Tim Fuller Conquers Return of the Big-Blocks to Eldora Speedway
Fuller fends off big field at The Big E, Captures Aspen Dental Dirt Derby 100
ROSSBURG, Ohio – July 19, 2016 – After a 10-year absence, the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds returned to Eldora Speedway Tuesday night as Tim Fuller battled through the field and claimed his second series victory of the year.
For Fuller, the win was his second big-block modified victory at the historic half-mile oval in Rossburg, Ohio since 2006.
‘I’m real happy,” Fuller said. “We won the last modified race here in 2006 and then Tony Stewart buys it and I get to win it. It’s really good – it’s a very special place.”
“I knew it was going to make the start of the race way better after I drew 12th. It actually opened up the racing and it made it where there was a bottom, middle, and a top. You could float all over this place. It was really a lot of fun.”
The win did not come without a little adversity at the front of the pack as several drivers battled for that top spot.
The initial start of the feature saw Dave Blaney and Erick Rudolph on the front row. Rudolph took an early charge into the top spot but was soon passed by Larry Wight on lap two. On lap 17, Bobby Varin took the lead over from Wight.
Fuller, who charged forward, and Wight, who looked to reclaim the top spot, diced through lapped traffic all over the track. Wight moved off of the top lane and to the bottom to get through lapped traffic as Fuller blew by on the topside to gain the lead.
A short time later, Jimmy Horton, who started 24th, moved into third place and worked to hold off Wight. He and Wight however made contact which forced Wight to the pit as Horton kept rolling.
Through the closing stretch, Blaney closed the gap on Fuller and was just about to pass him to retake the lead as the sixth caution of the night flew.
Blaney tried to make a charge on the final restart on the top side but Fuller pulled away.
Blaney said Fuller was just a little faster than him all night.
“He could maneuver around a lot better,” Blaney said. “He could cross the corner and catch the cushion a lot better than I could. The track was kind of greasy and I got hung up in the wrong lane. We weren’t the greatest but we hung in there.”
Horton, who finished in third, said he felt like he had the car to win but got into trouble in ltraffic.
“I don’t know what he was thinking but he took two good race cars out and we’re bent up pretty good,” Horton said. “That’s why we finished third and didn’t win it. We had to just hang on then because it’s all bent up. The front axle is pushed back and is out a little bit. No excuse though, we run the race and finished third, I’m happy with that.”
When the checkered flag fell, Fuller scored his second win of the season and kept his reigning title as the ‘Big E’ winner.
Race Notes:
58 cars attempted to qualify and 32 cars started the field. The Aspen Dental Dirt Derby was 100 laps and paid $6,000 to the winner. It was the biggest field so far this year for the Super DIRTcar Series. Larry Wight was the fastest overall in time trials with a 17.351.
The Super DIRTcar Series returns to action on Wednesday at Eldora for a special exhibition race with the NASCAR Truck Series.
Follow the series on Twitter @SuperDIRTcar, or click www.SuperDIRTcarSeries.com.
Super DIRTcar Series Statistical Report; July 19, 2016; Eldora Speedway; Rossburg, Ohio.
A-Main (100 Laps) – 1. 19-Tim Fuller; 2.18b-Dave Blaney; 3. 43h-Jimmy Horton; 4. 84-Gary Tomkins; 5. 91-Billy Decker; 6. 6m-Mat Williamson; 7. 20-Brett Hearn; 8. 35-Frank Cozze; 9. 76-Bobby Varin; 10. 42P-Pat Ward; 11. 44-Stewart Friesen; 12. 32c-Vic Coffey; 13. 14w-Ryan Watt; 14. 98H-Jimmy Phelps; 15. 88-Mike Mahaney; 16. 9s-Matt Sheppard; 17. 5H-Chris Hile; 18. 43-Keith Flach; 19. 74-J.R Heffner; 20. 7M-Michael Maresca; 21. 777-Kevin Bolland; 22. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 23. 165-Rex King Jr.; 24. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 25. 99L-Larry Wight; 26. 28p-Eldon Payne; 27. 66x-Carey Terrance; 28. 27J-Danny Johnson; 29. 1-Justin Hears; 30. 07-Tim Kerr; 31. 25r-Erick Rudolph; 32. 18H-Peter Britten
Last Chance Showdown 3 (8 Laps) – 1. 6m-Mat Williamson; 2. 43h-Jimmy Horton; 3. 74-JR Heffner; 4. 55-Anthony Perrego; 5. 20-Brett Hearn; 6. 43-Keith Flach; 7. 08-Mark D’Ilario; 8. 77-Dan Weisner; 9. 14-CG Morey; 10. 48T-Dave Rauscher; 11. 96b-Warren; 12. 8-Rich Scagliotta
Last Chance Showdown 2 (8 Laps) – 1. 84-Gary Tomkins; 2. 32c-Vic Coffey; 3. 07-Tim Kerr; 4.17-Matt Janiak; 5. 15-Billy Pauch Jr.; 6. 34-Sean Pangman; 7. 151-Brian McDonald; 8. 14w-Ryan Watt; 9. 23-Kyle Coffey; 10. 7z-Mark Flick; 11. 88a-Dave Allen; 12. 96-Mike Turner; 13. 25J-Chad Jeseo; 14. 13-Ralph McBride
Last Chance Showdown 1 (8 Laps) – 1. 91-Billy Decker; 2. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 3. 5H-Chris Hile; 4. 38-Ryan Susice; 5. 21-Yan Bussiere; 6. 37m-Jeremiah Shingledecker; 7. 28p-Eldon Payne; 8. 1T-Tyler Dippel; 9. 66m-J.R. McGinley; 10. 19-Mueller; 11. X-Chad Phelps; 12. 29-Krummert; 13. 34-Vinny Sanganetti; 14. 65-Rex King
Heat 6 (8 Laps) – 1.165-Rex King Jr.; 2. 66x-Carey Terrance; 3. 7M-Michael Maresca; 4. 55-Anthony Perrego; 5. 74-J.R Heffner; 6. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 7. 14-C.G. Morey; 8. 48T-Dave Rauscher; 9. 96b-Warren
Heat 5 (8 Laps) – 1. 18b-Dave Blaney; 2. 9s-Matt Sheppard; 3. 1-Justin Hears; 4. 6m-Mat Williamson; 5. 43h-Jimmy Horton; 6. 43-Keith Flach; 7. 20-Brett Hearn; 8. O8-Mark D’Ilario;9. 77-Dan Weisner
Heat 4 (8 Laps) – 1.18H-Peter Britten; 2. 25r-Erick Rudolph; 3.42P-Pat Ward; 4.84-Gary Tomkins; 5. 32c-Vic Coffey; 6. 23-Kyle Coffey; 7. 34-Sean Pangman; 8. 7z-Mark Flick; 9. 96-Mike Turner; 10. 13-Ralph McBride
Heat 3 (8 Laps) – 1. 98H-Jimmy Phelps; 2. 27J-Danny Johnson; 3. 777-Kevin Bolland; 4.17-Matt Janiak; 5. 15-Billy Pauch Jr.; 6.151-Brian McDonald; 7. 07-Tim Kerr; 8. 88-Dave Allen; 9. 25J-Chad Jeseo; 10.14w-Ryan Watt
Heat 2 (8 Laps) – 1. 88-Mike Mahaney; 2. 99L-Larry Wight; 3. 35-Frank Cozze; 4. 91-Billy Decker; 5. 1T-Tyler Dippel; 6. 37m-Jeremiah Shingledecker; 7. 5H-Chris Hile; 8. 19-Mueller; 9. 65-Rex King; 10. 66m-J.R. McGinley
Heat 1 (8 Laps) – 1. 19-Tim Fuller; 2. 44-Stewart Friesen; 3. 76-Bobby Varin; 4. X-Chad Phelps; 5. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 6. 38-Ryan Susice 7. 21 Yan Bussiere; 8. 29-Krummert; 9. 34-Vinny Sanganetti; 10. 28p-Eldon Payne
Group 6 Qualifier: 1. 165-Rex King Jr., 18.485; 2. 74-J.R. Heffner, 18.942; 3. 7M-Michael Maresca, 19.130; 4. 48T-Dave Rauscher, 18.972; 5. 8-Rich Scagliotta, 19.790; 6. 66x-Carey Terrance, 19.484; 7. 55-Anthony Perrego, 19.901; 8. 14-C.G. Morey, 20.196; 9. 96b-Warren, 20.562
Group 5 Qualifier: 1. 18b-Dave Blaney, 18.329; 2. 77-Dan Weisner,18.335; 3. 20-Brett Hearn, 18.370; 4. 43-Keith Flach, 18.500; 5. 1-Justin Hears, 18.679; 6. 43h-Jimmy Horton, 18.753; 7. 9s-Matt Sheppard, 18.837; 8. 6m-Mat Williamson, 19.000; 9. O8-Mark D’Ilario, 19.150
Group 4 Qualifier: 1. 18H-Peter Britten, 17.973; 2. 42P-Pat Ward, 18.058; 3. 25r-Erick Rudolph, 18.239; 4. 84-Gary Tomkins, 18.496; 5. 32c-Vic Coffey, 18.690; 6. 34 Sean Pangman, 19.121; 7. 23-Kyle Coffey, 19.329; 8. 7z-Mark Flick, 19.538; 9. 13-Ralph McBride, 19.539; 10. 96-Mike Turner, 19.788
Group 3 Qualifier: 1. 14w-Ryan Watt, 17.733; 2. 98H-Jimmy Phelps, 17.788; 3. 777-Kevin Bolland, 18.278; 4. 27J-Danny Johnson,18.433; 5. 17-Janiak, 18.531; 6. 07-Tim Kerr, 18.735; 7. 151-Brian McDonald, 18.763; 8. 25J-Chad Jeseo, 19.002; 9. 15-Billy Pauch Jr.,19.163; 10. 88 Dave Allen, 19.864
Group 2 Qualifier: 1. 99L-Larry Wight, 17.351; 2. 88-Mike Mahaney, 17.506; 3. 35-Frank Cozze, 17.805; 4. 1T-Tyler Dippel, 17.822; 5. 5H-Chris Hile, 17.906; 6. 37m-Jeremiah Shingledecker, 17.933; 7. 91-Billy Decker, 18.046; 8. 66m-J.R. McGinley, 18.081; 9. 19-Mueller, 18.146; 10. 65-Rex King, 18.628
Group 1 Qualifier: 1. 76-Bobby Varin, 17.374; 2. 19-Tim Fuller, 17.453; 3. 21-Yan Bussiere, 17.946; 4. 6H-McLaughlin, 17.960; 5. 28p-Eldon Payne, 18.080; 6. 44-Stewart Friesen, 18.307; 7. 38-Ryan Susice, 18.362; 8. X-Chad Phelps, 18.581; 9. 29-Krummert, 18.949; 10. 34-Sanganetti, 19.211
The Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts and NAPA Auto Parts; in addition to contingency sponsors, including: ASI Race Wear, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, Fox Shocks, Henry’s Exhaust Systems, Intercomp, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, KSE Racing Products, Mike’s Racing Heads, Motorsports Safety Systems, MSD, Pole Position Raceway, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum; along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Beyea Headers, Racing Electronics and TNT Rescue.
Sources: Mandee Pauch/Super DIRTcar Series PR