{"id":15782,"date":"2024-08-15T02:10:28","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T06:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/superdirtcarseries.com\/?p=15782"},"modified":"2024-08-15T02:10:28","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T06:10:28","slug":"rocket-power-alex-yankowski-scores-second-career-super-dirtcar-series-win-at-fulton-earns-summerfast-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/superdirtcarseries.com\/recap\/rocket-power-alex-yankowski-scores-second-career-super-dirtcar-series-win-at-fulton-earns-summerfast-title\/","title":{"rendered":"ROCKET POWER: Alex Yankowski Scores Second Career Super DIRTcar Series Win at Fulton, Earns SummerFAST Title"},"content":{"rendered":"
On the Super DIRTcar Series\u2019 biggest stage of the Summer, Alex Yankowski saved his best performance for last.<\/p>\n
The Covington Township, PA driver went from third to first on a Lap 61 restart Wednesday at Fulton Speedway and held off a last-lap charge from Adam Pierson to win the SummerFAST <\/em>finale.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the second career Series Feature win for Yankowski, who\u2019s only made a few appearances at the track before the race.<\/p>\n \u201cStuff went our way there for sure,\u201d Yankowski said. \u201cThis is the type of racing we\u2019ve struggled at, so it definitely means a lot.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s crazy to me. It\u2019s not exactly what people thought was my forte, but we were able to get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n Pierson, the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award Winner and defending Fulton track champion Tim Sears Jr. brought the field to the green in the 75-lap Feature, with Pierson driving away in clean air.<\/p>\n But as the East Corinth, VT driver started reeling in the back of the field, Sears closed in on the No. 215. Pierson struggled to clear Dalton Slack, a lap car, allowing ” Timmer ” an opportunity.<\/p>\n With Pierson on the bottom, Sears used the No. 3RS as a pick in Turn 4, moving his Troyer Chassis outside Pierson and Slack to wrestle the lead away on Lap 21.<\/p>\n The Hastings, NY driver sliced through traffic, gaining a three-second advantage over Stewart Friesen before the caution came out on Lap 34 for Daniel Johnson, who spun between Turns 1 and 2. Friesen also went to the pits during that caution with a mechanical issue.<\/p>\n When the race resumed on Lap 38, Sears continued his pace out front, getting another three-second lead, this time over Chris Hile. However, his luck changed 18 laps later, as heartbreak struck on Lap 56.<\/p>\n As he entered Turn 3, something on the steering of Sears\u2019 No. 83X car broke, ending his chances at Victory in front of his home crowd.<\/p>\n That handed the lead to Hile, who drove away on the restart. However, Pierson didn\u2019t challenge the \u201cHile Driver\u201d for the lead as they entered Turn 1. It was Yankowski who started seventh.<\/p>\n As the two drivers came around to complete Lap 58, Yankowski tried to thunder underneath Hile but couldn\u2019t grab the spot.<\/p>\n But the Keystone State driver didn\u2019t give up. Four laps later, Yankowski got the momentum he needed down the backstretch, pulling even with the No. 5H as they entered turn three. That\u2019s when he used his momentum to slide in front of Hile between Turns 3 and 4, taking the lead as they exited the corner on Lap 62.<\/p>\n Yankowski quickly pulled away but had another challenge to overcome before the race was over.<\/p>\n As Yankowski caught the tail of the field with five laps to go, Pierson, who passed Hile for second on Lap 66, closed in. And on the race\u2019s final lap, Pierson had one more shot at the win.<\/p>\n With a burst of speed on the inside lane, Pierson pulled even with Yankowski as the two drivers raced into Turn 3. But as they exited Turn 4, Yankowski\u2019s momentum was enough to keep him ahead of Pierson, beating him to the line by 0.091 seconds to win the $7,500 prize.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe just kind of moved around all race,\u201d Yankowski said. \u201cWe had a good piece under us and really just have confidence in this car and this motor program right now. We were just able to search around, and on that restart, \u201cTimmer\u201d got a bad break that was definitely a bummer for him.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything lined up where I was in the right lane, and the right guy picked the outside, and it all just worked.\u201d<\/p>\n Yankowski\u2019s win and second-place finish at Land of Legends on Tuesday earned him the 2024 SummerFAST <\/em>championship, beating two-time SummerFAST <\/em>champion Matt Sheppard by 15 points.<\/p>\n Pierson crossed the line second, his third Series podium finish and first since June 2023. He said he was happy with the outcome despite narrowly missing out on a win.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy with a top three,\u201d Pierson said. \u201cI feel like way slower in (the turns), and hard-off was the way to go. I kept dialing in the front brake to keep the nose straight and not kind of let the right rear come out.<\/p>\n \u201cOn restarts, my right rear wouldn\u2019t fire too good, and it took like three of four laps to get heat back in it. Other than that, I\u2019m happy. I haven\u2019t raced a Big Block in a month and a half. I guess I still got it. I didn\u2019t think I did, but I still do.\u201d<\/p>\n Hile crossed the line third in his first Super DIRTcar Series start of 2024. He said he knew what changes he needed to make to reach Victory Lane<\/p>\n \u201cAnytime we can run the Big Block stuff here at Fulton is super fun,\u201d Hile said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this for 21 years now. We got a lot of laps at Fulton, so it\u2019s nice to unload well. We made some good adjustments, and we just had to be better straight-line drive-wise, and I think. It probably didn\u2019t help I was way up top heating the tire.\u201d<\/p>\n Sheppard finished fourth, increasing his points lead to 32 points over Mat Williamson, who finished 12th.<\/p>\n Alex Payne rounded out the top five\u2014his fourth consecutive Series top five finish.<\/p>\n