Billy Whittaker Overcomes Adversity To Win Fulton Speedway Modified Feature

Billy Whittaker Overcomes Adversity To Win Fulton Speedway Modified Feature; Family Autograph Night and Yellow Out Saturday, July 14

Story By: Dave Medler/Fulton Speedway

Photos By: Mike Johnson/RacersGuide.com

FULTON, NY – From the moment Billy Whittaker hit the speedway for hot laps he knew it was going to be a long race night. All night long he battled fuel pump problems and related he thought come feature time he might make it 3 laps and would have to pull into the pits.

Not only did his crew thrash to get him out on the speedway for the feature without it totally fixed, he outran Larry Wight’s late race challenge to win the 35-lap Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar 358 Modified feature, his first of 2018.

Other winners on NAPA Auto Parts and McDonald’s® Restaurants night was, Jessica Power and Dylan Zacharias (SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman) Kevan Cook (Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models) Robert Gage (E&V Energy Novice Sportsman) Jordan Poirier (Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Speedweek).

358 Modified Rookies Glenn Forward and Tyler Trump led the field down to the green with Tyler Trump leading the opening lap before Forward took the lead one lap later in the 35-lap feature.

At the 5-lap mark Forward held a few car lengths advantage over Mike Bowman. Trump, Whittaker and Ron Davis III as they raced for top-five positions.

With 10 laps complete Forward was on rails running the bottom of the speedway with Whittaker slowly cutting into Forward’s lead. Bowman, Trump and Davis were still in a close battle for third through fifth.

Lap 15 saw Forward and Whittaker in a two-car breakaway at the front of the field. Bowman, Larry Wight who started 10th and Davis were slugging it out behind the top-two.

On lap 20, after working the top of the speedway lap after lap, Whittaker was finally able to drive by Forward and into the lead.

With 10 laps to go Whittaker was still turning quick laps out front. Forward and Wight ran side-by-side for second and third with Davis and Bowman still showing on the scoring tower.

On lap 26 Wight moved into second and set his sights on Whittaker.

Over the final laps Wight threw everything he had at Whittaker but to no avail as Whittaker went under the checkers by 0.855 of a second over Wight. Glenn Forward, Ron Davis III and Tim Sears Jr. finished third through fifth.

Fifty SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman would sign into the pits Saturday night setting up two 25-lap features.

In the first feature Tyler Corcoran would grab a narrow lead at the drop of the green over Chris Bonoffski as the pair would race side-by-side in the opening laps while the racing behind them was two and third wide throughout the field.

On lap 10 Corcoran would open a few cars advantage as Bonoffski, Anthony Rasmussen, Jackson Gill and Brandon Carvey were battling in the top five just before a yellow.

On the restart the whole complexion of the race would change coming down the front straightaway when Bonoffski and Rasmussen would get together causing a big chain reaction wreck bringing out the red to clean up. All racers were unhurt.

When the race went back green Brandon Carvey would drive by Corcoran to be scored the new leader.

With 10 laps left Corcoran would retake the lead by a half a car length going by the flag stand over Carvey. Jessica Power, Alan Fink and Mike Stanton Jr. were solidly in the top-five as the final laps started clicking off the lap counter.

With 5 laps to go Carvey and Power were in a two-car breakaway to battle for the win. Then with 2 laps to go Jessica Power’s car was on rails at the bottom of the speedway as she was able to get by Carvey and drive away for her second win of the season at the speedway. Brandon Carvey, Alan Fink, Tyler Corcoran and Mike Stanton Jr. would finish second through fifth.

In the second feature Dylan Zacharias and Richie Riggs would set the early pace at the front of the field.

By lap 10 Zacharias opened a half a straightaway lead while behind him you could have thrown a blanket over Zach Sobotka, Riggs and Tony Finch II as they used every inch of the speedway racing for top five positions.

With 10 laps to go Zacharias was still in total control of the race with Sobotka, Riggs, Finch and Scott Prentice racing for second through fifth.

Over the final laps there was no stopping Dylan Zacharias as he cruised under the checkers for his first ever Fulton Speedway Sportsman victory. Richie Riggs, Zach Sobotka, Nick Krause from starting 14th and Scott Prentice finished second through fifth.

In the 20-lap Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Model feature Jason Occhino would lead the opening 6 laps until a yellow and restart would see points leader Kevan Cook take over the lead.

At the halfway point Cook was running unchallenged at the front of the field. Chris Fleming and Jason Parkhurst raced side-by-side for second and third with last week’s winner Bret Belden and Occhino showing in the top five.

A yellow with 3 laps to go would give the field one last shot at Cook for the win. When the race went back to green Kevan Cook drove away for the win. Jason Parkhurst, Bret Belden, Chris Fleming and Dale Caswell came home second through fifth.

In the 15-lap E&V Energy Novice Sportsman feature Ryan Gustin took off from the rest of the field at the drop of the green and was on cruise control until a caution with 6 laps to go set up a finish that wouldn’t be decided until the checker flag waved.

Over the final laps Gustin, Robert Gage and Quinn Wallis raced within inches of each other. Between turns three and four Gage and Gustin were dead even coming down the front straight to the checkers with Robert Gage taking the win. Quin Wallis narrowly finished second with Gustin, Jake Davis and Erica Bowman finishing third through fifth.

In the wild 25-lap Empire Super Sprints A-Main Danny Varin would bolt out to the early lead and would be chased by Steve Poirier and Jordan Poirier.

On lap 5 Varin would open a 1.5 seconds lead over Jordan Poirier who was running the top of the speedway trying to cut intro Varin’s lead. Behind the top two, Steve Poirier, Jason Barney, Chuck Hebing and Shawn Donath were slugging it out for third through sixth.

Varin, running the bottom and Jordan Poirier the top, they were putting on a show racing in and out of heavy traffic. Steve Poirier, Barney and Hebing still showed in the top five.

On lap 11 and 12 Varin and Jordan Poirier would swap the lead back and forth still in heavy traffic.

With 10 laps to go Varin and Poirier were still putting on a high-speed show running side-by-side with Steve Poirier, Barney and Hebing keeping the leaders in sight.

On lap 17 it looked like Jordan Poirier was shot out of a cannon running the top of the speedway driving by Varin for the lead. After taking the lead Poirier was not to be stopped picking up the ESS Speedweek victory. Danny Varin, Steve Poirier, Jason Barney and Chuck Hebing finished second through fifth.

This Saturday, July 14 is one of the fan and racer favorites on the racing calendar with Family Autograph Night. Fans will be able to come down on the speedway to get up close to the cars, meet the drivers for autographs, pictures and racer giveaways.

Fans don’t forget to wear yellow for the second annual “Yellow Out,” with July being Rhabdomyosarcoma awareness month. There will be an auction and raffles throughout race night. Childhood cancer is something no parent or family should have to go through alone. All proceeds will go to the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY.

On the race card presented by Burdick Ford will be the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar 358 Modifeds, SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models and the E&V Energy Novice Sportsman.

Adult admission is $12 with everyone 18 years old and younger free. Pit admission is $27 Member, $30 Non-Member. Grandstands open at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm.

Any questions you might have about the 2018 racing season and for marketing opportunities, please contact Cory Reed at 315-593-6531 or cory@fultonspeedway.com . For all the latest news go to www.fultonspeedway.com and like the track Facebook page www.facebook.com/FultonSpeedway for weekly and race day updates.

NAPA Auto Parts & McDonald’s® Restaurants Night July 7 Results

(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar 358 Modifieds 35 Laps) – BILLY WHITTAKER, Larry Wight, Glenn Forward, Ron Davis III, Tim Sears Jr., Mike Bowman, Pat Ward, Bobby Herrington, Jeff McGinnis, Tyler Trump, Jordan McCreadie, Tom Sears Jr., Todd Root, Billy Shantel, Randy Shantel, Andy Noto, Larry Welling, Joe Shields, Kevin Poitras.

(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman # 1 – 25 Laps) – JESSICA POWER, Brandon Carvey, Alan Fink, Tyler Corcoran, Mike Stanton Jr., Chris Mackey, Jimmy Moyer, Corey Barker, Wade Chrisman, Mark Yorker, Tye-Scott Rood, Nate Higgins, Jackson Gill, Amy Holland, Ryan Hatherill, Steve Marshall, Tony Komuda, Josh Livingston, Chris Bonoffski, Anthony Rasmussen, DJ Forbes, Jake Holmes, AJ Miller, Ted Starr, DNS- Tom Juno.

(SUNY Canton Sportsman #2 – 25 Laps) – DYLAN ZACHARIAS, Richie Riggs, Zach Sobotka, Nick Krause, Scott Prentice, Tony Finch II, Brandon Ford, Mike Button, Willy Decker Jr., Derek Webb, Garett Rushlow, Kyle DeMetro, Greg Doust, Jim Spano, Tyler Murray, Jordan Bennett, Rick Rogala, Chris Hulsizer, Joe Sobotka, Colby Herzog, Rocky Grosso, Torey Stoughtenger, Rachel Zacharias, Kelly Smith, Mike Phelps.

(Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models 20 Laps) – KEVAN COOK, Jason Parkhurst, Bret Belden, Chris Fleming, Dale Caswell, Sean Beardsley, Dane Keller Jr., Jason Occhino, Steve Coit, Mike Kazmierczak, Max Hill.

(Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints 25 Laps) – JORDAN POIRIER, Danny Varin, Steve Poirier, Jason Barney, Chuck Hebing, Larry Wight, Shawn Donath, Mike Mahaney, Scott Holcomb, Matt Billings, Paulie Colagiovanni, Mark Smith, Coleman Gulick, Jeff Cook, Paul Kinney, Billy VanInwegen, Mike Kiser, Kelly Hebing, Chad Miller, Matt Tanner, Dan Douville, Steve Hutchinson, Josh Flint, Tommy Wickham, Brett Wright.

(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman 15 Laps) – ROBERT GAGE, Quinn Wallis, Ryan Gustin, Jake Davis, Erica Bowman, Pat Nolan, Kearra Backus, Austin Germinio, Mikey Wight, Jacob Dupra, Richard Page, Matt Becker.