September 24, 1988

A RECORD 262 CARS SHOW UP FOR FIRST DAY OF "VICTORIA 200" WEEKEND

FULTON, NY...A "VICTORIA 200" Weekend record 262 cars showed up for the first day of the two day show at Fulton Speedway. Saturday's show was packed full of action between the four classes.

The day started off with the running of the eight Small Block Modified heats. They were won by Dale Stettler, Randy Masser, Alan Johnson, Ronnie Tobias, Dick Marcinko, Bob Holland, Pat Ward and Randy Glenski. The heats locked in the first 24 starters for the "VICTORIA 200". Guaranteed starters Mike Arminio, Bobby Puckett, Jim Gathers, Billy Pauch, George Watson, Donnie Wetmore and Jim Bagley all failed to qualify through their heats so they will line up behind the heat cars in the feature.

After the Small Block Modified heats, complete shows were run for the Empire Super Sprints, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks. Each class was competing in their biggest show of the year.

The 20 lap $2,000 to win Empire Super Sprint feature found Bobby Beehler at the point at the drop of the green. Mike VanDusen quickly moved through traffic from his 12th starting spot and overtook Beehler on lap four.

VanDusen, wheeling the R.E. Wade #37 Sprinter, was dialed in on the high side of the speedway and opened, a outstanding lead over the impressive field. The race ran relatively caution free making for some excellent racing. By the midway point of the race Wayne Patterson and Bobby Podolak entered the picture.

Podolak moved ahead of Patterson on the inside of the track and then set his sights on VanDusen. With five laps to go Johnny Brutcher came on like a rocket passing cars on the top side. A rare caution came out with just two laps to go, giving Podolak and Brutcher a final shot at the high flying VanDusen.

At that point VanDusen wittingly changed lanes hugging the bottom of the track and holding off the challenges of the determined duo. Brutcher got past Podolak on the final circuit but neither driver could contend with VanDusen, who closed out the ESS season with a $2,000 payday. Brutcher was second ahead of Podolak, Patterson and Marshall Shunk.

1988 URC Champion Glenn Fitzcharles could do no better than sixth, with Mark Bragman, Tommy Bliss, Ken Townsand and Johnny Birosh rounding out the top ten finishers. Heat winners were Podolak, VanDusen and Patterson with Brutcher taking the B-Main. Interestingly VanDusen, Brutcher and Podolak, who were the top three, were the three guaranteed starters for the event.

To say the Street Stock feature was thrilling would be an understatement. 1987 winner Russ Marsden jumped to the head of the field at the outset of the 35 lap feature. He was challenged early by Don Newell, Bill Shantel and Steve Hulsizer.

Marsden stuck like glue to the bottom of the racing surface while the other three drivers diced it out for second. Hulsizer had worked his way up to the runnerup spot by the midway point of the race. Another driver on the move was Tim Gareau, who had charged from deep in the pack.

Marsden and Hulsizer were dead even for countless laps with each driver nosing ahead only to be overtaken by the other. They continued this battle until Gareau joined in and made it a three car battle for the lead. Marsden never lost his cool despite being challenged on both the inside and the outside.

The three cars stayed right tight together down to the wire with Marsden successfully defending his crown by inches over Gareau, who nipped Hulsizer at the wire. You could have thrown a blanket over the top three finishers. They were followed by Bob Goutermout and Shantel. Bill Clark, Bret Belden, Billy Burton, Chris Whaley and Mark Wallace completed the top ten.

The Pure Stock season finale was also a good one as well. Steve Crouse was the leader from the outset but was heavily challenged throughout the event by Shawn Muldoon, The two cars ran door to door for the final 10 laps only inches apart with Dave Mannise close behind in third.

When the checkered flag flew it was Crouse the victor over Muldoon, Mannise, Phil Marsden and Joe Jackson. The balance of the top ten consisted of Steve Williams, Lou Dashno, Randy Knight, Mike Bond and Steve Galvin.

B-Main's were run for both the Street Stocks and Pure Stocks They were captured by Kevin Root and Tommy "Flash" Mettler respectively.

SMALL BLOCK MODIFIED HEAT RESULTS 9/24/88

HEAT #1: DALE STETTLER, Roger Phelps, Billy Schinkel / Mike Arminio, Nick Lazzaro, Hugh Campbell, Dave Gerhart, Scott Landers, Sam Reakes Sr., Charlie Davis, Jimmy Chester, Bill Kurd.

HEAT #2: RANDY MASSER, Pete Bicknell, Mike McCarthy/ Smokey Warren, Bobby Puckett, Mike Ricci, Mike Noto, Ron Mawson, Rich Ricci, Ron House, Dave House, Newt Hartman.

HEAT #3: ALAN JOHNSON, Jim Mahaney, Toby Tobias Jr. / Shawn George, Jim Cathers, Barry Poitras, Brett Hearn, Dick Longstreet, Ed Karwaski, Mark Shadwell, Kevin Grenga, Paul Badell.

HEAT #4: RONNIE TOBIAS, Jack Johnson, Tom Mayberry / Bob Savoie, J.J. Michaels, Tom Juhl Jr., Mark Weaver, Danny Johnson, John Kollar, Billy Pauch, Gary Griffin.

HEAT #5: DICK MARCINKO, Roger Laureno, Paul Jensen / Sam Reakes Jr., Mike Perrotte, Tim Falter, George Suprick, George Watson, Jeff Walton, Ray Swinehart, John Knapp.

HEAT #6: BOB HOLLAND, Davey Wenger, Ted Lamb Jr. / Stan Samul, Dale Planck, Dave Heaslip, Kim Duell, Skip Mackenzie, Richard Dawson, Dave Bartlett. DNS: Todd McManus.

HEAT #7: PAT WARD, John Podolak, Joe Sobotka / Marcel Lafrance, John Phelps, Doug Fuller, Leroy Hurlbut, Bill Shire, Mike Root, Joel Thomas, Tom Faulkner. DNS: Danny Johnson.

HEAT #8:RANDY GLENSKI, John Barker Jr., Chuck Whitford / Larry Welling, Mike Hulsizer, John Cunningham, Donnie Wetmore, Jim Bagley, Crash Nash, Steve Gates.

The slash mark (/) separates the qualified cars from the non-qualified cars.

SMALL BLOCK MODIFIED CONSI RESULTS

CONSI #1: SMOKEY WARREN, Dale Planck, Dave Heaslip / Mike Perrotte, Bob Podolak, Barry Poitras, Eddie Karwaski, Tom Faulkner, Skip Mackenzie, Johnny Kollar, Jeff Walton, Sam Reakes Jr., Kim Duell. DNS: Brett Hearn, Crash Nash, Todd McManus.

CONSI #2: LEROY HURLBUT, John Phelps, Doug Fuller / Mark Weaver, Shawn George, Stan Samul, Tom Juhl Jr., Charlie Davis, Jimmy Chester, Bill Shire, Mike Root, John Cunningham, Howard Singer. DNS: J.J. Michaels, Newt Hartman, Bill Kurd.

CONSI #3: MARCEL LAFRANCE, Bob Savoie, Mike Hulsizer / Hugh Campbell, Larry Welling, Dave Ger-hart, Scott Landers, Ron Mawson, Dave Bartlett, Paul Badell, Sam Reakes Sr., Gary Griffin. DNS: Ron House, Dave House, Danny Johnson.

CONSI #4: MIKE RICCI, George Suprick, Rich Ricci Jr. / Dick Longstreet, Louie Michaels, Mike Noto, Ray Swinehart, John Knapp, Nick Lazzaro, Kevin Grenga, Steve Gates. DNS: Tim Falter, Richard Dawson, Mark Shadwell, Joel Thomas.

SMALL BLOCK MODIFIED NON-QUALIFIERS RESULTS

1st NON-QUALIFIER: BOB PODOLAK, Tom Juhl Jr., Shawn George, Mike Root, Charlie Davis, Tom Faulkner, Stan Samul, Barry Poitras, Jimmy Chester, Eddie Karwaski, Mark Weaver, Bill Shire, Kim Duell, Skip Mackenzie, John Cunningham, Mike Perrotte, Crash Nash, Howard Singer, Sam Reakes Jr.

2nd NON-QUALIFIER: MIKE NOTO, Sam Reakes Sr., Ron Mawson, Dave Gerhart, Gary Griffin, Nick Lazzaro, Ray Swinehart, Paul Badell, Kevin Grenga, Scott Landers, John Knapp, Dick Longstreet, Hugh Campbell, Louie Michaels, Dave Bartlett, Steve Gates, Larry Welling.

EMPIRE SUPER SPRINT HEAT RESULTS

Heat #1: BOB PODOLAK, Tom Taber, Art Kiser, John Birosh, Bobby Beehler, Tommy Bliss / George Sifo, Kim Gagliardi, Bob Cain, Bert Schomske

Heat #2: MIKE VAN DUSEN, Marshall Shunk, Rick Crane, Adrian Flath, Mark Bragman, Mike Arminio / Bruce Buffinton, Mike Bozzuto, Andy Graves, Danny Willmes, Jeff Eddy.

Heat #3: WAYNE PATTERSON, Mal Lane, Ken Townsand, Doug Emery, Jon King, Jeff Thomas / Johnny Brutcher, Glenn Clarke, Glenn Fitzcharles, Bill Featherly, Jay Coates.

B-Main: JOHNNY BRUTCHER, Glenn Fitzcharles, Kim Gagliardi, Mike Bozzuto, Glen Clarke, George Sifo / Bruce Buffinton, Danny Willmes, Hal Wilson, Andy Graves, Bill Featherly, Jay Coates, Burt Schomske, Jeff Eddy, Bobby Cain.

EMPIRE SUPER SPRINT FEATURE: MIKE VanDUSEN, Johnny Brutcher, Bob Podolak, Wayne Patterson, Marshall Shunk, Glenn Fitzcharles, Mark Bragman, Tommy Bliss, Ken Townsand, Johnny Birosh, Rick Crane, Glen Clarke, Art Kiser, Tommy Taber, Adrian Flath, Doug Emery, Bobby Beehler, Mike Bozzuto, Kim Gagliardi, Jon King, Jeff Thomas, Mal Lane.

STREET STOCK AND PURE STOCK ORDER OF FINISH

STREET STOCK: RUSS MARSDEN, Tim Gareau, Steve Hulsizer, Bob Goutermout, Bill Shantel, Bill Clark, Bret Belden, Billy Burton, Chris Whaley, Mark Wallace, Tracy Doyle, Dean DeMallie, Lenny Recore, Herm Flowers, Terry Pangrazio, Diana Mason, Craig Pritchard, Don Newell, Lance Reagan, Tom Sears Jr., Larry Dilello, Dan Deline, Dick Werner Jr., Jack Warren.

PURE STOCK: STEVE CROUSE, Shawn Muldoon, Dave Mannise, Phil Marsden, Joe Jackson, Steve Williams, Lou Dashno, Randy Knight, Mike Bond, Steve Galvin, Bob Bond, Bill Izyk, Ken Edwards, Frank Clavelli Jr., Pat Abold, Doug Cliff, Shawn Donath, Chauncey Carvey, Jim Thomas, Bob Andrews, Rodney Plantz, Ron Balitz, Mike Abare, Tim Fuller.