Gypsum Racing.com

By Dave Medler

FULTON, NY – June 18, 2016 – The term “Instant Classic” gets thrown around a lot in sports, deserved or not. Saturday night at Fulton Speedway in the 35 lap Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modified feature “Instant Classic” was more than deserved when there were four unofficial lead changes in the last two laps and the top three of Larry Wight, Max McLaughlin and Chuck Bower were only separated by .913 of a second at the finish after a drag race off of turn four to the checkers.

Vinnie Vitale would lead the opening lap of the 35 Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modified feature before Chuck Bower shot by Vitale into the lead one lap later.

With 10 laps complete Bower was still setting a quick pace out front while rookie Max McLaughlin and Tom Sears Jr. slowly ate away the lead Bower built up. Behind the top-three, Tim Kerr, Mike Bowman, Larry Wight from 12th waged their own battle for fourth through sixth.

On lap 15 Bower still showed the way but he now had company as McLaughlin was on his back bumper with Sears right there waiting for any mistake by the top two. Wight ran alone in fourth with Kerr showing fifth.

With 20 laps showing on the scoring tower Bower, McLaughlin and Sears were slugging it out at the front as Wight was rapidly closing in on the top three.

On lap 25 Bower, McLaughlin, Sears and Wight were in a four-car shootout as the final laps started to click off. One lap later McLaughlin dove under Bower to take the lead all while racing through cars at the back of the field to add to the excitement.

Coming out of turn four Bower retook to the lead on lap 32 going to the top of the speedway. McLaughlin driving anything but like a rookie wrestled the lead back with two laps to go. Sears and Wight were within feet of the top two as the intensity ramped up for the finish.

Exiting turn four, coming down to the checkers, it came down to who could put the horsepower down to the track and win the drag race under the checkers.

Over the last two laps the lead swapped back and forth on different points of the speedway with backmarkers still all around setting up the mad dash to the checkers.

Exiting turn four Wight found the speed he needed to beat McLaughlin by .047 with Bower .913 back in third. Jimmy Phelps and Ryan Phelps finished fourth and fifth.

(Tracey Road Equipment DIRTcar Modifieds 35 Laps) - LARRY WIGHT, Max McLaughlin, Chuck Bower, Jimmy Phelps, Ryan Phelps, Tim Kerr, Tim Sears Jr., Pat Ward, Billy Whittaker, Chris Hile, Chad Phelps, Mike Bowman, Willy Decker, Jim Witko Jr., Adam Roberts, Katelyn Hile, Tom Sears Jr., Vinnie Vitale, Andrew Ferguson, Tim Harris.

(Heat Winners) - Vinnie Vitale, Max McLaughlin, Tom Sears Jr