RICK @ the RACES (2 Oct)

2 Oct Fulton Speedway, NY

This week I only have one event to tell you about, as I took things a little easier and spent Sunday at home. I guess you could say it’s the ‘calm before the storm’ with a full agenda ahead of me as SUPER DIRT WEEK begins. I’d thought about visiting the Stafford Speedway in Connecticut on Sunday which would of added another track to my portfolio, but with plenty of things to do at home, I decided against it.

On Saturday I left home in Cornwall around mid morning and set off in the direction of the Fulton Speedway, just north of Syracuse NY. I timed my journey just right to stop in at the Ponderosa in Watertown for lunch. I arrived at the track at about 2-30pm and already the parking lot was full of campers.

I soon found my friends Roger and Marie Aubin and parked up beside their Motorhome.

Fulton Speedway is the traditional (unofficial) start to SUPER DIRT WEEK and many of the campers were there for that reason. In the past ( and it still is, to many of us) it was known as the Victoria 200, but as the title got moved to another track this event has now become the OUTLAW 200. I think this title is a good one and I really like the way the staff and the event went along with the cow boy theme. Officials were dressed in western apparel, sheriffs badges and hats. It would be kinda neat in future years if the fans were urged to participate too and come dressed for the occasion. It could be lots of fun !

As you’d expect I made my usual tour of the pits before the races and gained four more additions for my web sites ‘STICKER BUDDIES’ section .

The cars of Steve Paine, Billy Dunn, Stewart Friesen and Michael Storms were all photographed with RICKATTHERACES.COM decals on them.

There were plenty of race cars and the weather was nice and sunny for the afternoon heat races.

The Big Block Modifieds were the only division racing that day and there were no ‘track packing’ street stocks to rely on. The pits were full and anyone who was anybody was there.

The big race got underway around 7-30 pm and the large gathering of race fans were not to be disappointed. The track was in great shape which allowed for some exciting three wide racing.

For the first 100 laps we were treated to an intensive duel between Stewart Friesen and Billy Decker with the lead changing several times.

The yellow flags came out at the half way point where the cars returned to the pits for a mandatory 15 minutes. On the restart it was the same two guys at the front but as the race continued Brett Hearn came into the picture. From a starting position near to the rear, he’d worked his way into contention and it became a three car battle. In the closing stages he edged past Decker and Friesen, which is where he stayed until the checkers.

It was a really exciting race and one of the best Fulton 200’s I’ve seen in recent years. In a way it was a shame to be on the center taking photos, as I’m sure it was a great race to be watching from the grandstands. It was all over before 10-30 so left plenty of time for partying. I slept over night at the track before returning home on Sunday