Whittaker Wins The Battle, Sears Jr. Wins The War At Fulton
Story By: DAVE MEDLER / FULTON SPEEDWAY – FULTON, NY – The closest modified track championship at the Fulton Speedway anyone can remember went down Saturday night when Tim Sears, Jr. won his first ever Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modified Track Championship by inches at the finish over Jimmy Phelps.
In the 35-lap feature Billy Whittaker took the lead on 17 and outran a strong field of 28 cars for his first win of the season and fifth place finish in the final points.
In the battle for the Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modified Track Championship Tim Sears, Jr. led Jimmy Phelps by a single point. The finale had twists and turns like a Hollywood movie.
On lap-15 the yellow would wave, slowing the pace down for a restart. When the green came back out Ryan Jordan got turned around and track officials said Jimmy Phelps got into Jordan and sent Phelps to the tail of the field. Most at that point figured Phelps’ shot at the title was over. Someone forgot to tell Jimmy Phelps that as he was a man on a mission.
Phelps rocketed back through the field catching Sears setting up a battle royal for the track title. The pair would run bumper to bumper and side by side with each having a slight advantage on different parts of the speedway. The title came down to a drag race out of turn four to the checkers just behind race winner Billy Whittaker. Sears went under the checkers inches ahead of Phelps. AMB showed the difference was 400th of a second. Behind Billy Whittaker, Tim Sears, Jr. and Jimmy Phelps, Mike Bowman and Chris Hile finished fourth and fifth.
In the SUNY Canton Sportsman 50 cars signed in the pits setting up two 25-lap features.
In the first feature, the track championship would be decided with Ron Davis III and Todd Root only separated by two points. Root would start 15th and Davis 16th.
Steve Marshall and Tyler Trump would be race leaders as Davis quickly worked his way to the front. Davis would take the lead from Trump on lap 16 and go on to the win and his second track championship on the weekend after winning the title on Friday night at the Brewerton Speedway. Tyler Trump, Todd Root, Dylan Zacharias and Corey Barker finished second through fifth.
In the second 25-lap SUNY Canton Sportsman feature Dorian Wahdan and Mike Button would lead the early laps with two and three wide racing throughout the field.
At the 10-lap point, Button and Nick Krause were in a tight fight for the lead with Mike Phelps quickly closing on the top-two.
Krause would take the lead from Button on a restart and never look back sweeping the Brewerton and Fulton weekend. Mike Phelps, Chris Mackey, Mike Button and Joey Buonagurio finished second through fifth.
The Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Late Model championship would see Kevan Cook and Jason Parkhurst tied coming into the 20-lap feature to decide the championship.
Cook would grab the lead at the drop of the green and looked to run away and hide from the rest of field as Parkhurst would start eighth and worked his way forward.
A yellow on lap-7 would put Cook and Parkhurst on the front row to settle it the rest of the distance.
At the halfway point Cook and Parkhurst were in a two-car breakaway at the front of the field as Sean Beardsley, Bret Belden and Brandon Carvey raced for third through fifth.
Over the second half of the race Parkhurst could keep Cook within sight but never mounted a serious challenge as Kevan Cook won his second feature of the year and the 2017 Track Championship. Chris Fleming, Bret Belden and AJ Kingsley finished third through fifth.
Thirty-six Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints signed into the pits Saturday night.
Jason Barney dominated the 25-lap A-Main. The racing for second on back came down to the checkers with Matt Tanner, Danny Varin, Bryan Howland and Larry Wight finishing second through fifth. Billy VanInwegen, Jeff Cook, Matt Billings, Chuck Hebing and Shawn Donath completed the top-ten.
After many top-five and second place finishes, Casey Cunningham made a late race pass for the lead getting by Chris Bonoffski for his first win in the E&V Energy Novice Sportsman. Chris Bonoffski, Robert Gage, DJ Forbes and Tyler Rogers finished second through fifth.
In the second 15-lap E&V Energy Novice Sportsman Bill Sauve would lead the opening 2-laps before Travis Billington would grab the top-spot. On lap-5 Sauve would fight back, retaking the lead. On lap 9 the yellow would wave and the rain set in, ending the race. It was Sauve’s first feature win. Travis Billington, Dan Dupra, Jake Davis and Tim Abbate finished second through fifth.
Preparations are now underway for one of the most prestigious racing events in the Northeast. On Friday & Saturday, September 29-30 the 32nd Annual Sunoco Fulton Ethanol Facility Outlaw 200 Weekend presented by SUNY Canton takes place.
2017 Schedule
Friday, 9/29 – 7pm
Pit Stop Convenience Stores Go Nuclear Late Model Championship
Greene’s Ale House TUSA Mod Lite Doug Cooper Memorial 36
JB Logging and Firewood 4-Cylinder Open
E & V Energy Novice Sportsman
Industrial Tire of CNY Sportsman Shootout Heats and Consolations
Modified Outlaw 15L Qualifiers
Saturday, 9/30 – 4:30
32nd Sunoco Fulton Ethanol Facility Outlaw 200 presented by SUNY Canton
Industrial Tire of CNY Sportsman Shootout (LCQ’s and 50-lap Shootout).
For tickets, camping and everything you need to know for a fun weekend go to www.fultonspeedway.com. Once there click on the Outlaw 200 Weekend logo at the top of the page.
Any questions you might have and for 2018 marketing opportunities please contact Cory Reed (315) 593-6531 or cory@fultonspeedway.com. For all the latest news visit www.fultonspeedway.com and like the track Facebook page www.facebook.com/FultonSpeedway.
Unique eCigs September 2 Championship Night.
(Tracey Road Equipment Modifieds 35 Laps) – BILLY WHITTAKER, Tim Sears Jr., Jimmy Phelps, Mike Bowman, Chris Hile, Larry Wight, Tim Kerr, Chad Phelps, Joe August Jr., Jim Witko, Jr., Ryan Jordan, Adam Roberts, Max McLaughlin, Katelyn Hile, Tim Mayne, Kody Graham, Matt Hitchcock, Tim Murphy, Tim Harris, Alan Barker, Tom Sears, Jr., JR Hurlburt, Andy Noto, Brian Murphy, Andrew Ferguson, Jeff Crambo, Brandon Carvey, Pat Ward.
(2017 Tracey Road Equipment Modified Track Champion) –Tim Sears, Jr.
(SUNY Canton Sportsman #1 – 25 Laps) – RON DAVIS III, Tyler Trump, Todd Root, Dylan Zacharias, Corey Barker, Glenn Forward, Rocky Warner, Jeremy Pitcher, Jessica Power, Will Shields, Tyler Thompson, Steve Marshall, Tim Falter, Charlie Tibbitts, Jimmy Moyer, Kyle Fink, Jim Spano, Joe Sobotka, Colby Herzog, Aron Backus, Jason Amidon, Rick Miller, Tom Juno, Brett Draper, Nate Higgins, DNS-Ryan Harherill.
(SUNY Canton Sportsman #2- 25 Laps) – NICK KRAUSE, Mike Phelps, Chris Mackey, Mike Button, Joey Buonagurio, Brandon Ford, Alan Fink, Joe Isabell, Tyler Singleton, Willy Decker Jr., Torrey Stoughtenger, Tye-Scott Rood, Amy Holland, Chris Cunningham, AJ Miller, George Dyer, Chris Frennier, Dorian Wahdan, Aron Jacobs, Dan Kapuscinski, Bailey Groves, Kyle Perry, Richie Riggs, Garrison Fretz, Billy Clark Jr., Tony Finch, Sr.
(2017 SUNY Canton Sportsman Track Champion) – Ron Davis III
(Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Late Models 20 Laps) – KEVAN COOK, Jason Parkhurst, Chris Fleming, Bret Belden, AJ Kingsley, Chad Homan, Sean Beardsley, Steven Coit, Jason Occhino, Jeffrey Isabell, Aaron Jacobs, Dave Talbot, Max Hill, Steve Gwinn, Stan Clark, Brandon Carvey, Dale Caswell, Mike Kazmierczyk.
(2017 Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Late Model Track Champion) – Kevan Cook.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman #1 – 15 Laps) – CASEY CUNNINGHAM, Chris Bonoffski, Robert Gage, DJ Forbes, Tyler Rogers, Kenny Ryder, Kearra Backus, Jake Petit, Kelly Smith, Bill Megnin.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman #2 – Rain 9 Laps) – BILLY SAUVE, Travis Billington, Dan Dupra, Jake Davis, Tim Abbate, Pat Nolan, Mikey Wight, Larry Taylor, DNS-Brad Williams.
(Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints 25 Laps) – JASON BARNEY, Matt Tanner, Danny Varin, Bryan Howland, Larry Wight, Billy VanInwegen, Jeff Cook, Matt Billings, Chuck Hebing, Shawn Donath, Scott Holcomb, Paulie Colagiovanni, Brandon Kidd, Sammy Reakes, Darryl Ruggles, Jonathan Preston, Kelly Hebing, Paul Kinney, Coleman Gulick, Josh Pieniazek, Dave Axton, Mark Kiser, Joe Trenca, Robbie Stillwaggon, Dalton Herrick, Steve Poirier.
