DECKER WINS "SHOWDOWN AT SUNDOWN" FULTON OPENER

FULTON, NY...8/5/98...Invading DIRT star Billy Decker bested a tough field of Big Block and Small Block Modifieds to win Wednesday's Primestar "Showdown at Sundown" at Fulton Speedway. Ron Richardson was the Sportsman winner, while John Pietrowicz and Todd Storace were the Street Stock and Pure Stock winners respectively.

Decker started the 50-lap Modified feature event from the third row and moved into an intense battle with Mitch Gibbs, Steve Hulsizer, and Tim Fuller for the lead. They were soon joined by Dale Planck and Pat Ward. While Gibbs hugged the bottom of the track, Decker hooked his Big Block up on the high groove on the wide Fulton surface, and after a couple of attempted passes on the restarts in the early going, Decker made the power move stick, leaving Planck and Gibbs to fight for second.

Scott Prentice, Chuck Bower, and Tom Kinsella were also having a torrid battle for position behind the leaders, using the high and low grooves on the track. Hulsizer began to fade as the race moved into its second half, and as the trio of Decker, Ward, and Planck moved away from the rest of the field, Fuller ran hard in an attempt to stay with the lead pack as they moved into lapped traffic.

Ward fell victim to a flat tire with eight laps to go, while Gibbs would slide back through the field, nearly spinning before he retired from the event with mechanical problems. The lap 42 restart was the last chance for Planck to try and get Decker for the lead, but it was not to be, as Decker opened up a margin before the checkers fell. Decker collected a $2,500 payday for his efforts. Planck was second, Fuller third, Prentice fourth, and Bower fifth. Sixth through tenth went to Kinsella, Ward, Jason Barney, Hulsizer, and Roger Phelps. Modified heat wins went to Roger Phelps, Decker, and Gibbs, with Barney taking the win in the consi.

The 20-lap Sportsman feature was a three way battle between Fulton regulars Ron Richardson and Tony Buffa and current Mr. DIRT Sportsman points leader Jim Spano. Richardson and Buffa had a spirited side by side battle for the first half of the feature event until Buffa slid back and was passed by Spano. Spano attempted to keep the pressure on Richardson, but could not stay with the speedy leader, who widened his gap to half a straightaway at the finish. Richardson and Spano were followed by Bill Shantel, Dale Darling, and Greg Doust. Heat wins went to Richardson, Buffa, and Jim Smith.

The 20-lap Street Stock feature saw John Pietrowicz and Mike Lavarnway battle incessantly for the lead through the entire race, with Gerry Newman, Rick Breed, and Ray Maloney all fighting for position behind the lead duo. Bobby Lutz was also in the hunt early until he was involved in a tangle. Lutz would work his way back through the field for a top ten finish.

Despite showing some transmission smoke in the closing laps, Petrowicz held off Gerry Newman in the final few laps to record the win. Maloney worked his way to third with Lavarnway and Rick Breed completing the top five. Street Stock heat wins went to Pietrowicz, Lavarnway, and Scott Moyer.

Todd Storace and Dave Mannise were the class of a tough Pure Stock feature field, but Storace was able to keep Mannise at bay throughout the entire 15-lap distance to record the feature win. Mannise was second, with Lou Levea, Herm Staats, and Kelly Pope rounding out the top five. Pure Stock heat went to Storace, Mannise, and Alan Graham.

SUMMARY-PRIMESTAR "SHOWDOWN AT SUNDOWN"
FULTON SPEEDWAY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1998

MODIFIED FEATURE-BILLY DECKER, Dale Planck, Tim Fuller, Scot Prentice, Chuck Bower, Tom Kinsella, Pat Ward, Jason Barney, Steve Hulsizer, Roger Phelps, Jim Rothwell, Jeff Hoff, Ty Hunt, Tim McCreadie, Darryl Ruggles, Mitch Gibbs, Jeff Kotary, George Kostelansky, Jim Phelps, DaveReilly, Pete Taylor, Jeremy Baye, John Ventura, Lance Lauffenburger.

SPORTSMAN FEATURE-RON RICHARDSON, Jim Spano, Bill Shantel Sr., Dale Darling, Greg Doust, Ron Davis, Ben Tucker, Jeremy Pitcher, Mark Tily, Mike Clark, Greg Carner, Terry Knoblock, Kevin Therrien, Tim Sears, Tony Buffa, Dave Surace, Bob Haws, Jim Smith, Dan Vail, Russ Hefti, Rick Miller.

STREET STOCK FEATURE-JOHN PIETROWICZ, Gerry Newman, Ray Maloney, Mike Lavarnway, Rick Breed, Joe Jackson, Bobby Lutz, JB Dockstader, Rich Keller, Bill Shantel Jr., Dave Bargabus, Doug Murphy, Bob Sears, Randy Coit, Anna Elkema, Geoff Van Riper, Stan Clark, Howie Koegel, Ron Root, Scott Moyer, Brian Confer, Bill Sciarabba, Herman Flowers, Rich Murtaugh.

PURE STOCK FEATURE-TODD STORACE, Dave Mannise, Lou Levea, Herm Staats, Kelly Pope, Dennis Bird, John Eiss, Chad Ray, Jason Rood, David Buck, Bruce Stanton, Newt Preeman, Dan Butterfield, Phil Trimm, Skip Miles, Frank Burnell, Mike Minutolo, Mike Majors, Mike Holmes, Joe Buske, Alan Graham, Dave Kingsley.