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Kevin Kovac
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (August 15) - And the streak continues.
Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., captured his fourth World of Outlaws Late Model Series win in a row on Saturday night, rolling to a dominant victory in the 50-lap A-Main at Hagerstown Speedway.
The $10,600 triumph was historic for the 41-year-old Fuller, who equaled Rick Eckert's modern-era (2004-present) WoO LMS consecutive-win record of four established in 2006. He will attempt to set a new mark on Aug. 20 when the tour visits Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio.
"This is just unbelievable," said Fuller, who pushed his WoO LMS career win total to seven by completing a sweep of the three-race Mid-Atlantic swing. "I don't know what to say. No one would've ever expected this after our rough start in Late Model racing in 2007.
"To be able to tie Rick Eckert - who's done so many things in Late Model racing - for a World of Outlaws record just blows my mind. This ranks right up there at the top of my accomplishments, that's for sure."
Fuller showed just how things are going his way when he drew the pole position for the A-Main for the second consecutive night. He was outgunned for the lead at the initial green flag by front-row mate Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., but he used the outside lane through turns three and four to sail by Richards and gain control for good on lap eight.
Not a single driver threatened Fuller's Gypsum Express Rocket car for the remainder of the race, which was slowed by a single caution flag, on lap 44, when Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., relinquished third place - and the WoO LMS points lead - due to a blown right-rear tire.
Richards, 21, settled for a distant runner-up finish in the Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket, 2.623 seconds behind Fuller. The performance elevated Richards back into the WoO LMS points lead by six points over Francis, who finished 10th after pitting to change his car's tire.
Jason Covert of York Haven, Pa., climbed forward from the 11th starting spot to place third in Barry Klinedinst's Rocket, earning the $500 'Bonus Bucks' cash for being the highest-finishing driver who hadn't won a WoO LMS A-Main and wasn't ranked among the top 12 in the tour points standings. He picked up two spots running the outside groove after the lap-44 restart.
D.J. Myers of Greencastle, Pa., finished fourth in Greg Gunter's PPM Chassis, matching his career-best WoO LMS finish established just two nights earlier at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa. Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., was fifth in the RSD Enterprises Rocket after charging forward from the 14th starting spot to crack the top five with a lap-49 pass of Greencastle, Pa.'s Gary Stuhler.
Fuller credited his powerful run to the softer-compound Hoosier tires that he decided to bolt on his car. He knew his choice was correct when his machine stuck like glue to the high side of the half-mile oval.
"I was following Josh until I got up on the top (on lap eight) and dragged him in (to turn three) about three car lengths," said Fuller, who uses a Custom Chevy engine. "When my car stayed up there, I said, 'This is over.' He sealed his tire up a little bit and mine just kept eating up there in the loose stuff (cushion)."
Fuller pulled away to lead by as much as a full straightaway even while dealing with lapped traffic. He lapped up to the 12th-place car.
"And I could've went faster too - that's the sad part," Fuller said with a sheepish grin. "Smoke (his crew chief Mike Countryman) kept calming me down (with infield signals), and trying to save my tires. We had gone softer with our tire, so I didn't know what it was gonna look like."
Richards simply had no answer for Fuller's onslaught.
"I felt like we had a really good car," said Richards. "But when we were leading the race I knew as good as Fuller's been that he'd be coming, and sure enough he passed me.
"After the race I found out he was on a little bit softer tires, but honestly, the way he's been going, I don't think tires would've made a difference. I'm just ecstatic with second."
Richards felt pressure for second from Francis just before the race's halfway mark, but mechanical trouble hampered Francis's Beitler Motorsports Rocket and ultimately popped his tire.
"We broke a birdcage when I got on the outside of Josh and made that big run," said Francis, who started seventh. "The right-rear wheel got to running back-and-forth, and eventually it got back into the body and the quarter-panel cut the tire down.
"I knew what was going on when I came back out, so I kinda had to take it easy to make it to the finish. At least we were able to salvage a 10th.
"We all know that as close as this points deal is between me, Darrell (Lanigan) and Josh, it's gonna come down to a little bit of luck," he added. "Maybe I had my bad luck tonight and that's the worst it'll get."
Union, Ky.'s Lanigan, meanwhile, experienced a rare off-night. He used a provisional to start the A-Main and was never a factor, going down a lap to Fuller on lap 19 and finishing 17th to fall 34 points behind Richards.
Finishing in positions 6-10 was Stuhler, who had Paul Crowl's No. 7 in the top five for most of the distance; Nick Dickson of Lewistown, Pa.; 17-year-old Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del.; 17th-starter Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y.; and Francis.
A field of 43 cars assembled for the second WoO LMS event of 2009 at Hagerstown.
Richards was fastest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials for the second time on the three-race Mid-Atlantic swing, turning a lap of 18.742 seconds.
Heat winners were Rick Eckert of York, Pa., Stuhler, Fuller and Myers. The B-Mains were captured by Coffey and Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.
The WoO LMS will return to action on Thursday night (Aug. 20), contesting the rescheduled Pepsi 40 at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio. Then the tour moves to K-C Raceway in Alma, Ohio, for the $20,000-to-win Buckeye 100 on Friday and Saturday nights (Aug. 21-22) and a rescheduled 50-lap event on Sunday night (Aug. 23) at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series at Hagerstown Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Tim Fuller/50 $10,600
2. (2) Josh Richards/50 $5,550
3. (11) Jason Covert/50 $3,500
4. (3) D.J. Myers/50 $2,500
5. (14) Shane Clanton/50 $2,500
6. (4) Gary Stuhler/50 $1,750
7. (10) Nick Dickson/50 $1,400
8. (12) Austin Hubbard/50 $1,300
9. (17) Vic Coffey/50 $1,200
10. (7) Steve Francis/50 $1,800
11. (6) Frankie Plessinger/50 $1,050
12. (13) Jim Yoder/50 $1,000
13. (18) Brady Smith/49 $1,450
14. (5) Rick Eckert/49 $1,400
15. (20) Jordan Bland/49 $1,600
16. (19) Darryl Hills/49 $800
17. (23) Darrell Lanigan/49 $1,370
18. (24) Russell King/49 $1,250
19. (9) Les Hare/49 $730
20. (21) Chub Frank/49 $1,200
21. (8) Andy Anderson/43 $700
22. (16) Ronnie DeHaven Jr./34 $700
23. (15) Jeremy Miller/33 $700
24. (22) Clint Smith/25 $1,200
25. (25) Roy Deese Jr./22 $700
Time of Race: 21 Mins., 21.832 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.623 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 1 (Lap 44)
Lap Leaders: Richards (1-7); Fuller (8-50)
Provisional Starters: Lanigan, King (WoO); Deese (track)
Rookie of the Race: Bland ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Covert ($500)
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race: Brian Klinedinst (Covert)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 18.742
2. 9-Frankie Plessinger/Big Cove Tannery, PA 18.744
3. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 18.772
4. 3s-Rusty Sites/Chambersburg, PA 18.778
5. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 18.821
6. 7-Gary Stuhler/Greencastle, PA 18.821
7. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 18.825
8. 1D-Ronnie DeHaven Jr./Winchester, VA 18.854
9. 8-Les Hare/Felton, PA 18.885
10. 7H-Darryl Hills/Great Mills, MD 18.905
11. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 18.919
12. 46-Marvin Winters/McConnellsburg, PA 18.922
13. 27-Jim Yoder/Selinsgrove, PA 18.927
14. 21-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 18.944
15. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 18.959
16. 70J-D.J. Myers/Greencastle, PA 19.007
17. 215-Al Shawver Jr./Hampstead, MD 19.021
18. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 19.083
19. 43A-Jason Covert/York Haven, PA 19.084
20. 11H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 19.126
21. B2-Brian Booze/Marion, PA 19.148
22. 17-Nick Dickson/Lewistown, PA 19.157
23. 24-Jeremy Miller/Gettysburg, PA 19.159
24. 05-Roy Deese Jr./Laurel, MD 19.171
25. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 19.174
26. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 19.194
27. 88J-Keith Jackson/Odenton, MD 19.224
28. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 19.228
29. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 19.244
30. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 19.331
31. 12-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 19.348
32. 91A-Andy Anderson/Bunker Hills, WV 19.367
33. 74-Tyler Hershey/Mercersburg, PA 19.379
34. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 19.470
35. 06-Mike Lupfer/Shermansdale, PA 19.479
36. 18-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND 19.783
37. 73-Al Cheney/Hamilton Square, NJ 19.859
38. 81-Scott Cross/Centerville, MD 19.897
39. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 19.975
40. 43-Bryan Wright/Front Royal, VA 20.010
41. 1-J.T. Spence/Winchester, VA 20.129
42. 88E-Ricky Elliott/Seaford, DE 18.978 (DQ - no scales)
43. 92-Harold Dorsey Jr./Essex, MD 19.530 (DQ - light)
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Richards, Hare, Yoder, Coffey, Frank, Booze, Spence, Shawver, Hershey, Cheney
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Stuhler, Plessinger, Dickson, Clanton, Hills, Lux, Elliott, Stone, Robinson, Cross, Reddick
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Fuller, Francis, Covert, Miller, B. Smith, Bland, King, Jackson, Lupfer, Dorsey, C. Smith
Heat No. 4 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Myers, Anderson, Hubbard, DeHaven, Lanigan, Sites, Deese, Winters, Hapka, Wright
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Coffey, Hills, Frank, Elliott, Booze, Spence, Stone, Shawver, Robinson, Hershey, Cross, Cheney, Lux, Reddick
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): B. Smith, Bland, C. Smith, Winters, Sites, Deese, Dorsey, Hapka, King (DNS) Lanigan, Jackson, Lupfer, Wright
2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Aug. 15 - 30 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Josh Richards 4089 (-0)
2. Steve Francis 4083 (-6)
3. Darrell Lanigan 4055 (-34)
4. Rick Eckert 3951 (-138)
5. Tim Fuller 3945 (-144)
6. Shane Clanton 3913 (-176)
7. Brady Smith 3842 (-247)
8. Chub Frank 3813 (-276)
9. Clint Smith 3689 (-400)
10. Russell King 3253 (-836)
11. Jordan Bland 3245 (-844)
12. Brent Robinson 3086 (-1003)
13. Dustin Hapka 2860 (-1229)
14. Tyler Reddick 2651 (-1438)
15. Vic Coffey 2501 (-1588)
16. Austin Hubbard 2076 (-2013)
17. Matt Lux 1530 (-2559)
18. Shannon Babb 1470 (-2619)
19. Dan Stone 1213 (-2876)
20. Gregg Satterlee 1204 (-2885)
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