FULTON, NY.....Mitch Gibbs survived an incredible drive through lapped traffic to claim the feature win in Saturday night's Corcoran Custom Canvas 35-lapper for DIRT 358 Modifieds at Fulton Speedway.  Ron Davis took his first career win in the Sportsman ranks, Bill Shantel Jr. notched his second win of the year in the Pro Stocks, and Darren Kelso grabbed his fifth win of the year in the Pure Stocks.
 
The start of the Modified feature event saw Doug Fuller and Pete Taylor trade the early race lead until Roger Phelps came up to grab the top spot.  Mitch Gibbs came up quickly and became the fourth different leader in the feature event on lap 9.  Gibbs started to pull away while Dale Planck, who had been up as high as second until a slip cost him a few spots, moved back into the runner-up position.
 
The middle stages of the feature event saw Gibbs pull out to a comfortable lead over Planck while Jimmy Phelps had come from 18th to 3rd.  Behind him, Todd Burley battled with Tom Kinsella for position.  As the race entered the final ten laps, Gibbs got caught up in heavy traffic and Planck closed right in behind him.  Gibbs and Planck battled furiously, even coming off turn four wide as they negotiated traffic.  That four wide move was nearly disaster as Gibbs and Planck contacted a lapped car and the three almost piled into the frontstretch wall.  In the scramble, Phelps took over the second spot from Planck, who was sent to the rear for making contact with a lapped car after the ensuing restart.
 
Gibbs held off Phelps over the last few laps to score the win, followed by Phelps.  Burley got by Kinsella for third, with Gus Schmidt coming from the rear of the field to take the fifth spot.  DIRT Modified heats were won by Fuller, Gibbs, and Alan Johnson, with John Barker nailing down a consi win.
 
Ron Davis took the lead at the start of the 20-lap Sportsman feature event, but was passed by Dan Vail on lap 5.  Vail pulled away from Davis while Bill Shantel and Tony Buffa were joined in battle by Greg Doust.  As the field strung out under a long session of green flag laps, Vail extended his lead, while Doust moved into third spot.
 
Vail's potential feature win went bust when he had a flat tire and was forced to the pits during a lap 12 yellow.  Over the remaining distance, Davis pulled away from Doust, while Buffa and Shantel traded third and fourth a few times.  At the finish, Davis had his first career Fulton Sportsman win, followed by Doust, Shantel, Buffa, and John Cunningham.  Sportsman heats were won by Shantel, Vail, Richardson, and Jeremy Pitcher.  Two consolation races were won by Willy Decker and Paul Kinney.  With over 32 Sportsman in competition the 'B' Main was run, and Russ Hefti took the checkers in that contest.
 
The Pro Stock feature event saw Bill Shantel Jr. lead every lap of the feature, but it was not a walkaway by any means, as Jerry Holmes and Gerry Newman battled right behind Shantel the entire way, but Shantel had the stronger car and held off Holmes and Newman for his second win of 1999.  TJ Fitzgibbons overtook John Pietrowicz on the final lap for the fourth spot.  Pro Stock heats were won by Newman, Dave Moyer, and Holmes.
 
John Eiss was the early leader in the 15-lap Pure Stock feature event, as he battled with Chad Ray in the early going.  Darren Kelso overtook Eiss at the halfway point and pulled away, while Dave Mannise battled from a starting spot deep in the field, taking second on lap 9.  Kelso cruised home with his fifth win of the year, followed by Mannise.  Eiss, Scott Grevelding, and Ray finished out the top five.  Pure Stock heats were won by Ray and Grevelding.
 
Next Saturday night is a regular show at Fulton Speedway with a special added attraction in the form of a 4 Cylinder Demo Derby.  Gates open at 5pm and racing starts at 7pm.
 
 
 
SPECIAL NOTE:  4 Cylinders have been added to the show on Saturday, September 11th.  The race will be a Victoria 200 qualifier, and Brewerton 4 Cylinder rules apply.
 
RACE SUMMARY-CORCORAN'S CUSTOM CANVAS NIGHT
FULTON SPEEDWAY-AUGUST 21, 1999
 
DIRT 358 MODIFIED FEATURE-MITCH GIBBS, Jimmy Phelps, Todd Burley, Tom Kinsella, Gus Schmidt, John Barker, Tim Burnett, Jeff Rudalavage, Tom Sears, Ty Hunt, Pete Taylor, Rick Miller, Steve Bilow, Aaron Jacobus, Dale Planck, JJ Michaels, Gil Tegg, John Ventura, Eric VanSciver, Doug Fuller, Dave House, Roger Phelps, Jason Barney, Roy Shields.
 
SPORTSMAN FEATURE-RON DAVIS, Greg Doust, Bill Shantel, Tony Buffa, John Cunningham, Ron Richardson, Tom Collins Jr., Tim Sears, Mark Tily, Jim Bowman, Willy Decker, Chad Phelps, Walt McArdell, Dave Bargabus, Dan Vail, Clayton Brewer, Terry Knoblauch, Brian Murphy, Steve Nasholts, Tim Johnson, Darryl Hagen, Paul Kinney, Bill Flask, Jeremy Pitcher.
 
PRO STOCK FEATURE-BILL SHANTEL JR., Jerry Holmes, Gerry Newman, TJ Fitzgibbons, John Pietrowicz, Jason Rood, Dave Moyer, Mike Watkins, Rick Breed, Paul Stoneburg, John Cooper, Herm Flowers, Leroy Saban, Keith Butler, Jason Dockstader, Mike Dickquist, Bruce Hovis, Tim Harris, Dave Fox, Howie Koegel, Dan Winks.
 
PURE STOCK FEATURE-DARREN KELSO, Dave Mannise, John Eiss, Scott Grevelding, Chad Ray, Don Stevenson, Bruce Stanton, Rick DeGroff, Kevin Raymond, Lou Levea, Dan Hatch, Ken Connors, Phil Trim, Gary Barton, Joe Reeves, Rob Seavy, Tim Pitonza, Dan Butterfield, Dave Stoutenhenger, George Wright.