ALAN JOHNSON WINS MAKES IT FIVE WINS AT FULTON IN 2000
Fulton, NY…Alan Johnson had to work for his fifth 358 Modified victory of the season at Fulton on Saturday night, taking the lead on lap 22 and holding off several top competitors for the win. Other winners included T.J. Fitzgibbons, Willie Decker, Chad Ray, and Troy Van Allen.
Ty Hunt and Tim Murphy, Jr. made up the front row for the 358 Modified feature event. Hunt jumped out front at the start and led until lap three, when Jim Witko spun in turn 2. On the restart, Murphy powered by Hunt and took command. Rick Miller, running the best he has all season, took second on lap 4, and then passed Murphy on a lap 13 restart to take the lead.
By the time debris on the track brought out the race’s third caution on lap 15, Jim Phelps and Alan Johnson were running fourth and fifth. The top five at this point were Miller, Murphy, Jason Barney, Phelps, and Johnson with Dale Planck running in 6th.
Miller was running very strong with his new 33x, but Phelps and Johnson were on a mission, moving into second and third at the race’s lap 18 halfway point. Murphy was still pesky in fourth, and J. J. Michaels was now in fifth.
It took just a couple of laps for Johnson to pass Phelps and Miller, and by lap 22 the 14J was out front. Behind him, Miller, Michaels, Planck, and Phelps were keeping the pressure on as the top five went at it in a furious battle.
Two late race cautions eliminated Dave Reilly and Roger Phelps in separate incidents, and Johnson hung on to take the checkered flag with Michaels, Planck, Phelps, and Miller rounding out the top five. The NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader was Miller.
Dave Bargabos in the 99 skated out front at the drop of the Sportsman green flag. Clayt Brewer and John Cunningham both caught the wall in separate incidents in the opening laps.
Willie Decker moved through traffic quickly to challenge Bargabos by lap 7, and moved his 1x around Bargabos on the next lap to take control. At the halfway point, Decker, Bargabos, Mark Yorker, Tim Sears, and the 17d of Tom Juhl were the top five.
Three minor cautions slowed the pace throughout the second half the race, but Decker managed to hold off a late race charge by Sears to take the victory. At the checkers it was Decker taking the win with Sears, Bargabos, and Yorker rounding out the top five. Decker was the NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader.
The 20-lap Pro Stock feature went through its entire first half with no yellows. Joe Jackson led the opening two circuits, and then suddenly pulled into the pits leaving Jason Rood in control with his 18. T.J. Fitzgibbons was winging his way through traffic, and moved in to challenge Rood for the lead on lap 6.
Rood tried mightily to stave off the challenges of the 14 of Fitzgibbons, but it was to no avail as Fitzgibbons took over on lap 9, and became the NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader on lap 10.
Randy Coit and Dave Fox tangled as the lap board showed 10, and that would be the only yellow in the event as the drivers did a superb job of keeping the racing clean and green. When Starter Steve Rickett waved the checkered flag, Fitzgibbons took the win with Rood, Ray Maloney, Joey Ladoceur, and Jerry Holmes following close behind. It was Ladoceur’s first appearance of the year at Fulton, and he made it a good one with a fine top five run.
Gary Barton got off to a fast start in the Pure Stock feature, leading youngster Bobby Newman through the first couple of laps. The 5 of Walt Koperda brushed the wall in turn four on lap 2 to bring out the first yellow of the event, during which time Joe Buske’s 21J developed mechanical problems and he went to the pits. This would be only the start of Koperda’s problems in the 20-lap feature.
The restart would be Barton’s undoing, as first Jay Finch, then Chad Ray passed him and took turns leading the race in the next two laps. Darren Kelso and David Kirk got together on the front straightaway with four circuits in the books, and Dave Mannise ducked in for a quick pit stop under the yellow. He returned without losing a lap, and Kelso restarted. Only Kirk had to go off on the hook.
Two laps later, a multi-car, chain reaction melee took place on the back straightaway and the caution was out again. Chad Ray was the leader, with Jay Finch, Bobby Newman, Todd Koegel, and the 77 of Ken Connors right behind.
Mannise and Kelso were slicing through the field with precision, and moved into the top five on lap 9. When Adam Morely spun in turn two, the order was Ray, Mannise, Kelso, Finch, and Koegel. Newman had lost a couple of spots when he bobbled in turn one a few laps prior to the yellow.
While the officials were looking in Morley’s direction in turn two, few saw the 5 of Walt Koperda do a series of rolls in turn four. Koperda was OK, but the car suffered extensive damage.
This set up a two-lap dash for cash between Ray, Mannise, Kelso, Finch, and Koegel. Mannise got close as the cars came out of turn four toward the checkered flag, but Ray had his 73d working on the bottom of the track and had enough bite to hang on for the win. It would be Ray, Mannise, Kelso, Finch, and Koegel at the line. Ray was the NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader.
There were just two leaders in the ESDCA Dwarf Car Feature. Tony Buffa jumped out front early, but by lap 6 it was Troy Van Allen setting up the winning pass. The race was red-flagged on lap 10 when the 6 of Barry Virts flipped over in turn one. He was uninjured in the incident.
Van Allen had little problem in holding off Buffa, while Darren Forbes had his career best finish at Fulton with a third place run. David Orr finished fourth and the 17M of Matt Magner, in his first ever Fulton start, finished fifth. The NGK Spark Plugs Halfway Leader was Buffa.
The next race at Fulton is this Wednesday, July 26th. The 3rd Annual Showdown at Sundown will feature a 100-lap Advance Auto Parts Modified Tour 2000 Mr. Dirt Big Block Race plus a Pro Stock Rolling Wheels Raceway World Series of DIRT Track Racing Qualifier. Gates open at 5:30, time trials at 6:30; race time is 7:30.
Then, on Saturday, July 29th, the rained out Central New York Mini-Sprint Mid-Summer Shootout will be run along with a full compliment of DIRT 358 Modifieds, DIRT Sportsman, DIRT Pro-Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Slingshots. Raymond’s Car Care and Wayne Regional Orthopedic will sponsor the evening, which also includes a special display by the Syracuse-Geddes Microd and Quarter-Midget Club.
The club is running their annual Charity 500 race at the Great Northern Mall in nearby Clay, NY on Saturday and Sunday to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and will be on hand at Fulton for a special fundraiser on Saturday night. For more information, contact the speedway office at (315) 593-6531, or see them online at www.fultonspeedway.com.
358 MODIFIEDS: ALAN JOHNSON, J. J. Michaels, Dale Planck, Jimmy Phelps, Rick Miller, Ryan Baye, Gil Tegg, Tim Murphy, Jr., Jeff Rudalavage, Lance Petzoldt, John Barker, Tim Burnett, Ty Hunt, Tony Buffa, Bill Shantel, Sr., Chris Bushnell, Jim Witko, Jr., Jeff Sykes, Jason Barney, Roger Phelps, Gus Schmidt, Dave Reilly, Chris Gravis, and Billy Woodworth.
DIRT SPORTSMAN: WILLIE DECKER, Tim Sears, Dave Bargabos, Mark Yorker, Tom Juhl, Chad Phelps, Ron Richardson, Jeremy Pitcher, Jim Bowman, Gregg Carner, Greg Doust, Rich Keller, Shane Donath, Paul Kinney, Dean Bower, Walt McCardell, Henry Desimoreaux, Brian Murphy, Shawn Donath, Tim Johnson, John Cunningham, Clayt Brewer, Jim Kite, and Paul Benz.
DIRT PRO STOCKS: T.J. FITZGIBBONS, Jason Rood, Ray Maloney, Joe Ladoceur, Jerry Holmes, Dave Moyer, Rick Breed, Paul Strieff, Scott Moyer, Dan Winks, Keith Butler, Chuck Matthews, Randy Coit, Herm Flowers, Ryan Buske, Dave Fox, Paul Stoneburg, Joe Jackson, and Mike Dicquist.
PURE STOCKS: CHAD RAY, Dave Mannise, Darren Kelso, Jay Finch, Todd Koegel, Bobby Newman, Ken Connors, Scott Gravelding, Bruce Stanton, Jeremy Bargabos, Dennis Brown, Adam Morely, Rob Seavy, Walt Koperda, Gary Barton, Bill Lasher, David Kirk, John Nickerson, Rob Whipple, Joe Buske.
ESDCA DWARF CARS: TROY VAN ALLEN, Tony Buffa, Darren Forbes, David Orr, Matt Magner, Brenda Rice, Scott Nash, Barry Virts, Ken Gamlen, Bob McCarthy, Oly Johnson, and Lee Babcock.