Todd Root Dominates For His First Ever Fulton Speedway Modified Victory

Todd Root Dominates For His First Ever Fulton Speedway Modified Victory

Story By: Dave Medler/Fulton Speedway

Photos By: Mike Johnson/RacersGuide.com

FULTON, NY – Todd Root and his race team have been through tough times in his rookie season in the Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar 358 Modifieds at the Fulton Speedway. Two words never entered their minds, “Give up.”

Root and his team worked hard right up to Saturday morning on race day putting the finishing touches on a brand-new car and engine combination. The results were a first ever trip to victory lane in a dominating performance leading every lap in the green to checker 35-lap feature.

Other winners on Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux night were, Dorian Wahdan & Alan Fink (SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman) Chris Fleming (Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models) Kearra Backus & Scott Mallette (E&V Energy Novice Sportsman).

Todd Root and Glenn Forward brought the Modified field down to the green flag with Root jumping out to the early lead in the 35-lap feature.

When the lap counter showed 10, Root was hammer down out-front leading by 3.5 seconds while behind him Jeff McGinnis, Tyler Trump and Bobby Herrington were in a close battle for second, third and fourth with Glenn Forward showing fifth.

With 15 laps complete and no yellows to slow the action, Root lengthened his lead to 4.5 seconds. McGinnis, Herrington, Trump and now Tim Sears Jr. battled it out in the top five.

Root was on cruise control out front with 10 laps to go still clicking off fast laps leaving McGinnis, Herrington, Sears and Pat Ward to fight it out for second on back.

Over the remaining laps the only thing that could slow down Todd Root from his first ever Modified win was a late caution, that wasn’t going to happen as Root cruised under the checkers almost 4 seconds ahead of second place finisher Tim Sears Jr. Jeff McGinnis, Bobby Herrington and Pat Ward finished third through fifth.

The SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman once again showed up in impressive numbers as 56 cars filled the pits, setting up two 25-lap features.

In the first feature Kyle Perry and Richie Riggs swapped the lead back and forth in the early laps until lap 8 when Dorian Wahdan shot into the lead.

When the race reached halfway, Wahdan held around five car lengths lead over a close race between Riggs, Jessica Power, Perry and Nick Krause.

With 5 laps remaining Wahdan opened his biggest lead of the race out front by a half-a-straightaway while Power, Krause, Riggs and Perry still battled for top-five positions.

Over the final laps there was no slowing down or stopping Dorian Wahdan from driving to his first ever SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman feature win. Jessica Power, Nick Krause, Richie Riggs and Chris Hulsizer finished second through fifth.

In the second 25-lap Sportsman feature Steve Marshall bolted out to the early lead as the racing behind him was two and three wide throughout the starting field.

With 10 laps showing on the scoring tower Marshall and Torrey Stoughtenger ran side-by-side and nose-to-tail and you could have thrown a blanket over Tom Juno, Amy Holland, Alan Fink, Chris Corbett and Chris Mackey in a fight for third through seventh.

A yellow on lap 14 and restart would see Alan Fink use the top side of the speedway to drive into lead.

Over the final laps not even a late caution was going to slow down Alan Fink to cruising to his third win of the year and extending his points lead. Mike Phelps was impressive coming from 15th to finish second. Chris Mackey, Wade Chrisman and Corey Barker finished third through fifth.

In the 20-lap Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Model feature, Dane Keller Jr. would lead until Jason Parkhurst took over the lead and Sean Beardsley went into second on lap 5.

At the hallway point Parkhurst, Beardsley and Chris Fleming were putting on a show for the top-three spots running just inches apart while Kevan Cook and Bret Belden battled for fourth and fifth.

On lap 16 it looked like Beardsley was shot out of a cannon as he went by Parkhurst to be scored the new leader. Parkhurst fought back and pulled even with Breardsley but clipped a yuke tire in turn two, bringing out a yellow.

When the green came back out and until the checkers Beardsley and Fleming put on a classic side-by-side battle that would see Beardsley win by a slim 0.124 of a second at the finish. Going over the scales after the race Beardsley was light, giving the win to Chris Fleming. Tim Sears Jr., Bret Belden, Chad Homan and Brian Knowles finished second through fifth.

The E&V Energy Novice Sportsman ran a pair of 15-lap features.

With less than a handful of starts Riley Rogala would lead the opening 7 laps when the yellow would wave, slowing the pace. On the restart Scott Mallette used the top of the speedway to grab the top spot and lead the rest of the way for his first win at the speedway. Riley Rogala, Kyle Young, Dana Camenga and Keith Stevenson finished second through fifth.

In the second feature Robert Gage would lead the opening lap when Kearra Backus took over the lead. Once out front there was no stopping Backus as she cruised first under the checkers for the most popular victory lane celebration of the season. Robert Gage, Quinn Wallis, Richard Paige and Kyle Rood finished second through fifth.

In the first ever crowd favorite $1,000-To-Win Trailer Race, Benjamin Becker took the big win. Plans are already underway to make the 2019 event bigger.

This Saturday, July 18 Tom Juno’s Power Seal Asphalt Sealing and Northeast Racing Products Auction & Trade Show will present a night of fast, family affordable racing.

On the race card will be the third race of the 50-lap $2,000-To-Win Unique eCigs 358 Modified Series plus the SUNY Canton DIRT Car Sportsman, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models and E&V Energy Novice Sportsman.

Courtesy of marketing partner Power Seal Asphalt Sealing, there will be the Power Seal Sportsman Challenge. The top-two finishers from the two features will draw for starting spots in a 4-lap dash for cash paying $150. $100. $75. $50.

In a time of need the racing family always steps up. Saturday, August 18 there will be a silent auction to benefit Bernard’s Beagle Rescue & Misfits Animal Rescue & Sanctuary. To see all the awesome donated items to be up for auction go to the Fulton Speedway Facebook page and look for the event poster and also www.fultonspeedway.com.

Adult grandstand admission will be $15 with everyone 18 years old and younger free. Pit admission is $27 Member, $30 Non-Member. Grandstands will open at 5:00 pm with racing at 7:00 pm.

Any questions you might have about the 2018 racing season and for marketing opportunities, please contact Cory Reed at 315-593-6531 or cory@fultonspeedway.com . For all the latest news go to www.fultonspeedway.com and like the track Facebook page www.facebook.com/FultonSpeedway for weekly and race day updates.

August 11- Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Night Results.

(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds 35 Laps) – TODD ROOT, Tim Sears Jr., Jeff McGinnis, Bobby Herrington, Pat Ward, Larry Wight, Tom Sears Jr., Ron Davis III, Jordan McCreadie, Glenn Forward, Rob Bellinger, Tyler Trump, Billy Whittaker, Joe Shields, Roy Bresnahan, Brian Murphy, Aaron Jacobs.

(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #1 25 Laps) – DORIAN WAHDAN, Jessica Power, Nick Krause, Richie Riggs, Chris Hulsizer, Matt Janczuk, Kyle Perry, Zach Sobotka, Jackson Gill, Dylan Zacharias, Scott Prentice, Brandon Ford, Nate Higgins, Jim Spano, Mike Stanton Jr., Brandon Carvey, George Sanford, Tyler Corcoran, Mark Yorker, DJ Forbes, Josh Livingston, Rocky Grosso, AJ Miller, John Strickler, Richard Thorton, Kelly Smith, Mike Fowler, Brett Draper.

(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #2 25 Laps) – ALAN FINK, Mike Phelps, Chris Mackey, Wade Chrisman, Corey Barker, Amy Holland, Chris Corbett, Tom Juno, Jimmy Moyer, Greg Doust, Billy Clark Jr., Willy Decker Jr., Earl Rudy, Tyler Murray, Joe Sobotka, Torrey Stoughtenger, Anthony Rasmussen, Casey Cunningham, Tom Princiotta, Josh Blackwell, Bill Sauve, Addison Bowman, Chris Bonoffski, Tim Abate, Tony Finch, Chris Cunningham – Ryan Hatherill. DQ – Steve Marshall.

(Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models 20 Laps) –, CHRIS FLEMING, Tim Sears Jr., Bret Belden, Chad Homan, Brian Knowles, Dale Caswell, Dane Keller Jr., Jason Parkhurst, Alan Chapman, Steve Coit, Mike Kazmierczak, Aaron Jacobs, Matt Kitts, Kevan Cook, Max Hill, Sean Beardsley.

(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman #1 15 Laps) – SCOTT MALLETTE, Riley Rogala, Kyle Young, Dana Camenga, Keith Stevenson, Ryan Gustin, Mikey Wight, Richard Murtaugh.

(E&V Energy Novice Sportsman # 2 15 Laps) – KEARRA BACKUS, Robert Gage, Quinn Wallis, Richard Paige, Kyle Rood, Pat Nolan, Brandon Thompson, DNS – Jake Davis.

(Trailer Race) – $1,000 – Benjamin Becker $300 – Sam Taylor $200 – Rich Murtaugh (Master Of Destruction $100) Jake Dennee (Most Unique Entry $100) – Alan Fink (Best Appearing $100) – Jake Dennee.