Larry Wight Uses Late Race Charge To Grab Fulton Speedway Modified Win
Story By: DAVE MEDLER / FULTON SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: JAY FISH / RACERSGUIDE.COM
FULTON, NY – July 10, 2016 – Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway Mother Nature threw a few curve balls but not enough to dampen the spirits of the racers and fans in attendance on a successful family autograph night presented by McDonald’s Restaurants and the JPW Companies.
In the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds the 35 lap feature would see two and three wide racing throughout the field on an ultra-quick racing surface. Larry Wight who started 15th would take advantage of a late caution flag and restart to lead the final 6 laps for his second win of the season at the speedway.
Other winners on the night were Mike Stanton Jr. (Sportsman) AJ Kingsley (Late Models) Michelle Courcy & Tyler Thompson (Novice Sportsman) Dakota Bechler (4-CYL).
Katelyn Hile and Adam Roberts would bring the Big Block Modified field down to the green with Roberts setting the early pace in the feature.
With 10 laps complete you could have thrown a blanket over the top three that saw Mike Bowman using the top of the speedway to shoot into the lead with Roberts and Chad Phelps right there with Bowman. Just a couple car lengths back Billy Whittaker and Jim Witko Jr. showed fourth and fifth.
At the 15 lap mark Bowman was setting a quick pace out front still running the top of the speedway. Phelps, Roberts, Tim Sears Jr., Whittaker and Larry Wight were using every inch of the track in a tight fight for second through sixth.
With 10 laps to go Bowman still ran out front as Sears, Phelps, Whittaker and Wight started narrowing Bowman’s lead.
A lap 28 caution and restart would be the difference in the race. On the restart Wight looked like he was shot out of cannon using the bottom of the speedway to drive into the lead. Over the remaining laps no one challenged Wight as he was the first under the checkers by over one second over the second place. Chad Phelps, Mike Bowman, Billy Whittaker and Jimmy Phelps finished second through fifth.
Larry Wight talked about his win after parking his Gypsum Express/Tracey Road Equipment/NAPA Auto Parts/Penske Racing Shocks/LJL Kevlar Racing Engines/No.99L, Teo Pro Car in victory lane.
“The car was phenomenal coming up through. Being in the top ten with half the race left it definitely makes it a lot easier to make some moves and get your way up through.”
Wight gave big credit to his crew who not only keeps the equipment in top shape for weekly racing at Brewerton Speedway, Fulton Speedway and Utica-Rome Speedway but the Modified Super DIRTcar Series that has 10 races in July in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and the Province of Quebec.
In the 25 lap SUNY Canton Sportsman Feature Wade Chrisman would lead the opening two laps when he slid over the cushion in turn four allowing Mike Stanton Jr. to drive into the lead.
With 5 laps showing on the scoring tower Stanton and Chrisman ran side by side in an exciting battle for the top spot. Just behind the top two Nick Krause, Kyle Fink and Chris Mackey were putting on a show of their own fighting for third through fifth.
At the 10 lap mark Stanton opened a few car lengths lead with Chrisman, Krause, Mackey and Fink using every inch of the speedway still locked in a tight battle.
With 10 laps to go Stanton was on rails out front opening a half a straightaway lead. Mackey, Chrisman and Krause were still in a slug fest with Fink showing in fifth.
Over the remaining laps in the caution free race nobody had anything for Stanton Jr. as he cruised under the checkers for his first career Fulton Speedway Sportsman win. Chris Mackey, Nick Krause, Wade Chrisman and Gregg Kimball finished second through fifth.
Twenty cars would take the green in the 20 lap Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Late Model feature. There was great side by side racing throughout the field but all eyes were on the front of the field where AJ Kingsley and Kevan Cook put on a classic side by side battle from lap 3 to the checkers that saw Kingsley win by a mere 0.619 of a second. Bret Belden, Chris Fleming and Jason Occhino finished third through fifth.
The E&V Energy Novice Sportsman ran a pair of caution free 15 lap features.
In the first feature Michelle Courcy won her first career race. The win was anything but easy as she raced on a broken shock from lap 7 to the finish and had to hold off constant pressure from Jason Amidon winning by a bumper at the checkers. Kyle Perry, Willy Decker and Kyle Young finished third through fifth.
In the second feature Ryan Hatherill would lead the opening 7 laps before Tyler Thompson went to the top of the speedway on lap 8 to take the lead. Once out front Thompson would drive away for the win. Hatherill, Richie Riggs, Patrick LaPage and Brandon Carvey chased Thompson across the line.
Dakota Bechler and Chuck Powelczyk once again put on a classic battle for the 15 lap JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinder feature win that came down to the checkers. Powelczyk threw everything he had at Bechler, but Bechler had just enough speed for the narrow win. Donnie Rider was closing in late on the top two and finished third with Chris Bonoffski and Skip DeGroff rounding out the top five.
This Saturday, July 16th Oswego County Today.Com presents a night of fast, family affordable, fun racing. On the race card will be the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifeds, SUNY Canton Sportsman, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models, E&V Energy Novice Sportsman, JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinders plus Classics On Dirt Stock Car Club.
Adult admission will be $12 with everyone 18 years old and younger free, pits are $27. Gates open at 5:00 with racing at 7:00.
Any questions you might have and for marketing opportunities please contact Cory Reed at cory@fultonspeedway.com (315) 593-6531. For all the latest news log on to www.fultonspeedway.com and like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/FultonSpeedway .
McDonald’s® Restaurant’s & JPW Companies July 9 Results
(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds 35 Laps) – LARRY WIGHT, Chad Phelps, Mike Bowman, Billy Whittaker, Jimmy Phelps, Chris Hile, Chuck Bower, Adam Roberts, Pat Ward, Jim Witko Jr., Ryan Phelps, Willy Decker, Katelyn Hile, Max McLaughlin, Tim Sears Jr., Tim Kerr, Tim Schneider Jr., Tom Sears Jr., Joe August Jr.
(SUNY Canton Sportsman 25 Laps) – MIKE STANTON JR., Chris Mackey, Nick Krause, Wade Chrisman, Gregg Kimball, Dylan Zacharias, Jeremy Pitcher, Kyle Fink, Mike Button, Corey Barker, Jeremy Dygert, Todd Root, Ron Davis III, Mike Phelps, Brian Calabrese, Chris Cunningham, Joe Kline, Tony Finch II, Jessica Power, Nate Higgins, Sean Beardsley, Tim Gareau, Earl Rudy, JJ Courcy, Tyler Trump, Jim Spano, DNS Rich Riggs.
(Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Late Models 20 Laps) – AJ KINGSLEY, Kevan Cook, Bret Belden, Chris Fleming, Jason Occhino, Brian Knowles, Laslow Hollyfeld, Johnny Hill, Steve Coit, Billy Eisele, Aron Backus, Brandon Ford, Alan Chapman, Jason Parkhurst, Alan Fink, Gordy Button, Matthew Parkhurst, Tony Finch II, Mike Kazmierczak, Dave Talbot.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman Feature # 1 15 Laps) – MICHELLE COURCY, Jason Amidon, Kyle Perry, Willy Decker Jr., Kyle Young, Rachel Zacharias, Dwight Nichols, Casey Cunningham, Torrey Stoughtenger.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman Feature # 2 15 Laps) – TYLER THOMPSON, Ryan Hatherill, Richie Riggs, Patrick LaPage, Brandon Carvey, John Strickler, Kearra Backus, Michael Wight.
(JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinders 15 Laps) – DAKOTA BECHLER, Chuck Powelczyk, Donnie Rider, Chris Bonoffski, Skip DeGroff, Ricky DeGroff, David DeNova, Nate Powers, Evan Wright, Stephanie Seeley, Colby Herzog, Jack Taskey.
