Beats Lucas Wolfe to the line for a $3,000 Pay Day.
Story By: DEAN REYNOLDS / ESS SERIES MEDIA
Photos By: MARK RANALLETTA / RACERSGUIDE.COM
DUNDEE, NY –October 24, 2016- Binghamton’s Coleman Gulick returned to Central, NY a few months ago to resume his 360 winged sprint car career. He was knocking on the door at many Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) events at season end, this time he put together all 25 laps for a $3,000 victory.
For the young star, it was an all-out, three wide outside sweep coming off turn of two lapped cars that proved to be the key to victory. “Yea, it was a move where it was going to work or, well, it could have been ugly,” dead-panned Gulick right after. “We have been so close but we always felt like we had a good car. Just some stuff seemed to keep us from winning. Tonight it all worked out, the hard work my dad and the guys do paid off and we finally got one.”
Gulick made a mid-race pass of leader Steve Collins off a restart and immediately opened up a sizeable lead, “The car just stuck on the outside, I could flat foot it and get around him (Collins),” he continued. “Then I just tried to run as hard as I could and hope for the best.”
In the final few laps, slower traffic was occupying different grooves and it was tough for Gulick to find a lane. “They were racing each other and I just really didn’t know which lane to pick,” Coleman went on about the closing laps. “I knew Lucas would be coming so I just had to be aggressive. I just went for broke on the last lap, I saw a lane and I just had to take it. From what they told me after, Lucas was right there and it won us the race.”
The win for Gulick and the Scorpion Security Products #14 was his first career with ESS, it was also basically the first race (Outside of three laps at Eldora) on his new Mach 1 Chassis.
For Wolfe, it was just a case of coming up just short. After getting caught up in two jingles early in the race he had to play catch up to the final laps. “We kinda had to avoid some incidents there early and that put us in the back,” Wolfe went on. “Once we got racing, the guys had the car running really well. I could move around and get by some guys as the laps went on.”
With Wolfe passing Collins with six to go he quickly set his sights on the leader. “I was running as hard as I could and then when we got up to the slower cars I was hoping to find a lane,” the Mechanicsburg, Pa driver noted. “I got close on the last lap but he made a good move coming off two, he got too far ahead then. Hey, he totally earned it and we will take second. We have had a good time coming up and running with ESS, I can’t thank R.C. Faigle enough for giving me opportunities to race.”
Collins held on to take third and a $1,000 payoff, the Belfast, NY driver was all smiles afterwards though. “We had a good car but just started to fall off there at the end, we should have tightened up a little more,” Steve talked about his race. “Coleman got me on that start, I thought we were good, but wow was his fast up there. Lucas then got me and I was just basically holding on. We are happy, this is our last race this year and to put it on the podium is nice.”
Canadian Matt Billings took the Mike Stelter owned mount to his first ever top five finish with fourth while Jonathan Preston came home in the fifth spot.
Chuck Hebing and Jason Barney set fast time in their tine trial groups but both had problems in the A-Main and didn’t see the checkered flag. Heat wins went to Shawn Donath and Derrick Juliano.
Dutch Hoag Memorial A-Main – Coleman Gulick ($3,000), Lucas Wolfe ($2,000), Steve Collins ($1,000), Matt Billings ($700), Jonathan Preston ($550), George Suprick ($470), Kyle Drum ($430), Denny Peebles ($420), Erik Karlsen ($410), Ed Kelley ($400), Darryl Ruggles ($370), Shawn Donath ($350), Mike Jackson ($330), Derrick Juliano ($325), Chuck Hebing ($320), Dave Axton ($315), Jason Barney ($310)
The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints are brought to you by: Lucas Oil, Mach 1 Chassis, Einstein Construction Group, SUNY Canton, NAPA Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires, Donath Motorworx, Insinger Performance, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Beard Sewer and Drain, Cobra Coaches, 911 Restoration, Westward Painting Company, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, Panther Frameworx, YorkMont Auctions,, Engler Machine and Tool, Northwood 2 Construction, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Lacaillade Masonry, FX Chevy, ASI Racewear and many, many associate sponsors!!
