Hesston Speedway
Fuller earns $10,000 in ULMS finale at Hesston
Tim Fuller heads for a $10,000 Ultimate victory. (pbase.com/cyberslash)
HESSTON, Pa. (Oct. 13) — Kennedy Motorsports took over title sponsorship of the United Late Model Series in 2012. And fittingly a driver for the John Kennedy-owned team broke through for victory lane in the tour’s biggest racing.
Taking the lead on a mid-race restart, Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., earned $10,000 on Saturday at Hesston Speedway to capture the season-ending Ultimate, leaving early leader Jason Covert of York Haven, Pa., with a runner-up finish at the half-mile oval. | Slideshow
The sixth-starting Fuller notched his first 2012 Late Model victory of the season and first since joining Kennedy Motorsports and teammate Shane Clanton midway through the year.
Dylan Yoder of Selinsgrove, Pa., finished third in the 71-lapper while Jamie Lathroum of Mechanicsville, Md., finished fourth. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who pocketed $4,044 in Friday’s tuneup feature, rounded out the top five finishers.
Rich Gardner and Covert started on the front row of the 28-car field with Covert taking the early lead, reaching lapped traffic by the 14th lap with Hess, Gardner, Lathroum and Fuller in pursuit.
Gardner made a slick move around Hess to regain second on lap 15, then took the lead from Covert on lap 20 with Hess going to second a lap later.
Going down the backstretch on lap 21, Gardner and the lapped car of Greg Fetters became locked after making contact. Hess hit the duo going full speed, sending Gardner high upon the wall and across the track. Gardner and Hess were eliminated.
Covert resumed command with Fuller up to second, and three laps later another yellow appeared for a slowing Jerry Bard. On the restart, Fuller outraced him into turn one to take the lead with Lathroum, Yoder and 12th-starting Mason Zeigler in pursuit.
Fuller stretched his lead over Covert, Lathroum and Yoder while Scott LeBarron moved around Zeigler for fifth on lap 32, and Eckert overtaking Ziegler four laps later. Eckert moved into the top five on lap 45 while Yoder claimed third from Lathroum on lap 56 during a long green-flag stretch of racing.
Fuller raced into lapped traffic in the final laps, allowing the others to close, but remained in control to complete the victory.
Notes: Fuller’s Capital Race Car is sponsored by Core Construction, Urban Energy Solutions and Signature Paving & Sealcoating. ... Fuller notched his first-ever ULMS victory. ... Gregg Satterlee was the G&R Excavating and Demolition Pass-Max winner after advancing 11 positions. ... Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., had wrapped up the ULMS championship on Friday; he took a provisional and finished 26th in the finale. ... Billy Dickson of West Decatur, Pa., is the ULMS Rookie of the Year. ... With his 10th-place finish, Nick Dickson of Lewistown, Pa., wrapped up Hesston's Speedmonster track title for Super Late Models. ... Rick Eckert's personal four-race winning streak came to an end. ... George Dixon Jr. won the $2,200 Semi-Late feature. ... The event drew 183 race cars overall. ... Drivers failing to make the Ultimate feature lineup: Greg Oakes, Derek Byler, Mike Mort, Tom Decker Jr., Chris Harr, Tom Eriksen, Danny Kienitz, Denny Fenton, Tim Burkholder, Ron Davies, Greg Kent, Doug Eck, Brian Tavenner and Joe Zulinsky. ...� Hesston has released tentative Super Late Model dates for 2013 including Oct. 11-12 for the Ultimate.
Ultimate: (1) Tim Fuller, (2) Jason Covert, (3) Dylan Yoder, (4) Jamie Lathroum, (5) Rick Eckert, (6) Scott LeBarron, (7) Matt Lux, (8) Mike Lupfer, (9) Chad Hollenbeck, (10) Nick Dickson, (11) Gregg Satterlee, (12) Justin Kann, (13) Mason Zeigler, (14) Jack Pencil, (15) Austin Hubbard, (16) Billy Dickson, (17) Jerry Bard, (18) Tim Wilson, (19) Bob Dunn, (20) Dutch Davies, (21) Rich Gardner, (22) Dave Hess Jr., (23) Dan Stone, (24) Jeff Rine, (25) Greg Fetters, (26) Boom Briggs, (27) Jeff Miller, (28) Bo Feathers. Heat race winners (among 42 cars): Covert, Hess, Bard, Lathroum, Lupfer. Consolation winners: Dickson, Hubbard. Provisional starters: Briggs, Fetters, Miller.
