By Dave Medler
July 12, 2008 will forever be in Jim Witko’s mind as he picked up his first ever Big Block Modified Feature win anywhere Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway. The popular Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania driver has always been fast and come close on many occasions but is “Close” no more as he is now in the record books a Feature winner. Witko and his wife Barb who make the long weekly tow from Pennsylvania and work on the car alone at Brewerton and Fulton Speedways are truly weekend warriors in every sense of the word.
“I can’t believe it, I just don’t know what to say,” said an ecstatic Witko from Victory Lane. “I’d do a roof dance right now but I’d probably fall through.”
Tim Sears jumped out to the early lead in the Modified feature and tried to bolt away from the rest of the field running the top side of the speedway as Pete Taylor and Witko gave chase as the rest of the pack sorted it’s self out.
After some early yellows and false restarts Witko was able to wrestle the top spot away from Sears running the bottom of the track on lap nine. Taylor also got around Sears and moved into the runner-up spot. As Taylor and Sears fought for second that allowed Witko to get out to a ten-car length advantage and some breathing room.
When the race reached the halfway point Sears moved back into second to challenge Witko for the lead. Steve Hulsizer, Pete Taylor and Kevin Bates ran in the top five.
Witko running a steady line on the bottom and slowly pulling away saw his advantage vanish on Lap-22 for a quick yellow.
With ten laps to go Sears was still trying to reel in Witko, as Hulsizer, Bob Henry Jr and Willy Decker were having a wild battle behind the top two.
With five laps to go and still running the bottom to perfection, Witko was able to pull away and grab his first ever Modified win. Sears held onto second by a nose at the finish over Decker, Hulsizer and Henry rounded out the top five.
“Man that was tough, he wasn’t giving me any room either, but we got em,” related Witko about his battle with Timmy Sears.
“I have to say thanks to my wife (Barb) and Marty Brenzel (Construction) for supporting me and putting up with me all this time.”
In the 20-Lap DIRTcar Sportsman Modified feature Gregg Carner grabbed the lead on Lap-3 from Mike Fowler and put his No.44c on cruise control till a yellow with one lap to go. That setup a one lap shootout with Jeremy Pitcher. Pitcher was able to pull to the high side of Carner as the pair raced down the back straight into turn three. On this night Carner wasn’t going to be denied as he picked up the win. For Carner it was his first win since June 3rd, 2000.
“I have to dedicate this win to my dad who passed away,” said a very emotional winner. “We have been fast but something has broke or gone wrong till tonight.” In a fitting end to his win Carner posed in Victory Lane with his son.
Dave Mannise took the lead on Lap-10 and never looked back in the 20-Lap UMP Street Stock Feature. For Mannise it was his seventh win of the year at Fulton. Steve Woodworth kept Mannise in sight but didn’t have enough to challenge for the win. Ron Hawker, Jim Wallace and Quentin Burton ran third through Fifth.
When asked how Mannise makes it look so easy he said, “This car just doesn’t sit in the trailer all week these guys work on the car all week, they take it apart from top to bottom.”
Two-Three weeks ago at Brewerton Speedway Frank Sobotka had one the scariest accidents seen at the Speedway. Sobotka coming down the front straight caught a wheel in his Mod Lite, sending his car flipping at least seven times landing in the first turn. For a lot of drivers that would end their season or more. Not Sobotka, his team recovered quickly and his reward was a trip to Victory Lane Saturday night at Fulton.
Sobotka jumped to lead from his front row starting spot leading all 20-Laps in the ESDCA Mod Lite Feature. Dan Williams, Ken Gamlen, Gary Jeffries and Andrew Schartner were the top five.
“It was a lot of work and a lot of late nights, we’re dedicated to racing,” Said Sobotka how his team recovered after Brewerton. The car he won with Saturday he bought from Tod Simons a month ago because his other car was 13 years old.
In the E&V Energy Rookie Crate Sportsman Modified 15-Lap Feature Mark Olmstead Jr. picked up his second feature win of the year. Olmstead who started seventh took the lead from Scott Fowler on Lap-6 and was never headed the rest of the way. Fowler held on for second followed by, Katelyn Kane, Joe Kline and Ron Ingison.
“The car didn’t work to well on the bottom, so I switched to the top and the car got a lot more traction up there,” Said Olmstead about the race. “It’s easier to drive up top, easier to keep up the speed and keep the car straight.”
Jon Shumway picked up the win in the Four Cylinder Enduros. Chad Dupra, Skip GeGroff, Jerry Herbert, Keith Zirbel chased Shumway across the line.
(PIT NOTES) – A heavy rain hit the Speedway just before 6:00 pm and a rapid rise in humidity put the night in doubt. Between Jeremy Corcoran and the help from Race Teams the first heat took the green only 35 minutes late. WHF Racing wants to thank all Race Teams, as over 80-Cars took to the Speedway to get the surface race ready.
This coming Saturday Night July 19 will be Military Appreciation Night at the Fulton Speedway. Just show your Military ID and receive half off the grandstand price. It will also be autograph night that was rained out earlier this season. On tap will be a regular card of DIRTcar Modifieds, DIRTcar Crate Sportsman Modifieds, UMP Street Stocks, E&V Energy Crate Sportsman Modifieds and Four Cylinder Enduros. Gates open at 5:00 with the first green flag set to wave at 7:00. Admission prices are Adults 15 and over $12- Children 10 to 14 – $5 and Children 9 and under Free. Pit Admission is DIRT Members- $20 Non Members- $25. For more information call the Speedway office at 315-593-6531 or visit www.fultonspeedway.com.
(DIRTcar Modifieds 35-Laps) – Jim Witko, Tim Sears, Willy Decker, Steve Hulsizer, Bob Henry Jr., Pete Taylor, Kevin Bates, Tom Sears Jr., Chad Phelps, John Pfeffer, Kyle Lewis, Tony Steiner, Bob Bennett, Terry Knoblock, Dave Reilley, Roy Bresnahan, Mike Ward, Rob Hile, Tim Harris, Matt Fink, Ryan Richardson.
(DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds 20-Laps) – Gregg Carner, Jeremy Pitcher, Jordan Bennett, Mike Fowler, Beth Schneider, Chris Hile, John Pietrowicz, Billy Clark Jr., Tom Juhl Jr., Sean McCarthy, Mike McCarthy, Stewart Garrison, Jason Parkhurst, Jon Tesoriero, A.J Kingsley, Jim Evans, Mike Entwistle, Lee Babcock, Timmy Sears Jr., Sammy Reakes IV, Matt Hulsizer, Josh Hefti.
(UMP Street Stocks 20-Laps) – Dave Mannise, Steve Woodworth, Ron Hawker, Jim Wallace, Quentin Burton, Adam Guilds, Rusty Marsden, Pete Kowalski, Debbie Whalen, Dan Searls, Nick Rizzo, Scott Springer, Dan Hofmann Sr.
(E&V ENERGY Rookie Crate Sportsman Modifieds 15-Laps) – Mark Olmstead Jr., Scott Fowler, Katelyn Kane, Joe Kline, Ron Ingison, Doug Cook, Andrew Ferguson, Claude Hutchings Jr., Dan Hill, Shannon Jones, Chris Pullen, Ernie Kreis, Tim Schneider Jr.
(ESDCA Mod Lites 20-Laps) – Frank Sobotka, Dan Williams, Ken Gamlen, Gary Jeffries, Andrew Schartner, Lowell Zehr, Rick Donovan, Rocco Leone, Terry Lapham, Kelly Skinner, Jason Broedel, Jeff Blackburn, Mike Virginia, Chris Lane, Joe Gwilt, Justin Crisafulli, Matt Virginia, Doug Williams, Mike Bruce.
(Four Cylinder Enduro) – Jon Shumway, Chad Dupra, Skip GeGroff, Jerry Herbert, Keith Zirbel
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