FULTON, NY – (By Dave Medler) – The old saying, “It aint over till it’s over,” held true Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway in the Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modifieds. Chuck Bower looked like he was going to overcome early season bad luck and romp to the win. Late in the race the front runners were able to run down Bower setting up an exciting finish. On lap 32, Larry Wight was able to use a back marker as a pick and drive by Bower and then drive away for the 35 lap victory.
Other winners on SUNY Canton night were, Tony Finch II, SUNY Canton Sportsman, Alan Fink, NAPA Late Models, Jeremy Dygert, E&V Energy Novice Sportsman and Skip DeGroff, Four Cylinder Stocks.
Tim Schneider Jr. would lead the opening lap of the 35 lap Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modified feature, but on the second go-round Matt Hulsizer using the top of the speedway would blast into the top-spot.
With 5 laps complete, Hulsizer still ran the high side as he held a slight advantage over the hard charging Chuck Bower. Katelyn Kane, Schneider and Jim Witko raced for third through fifth behind the top-two.
After dogging Hulsizer, Bower who looked to put early season woes behind him muscled the lead away on lap 10 and looked to run away and hide from the field.
With 15 laps showing on the scoring tower, Bower opened about a dozen car length lead over Hulsizer, Tom Sears Jr. ran alone in third with Dan Vauter and Larry Wight showing in the top-five.
At the halfway point, Bower was on rails as he ran out to a half a straightaway lead over Hulsizer. Sears, Vauter and Wight were still chasing the top-two as they started to gain some ground.
With 10 laps to go Bower still had a large lead but it appeared his car was starting to go away. Sears and Wight caught Hulsizer as they were in a tight fight for second, third and fourth.
As the laps clicked off, a tight nose to tail and side by battle was on for the lead for the front runners. On lap 32 Wight used a back marker as a pick as he was able to muscle by Bower to be scored the new leader with 3 laps to go. Once in the lead Wight was able to drive away for the win. Last week’s winner, Pat Ward, Tom Sears Jr., Chuck Bower and Matt Hulsizer rounded out the top-five in the exciting finish.
After Wight climbed out of his Gypsum Express/Tracey Road Equipment/NAPA Auto Parts/Stadium International Trucks/L J L-Kevlar Racing Engines/Industrial Tire Of CNY/ No.99L/Bicknell/ he talked about the tight fight at the front of the pack and the pass for his second Fulton win of 2013.
“It was a little choppy down there,” Wight said about running the bottom. “We pulled about 20 points to much gear out of it. I got afraid at the start, we started rolling on the top, but we didn’t seem to keep up with Tom (Sears) and everybody. As soon as we went to the bottom we seemed to be the only ones who could stick right around the (uke) tires.”
Wight then spoke about the pass for the lead and the win.”I saw Chuck (Bower) was kind of struggling in the middle trying to get around the No.63. Luckily the No.63 slowed up just enough for us to get by both of them.”
Brandon Ford got the early jump to lead the 20 lap SUNY Canton Sportsman feature. By lap 5 Ford still led with his father Scott Ford giving chase. Just behind the top-two, Greg Mrzywka, Nick Krause and Joe Kline showed third through fifth.
At the halfway point, Brandon Ford still led the way as Mrzywka and Scott Ford ran side by side for second about three car behind the leader. Krause and Kline still fought for top-five spots.
After running the top of the speedway, Mrzywka switched to the bottom and drove by Ford and into the lead on lap 14. Over the remaining laps and no yellows to bunch up the field, Mrzywka drove away to be the first under the checkers. Tony Finch II made a late charge for second with Brandon Ford, Scott Ford and Beth Schneider who made another run from deep in the field completed the top-five.
When the cars went over the scales, apparent winner Mrzywka was light, handing the win to Tony Finch II. For Finch, a 16 yr old high school student it was his first Fulton SUNY Canton Sportsman win.
Alan Fink made it three wins in a row in the another highly competitive NAPA Late Model feature. Fink was able to get by Rick Miller who led since lap 3, on lap 16 for the 20 lap win. Dale Caswell, AJ Kingsley and Dustin Hanlon finished third through fifth.
The E&V Energy Novice Sportsman feature came down to the last lap, last corner pass. Jeremy Dygert played the waiting game as he hounded Ricky Yelle virtually the entire race. Coming out of turn four heading to the checkers, Yelle left just enough room for Dygert to get by for the exciting win. Taylor Lamb who was also part of the lead battle finished third, with Gary Hoppins and Wade Chrisman rounding out the top-five.
Skip DeGroff remained undefeated in the Four Cylinder Stocks. DeGroff took the lead from Eric Zirbel on lap 11 and then was the first under the checkers. Mark Johnston, Wendall Washington, Eric Zirbel and Matt Dawson rounded out the top-five.
Next Saturday, June 1st is one of the most popular nights of the year, as Oswego County Today.Com presents family autograph Night. It’s a chance for young and old alike to head track side to get up close to all the racing equipment and meet all the drivers for autographs and driver giveaways. On the race card will be the Tracey Road Equipment Big Block Modifieds, SUNY Canton Sportsman, NAPA Late Models, E&V Energy Novice Sportsman, Four Cylinder Stocks and Mod Lites.
Adult grandstand admission will be $12 with everyone 18 yrs old and younger admitted FREE to the grandstands. Pit admission is $25 members/ $30 non-members. Gates will open at 5 with racing at 7.
Any questions you might have about the season please contact Cory Reed at (315) 593-6531 or [email protected] . Keep up with track updates throughout the season at www.brewertonspeedway.com and www.fultonspeedway.com, on each speedway’s Facebook accounts and on Twitter at twitter.com/Fultonspeedway and twitter.com/BrewertonSpdway
(TRACEY ROAD EQUIPMENT BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS 35 LAPS) – LARRY WIGHT, Pat Ward, Tom Sears Jr., Chuck Bower, Matt Hulsizer, Dan Vauter, Jim Witko, Ryan Phelps, Rob Bellinger, Chris Hile, Tim Sears Jr., Chad Phelps, Tim Schneider Jr., Katelyn Kane, Adam Roberts, Roy Bresnahan, Jim Walsh, Dale Planck, Joe August Jr..
(SUNY CANTON SPORTSMAN 20 LAPS) – TONY FINCH II, Brandon Ford, Scott Ford, Beth Schneider, Ronnie Davis III, Rocky Warner, Joe Kline, Nick Krause, Justin Crisafulli, Chris Hulsizer, Jim Spano, Matt Emmons, Jordan Bennett, Corey Barker, Gregg Kimball, Jason Occhino, Rocco Leone, Tom Cook, Tom Juhl, George Dyer, Brandon Walters, Derek Warren, Kyle Fink, Greg Mrzywka.
(NAPA LATE MODELS 20 LAPS) – ALAN FINK, Rick Miller, Dale Caswell, AJ Kingsley, Dustin Hanlon, Steve Coit, Harry Halliday, Dave Talbot, Alan Chapman, Aron Backus, Mike Trapp, Richie Riggs, Brandon Ford, Shayne Tenace, Sean Beardsley
(E&V ENERGY NOVICE SPORTSMAN 15 LAPS) – JEREMY DYGERT, Ricky Yelle, Taylor Lamb, Gary Hoppins, Wade Chrisman, Hilary Ward, Carl Warren, Nick Rupert, Kyle Kiehn, Jacob Davis, Austin Murphy.
(FOUR CYLINDER STOCKS 15 LAPS) – SKIP DEGROFF, Mark Johnston, Wendall Washington, Eric M Zirbel, Matt Dawson, Justin Buske, Dan Dupra, Jacobe Palmiter, Donald Rowe, Jerry Herbert, Keith Zirbel, John West, Colby Herzog.
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