Tim Fuller Battles to Canandaigua Win
Captures first Super DIRTcar series win of the year
By Mandee Pauch
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. – June 30, 2016 – Tim Fuller battled from a sixth starting position and through tough lap traffic and cautions at Canandaigua Motorsports Park’s Jan Corcoran Memorial 64 on Thursday night as he claimed his first full-points Super DIRTcar Series win since November 2012.
“The car was really good tonight. Matt is really good and to be able to run with him throughout the year has helped. If I could finished second to Matt that would be like a win,” said Fuller in victory lane after taking home the $6,000 payday.
Gary Tomkins, who led the 30-car field to the green flag, found himself in second before scoring the first lap as Brett Hearn, the outside pole sitter, took flight outside of turn three and gained the lead. Behind Hearn, Tomkins and Sheppard battled back and forth for second place. Sheppard took over second place by lap four.
On lap nine, Sheppard shot to the inside of Hearn coming out of turn four. Hearn drove to the top side of one and two and Sheppard was able to drive through the bottom and gain the lead on lap ten.
The first caution was brought out on lap 11. The scoreboard showed Sheppard, Hearn, Fuller, Tomkins, and Friesen as the top five.
Tomkins pulled into the pits on lap 13 while running in fourth place.
Fuller was all over Hearn for position number two as a wider battle ensued between Fuller, Hearn, and Friesen as they went three wide on lap 15. It was Hearn who came out on top and took second place.
Sheppard was glued to the bottom as Fuller tried to find a line to gain some ground on the leader. Fuller was able to give his first shot at the lead on a restart on lap 25. He drove it in deep but Sheppard was able to pull away.
At halfway, Sheppard led Fuller, Friesen, Decker, and Ward. Sheppard caught the back of the pack by lap 36, giving Fuller an advantage to gain some ground on him.
Sheppard was slicing through lap traffic trying to hold the top spot as he was going three wide through lap traffic but Fuller was slowly running him down. On lap 42 Fuller got a run on Sheppard on the backstretch as he shot down to the bottom and was able to gain the lead coming out of four.
Through the final stretch, Fuller built a half-straightaway lead on Shepperd, as the reigning series champion looked for a line around. Ultimately though the Jan Corcoran Memorial 64 went to Tim Fuller with Sheppard second, Decker third, Friesen fourth and Britten fifth.
Seven cautions were brought out during the feature. Matt Sheppard set fastest time in time trials with a 19.108. It was Tim Fuller’s first Super DIRTcar Series win since November of 2012.
The Big-Block Modifieds return to action this Sunday, July 3rd at Utica Rome, Wednesday July 6at Albany Saratoga, and Thursday July 7 at Mohawk.
Follow the series on Twitter @SuperDIRTcar, or click www.SuperDIRTcarSeries.com.
Super DIRTcar Series Statistical Report; June 30, 2016; Canandaigua Motorsports Park; Canandaigua, N.Y.
A-Main (64 Laps) – 1. 19-Tim Fuller; 2. 9s-Matt Sheppard; 3. 91-Billy Decker; 4. 44-Stewart Friesen; 5. 18h-Peter Britten; 6. 20-Brett Hearn; 7. 8R-Rob Bellinger; 8. 3-Justin Haers; 9. 99L-Larry Wight; 10. 98H-Jimmy Phelps; 11. 25R-Erick Rudolph; 12. 27J-Danny Johnson; 13. 42p-Pat Ward; 14. 77-Dan Wiesner; 15. 32c-Vic Coffey; 16. 7x-Steve Paine; 17. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 18. 14J-Alan Johnson; 19. 35-Frank Cozze; 20. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 21. 88m-Mike Mahaney; 22. 6m-Mat Williamson; 23. 33-Ryan Arbithnot; 24. 1J-Mike O’Brien; 25. 43-Keith Flach; 26. 28p-Eldon Payne; 27. 19w-Justin Wright; 28. 93-Gary Tomkins; 29. 5H-Chris Hile; 30. 21-Brian Sage
Last Chance Showdown 1 (10 laps) – 1. 88m-Mike Mahaney; 2. 5H-Chris Hile; 3. 28p-Eldon Payne; 4. 37s-Tommy Flannigan; 5. 35-Frank Cozze; 6. 21p-Derrick Podsiadlo; 7. 56-Vince Vitale; 8. 3m-James Maier; 9. 48T-Dave Rauscher
Last Chance Showdown 2 (10 laps) – 1. 14J-Alan Johnson; 2. 49-Billy Dunn; 3. 6H-Max McLaughlin; 4. 19w-Justin Wright; 5. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 6. 33-Ryan Arbithnot; 7. 21-Brian Sage; 8. 23-Kyle Coffey; 9. 88-Dave Allen
Heat 1 (8 Laps) – 1. 9s-Matt Sheppard; 2. 7x-Steve Paine; 3. 43-Keith Flach; 4. 32c-Vic Coffey; 5. 28p-Eldon Payne; 6. 88m-Mike Mahaney; 7. 3-Justin Haers; 8. 48T-Dave Rauscher; 9. 35-Frank Cozze; 10. 56-Vince Vitale
Heat 2 (8 Laps) – 1. 27J-Danny Johnson; 2. 98H-Jimmy Phelps; 3. 1J-Mike O’Brien; 4. 5H-Chris Hile; 5. 19-Tim Fuller; 6. 77-Dan Wiesner; 7. 37s-Tommy Flannigan; 8. 3m-James Maier; 9. 21p-Derrick Podsiadlo; 10. 88-Dave Allen
Heat 3 (8 Laps) – 1. 99L-Larry Wight; 2. 14J-Alan Johnson; 3. 91-Billy Decker; 4. 21-Brian Sage; 5. 6m-Mat Williamson; 6. 93-Gary Tomkins; 7. 8-Rich Scagliotta; 8. 20-Brett Hearn; 9. 6H-Max McLaughlin
Heat 4 (8 Laps) – 1. 8R-Rob Bellinger; 2. 42p-Pat Ward; 3. 18h-Peter Britten; 4. 44-Stewart Friesen; 5. 25R-Erick Rudolph; 6. 49-Billy Dunn; 7. 19w-Justin Wright; 8. 33-Ryan Arbithnot; 9. 23-Kyle Coffey
Qualifying Group 1 – 1. 9s-Matt Sheppard, 19.108; 2. 7x-Steve Paine, 19.606; 3. 43-Keith Flach, 19.728; 4. 32c-Vic Coffey, 19.762; 5. 35-Frank Cozze, 19.775; 6. 28p-Eldon Payne, 19.794; 7. 88m-Mike Mahaney, 19.803; 8. 56-Vince Vitale, 19.831; 9. 3-Justin Haers, 19.874; 10. 48T-Dave Rauscher, 20.349
Qualifying Group 2 – 1. 27J-Danny Johnson, 19.312; 2. 98H-Jimmy Phelps, 19.456; 3. 1J-Mike O’Brien, 19.623; 4. 5H-Chris Hile, 19.626; 5. 19-Tim Fuller, 19.778; 6. 77-Dan Wiesner, 19.786; 7. 37s-Tommy Flannigan, 20.026; 8. 3m-James Maier, 20.046; 9. 21p-Derrick Podsiadlo, 20.083; 10. 88-Dave Allen, 21.263
Qualifying Group 3 – 1. 99L-Larry Wight, 19.575; 2. 14J-Alan Johnson, 19.599; 3. 91-Billy Decker, 19.606; 4. 21-Brian Sage, 19.630; 5. 6m-Mat Williamson, 19.633; 6. 93-Gary Tomkins, 19.964; 7. 8-Rich Scagliotta, 20.003; DQ. 20-Brett Hearn, 19.480; DQ. 6H-Max McLaughlin, 19.770
Qualifying Group 4 – 1. 8R-Rob Bellinger, 19.411; 2. 42p-Pat Ward, 19.428; 3. 18h-Peter Britten, 19.550; 4. 44-Stewart Friesen, 19.642; 5. 25R-Erick Rudolph, 19.662; 6. 49-Billy Dunn, 19.829; 7. 19w-Justin Wright, 19.841; 8. 33-Ryan Arbithnot, 19.856; 9. 23-Kyle Coffey, 20.077
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.
