Larry Wight Steals Victory At The Checkers From Max McLaughlin at Fulton
Story By: DAVE MEDLER / FULTON SPEEDWAY Photos By: JAY FISH / RACERSGUIDE.COM
FULTON, NY- June 20, 2016- The term “Instant Classic” gets thrown around a lot in sports, deserved or not. Saturday night at Fulton Speedway in the 35 lap Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modified feature “Instant Classic” was more than deserved when there were four unofficial lead changes in the last two laps and the top three of Larry Wight, Max McLaughlin and Chuck Bower were only separated by .913 of a second at the finish after a drag race off of turn four to the checkers.
Other winners on TK99, U-Pull-U-Save Auto Parts night were, Todd Root (Sportsman) Brandon Ford (Late Model) Richie Riggs & Willy Decker Jr. (Novice Sportsman) Corbin Millar (4-CYL) Chris Rombough (One-On-One- Spectator).
Vinnie Vitale would lead the opening lap of the 35 Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modified feature before Chuck Bower shot by Vitale into the lead one lap later.
With 10 laps complete Bower was still setting a quick pace out front while rookie Max McLaughlin and Tom Sears Jr. slowly ate away the lead Bower built up. Behind the top-three, Tim Kerr, Mike Bowman, Larry Wight from 12th waged their own battle for fourth through sixth.
On lap 15 Bower still showed the way but he now had company as McLaughlin was on his back bumper with Sears right there waiting for any mistake by the top two. Wight ran alone in fourth with Kerr showing fifth.
With 20 laps showing on the scoring tower Bower, McLaughlin and Sears were slugging it out at the front as Wight was rapidly closing in on the top three.
On lap 25 Bower, McLaughlin, Sears and Wight were in a four-car shootout as the final laps started to click off. One lap later McLaughlin dove under Bower to take the lead all while racing through cars at the back of the field to add to the excitement.
Coming out of turn four Bower retook to the lead on lap 32 going to the top of the speedway. McLaughlin driving anything but like a rookie wrestled the lead back with two laps to go. Sears and Wight were within feet of the top two as the intensity ramped up for the finish.
Exiting turn four, coming down to the checkers, it came down to who could put the horsepower down to the track and win the drag race under the checkers.
Over the last two laps the lead swapped back and forth on different points of the speedway with backmarkers still all around setting up the mad dash to the checkers.
Exiting turn four Wight found the speed he needed to beat McLaughlin by .047 with Bower .913 back in third. Jimmy Phelps and Ryan Phelps finished fourth and fifth.
The SUNY Canton Sportsman once again showed up in force with 31 cars signed in the pits. It took four heats and a consi to set the 24-car feature.
In the 25 lap feature Dylan Zacharias would lead the opening 13 laps before a yellow erased the lead he had built up. Todd Root would take advantage on the restart using the top of the speedway to drive into the lead. Zacharias wouldn’t go away quietly as he battled with Root trying to retake the lead. Over the last few laps Root was too strong as he was first under the checkers over Zacharias by 1.429 at the finish. Jeremy Pitcher was impressive coming from 20th to finish third. Mike Phelps and Jim Spano finished fourth and fifth.
In the 20 lap Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models, Jason Occhino would lead the opening two laps when the yellow would wave slowing the field. On the restart Matt Parkhurst dug deep on the bottom of the speedway to get by Occhino to be scored the new leader. On lap 5 Parkhurst slid up the speedway in turn two allowing Brandon Ford to drive into the lead. Once in the lead Ford was the class of the field winning by 1.716 at the checkers. Kevan Cook was impressive coming from 13th to finish second and winning the Tom Juno’s Powerseal Driveway Sealer $100 Hard Charger of the race. Bret Belden, Johnny Hill and Dale Caswell finished third through fifth.
The E&V Energy Novice Sportsman had enough cars in the pits it once again made for two 15 lap features.
In the first feature John Strickler dominated until a caution on lap 13. Over the last two laps Strickler had to hold off a hard-charging Richie Riggs. Kyle Perry, Taylor Jackson and Tyler Thompson finished third through fifth. In a post race weigh-in Strickler was found light on the scales giving the win to Riggs.
In the second feature Dorian Wahdan would take the lead at the drop of the green with Willy Decker Jr. who started last moving into second on lap 7 setting up a great battle to the finish with Joey Buonagurio right there in third. With 2 laps to go Decker was able to get by Wahdan and go onto the win. Wahdan, Buonagurio, Torrey Stoughtenger and Ryan Hatherill finished second through fifth.
In the highly entertaining 15 lap JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinders Colby Herzog would lead early when Friday’s Brewerton winner Chris Bonoffski on lap 3 grabbed the lead. Bonoffski would lead until lap 10 when something broke giving the lead to Chuck Powelczyk. Over the last 5 laps it was a battle royal between Powelczyk, Perth, Ontario’s Corbin Millar who had never seen the track before and Dakota and Ray Bechler. When the checkers waved it was Millar over Powelczyk, Dakota Bechler, Ray Bechler and Millar’s Canadian teammate John Gifford.
Chris Rombough from Fulton, NY won the One-On-One Spectator races. With his win he swept the Brewerton and Fulton Speedway 2016 races.
The Fulton Speedway will not be racing on Saturday, June 25 so family and friends can be with their high school graduates on graduation weekend.
The speedway will be back in a huge way on the Fourth of July weekend. On Saturday July 2 it will be fireworks in the sky and on the speedway as it will be round 3 of the A-Verdi Storage Containers Brewerton & Fulton 360 Sprint Series featuring the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Donath Motor Worx Speedweek. Joining the Sprints will be the ground pounding, 800 horsepower, Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modifieds, SUNY Canton Sportsman, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Late Models and E&V Energy Novice Sportsman.
Adult admission on July 2 is $20 with everyone 18 years old and younger free, pits $35. Gates will open at 5:00 with racing at 7:00.
Any questions you might have and for marketing opportunities please contact Cory Reed (315) 593-6531 cory@fultonspeedway.com . For all the latest news go to www.fultonspeedway.com . Like the track Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/FultonSpeedway .
TK99 & U-Pull-U-Save Auto Parts June 18 Results
(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds 35 Laps) – LARRY WIGHT, Max McLaughlin, Chuck Bower, Jimmy Phelps, Ryan Phelps, Tim Kerr, Tim Sears Jr., Pat Ward, Billy Whittaker, Chris Hile, Chad Phelps, Mike Bowman, Willy Decker, Jim Witko Jr., Adam Roberts, Katelyn Hile, Tom Sears Jr., Vinnie Vitale, Andrew Ferguson, Tim Harris.
(Heat Winners) – Vinnie Vitale, Max McLaughlin, Tom Sears Jr.
(SUNY Canton Sportsman 25 Laps) – TODD ROOT, Dylan Zacharias, Jeremy Pitcher, Mike Phelps, Jim Spano, Nate Higgins, Gregg Kimball, Tyler Trump, Brian Murphy, Corey Barker, Chris Mackey, Chris Cunningham, Jeremy Dygert, Nick Krause, Ron Davis III, Brett Draper, Kyle Fink, Mike Button, Brandon Ford, Tim Gareau, Jessica Power, Mike Stanton Jr., Wade Chrisman, Joe Kline.
(Heat Winners) – Dylan Zacharias, Joe Kline, Wade Chrisman, Nate Higgins.
(DNQ) – Kyle DeMetro, JJ Courcy, Bill Megnin, Jordan Bennett, David Schilling.
(Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models 20 Laps) – BRANDON FORD, Kevan Cook, Bret Belden, Johnny Hill, Dale Caswell, Jason Occhino, Chris Fleming, AJ Kingsley, Jason Parkhurst, Alan Fink, Billy Eisele, Aron Backus, Steven Coit, Brandon Carvey, Dave Talbot, Matt Parkhurst, Alan Chapman.
(Tom Juno Powerseal Asphalt Sealing $50 Heat Winners) – AJ Kingsley, Jason Occhino
(Tom Juno Powerseal Asphalt Sealing $100 Feature Hard Charger) – Kevan Cook.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman Feature #1 15 Laps) – RICHIE RIGGS, Kyle Perry, Taylor Jackson, Tyler Thompson, Ben Carlson, Patrick LaPage, Terry Falter, Kearra Backus, John Strickler, DNS Dwight Nichols.
(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman Feature #2 15 Laps) – WILLY DECKER JR., Dorian Wahdan, Joey Buonagurio, Torrey Stoughtenger, Ryan Hatherill, Charlie Tibbits, Michael Wight, DNS Andy Kieffer, Rachel Zacharias.
(Heat Winners) – Dorian Wahdan, John Strickler.
(JB Logging & Firewood Four Cylinder 15 Laps) – CORBIN MILLAR, Chuck Powelczyk, Dakota Bechler, Ray Bechler, John Gifford, David DaNova, Colby Herzog, Nate Powers, Chris Bonoffski, Justin Buske, Evan Wright, Jamie Radley.
(Heat Winners) – Chris Bonoffski, Nate Powers.
(One-On-One- Spectator Race) – Chris Rombough.
