SCHMIDT OUTCLASSES FULTON FIELD
FULTON, NY.8/15/98..Gus Schmidt showed incredible strength as he dominated the second half of the 35-lap Modified feature Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway. Gerry Newman won her first of the year in the Street Stocks, and Tony Buffa and Dave Mannise were first time winners in the Sportsman and Pure Stock feature events.
Schmidt started the Modified feature event in the fourth spot and saw Bobby Holland and Ty Hunt duel for the lead in the opening laps. Schmidt battled with Roger Phelps early as J.J. Michaels and Danny Johnson moved from their starting spots in the back of the field. Bob Holland almost rolled his car in turns one and two as he got severe traction, but somehow managed to control the car without losing too many spots.
Doug Fuller was also in the fray, and after Schmidt blasted into the lead before halfway, Fuller got the best of Holland to grab second. Michaels made it to fifth and spent the rest of the race battling with John Barker Jr. for position. At the checkers, Schmidt had a dominant win, with Fuller holding off Holland for second. Michaels got by Barker at the line for the fourth spot. Modified heat wins went to Hunt, Fuller, Roger Phelps, and Holland, with Steve Hulsizer winning the consi.
The 20-lap Sportsman feature event was a fine battle between Tony Buffa, Dan Vail, Willy Decker, and Tim Sears. Vail had the early lead while the other three diced furiously behind them. Buffa emerged from the pack to grab the lead and pull away, while Vail settled into the runnerup spot. Decker and Sears spent the rest of the race fighting for third, while Ron Davis came up to challenge them, but he settled into fifth spot when the checkers fell. For Buffa, it was his first Fulton win of 1998 after comin!
g close in the season opener. Sportsman heats were won by Buffa, Decker, and Bill Shantel.
The 20-lap Street Stock feature event featured some great racing as Rich Keller grabbed the lead and appeared to be headed towards his first win of 1998. Behind him, Rick Breed and Gerry Newman were battling for second place, with last week's winner Mike Lavarnway coming up strong in the second half of the race.
Newman moved into second and trailed Keller for a few laps before finding daylight underneath him in turn four. Keller recovered to stay with the new leader, but could not engineer a pass on Newman, who brought it home for her first Fulton win of the year. Keller was second with Lavarnway finishing third. Breed and Joe Jackson rounded out the top five. Street Stock heats were won by Bill Shantel Jr., Jackson, and Ray Maloney.
Todd Storace was looking for his third Pure Stock win of 1998, but an early race tangle punctured the fuel cell on his car, though he did return to the race after losing two laps. Lou Levea battled for the lead with Dave Mannise and Paul Mercier for several laps until Mannise split the two off turn four to emerge with the lead. Levea spun late in the race, but recovered to finish fifth. When the checkers flew, Mannise had his first win of 1998 at Fulton, with Mercier second. Joe Dote, Herm Staats, and Levea rounded out the top five. Mannise and Storace won the Pure Stock heats.
Next Saturday night, racing continues at Fulton Speedway with the same four divisions. Gates will open at 5pm with racing starting at 7pm.
RACE SUMMARY-FULTON SPEEDWAY-AUGUST 15, 1998
MODIFIED FEATURE-GUS SCHMIDT, Doug Fuller, Bob Holland, JJ Michaels, John Bare, Roger Phelps, Mitch Gibbs, Dave House, Danny Johnson, Jim Rothwell, Bill Abold, Billy Wilcox, Ty Hunt, Chuck Bower, Tom Kinsela, Jim Phelps, Steve Roberts, Pete Taylor, Jason Ba!
rney, Steve Way, Joe Shieds, Steve Hulsizer, Todd Milton, Shawn Donath, Roy Shields.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE-TONY BUFFA, Danny Vail, Willy Decker, Tim Sears, Ron Davis, Tim Mayne, Scott Britton, Steve Anderson, Bill Shantel Sr., Jim Spano, Jeremy Pitcher, Dave VanArsdale, And Vargo, Greg Carner, Rich Vargo, Terry Knoblauch, Mike Conrow, Scott Farrar, Mark Tily, Jamie Christian, Jim LaRock.
STREET STOCK FEATURE-GERRY NEWMAN, Rich Keller, Mike Lavarnway, Rick Breed, Joe Jackson, Bill Schiarabba, Brian Confer, Bill Shantel Jr., Herm Flowers, Anna Elkema, Ron Root, Ray Maloney, Gary Haydens, Henry Kirk, Bill Harrington, Dave Moyer, JB Dockstader,Brian Corbit, Randy Coit, Tom Burkard, Howie Koegel, Paul Stoneburg, Todd Gloska, Randy Skiff.
PURE STOCK FEATURE-DAVE MANNISE, Paul Mercier, Joe Dote, Herm Staats, Lou Levea, John Eiss, David Bock, Dan Butterfield, Bruce Stanton, Phil Trim, Todd Storace, Tom Martin, Dave Kingsley, Kevin Raymond, Mike Holmes, Joe Buske.