RICK @ the RACES (15 April 2006)

15 April      Fulton Speedway NY

It`s been nearly twelve years since I moved to North America from the Milton Keynes area of England , and I still find it difficult getting used to the lack of racing here during the Easter period.

I was involved , in European oval racing  for almost thirty years before crossing the Atlantic , and if the clock were turned back , my Easters of the past would have been a feast of racing . I had plenty of places to chose from back then, starting on Good Friday, going through Easter Saturday and Sunday , and on to the statutory holiday Monday.

For Easter 2006, I had just the Saturday to get my fix,  but luckily for me , it was at one of my favorites,  the Fulton Speedway NY.

When I arrived , late afternoon, it was warm and sunny, but by the time the racing started it had turned quite chilly and was time to wrap up with warm clothes.

The pits were full for this season opener with cars from five divisions, Pure Stocks, DIRT PROSTOCKS, IMCA Modifieds, DIRT SPORTSMAN and big block DIRT Modifieds.

During my pit , walk about, I chatted with my local Pro Stock Driver Denis Geauvreau from Gatineau, Que,

and Modified driver Tim Kerr from Picton, Ont.

With so many cars it meant plenty of racing, and the promotional team did well, to keep the show running quickly. The big event of the night, the 45 lap feature for the DIRT Mods was won by Alan Johnson # 14J after passing early leader Pat Ward # 42P at around the half way mark.Coming home third was Tim Fuller who was always a threat riding on the high groove, while Johnson and Ward preferred the bottom.

Joe Williams won the Sportsman Feature

Best race of the night was undoubtingly the DIRT PROSTOCKS feature where Louie Jackson and Mitch Jock sparred, door handle to door handle for much of the race , and as they crossed the line side by side, it was Jackson who took the checkers by half the length of a hood.  (bonnet to my UK friends ! )