Contact: World Racing Group Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director 704-254-7929 * [email protected][email protected]>
World of Outlaws Late Model Series News & Notes: Fuller & Coffey Fall Short In Super DIRT Week Modified Bids At Syracuse Mile; Clanton Goes Two-For-Two
CONCORD, NC - Oct. 13, 2008 -
UP NORTH: World of Outlaws Late Model Series regulars Tim Fuller and Vic Coffey experienced contrasting results during a return to their DIRTcar Modified roots last weekend at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, N.Y.
During the 37th annual Super DIRT Week at the famed one-mile dirt track, both drivers had their moments of success and failure. Watertown, N.Y.'s Fuller shined in big-block Modified action and was star-crossed in 358-Modified competition, while Leicester, N.Y.'s Coffey made his mark in the 358-Mod ranks and was struck by misfortune in the big-block meet.
Fuller, who turns 41 on Oct. 28, was the polesitter for Sunday's Rite Aid 200 - the most prestigious event in DIRTcar big-block Modified racing - after his lap of 30.160 seconds (119.363 mph) was fastest in Thursday's time trials. The 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year never led a lap of the week's $50,000-to-win headline show, but he appeared to be in position to make a bid for his second career victory in the 200 until a suspension problem on his Street Wise Fight Gear No. 19 left him feeling fortunate to salvage a fifth-place finish.
Fuller was beaten off pit road following his final pit stop, on lap 82, by just one driver - four-time Rite Aid 200 winner Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y., who enters selected WoO LMS events as Fuller's Gypsum Express Racing teammate. On a restart shortly thereafter, however, the bolts broke on the birdcage of Fuller's car, causing his right-rear shock to dangle uselessly for the remainder of the distance.
"That took us out of the equation," said Fuller, who was also plagued by oil leaking from a breather behind his car's cockpit. "I didn't even know if I could keep going. The shock eventually blew out and shot gas all over the place, and my right-rear wheel was just bouncing across the holes."
Calling himself "lucky" to survive the 200-lap marathon with his faulty suspension and a fuel tank that was running dry during the final circuits, Fuller was happy to leave Syracuse with a fifth-place take worth over $7,000. But he couldn't help wondering what might have been.
"I think I could've rolled out there and tried to make some passes if the shock didn't break off the mount," said Fuller, who won the Rite Aid 200 in 2004. "Would I have been able to pass (eventual winner Frank) Cozze (of Wind Gap, Pa., who ran the final 129 miles on a tank of fuel)? I don't know about that. But I know our pit stop was perfect and we came out right behind Billy (Decker) - and he ended up blowing up running second (on lap 197)."
Fuller didn't even break a sweat in Saturday's 29th annual 'Salute to the Troops' 150 Championship for 358-Modifieds. He started seventh in John Lazore's small-block mount, but a three-wide scrape entering turn one with Pete Bicknell of St. Catharines, Ont., and Jimmy Phelps of Baldwinsville, N.Y., on the opening circuit sent him sideways and into a multi-car pileup that immediately ended his afternoon. He didn't complete a lap and was credited with a 42nd-place finish.
Coffey, meanwhile, had a short day in the Rite Aid 200. Bidding for his second consecutive and third career victory in the marquee big-block Modified event, the presumptive 2008 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year took the green flag from the 31st starting spot and was merely beginning to advance when he limped into the pit area on lap 10 with a broken right-front spindle.
"The car just sat down on the nose when I got halfway down the backstretch," said Coffey, who finished 45th driving a big-block Modified from the same Sweeteners Plus Racing stable that fields his dirt Late Models. "It wasn't from any contact with another car. For some reason, the spindle just broke."
Coffey, 37, enjoyed himself much more on Saturday when he steered his No. 32c to a second-place finish in the 358-Modified 150 behind Decker, who captured the event for the third time in his career. He started from the pole position after setting fast time (32.000 seconds/112.500 mph) in Thursday's qualifying session, led laps 1-26 and was the first driver back on the track after his lap-27 pit stop, but he was passed for position by Decker on lap 33 as they raced deep in the pack and wasn't able to find a way by the eventual winner over the remaining distance.
Fuller and Coffey also entered Thursday night's satellite Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event at Brewerton (N.Y.) Speedway. Fuller was a non-qualifier for the 75-lap feature thanks to his involvement in a heat-race accident, but Coffey grabbed the lead late in the distance and held on until Gary Tomkins of Clifton Springs, N.Y., slipped by him with just two laps left to steal the victory, forcing Coffey to settle for a runner-up finish.
UPSTAIRS: Tim McCreadie spent the weekend at the Syracuse Mile, but in a slightly different capacity than expected.
Eschewing several big-block Modified ride offers for the Rite Aid 200, the 2006 WoO LMS champion instead agreed to serve as the color analyst for the SPEED television broadcast of the event. He joined announcer Shane Andrews in the booth for the live-to-tape production of the 200, which will be aired by the SPEED cable network on Sat., Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. EST.
"I had a great time," said McCreadie, whose luck at Syracuse has been so bad that he's never finished the Rite Aid 200 in nine starts from 1997-2005. "It was definitely a different perspective watching the race from the tower."
STILL HOT: The streaking Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., added two checkered flags to his ever-growing 2008 win list last weekend, bagging back-to-back victories on Friday night at Boyd's Speedway in Ringgold, Ga., and Saturday night at Crossville (Tenn.) Raceway.
A four-time winner on the 2008 WoO LMS, Clanton needed just 12 laps to advance from the 12th starting spot to the lead in Friday's Southern Regional Racing Series event at Boyd's Speedway. He pocketed $3,000 for that triumph, then collected another $6,000 for a flag-to-flag victory in Saturday night's unsanctioned 53-lap Tennessee State Championship at Crossville.
Clanton's fellow WoO LMS traveler from the Peach State, Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., also entered the two southern events. Smith failed to qualify at Boyd's but finished fourth at Crossville.
KEYSTONE STATE ACTION: WoO LMS regulars Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., invaded Challenger Raceway in Indiana, Pa., for the UFO-sanctioned 'Ultimate' event, which ran from Thursday to Saturday.
Francis made the most noise in Saturday night's 91-lap headliner, which offered a $22,000 top prize. He raced forward from the 19th starting spot to finish sixth in Dale Beitler's No. 19.
Richards also advanced to Challenger's A-Main, finishing ninth driving the Ernie Davis-owned No. 25. Frank and Eckert, meanwhile, failed to qualify; Frank's charge from the last starting spot to third in the fourth B-Main on Saturday (he dropped out of his heat on Friday due to a suspension failure) fell one position short of transferring, and Eckert finished directly behind Frank in fourth place.
NEXT UP: The 2008 WoO LMS season will wrap up with four huge days of competition at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., from Oct. 29-Nov. 1.
The meet begins on Wed., Oct. 29, with the postponed Armour Vienna Sausage Showdown Presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers, which offers fans a chance to see the WoO LMS stars race 'topless' in pursuit of a first-place prize that could be as much as $30,000.
Then the second annual Vault Outlaws World Finals takes center stage from Oct. 30-Nov. 1. Two rounds of time trials for the Late Models and Sprint Cars will be contested on Thurs., Oct. 30, followed by complete programs on Fri., Oct. 31, and Sat., Nov. 1.
For ticket information visit www.lowesmotorspeedway.com<http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com/> or call the Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.
INFO: Visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.