Michael Maresca Shocks The Modified Racing World Collecting $20,000 Outlaw 200 Win

Michael Maresca Shocks The Modified Racing World Collecting $20,000 Outlaw 200 Win

Story By: Dave Medler/Fulton Speedway

Photo By: Pete MacDonald/RacersGuide.com

Fulton, NY – Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway Potsdam, NY racer Michael Maresca drove the race of his career, winning the 34th Annual Stadium International Trucks Outlaw 200 in front of a huge crowd and against an all-star modified field.

During the majority of the first segment of the 200-lap race, Maresca, behind the wheel of his St. Lawrence Radiology, No. 7mm, Bicknell would chase Matt Sheppard to the lap 100 break.
Whatever changes Maresca made to go back to green for the second 100 laps paid off as he ran down Sheppard and drove into the lead on lap 120.

With only one caution in the late going, lapped traffic was heavy, allowing Mat Williamson to put constant pressure on Maresca driving the bottom of the speedway pulling even with the leader many times.

After seeing Willamson to his inside and sensing that was the fastest way around the speedway, Maresca switched to running the bottom, taking away Williamson’s momentum. That switch paid off as his car was on rails and would hold off Williamson by 0.335 of a second for the wildly popular win.

One of the most impressive drives came from Fulton Speedway regular Tim Sears Jr. in his small block who finished third. Sears started the race in 32nd and steadily worked his way to the front and made a late race charge, battling for the win with Maresca and Williamson.

Gary Tomkins and Billy Dunn would bring the 44-car starting field down to the green with Tomkins bolting out to the early lead in the 200.

Tomkins and Matt Sheppard were able to break away from the field in the early laps and caution periods while the racing behind them was two and three wide on the extremely racy surface.

Both Tomkins and Sheppard ran the quick high side of the speedway until Sheppard, on lap 33 went to the bottom where Tomkins wasn’t.

By lap 40 it was a three-way slugfest for the lead as you could have thrown a blanket over Tomkins, Sheppard and Mike Maresca as they raced not only for the lead but while in heavy traffic.

On lap 47 Tomkins switched to the bottom of the speedway leaving Sheppard the opening he needed to drive into the lead.

Sheppard was able to put distance and cars a lap down while Maresca and Larry Wight were in a tight fight for second with Tomkins and Robbie Bellinger showing in the top-five.

By lap 70 Sheppard built a half-a-straightaway lead still putting cars down a lap with Maresca and Wight in second and third.

Two of the heavy hitters worked their way into contention. Stewart Friesen who started 18th and Mat Williamson who started 16th ran fourth and fifth.

Over the final laps of the first segment Sheppard was the class of the field to the lap 100 break 2.5 seconds ahead of Maresca.

Matt Sheppard, Michael Maresca, Larry Wight, Mat Williamson, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Tim Sears Jr., Stewart Friesen, Chris Hile and Danny Johnson were the top-ten. Twenty-three of the 43 starters were on the lead going back to green.

After the second segment of the race got back into a rhythm, Maresca was able to run down Sheppard and then drive into the lead on lap 120.
By lap 130 Maresca was able to put two seconds between himself and the tight fight behind him between Williamson, Sears and Sheppard.

With 170 showing on the scoring tower, Williamson and Sears were able to run down Maresca setting up a showdown to the $20,000 payday.
Over the remaining laps, mired in traffic, there were points where you could have thrown a blanket over the top-three, but it would come down to Maresca and Williamson.

Williamson threw everything he had at Maresca, but Maresca didn’t flinch and moved to the bottom after seeing Williamson lap after lap and then would cruise under the checkers for the biggest win of his career.

Mat Williamson, Tim Sears Jr., Stewart Friesen, Tim Fuller, Matt Sheppard, Larry Wight, Danny Johnson, Dave Marcuccilli and Chad Brachmann completed the top-ten.

This coming Saturday, October 12 will be the 2019 season finale at the Fulton Speedway during Super DIRT Week. On the race card is the revamped ‘Win and You’re In.’ Below is the new and exciting format, admission prices and times.

Wildcard Win & You’re In:

Draw For Twin 25-Lap Modified Qualifiers
Top-Two Finishers In Each Earn $1,000 & $500
Top-Ten In Each Qualifier Advance To The Feature
Top-Four In Last Chance 12 Lap Showdown Advance
50-Lap Wildcard Feature – 1st – $4,000 2nd – $2,500 3rd – $1,500

360 Sprint Car Open Competition 25-Laps – $3,000-To-Win, $300 To Start

All Seats General Admission
Adults – 19 & Older – $30
Students 15-18 – $5
Pits – DIRTcar, ESS, PST – $35 , Non-Member – $40

9:00 am – Camping Lot Opens – Free
2:00 pm – Ticket Booth Opens For Sale & Will Call
4:00 pm – Pits Open
5:00 pm – Grandstands Open
6:30 pm – Hot Laps
7:00 Pm – Racing Begins

October 5th – 34th Annual Stadium International Trucks Outlaw 200 Results

(34th Annual Stadium International Trucks Outlaw 200) – MICHAEL MARESCA, Mat Williamson, Tim Sears Jr., Stewart Friesen, Tim Fuller, Matt Sheppard, Larry Wight, Danny Johnson, Dave Marcuccilli, Chad Brachmann, Rob Bellinger, Chris Hile, Mike Mahaney, Alan Johnson, Erick Rudolph, Ron Davis III, Gary Lindberg, Peter Britten, Roy Bresnahan, Glenn Forward, Chad Phelps, Tyler Thompson, Ryan Arbuthnot, Pat Ward, Jimmy Phelps, Billy Decker, Billy Whittaker, Billy Shantel, Jackie Brown, Gary Tomkins, Ryan Godown, Danny Varin, Brett Hearn, Matt Hulsizer, Todd Root, Kyle Coffey, AJ Kingsley, Tyler Trump, Michael Storms, Ryan Jordan, Rocky Warner, Billy Dunn, Yan Bussiere, Tom Sears Jr.

(Lap Leaders) Gary Tomkins 1- 46, Matt Sheppard 47-119 Michael Maresca 120-200.

Heat Races – Top 4 Qualify – Winner to the redraw:

(Heat 1) – Michael Storms, Yan Bussiere, Brett Hearn, Jimmy Phelps, Brett Tonkin, Ronnie Johnson, Mike Mahaney, Mitch Gibbs, Will Shields.

(Heat 2) – Ron Davis III, Billy Whittaker, Peter Britten, Tom Sears Jr., Jackie Brown, Gary Lindberg, Chad Brachmann, Chris Hulsizer, Kyle Fink.

(Heat 3) – Matt Sheppard, Pat Ward, Ryan Godown, Danny Johnson, Rocky Warner, Randy Shantel, Todd Root, AJ Miller, Jessica Power.

(Heat 4) – Michael Maresca, Tim Fuller, Erick Rudolph, Roy Bresnahan, Dave Marcuccilli, Jeremy Dygert, Tyler Murray, Ben Bushaw, Tyler Siri.

(Heat 5) – Gary Tomkins, Chris Hile, Billy Shantel, Tyler Thompson, Chad Phelps, Nick Nye, Mike Stanton Jr., Brandon Walters, Cameron Black.

(Heat 6) – Larry Wight, Ryan Arbuthnot, Stewart Friesen, AJ Kingsley, Jim Witko Jr., Alex Tonkin, Joe August, Glenn Forward.

(Heat 7) – Billy Dunn, Billy Decker, Ryan Jordan, Matt Hulsizer, Alan Johnson, Tyler Trump, Kyle Coffey, DJ Forbes.

(Heat 8) – Rob Bellinger, Mat Williamson, Danny Varin., Tim Sears Jr., Garret Rushlow, Tim Harris, Mike Mandigo, Nick Krause.

Consolations -Three Qualify:

(Consolation 1) – Gary Lindberg, Mike Mahaney, Jackie Brown, Mitch Gibbs, Chad Brachmann, Ronnie Johnson, Will Shields, Kyle Fink, Brett Tonkin.

(Consolation 2) – Dave Marcuccilli, Rocky Warner, Todd Root, Jeremy Dygert, Ben Bushaw, Randy Shantel, Tyler Murray, Tyler Siri, Jessica Power, AJ Miller.

(Consolation 3) – Chad Phelps, Glenn Forward, Nick Nye, Alex Tonkin, Jim Witko Jr., Chris Hulsizer, Brandon Walters, Cameron Black DNS Joe August Jr.

(Consolation 4) – Tyler Trump, Alan Johnson, Kyle Coffey, Tim Harris, Mike Stanton Jr., DJ Forbes, Mike Mandigo, Garret Rushlolw, DNS Nick Krause.

(Last Chance Qualifier – 3 Qualify) – Todd Root, Jackie Brown, Kyle Coffey, Chad Brachmann, Mitch Gibbs, Nick Nye, Jeremy Dygert, Tyler Siri, Will Shields, Tim Harris, Mike Stanton Jr., Brett Tonkin, DJ Forbes, Brandon Walters, Kyle Fink, Cameron Black, Mike Mandigo, Alex Tonkin, Chris Hulsizer, Tyler Murray, Randy Shantel, Jim Witko Jr., Jessica Power, DNS Ben Bushaw, Garret Rushlow, Nick Krause, Ronnie Johnson, Joe August Jr., AJ Miller.

($300 Top Finishing Bicknell Car) – Michael Maresca.

(Hoosier Tire Hard Luck Award) – Gary Tomkins.

(Drum of VP Race Fuel to Hard Charger of The Race) – Chad Brachmann.

(Larkin Mowing $50 Hard Charger) – Chad Brachmann.