BURNETT CAPTURES FULTON FIRST ON BUSY PARTS PLUS NIGHT
FULTON, NY....."Full Bore" Tim Burnett put on a strong performance to capture Saturday night's DIRT 358 Modified feature event on Parts Plus night. Tim Sears used a strong outside pass on Dan Vail to garner the victory in the Sportsman feature. Double features were on tap for the Pro Stocks and the Pure Stocks, with Mike Watkins dominating the first Pro Stock main for the win, while John Pietrowicz survived a thrilling battle with Gerry Newman to notch the victory in the Pro Stock nightcap. The first Pure Stock feature went to Dave Mannise after a charge from the rear, while Darren Kelso dominated the field for the second Pure Stock main.
The 35 lap DIRT 358 Modified feature began with Rick Miller and Jason Barney battling tooth and nail for the top spot while Tim Burnett and Jimmy Phelps fought behind them. Todd Burley also got into the mix early as the first caution flew for two time winner Alan Johnson. Miller bested Barney for the lead on the restart as Burnett and Burley battled behind them. Burnett broke free, passed Barney for second, then slipped past Miller for the lead on lap 10. Miller eventually retired with mechanical problems.
While J.J. Michaels and Dale Planck were trying to work their way forward after an early race tangle, Tom Kinsella was motoring through the field, jumping into the top five by halfway. Jimmy Phelps great run ended 12 laps from the finish when he fell off the pace. On the restart, Burley had his hands full with Kinsella, which allowed Burnett to pull away. Kinsella moved past Burley and ran down Burnett in the final laps, making several strong challenges, including a dive to the low side as they came down for the checkers. Burnett had half a car length on Kinsella as they crossed the line, with Burnett registering his first ever Fulton victory. Michaels moved past Burley for third on the final lap, with Gil Tegg having his best run to date with a fifth place. 358 Modified heats were won by Doug Fuller, Jimmy Phelps, and Dale Planck, with Gil Tegg capturing the consi win.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature started with Dan Vail jump into the early lead and pull away from the field with Russ Hefti moving into the second spot and Dave Bargabus holding the third position. Coming up through the field was Tim Sears and he took the lead from Vail on lap 15. Vail's car faded through the field as his engine began to misfire. Hefti lost the second spot to John Cunningham on the final restart with two to go. Bagabus held on to fourth with Tony Buffa grabbing fifth.
Four Sportsman heats were required for the 35 car field, and they were won by Sears, Hefti, Vail, and Bargabus, with the two consis taken by Walt McArdell and Jim Spano. Fulton Speedway management announced during the evening that if the car count for Sportsman remains at 35 or higher, there will be a Sportsman 'B' Main run as part of the night's action, which will have a cash and point payoff.
The first Pro Stock feature began with Jerry Holmes in the lead, but it lasted for only three laps as Mike Watkins took the top spot on lap 4 and cruised home for the win despite breaking a ball joint in the left front corner of the car two laps from the finish. Ricky Breed, Holmes, Paul Stoneburg, and T.J. Fitzgibbons rounded out the top five in the caution-free affair.
The second Pro Stock feature was a barnburner that saw Gerry Newman take the lead at the start. John Pietrowicz moved into second on lap 4 and the rest of the race saw a dynamic side by side battle between the pair. Newman ran high as Pietrowicz stayed low, with the lead traded back and forth at least a dozen times during the race. Pietrowicz finally got the lead for good on lap 18 and held off Newman for the win. Scott Moyer was third, followed by Fitzgibbons and Watkins, who came from the rear after a lap 1 spin for a fifth place. Pro Stock heats were won by Fitzgibbons and Pietrowicz.
The first Pure Stock feature began with Bruce Stanton in the lead, but Don Stevenson passed him for the point on lap 2. Dave Mannise moved past Stanton for second on lap 5 as Kevin Raymond slid out of the top five. Three laps later, Mannise and Stevenson hooked bumpers and ran hooked together for two laps before they spun in turn three, still locked together. That handed the lead to Raymond, who lost it to Lou Levea on lap 10. Mannise, however, had charged through the pack and back into the top five along with Phil Marsden. The final three laps saw three different leaders. Levea had the lead on lap 13, lost it to Marsden on lap 14 as Mannise grabbed second, then Mannise made a low pass on Marsden in the final corner to cap his rear to front charge with the win. Marsdes, Levea, Darren Kelso, and Stanton rounded out the top five.
In the second Pure Stock feature, Raymond led the first four laps until Darren Kelso grabbed the top spot on lap 5. Kelso motored away and took the checker over Levea, Raymond, Jim Thomas, and Stevenson. Pure Stock heats were won by Mannise, Stanton, and Levea.
Roger Cardot won the night's Tough Truck event. It was announced during the night that a special Sunday show has been added to the Fulton schedule on September 12th, with the Tough Trucks headlining a day of action billed as the Northeast Tough Truck Nationals.
Next Saturday night will be Family Autograph Night at the speedway, with a regular show of DIRT 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and Pure Stocks. Gates open at 5pm and racing starts at 7pm.
RACE SUMMARY-PARTS PLUS NIGHT
FULTON SPEEDWAY-AUGUST 7TH, 1999
DIRT 358 MODIFIED FEATURE-TIM BURNETT, Tom Kinsella, JJ Michaels, Todd Burley, Gil Tegg, Jeff Rudalavage, Dale Planck, John Ventura, Roger Phelps, Ty Hunt, Tom Sears, John Barker, Jimmy Phelps, Steve Hulsizer, Gus Schmidt, Eric VanSciver, Doug Fuller, Jason Barney, Rick Miller, Mitch Gibbs, Pete Taylor, Rayn Baye, Dave House, Alan Johnson, Roy Shields.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE-TIM SEARS, John Cunningham, Russ Hefti, Dave Bargabus, Tony Buffa, Clayton Brewer, Bill Shantel Sr., Willy Decker, Jim Bowman, Greg Doust, Ron Davis, Paul Kinney, Tim Johnson, Chad Phelps, Brian Murphy, Mark Tily, Dean Bower, Dan Vail, Jeremy Pitcher, Jim Spano, Greg Carner, Walt McArdell, Ron Richardson, Mark Yorker.
PRO STOCK FEATURE (HELD OVER FROM 7/24/99)-MIKE WATKINS, Rick Breed, Jerry Holmes, Paul Stoneburg, TJ Fitzgibbons, John Pietrowicz, Jason Rood, Bill Shantel Jr., Ray Maloney, Gerry Newman, Dave Moyer, John Cooper, Randy Coit, Leroy Sabin, Chuck Thomas, Mike Dickquist.
PRO STOCK FEATURE-JOHN PIETROWICZ, Gerry Newman, Scott Moyer, TJ Fitzgibbons, Mike Watkins, Dave Moyer, Ray Maloney, Jason Rood, Bill Shantel Jr., Howie Koegel, Tim Harris, Paul Stoneburg, Chuck Thomas, Jerry Holmes, Leroy Sabin, John Cooper, Anna Elkema, Ed Kotary.
PURE STOCK FEATURE (HELD OVER FROM 7/24/99)-DAVE MANNISE, Phil Marsden, Lou Levea, Darren Kelso, Bruce Stanton, Ken Connors, Dan Butterfield, Don Stevenson, Gary Barton, Jim Thomas, John Eiss, Kevin Raymond, Phil Trim.
PURE STOCK FEATURE-DARREN KELSO, Lou Levea, Kevin Raymond, Jim Thomas, Don Stevenson, Phil Trim, Dave Arbes, Marty Collmer, Ken Connors, Rick DeGroff, Ron Hawker, Joe Reeves, Scott Grevelding, George Wright, Gary Barton, Dan Hatch, Dave Mannise, Dave Stouthenger, Don Kimball, Bruce Stanton, Reob Seavy, Dan Wheaton.