October 3, 2004

FULTON, NY – Track regular Tim Fuller of Edwards capped off a successful 2004 campaign at Fulton Speedway as the Big Block Modified Track Champion with his second career victory in the 19^th Annual Dynomax Victoria 200 presented by OCNB last Sunday. Fuller started first and led all 200-laps of the 358-Modified Super DIRT Series event behind the wheel of the B&F General Machine / TEO Pro Car / No. M1. The single day payday for the likable driver, who also claimed the 358-Modified track title, was worth $27,375.

The race, scheduled to be run on Saturday night under the lights, was postponed to Sunday after torrential rains put an end to the racing during the third 358-Modified heat on Saturday. Despite the race being run on a rain date, a capacity crowd was on hand to enjoy the racing on a beautiful sunny fall Sunday afternoon with mild temperatures.

Fuller had several scares on the slick daytime surface during the 200-lap event as Brett Hearn made contact on a couple occasions, but he never left enough room for Hearn to get on by. Hearn appeared to have a faster car, but any driver that left the bottom of the speedway was shuffled on back a position or more. Hearn tried just about everything he could but every time he would get a run, he could not get by.

The most controversial point of the event was when Pat Ward and Hearn made contact in turn four on lap 83. The end result was an upset Ward, who spun out and then raced back to Hearn’s machine under yellow slamming into him multiple times to the delight of the crowd. Obviously, for Ward who was the 358-Modified Super DIRT Series point leader heading into the event, had a lot to lose from the contact.

At the halfway point of the 200-lap grind, the caution came out for all cars to pit for the traditional 15 minute break with Fuller the leader, followed by Hearn, Pete Bicknell, Ronnie Johnson, Alan Johnson, Andy Bachetti, Vic Coffey, Frank Cozze, Frankie Caprara, and new father Jimmy Phelps. 30 cars were on the lead lap at this point in time.

By leading at the halfway break, Fuller claimed the inaugural $1,000 Benway Halfway Challenge in memory of Fulton Speedway founder, Bub Benway, who passed away on May 28 of this year. The grand nieces and nephews of Benway, Ashley, Vickie, and A.J. Kingsley, presented the award to Fuller. Their parents, Eric and Gisele Kingsley, promoted Fulton Speedway and the Victoria 200 with Benway in memory of Benway’s wife Victoria until after the 1995 season when the speedway was sold. The three Kingsley children traditionally have been a part of the race, as when their family promoted the event, they gave the command for the drivers to start their engines.

Several times while racing for the lead, Hearn went high and lost several positions allowing drivers such as Pete Bicknell and Alan Johnson a shot to challenge Fuller. Bicknell eventually dropped out on lap 181, and Johnson hung on to finish third. Track point leader Billy Decker also challenged Fuller for the lead early in the event only to fall by the wayside on lap 113 from damage caused by an incident early in the race.

When the checkered flag flew, Fuller was the winner, followed by Hearn, two time defending champion Alan Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Steve Paine, Andy Bachetti, Frankie Caprara, Danny Johnson, Jimmy Phelps, and Tom Sears Jr. Seventeen cars were on the lead lap at the end of the 200, with Bobby Varin the last car to compete the full distance.

"I was concerned about my lead, getting bumps and bangs most of the way," said Fuller, who also won the 1998 Victoria 200. "What I was worrying about was not to screw up the last 20 laps, because if you got out of that bottom lane it was all over. It was my race to lose. This is for Bob and Michelle Faust our car owners."

Hearn, who seemed to be excited about a $10,000 payday and matching his best finish ever in the 200, commented "Well, it doesn’t get any closer than that. It was an interesting race, Fuller did what he had to do." Brett, who has never won at Fulton Speedway, had confidence that he will get the job done, as he also said, "I’ll do it yet here, we had a car to win tonight."

Alan Johnson, who has been the most dominant driver in the Victoria 200 recently, winning four out of the last five events, was just happy to finish third. Johnson could have been out of the race early as Hearn left him little room, nearly hitting a tire down low in turn one on lap 63. "This was a good race for us," the elder Johnson brother said. "We were just lucky to stay out of trouble."

Heat victories were claimed by Tim Fuller, Billy Decker, Pat Ward, Bill Gill, Ronnie Johnson, Alan Johnson, Danny O’Brien, Steve Hulsizer, Brett Hearn, and Pete Bicknell. The Consi events were won by Vic Coffey, Chuck Hebing, Jack Johnson, Gary Tomkins, and Bobby Varin. The first two heat events were run and completed on Saturday, while the third heat was postponed on lap 5 as the cold front and heavy rains came through, postponing the remainder of the show to Sunday, the scheduled rain date.

Race action will continue at Fulton Speedway this Saturday October 9 during Super DIRT Week featuring the second appearance of the nationally recognized World of Outlaws Late Model Series and the Dirty Dozen. The Pure Stocks will join the Late Models for a special $400 to win event. Time trials for the final event of the 2004 season will begin at 6pm. For more information, contact the track office at (315) 593-6531 or visit www.fultonspeedway.com.

19^th Annual Dynomax Victoria 200 Presented by OCNB Notes: 101 cars with 90 drivers filled the spacious Fulton pit area. The Victoria 200 was run on a rain date for the first time since the very first event in 1986. 17 cautions slowed the race for 60-laps, mostly minor incidents for simple spins or contact from the slippery surface. Early in the event, many drivers attempted racing on the high "Pauch Line" along the outside wall of the speedway but as the race went on, the best line to race on was in the middle to low groove. Drivers that attempted the high groove drifted on back through the field. All restarts up until lap 150 were double file. Four new cars entered the event on Sunday including Scott Boudinot, Scott Prentice, Dave Calaman, and Ron White with only Prentice and White able to transfer to the main. At the halfway point of the race, the traditional 15 minute break was counted down via the new scoreboard in turns one and two for all to see. Extra time as also taken to allow the sun to set as to not cause visibility problems. Each half of the Victoria 200 took approximately 45 minutes. Fuller becomes only the second driver to lead all 200-laps, as Alan Johnson did just that in 1999. Fulton 358-Modified regular Jeremy Baye was disqualified in his heat race after finishing second on Saturday for a failure of not going to the scales immediately after. Danny Johnson, driving a Bruce Sawyer No. 21x machine, was the Hard Charger as he advanced from the forty-third position to finish eighth. Another notable was Bob McCreadie driving a Pierre Dagenais No. 124 who came from winning the 3^rd Annual All-Star Last Chance Qualifying race and starting forty-first to finish eleventh. Ronnie Johnson, son of legendary Jack Johnson, in his first ever Victoria 200 start, finished a strong fourth.

FEATURE (200-Laps) – TIM FULLER, Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Steve Paine, Andy Bachetti, Frankie Caprara, Danny Johnson, Jimmy Phelps, Tom Sears Jr., Bob McCreadie, Vic Coffey, Pat Ward, Stewart Friesen, Matt DeLorenzo, Todd Burley, Bobby Varin, Chuck Bower, Dave Rauscher, Brian McDonald, John Lazore, Pete Bicknell, Don Mattison, Dale Planck, Frank Cozze, Jack Johnson, John Barker Jr., Jeff Rudalavage, Billy Decker, Gordy Button, Mike Adderley, Steve Hulsizer, Chuck Hebing, Ray Bliss, Gary Tomkins, Richie Pratt Jr., Tim Sears, Don Hart Jr., Pat O’Brien, Bill Gill, Danny O’Brien, Ryan Phelps, Scott Prentice, Matt Sheppard, Ron White.