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar 358 Modifieds, SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models, E&V Energy Novice Sportsman plus the Home Depot Kids Workshop for all the Jr. Fans.
Admission is $12 for Adults, 18 years and younger FREE. Pit admission is $27 Member, $30 Non-Member. Grandstand opens at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm.
Any questions you might have about the 2018 racing season and for marketing opportunities, please contact Cory Reed at 315-593-6531 or cory@fultonspeedway.com . For all the latest news go to www.fultonspeedway.com and like the track Facebook page www.facebook.com/FultonSpeedway for weekly and race day updates.
May 5 Ferris Mowers Night Results
(DIRTcar 358 Modifieds 35 Laps) – TIM SEARS JR., Larry Wight, Billy Whittaker, Glenn Forward, Ron Davis III, Jordan McCreadie, Bobby Herrington, Danny O’Brien, Pat Ward, Phil Vigneri, Mike Bowman, Tom Sears Jr., Ryan Jordan, Madison Mulder, Tyler Meeks, Larry Welling, Jeff McGinnis, John Mulder, Greg Martin, Todd Root, Andy Noto, Joe Shields, Rick Richner, Kevin Poitras, Brian McDonald, Nick Webb, Kenny Wills.
(Larkin Mowing Hard Charger $50) – Jordan McCreadie.
(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #1 25 Laps) – BRANDON FORD, Corey Barker, Will Shields, Nate Higgins, Wade Chrisman, Chris Mackey, Stephen Denton, Tyler Corcoran, Dylan Zacharias, Joel Hall, Tyler Thompson, Josh Blackwell, Billy Sauve, Joey Bounagurio, Remington Hamm, Tyler Reynolds, Kelly Smith, Garett Rushlow, Amy Holland, Willy Decker Jr., Colby Herzog, Richie Riggs.
(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #2 25 Laps) – MIKE STANTON Jr., Jessica Power, Mark Yorker, Mike Phelps, Alan Fink, Chris Cunningham, Brandon Carvey, Tony Finch II, Brian Hudson, Steve Marshall, Kyle Kiehn, Jim Spano, Earl Rudy, Joe Sobotka, Tim Abate, DJ Forbes, Jake Petit, Dorian Wahdan, Scott Prentice, Greg Henry. DNS Rick Miller.
(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #3 25 Laps) –BILLY CLARK Jr., Mike Button, Zach Sobotka, Nick Krause, Jeff Taylor, Jackson Gill, Kyle Demetro, Greg Doust, Ricky Yelle, Tye-Scott Rood, Tom Juno, Kyle Perry, Mike Fowler, Jimmy Moyer, AJ Miller, Michelle Courcy, Rachel Zacharias, Torrey Stoughtenger, Brett Draper, George Sanford, DNS – Frank Sobotka, Bill Megnin.
(Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models 20 Laps) – JASON PARKHURST, Sean Beardsley, Dale Caswell, Kevan Cook, Chad Homan, Jason Occhino, Chris Fleming, AJ Kingsley, Billy Eisele, Dane Keller Jr., Max Hill, Steven Coit, Bret Belden.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman #1 15 Laps) – ADDISON BOWMAN, Wesley Hayes, Pat Nolan, Robert Gage, Matt Becker, Brandon Thompson, Ryan Gustin, Michael Wight, Kearra Backus, Keith Stevenson.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman #2 15 Laps) – QUINN WALLIS, Tyler Murray, Jake Holmes, Chris Bonoffski, Jake Davis, Skylar Greenfield, Cody Wolfe, Teddy Starr, Erica Bowman.