Steve Poirier Wins Empire Super Sprints
Story By: DAVE MEDLER / FULTON SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By:JEFF CLEMONS / RACERSGUIDE.COM
FULTON, NY – May 2, 2016 – The Fulton Speedway played host to the DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series race number-one on the first day of the “Highbank Holdup” weekend that saw 55 cars fill the Fulton pits.
In the 40-lap feature there was two and three wide racing all over the speedway but all eyes were at the front of the field where Fulton regular Jeremy Pitcher and St. Catharines, Ontario’s Brad Rouse battled nose to tail and side by side swapping the lead back and forth until Rouse used a late race restart to take the lead for good. With his win Rouse served notice he will be a serious contender for the series championship. He also grabbed a coveted guaranteed starting spot for the prestigious Industrial Tire Of CNY Sportsman Championship 50 during the 31st Annual Sunoco Fulton Ethanol Facility Outlaw 200 Weekend on September 31 & October 1.
Brad Rouse and Dave Marcuccilli brought the 30-car starting field down to the green with Rouse grabbing the early advantage in the 40-lap feature.
With 10-laps compete Rouse opened a quarter straightaway lead while behind him Jeremy Pitcher, Marcuccilli, Rocco Leone and Matt Farnham were in a tight battle for second through fifth.
A quick yellow would wave on lap-13 erasing the advantage Rouse built up out front. Pitcher would take advantage of yellow on the restart as he would use the top of the speedway to blast into the lead.
At the halfway point, lap-20, Pitcher and Rouse were in a two-car breakaway for the lead as they ran bumper to bumper and side by side while behind the two Ron Davis III, Marcuccilli, Farnham and Rocco Leone were waging their own battle for third through sixth.
After working over Pitcher using the bottom of the speedway lap after lap, Rouse was able to wrestle the lead back on lap-24.
The yellow would wave on lap-25 and once again Pitcher took advantage on the restart and would drive back into the lead on lap-26.
With 10-laps to go Pitcher and Rouse were still putting on a show at the front of the field as Farnham, Davis, Leone and Marcuccili still fought for third through sixth.
Like earlier in the race Rouse, kept working on Pitcher using the bottom of the track and retook the lead on lap-34. Over the remaining 6-laps Pitcher threw everything he had at Rouse but Rouse was to strong as he was the first under the checkers over Pitcher. Ron Davis III, Matt Farnham and Dave Marcuccilli rounded out the top five.
The Tom Juno’s Power Seal Asphalt Sealing hard charger of the race went to Tony Finch II. Finch started 29th and brought home an impressive sixth place finish.
Thirty-two Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints signed in the pits for race number-one of the A-Verdi Storage Containers Brewerton & Fulton 360 Sprint Car Series.
In the 25-lap A-Main Danny Varin who is a big block modified driver but is always fast when he gets a chance to strap into 360 Sprint car would lead the first 16-laps before multi-time Series champion Steve Poirier would take the lead.
Once out front Poirier would hold off repeated challenges from Varin for the popular win.Bryan Howland, Jason Barney and Justin Barger would finish third through fifth. Larry Wight, Paul Kinney, Tommy Wickham, Matt Tanner and Parker Evans rounded out the top ten.
This coming Saturday, May 7th Ferris Mowers Presents the opening points night for all divions. On the race card will be the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds, SUNY Canton Sportsman, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Late Models, E&V Energy Novice Sportsman, JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinders.
In honor of Mother’s Day our friends at Flowers & Things in Sodus, NY will have flowers for all the moms when they enter the speedway.
Gates will open at 5:00 with racing at 7:00. Adult admission is $12 with everyone 18 yrs. Old and younger FREE. Pits are $27.
Any questions you might have or for marketing opportunities please contact Cory Reed at cory@fultonspeedway.com (315) 593-6531. Keep up with all the latest news by visiting www.fultonspeedway.com and like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/FultonSpeedway .
(DIRTcar SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FEATURE 40 LAPS) – BRAD ROUSE, Jeremy Pitcher, Ron Davis III, Matt Farnham, Dave Marcuccilli, Tony Finch II, Chris Mackey, Rocco Leone, Kevin Root, Shane Pecore, Chris Cunningham, Tyler Trump, Jessica Power, Mike Button, Beth Bellinger, Jason Shipclark, Alex LaJoie, Corey Barker, Louie Jackson Jr., Brianna Ladouceur, Dylan Zacharias, Connor Dawdy, Mike Stacey, Billy Clark Jr., Todd Root, Adam Hilton, Gregg Kimball, Martin Pelletier, Jordan Bennett, Mike Taylor.
(Heat Race Winners) – Matt Farnham, Ron Davis III, Jeremy Pitcher, Dave Marcuccilli, Brad Rouse.
55 Cars Entered
(Industrial Tire Of CNY Sportsman Championship Qualifying Spot) – Brad Rouse
(Tom Juno’s Power Seal Asphalt Sealing Sportsman Hard Charger $100) – Tony Finch II.
(Tom Juno’s Power Seal Asphalt Sealing Sportsman Track Regular Top Finisher $100) – Jeremy Pitcher.
A-Verdi Storage Containers Brewerton & Fulton 360 Sprint Car Series Race #1
(LUCAS OIL EMPIRE SUPER SPRINTS A MAIN 25 LAPS) – STEVE POIRIER, Danny Varin, Bryan Howland, Jason Barney, Justin Barger, Larry Wight, Paul Kinney, Tommy Wickham, Matt Tanner, Parker Evans, Chad Miller, Paulie Colagiovanni, Yan Bilodeau, Dan Doubille, Mike Stelter, Jonathan Preston, Danny Peebles, James Hanson, Dave Axton, Zach Weigand, Sammy Reakes IV, Corey Turner, William Glover.
(Heat Race Winners) – Bryan Howland, Paul Kinney, Steve Poirier, Matt Tanner.
32 Cars Entered
