Charlotte LMS results 2005-05-25

Tim Fuller Fends Off Veteran Jimmy Horton To Win Eckerd 75 Modified Event at The Dirt Track

CONCORD, N.C. (May 25, 2005) - Tim Fuller of Edwards, N.Y., held off former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Jimmy Horton in a green-white-checkered finish to win the $10,000 first prize Wednesday night as the Ferris Commericial Mowers presents the Eckerd 75 kicked off Coca-Cola 600 week at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway.

It was the sixth career Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series victory for Fuller who took the lead on lap 14 and pulled away on the final restart to win the 55-lap big-block modified event.

"Any time you can win down south in front of the NEXTEL Cup guys it's great," said Fuller. "I like to win in different places and this ranks right up at the top."

Horton, who resides in Neshanic Station, N.J., stayed with Fuller throughout the final half of the race, but was never able to mount a serious challenge.

"I chased him for about 20 laps and I couldn't do anything with him," was Horton's summation. "He was running the bottom and when I would try the top, I'd lose ground. I needed him to make a mistake but he has learned pretty well."

Justin Haers of Phelps, N.Y., started fifth and finished third.

"This is the first time I've actually run this car," Haers said. "Sunday night at Weedsport, N.Y., we absolutely destroyed a car, so this feels good. I've run here the last three years and have gotten into some sort of wreck each time so I just wanted to keep my nose clean."

Kenny Tremont moved steadily forward from his 13th starting spot to finish fourth with Matt Sheppard completing the top five in the 30-car main event.

NASCAR Busch Series point leader Carl Edwards started 12th but fell out early after contact with another car punctured a tire and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Dave Blaney was running sixth when a brake problem ended his night.

The caution flag was unfurled five times during the 55-lap main event but there were no major incidents.

The eight-lap heat races for the big-block modifieds were won by Edwards, Fuller, Sheppard and Vic Coffey while Tim McCreadie and Stewart Friesen topped the last chance races.

Veteran Brett Hearn posted a track record lap of 15.088 seconds, 95.440 mph, to lead the 43-car modified field in time trials. His lap eclipsed Gary Tomkins' year-old mark of 15.371 seconds.

Late model veteran Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., drove to victory in the 25-lap feature for the steel-head late models of the Dixie Thunder Series. Franklin took command on lap 14 and survived a torrid challenge from Ricky Weeks to claim the $2,500 prize while NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader took third. Lee Cooper and David Dick rounded out the top five.

Weeks, Franklin, Dick and Cooper topped the eight-lap heat races for the Dixie Thunder Series.

The most serious incident of the evening came in the second last chance race for the late models when Damon Eller flipped in turn two. His car was heavily damaged, but the Crumpler, N.C., driver was not hurt.

The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway returns to action Friday night with the Jani-King Southern Showdown featuring the late model stock cars of the O'Reilly Southern All Star Racing Series. Spectator gates open at 5 p.m. with racing at 7:30. Adult tickets are $25 with children 12 and under admitted for just $10. To purchase tickets, call 1-800-455-FANS.

The Eckerd 75 results:

Advance Auto Parts Modified Super DIRT Series

Qualifications: 1. Brett Hearn, 15.088 seconds; 2. Gary Tomkins, 15.111; 3. Bucky Kell, 15.133; 4. Tim Fuller, 15.183; 5. Matt Sheppard, 15.197; 6. Vic Coffey, 15.224; 7. Carl Edwards, 15.224; 8. Dave Blaney, 15.327; 9. Alan Johnson, 15.344; 10. Jimmy Horton, 15.377; 11. Rick Grosso, 15.391; 12. Kenny Tremont, Jr., 15.394; 13. Billy Decker, 15.399; 14. Pat Ward, 15.410; 15. Chad Brachmann, 15.435; 16. Wade Hendrickson, 15.447; 17. Andy Bachetti, 15.5; 18. Kyle Strickler, 15.531; 19. Justin Haers, 15.534; 20. Dale Planck, 15.541; 21. Steve paine, 15.556; 22. Dave Rauscher, 15.565; 23. Tim McCreadie, 15.566; 24. Jeff Strunk, 15.607; 25. Ray Bliss, 15.619; 26. Mike Iles, 15.694; 27. Steve Hulsizer, 15.699; 28. Jeff Brownell Jr., 15.764; 29. Bob McCreadie, 15.807; 30. Shawn Beardsley, 15.816; 31. Ryan Watt, 15.849; 32. Brian Kressley, 15.856; 33. Jeff Isabell, 15.884; 34. Stewart Friesen, 15.959; 35. Keith Brightbill, 16.059; 36. Randy Sherlock, 16.062; 37. Ryan Phelps, 16.094; 38. Dave Axton, 16.385; 39. Gary Risch Jr., 16.443; 40. Vince Gagliardo, 16.558; 41. Ricky Elliott, 16.577; 42. Rich Scagliotta, 16.577; 43. Dan Vauter, 17.852.

First Heat (8 laps): 1. Carl Edwards; 2. Justin Haers; 3. Bucky Kell; 4. Rick Grosso; 5. Chad Brachmann; 6. Tim McCreadie; 7. Dan Vauter; 8. Gary Risch Jr; 9. Keith Brightbill; 10. Steve Hulsizer; 11. Ryan Watt.

Second Heat (8 laps): 1. Tim Fuller; 2. Dave Blaney; 3. Kenny Tremont Jr.; 4. Jeff Strunk; 5. Jeff Brownell Jr.; 6. Dale Planck; 7. Randy Sherlock; 8. Brian Kressley; 9. Vince Gagliardo.

Third Heat (8 laps): 1. Matt Sheppard; 2. Alan Johnson; 3. Billy Decker; 4. Steve Paine; 5. Andy Bachetti; 6. Ray Bliss; 7. Bob McCreadie; 8. Ryan Phelps; 9. Jeff Isabell.

Fourth Heat (8 laps) 1. Vic Coffey; 2. Jimmy Horton; 3. Pat Ward; 4. Kyle Strickler; 5. Mike Iles; 6. Stewart Friesen; 7. Shawn Beardsley; 8. Dave Rauscher; 9. Dave Axton.

First Last Chance (8 laps): 1. Tim McCreadie: 2. Dale Planck; 3. Dan Vauter; 4. Gary Risch Jr.; 5. Brian Kressley; 6. Wade Hendrickson; 7. Keith Brightbill; 8. Vince Gagliardo; 9. Steve Hulsizer.

Second Last Chance (8 laps): 1. Stewart Friesen; 2. Bob McCreadie; 3. Ray Bliss; 4. Ryan Phelps; 5. Shawn Beardsley; 6. Dave Rauscher; 7. Jeff Isabell; 8. Ricky Elliott; 9. Dave Axton.

Feature (55 laps): 1. Tim Fuller; 2. Jimmy Horton; 3. Justin Haers; 4. Kenny Tremont Jr.; 5. Matt Sheppard; 6. Alan Johnson; 7. Pat Ward; 8. Brett Hearn; 9. Jeff Strunk; 10. Stewart Friesen; 11. Andy Bachetti; 12. Rick Grosso; 13. Chad Brachmann; 14. Billy Decker; 15. Mile Iles; 16. Tim McCreadie; 17. Ryan Phelps; 18. Gary Tomkins; 19. Gary Risch Jr.; 20. Ray Bliss; 21. Dale Planck; 22. Steve Paine; 23. Jeff Brownell Jr.; 24. Dave Blaney; 25. Vic Coffey; 26. Carl Edwards; 27. Kyle Strickler; 28. Dan Vauter; 29. Bucky Kell; 30. Bob McCreadie.

Dixie Thunder Series Late Models

Feature (25 laps): 1. Dennis Franklin; 2. Ricky Weeks; 3. Ken Schrader; 4. Lee Cooper; 5. David Dick; 6. Tony Quarles; 7. Brett Dysart; 8. Ron Parker; 9. Robbie Bailey; 10. Ken Ronmanger Jr.; 11. Mike Mason; 12. Roger Hamrick; 13. Buddy Smith; 14. Tim Allen; 15. Brian Ledbetter; 16. Ray Dockery; 17. Mike Duvall; 18. Brett Glastetter; 19. Damon Crump; 20. Jimmy Owens; 21. Clint Elkins; 22. Brent Dixon; 23. Chris Harget; 24. Roger Pate.

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