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COZZE PASSES PLANCK ON FINAL LAP TO WIN TURNING STONE CASINO 358-MODIFIED SDS THRILLER




FULTON, NY…Frank Cozze passed Dale Planck on the final circuit to win the Burke’s Do It Best Home Centers 100-lap 6th Annual Showdown at Sundown at Fulton Speedway last Tuesday night. The veteran driver from Wind Gap, Pa. earned $3,000 for the thrilling victory in the Turning Stone Casino DIRT 358 Modified Series event. Cozze and Planck swapped the lead back and forth during the final 25 laps of the hotly contested event.

John Barker raced out to the early lead at the start of the Burke’s Do It Best Home Centers 100 from the pole starting position. Jack Johnson took the top spot away from Barker on the second circuit. Johnson would lead the 32-car starting field through lap 27. Johnson spun after some contact with Frank Cozze. Dale Planck inherited the lead at this time, in search of his third Fulton Speedway win of the season.

Planck and Cozze started their battle for the lead instantly on the restart. Planck would be the official race leader until lap 75, but the top spot changed hands quite a bit around the track. Cozze was the official race leader on laps 76 and 77. Planck would lead lap 78, then Cozze lap 79. That is about how the race would go the final 20 circuits with the former Victoria 200 Champions swapping the lead.

At the end Cozze would lead the most important circuit, the final lap. Planck held on for a second place finish with brake problems. Alan Johnson drove the back-up Jeff Rudalavage car to a solid third place finish. Tim McCreadie came back from an early race spin to finish fourth. Barker drove a solid race to finish in the fifth position.

Sean Lias claimed the win in the 25-lap IMCA Modified Empire State Series race. Rob Keller, Dale Caswell, Larry Bezner and Jeff Cleveland followed Lias across the finish line. Lias jumped out to the early lead at the start of race from the third starting position and he would never look back.

Todd Storace won his first Pure Stock feature race of the season last Tuesday night in the Hood Racing car. Phil Marsden, Dave Mannise, Mark Davison and Chris Cunningham followed Storace across the finish line. Storace took the lead away from Cunningham took the lead away from Cunningham on lap four and he would lead the rest of the distance in the 15-lap affair.

Racing will continue every Saturday night at Fulton Speedway with the DIRT 358 Modifieds, DIRT Sportsman, DIRT Pro Stocks and Pure Stocks all in competition plus many special events. For more information please contact the track office at 315-593-6531 or the race line at 668-RACE. On line information is available at www.fultonspeedway.com. The track is located on Route 57 just south of the city limits.

BURKE’S DO IT BEST HOME CENTERS FEATURE RACE SUMMARY

TURNING STONE CASINO 358 MODIFIED SERIES---Frank Cozze, Dale Planck, Alan Johnson, Tim McCreadie, John Barker, Justin Haers, Jeff Rudalavage, Brett Hearn, Mitch Gibbs, Chad Brachmann, Pete Bicknell, Matt Sheppard, Frankie Caprara, Alex Hoag, Jimmy Phelps, Tim Burnett, John Ramsey, Gus Schmidt, Chuck Hebing, Ron White, Danny Johnson, Tim Fuller, Jack Johnson, Billy Decker, Todd Burley, Craig Terrell, Steve Paine, Tom Kinsella, Roy Shields, Willy Decker, Tom Sears, Ted Lamb.

EMPIRE STATE IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE---Sean Lias, Rob Keller, Dale Caswell, Larry Bezner, Jeff Cleveland, Mike Jeffries, Kevan Cook, Rich Keller, Gregg Kimball, John Dumas, Pete Neff, Neil Edgar, Brian Rice, Les Hubbard, Bobby Thurston, Tim Hearne, Rich Townsend, Skip Pabis, George Proctor, Bill Anderson Sr., Mike Chilson, Tony Finch, Tommy Paige, George Catazano.

PURE STOCK FEATURE---Todd Storace, Phil Marsden, Dave Mannise, Mark Davison, Chris Cunningham, Paul Mercier, Nathan Peckham, Bill Flask, John Phillips, Don Stevenson, Joe Buske, Irving Casler, Ricky Degroff, Steve Woodworth, Gary Barton, Ricky Trexler, Ed Rogers, Ron Billings, Russ Marsden, Kenneth Hamm, Paul Becker, Jim Wallace, Rob Whipple, Pat Sullivan.