5/28/2023
Fulton Speedway
Larry Wight And Sammy Reakes IV Take Fulton Speedway Modified and Sprint Car Wins
By Dave Medler
FULTON, NY – (May 27, 2023) – There used to be an old drag racing commercial that said we will sell you the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge. That was the case Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway when feature events had the winners in doubt right down to the finish.
Winners on Monroe Mechanical and J.Gordon Contracting night were, Larry Wight (Tracey Road DIRTcar Modifieds) Jimmy Moyer (DOT Foods DIRTcar Sportsman) Sammy Reakes IV (Empire Super Sprints) Owen Bird (E&V Energy Novice Sportsman) John Pietrowicz (Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Hobby Stocks).
Ryan Richardson and Tim Harris would swap the lead back and forth in the early laps of the 35-Lap Modified feature with the racing two-and three wide throughout the field behind them.
While everyone was watching the race up front, Tim Sears Jr. was quickly driving his way through the field from his fourteenth starting spot and would take the lead when the race went back to green after a lap six caution.
Sears and Billy Dunn would be in a two-car breakaway for the lead on lap ten. Larry Wight, who started fifteenth was rapidly catching the top-two with Harris and Ron Davis III in fourth and fifth.
On lap fifteen you could have thrown a blanket over Sears, Dunn, and Wight, with Justin Crisafulli, and Davis in the top-five.
Lap-twenty, Sears was able to put a lap car between himself and Larry Wight with more heavy traffic ahead. Dunn, Davis, and Crisafulli were still in the top-five positions.
With ten laps to go and still in heavy traffic, Sears and Wight came across the line almost dead even. One lap later Wight down low saw the opening he needed to squeeze under Sears exiting turn four to be scored the new leader.
Over the final laps it was edge of your seat racing with Wight and Sears not only battling for the win, but getting through the traffic that was around the entire speedway with no break. Larry Wight was just a tick faster than Tim Sears for his second win of the season. Ron Davis III, Billy Dunn, and Justin Crisafulli completed the top-five.
Matt Farnham and Davie Franek would bring the Empire Super Sprints 25-Lap A-Main to the green with Farnham leading the opening lap and Franek on lap-two.
Franek would drive out to a half a straightaway lead on lap five with Danny Varin, Farnham, Sammy Reakes IV, and defending series champion Jordan Poirier in second through fifth.
Disaster would strike Franek on lap eight when he would clip an infield tire in turn one with damage that ended his run in the lead and possible victory.
When the race went back to green, Varin would drive out to a half a straightaway lead with Reakes, Jason Barney, Poirier, and Farnham still in the top-five.
Lap thirteen Varin had a 2.4 second lead go away and any shot at the win when he would also clip an infield tire ending his night in the pits.
Sammy Reakes IV would be the new leader when the race went to green and over the final laps, he would hold off challenges from the Empire Super Sprints best for the win. Jordan Poirier, Dylan Swiernik, Larry Wight, and Jonathan Preston completed the top-five.
The 25-Lap Sportsman feature saw James Donaldson grab the lead on lap one and by lap five would have a ten-car length advantage over Brett Sears, Joe Kline, Jimmy Moyer, and Andrew Buff.
The race pace slowed on a lap twelve caution and would see Sears drive into the top-spot on the restart.
With ten laps to go Sears still lead with Donaldson staying within striking distance. Moyer, Richard Murtaugh, and Dave Moyer were right there waiting for any mistakes.
The whole race changed on lap twenty-three. Exiting turn four Donaldson got under Sears and the two made contact turning Sears sideways and slowing Donaldson's momentum. That allowed Jimmy Moyer to drive by and into the lead.
Moyer was not to be denied as he was first under the checkers. Richard Murtaugh, Dave Moyer, Andrew Buff, and Cody Manitta finished second through fifth.
Casey Cunningham would take the lead at the start of the 20-Lap Hobby Stock and would lead until lap seventeen when John Pietrowicz, who spun on lap three, would come back through the field to remain undefeated in 2023 with his fourth straight win. Casey Cunningham, Ron Hawker, Mike Watkins, and Jim Evans completed the top-five.
Dillion Piersall would lead the opening twelve laps of the 15-Lap Novice Sportsman feature. Owen Bird would take advantage of a caution and restart to grab his second win of the year. Dillion Piersall, Brianna Murtaugh, Kingston Sprague, and Nathan Novak finished second through fifth.
This Saturday, June 3 is one of the yearly fan favorites when Ryan Phelps Auto Sales will present Family Autograph Night featuring Fulton's Fantastic Four program of Tracey Road Equipment Modifieds, Dot Foods Sportsman, Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux Hobby Stocks and E & V Energy Novice Sportsman.
During intermission fans of all ages will be able to come down on the track and get up close to all the cars and meet their favorite drivers for autographs, take photos, and get driver giveaways.
Adult G/A: $15
18 years and Under: Free
Pit Passes:
DIRTcar Member: $35
Non-Member: $40
Pits Open: 4:00 PM
Grandstands Open: 5:00 PM
Hot Laps Start: 6:00 PM
Racing Begins: 7:00 PM
Monroe Mechanical and J. Gordon Contracting May 27 Results
Tracey Road DIRTcar Modifieds - (35 Laps): 1-Wight.L 2-Sears.T(Jr) 3-Davis III.R 4-Dunn.B 5-Crisafulli.J 6-Marcuccilli.D 7-Holland.A 8-Hurd.M 9-Joy.B 10-Mackey.C 11-Fink.A 12-Ferguson.A 13-Cunningham.C 14-Meeks.T 15-Barker.C 16-Bennett.J 17-Meeks.J 18-Gage.R 19-Harris.T 20-Beardsley.S 21-Shaw.S 22-Richardson.R 23-Castelletti.C 24-Murphy.B 25-Webb.D 26-Webb.S 27-Parkhurst.J 28-Collins.T
Tracey Road DIRTcar Modifieds B-Main - (10 Laps): 1-Marcuccilli.D 2-Mackey.C 3-Webb.S 4-Meeks.J 5-Parkhurst.J 6-Gage.R 7-Bennett.J 8-Beardsley.S 9-Murphy.B 10-Castelletti.C 11-Starr.T
A to Z Contracting $100 Modified Heat Race Winners Bonus: Justin Crisafulli, Tyler Meeks, Brent Joy.
DOT Foods DIRTcar Sportsman - (25 Laps): 1-Moyer.J 2-Murtaugh.R 3-Moyer.D 4-Buff.A 5-Manitta.C 6-Parkhurst Jr..J 7-Waldron.E 8-Miller.A 9-Devendorf.K 10-Hamm.R 11-Brewer.C(III) 12-Cook.K 13-Chrisman.W 14-Sears.B 15-Laflair.S 16-Donaldson.J 17-Fellows.J 18-Trichilo.J 19-Grosso.R 20-Carvey.B 21-Kline.J 22-Finch.T(II) 23-Buff.Z 24-Dolbear.R 25-Gareau.T 26-Cooper.A
DOT Foods Sportsman Feature Winner Bonus $100: Jimmy Moyer.
DOT Foods Sportsman Feature Hard Charger Bonus $100: Emmett Waldron.
DOT Foods Sportsman Heat Race Winners Bonuses $100: Andrew Buff, Jimmy Moyer, James Donaldson.
NAPA Know How Chase Elliott Award: Kyle Devendorf.
Empire Super Sprints - (25 Laps): 1-Reakes.S(IV) 2-Poirier.J 3-Swiernik.D 4-Wight.L 5-Preston.J 6-Barney.J 7-Donath.S 8-Trenca.J 9-Farnham.M 10-Thomas.J 11-Cook.J 12-Tanner.M 13-Colagiovanni.P 14-VanInwegen.B(Jr) 15-Hebing.K 16-Hebing.C 17-Hile.C 18-Hutton.J 19-Gosselin.D 20-Granholm.K 21-Rand.T 22-Varin.D 23-Franek.D 24-Moran.C 25-Cartier.T
E&V Energy Novice Sportsman - (15 Laps): 1-Bird.O 2-Piersall.D 3-Murtaugh.B 4-Sprague.K 5-Novak.N 6-Kinney.R 7-Groom.S 8-Allen.D 9-Burdick.S
Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Hobby Stocks - (20 Laps): 1-Pietrowicz.J 2-Cunningham.C 3-Hawker.R 4-Watkins.M 5-Evans.J 6-Stevens.E 7-Doucette.S 8-Barron.B 9-Hunt.A 10-Fitzgibbons.B
Submitted By: David Medler
