| Fultz Flies to NASCAR Kodak Tour Series Win at Ocala Speedway | by Dave Westerman
Mooresville NC driver Jeff Fultz took advantage of a lap 83 crash that eliminated race leader David Reutimann and several other top contenders, then dominated the remainder of the Victory Junction 150 for the NASCAR Kodak Southeast Series Late Models Wednesday evening at Ocala Speedway.
It was the first time NASCAR had sanctioned an event in the 51 year history of the track and the huge crowd on hand was treated to some incredible racing on the tricky three-eights mile oval.
Things did not get off to a good start in the afternoon, however. Just after the cars took to the track for their first hot lap session, John Wilkinson III tagged the wall hard severely damaging his C&W Drilling Monte Carlo. The Hueytown AL driver's crew went to work and managed to repair the battered car and get him on the track for time trials at 6PM.
Once the track was cleared, the practice session was again halted, this time for a Florida "sunshower" that dampened the track, but not the spirits of the competitors.
The track was quickly dried and practice was scaled back, but everyone had ample time to try to dial in their cars. This was important because many of the Series drivers were seeing Ocala Speedway for the first time.
The quality of the field was shown in qualifications as the top 17 cars were within less than a half second of each other. It appeared Jeff Fultz would have quick time until Kevin Prince, the final car on the track, set the mark with a lap of 15.418 seconds at 87.560 MPH.
Fultz was second quick at 15.477/87.226 MPH and his fellow Mooresville, NC resident Brian Smith was third quick in his Brock Excavating Chevy at 15.486/87.176 MPH. Tucker, GA's Shane Seig, who was getting assistance from Florida FASCAR Sunbelt Series point leader Wayne Anderson, was fourth fast while Justin Wakefield of Woodstock, GA in just his sixth race on asphalt, was fifth quick in the Carswell Motorsports/Jody Ridley Ford Taurus.
Prince, racing out of Wilmington, NC in the Land O'Frost Lunch Meats Chevy Monte Carlo, drew the eight pill and the top eight cars would be inverted for the upcoming 150 lapper putting Savannah, GA driver Dusty Williams on the pole with his Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Chevy and Kodak Series point leader Charlie Bradberry of Chelsea, AL on the outside pole.
As the local Ocala Speedway divisions made their way on the track for hot laps, NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kyle Petty arrived at the track and immediately began signing autographs and posing for pictures. Despite just getting in from his cross-country Victory Junction Gang charity bike ride, Petty stayed at the track for nearly two hours so everyone who wanted an autograph could get one.
Petty was joined by the Kodak Series drivers, who also signed autographs until just before race time. Fast Qualifier Kevin Prince was the hit of the autograph session, handing out free die casts of his car to all the kids.
Veteran NASCAR Announcer/PR man Bill Desmond introduced the drivers to the fans followed by Track Owner Tim Petty's "Gentlemen start your engines" and it was time to go racing.
Former Ocala Speedway track champion David Reutimann of Zephyrhills, FL came from his third starting spot to grab the initial lead as the green flag dropped while polesitters Williams and Bradberry quickly faded back in the field.
Terry Mason, Jr. and Johnny Brazier tangled and spun into the infield in turn one, but the race remained under green. Mason got back on the track in front of the leaders, but Brazier quickly found himself a lap down. Meanwhile, John Wilkinson III's frustrating day continued as he took his car to the pits with transmission troubles.
Reutimann had the lead in front of Justin Wakefield, Jeff Fultz, Shane Seig and Brian Smith as the first caution flew on lap 13 when Steven Howard's car stalled on the backstretch.
During the caution period, fast qualifier Kevin Prince suddenly pulled in the pits, sidelined by mechanical ills.
Reutiman seemed to have things well in hand, but Seig was on the move getting by Fultz after the restart, then taking second from Wakefield on lap 28.
At lap 50, Reutiman had the lead with a mirror full of Seig and Fultz, Smith and Wakefield trailing. Candia, NH driver Jarod Robie was now the driver on the move advancing from 17th on the starting grid all the way to sixth. Robie passed Wakefield on lap 52 to move into the top five.
After forty laps of green flag racing, Greg Pope slowed to a stop on the backstretch with suspension problems to bring out the second caution on lap 53.
Following the restart, Seig began to get shuffled back with Fultz and Smith moving to second and third behind Reutiman's Pennzoil Monte Carlo on lap 66.
Robie's fine run was interrupted on lap 71 as he was tapped from behind by A.J. Frank and spun in turn two. Robie stayed on the lead lap and went to the rear of the field while Frank as given a stop and go penalty and also restarted in the rear.
As the race reached the halfway mark, Reutimann continued to hold the point followed by Fultz, Smith, Seig and Bradberry. Terry Mason, Jr. had shaken off the effects of his lap two altercation and was now up to sixth.
Brian Smith dove under Fultz for second on lap 82. One lap later, the whole complexion of the race would take a big turn.
Smith went after Reutimann and got into him hard in turn four just as the field was about to completed lap 83. Reutimann spun and was hit hard by Seig while Bradberry gave Smith a rear end full of radiator as the rest of the field scattered to miss the mess.
Fultz somehow managed to get by the incident and motored across the line with the lead. Reutimann took his car to the pits and returned a lap later only to head back pitside with damage too severe to continue.
Seig was also finished for the evening while both Smith and Bradberry continued although Smith would be black-flagged twice for loose body parts and eventually dropped out as the handling went away.
The race restarted on lap 92 with Fultz leading Wakefield, Cecil Chunn, Dusty Williams and Bradberry.
Things would settle down from this point as Fultz was dialed in and motoring away. Only one more caution would slow the action on lap 111 when Billy McInnis got into some water or oil on the track and backed his B&B Performance Engines Chevy into the turn four wall.
Wayne Bowen also tagged the wall on lap 126 but managed to get his damaged machine into the pits without the need of a yellow flag.
Fultz had the field covered from lap 100 on, driving his C&C Boilers/Cleaver Brooks Monte Carlo to a straightaway victory over an elated Wakefield who had his best Kodak tour finish. Fellow rookie driver Cecil Chunn of Spring Hill, TN drove to an impressive third place finish ahead of Bradberry who ran from the lap 82 crash to the end with a "squashed" nose and hood on his car.
Jarod Robie was fifth coming to the line but got "punted" into a spin in the final corner allowing Terry Mason, Jr. to claim a hard-fought fifth place finish. Cleveland GA's Jason Hogan was sixth with Robie placed seventh at the finish. Dusty Williams was eighth and the last car on the lead lap. A.J. Frank was ninth, one lap down and Johnny Brazier tenth, two laps back of the flying Fultz.
For Fultz, it was his third win in six events this year and moved him closer to point leader Bradberry with four races remaining in the NASCAR Kodak Southeast Tour season.
Three of Ocala Speedway's divisions were also in action and fans were treated to great racing in these classes too as the second half point season got underway.
Anthony's Mark Mitchell ended a season of frustration by claiming a flag to flag victory in the K-Country Street Stocks, his first of the year worth $400 at the pay window.
There were several caution flags and plenty of wild action in this one with the drive of the night coming from Belleview's Tommy Roberts who took time off from bar-b-queing ribs, chicken and deer meat in the pits to race from 15th starting position to second at race's end.
Bobby Taylor, who spent the day replacing an engine he'd blown in practice the night before, came home third followed by "Ocala" Paul Fletcher and David Chastain.
Gainesville's William Edwards also got the monkey off his back by taking his first Diamond H Air & Heat Sportsman win of the year and a nice $600 payout.
Edwards took the top spot early from polesitter Travis Nichols and raced to the win. First half point champion Patrick Mennenga had also lost an engine in practice the night before, but his replacement powerplant got the job done as he claimed second money and was closing on Edwards at the finish. Tom Posavec was a solid third followed by Nichols and Frank Buchanan.
Joey Durbin found victory lane for the first time since early in the season, leading a Ford Mustang sweep in the Four Cylinder stocks.
Durbin passed Joel Byall on lap four and was never seriously challenged. Tom Ellis was third with Harold Barup fourth. First half champion Rick Kuhn was the first non-Ford at the checker bringing his Toyota home fifth.
Racing resumes Friday night, July 11th at Ocala Speedway with The Steven A. Bagen Super Late Models, Diamond H Air & Heat Sportsman, K-Country Street Stocks. and Four Cylinder Stocks in action.
RESULTS - OCALA SPEEDWAY - 7/2/03:
NASCAR KODAK SOUTHEAST SERIES "VICTORY JUNCTION 150":
1) Jeff Fultz #54
2) Justin Wakefield #98
3) Cecil Chunn #48
4) Charlie Bradberry #78
5) Terry Mason, Jr. #55
6) Jason Hogan #92
7) Jarod Robie #89
8) Dusty Williams #40
9) A.J. Frank #11
10) Johnny Brazier #74
11) Allen Karnes #29
12) Brian Smith #0
13) Wayne Bowen #23
14) David Reutimann #00
15) Shane Seig #39
16) Billy McInnis #83
17) Greg Pope #63
18) John Wilkinson III #59
19) Kevin Prince #1
20) Steven Howard #9
21) Chris Prince #7
DIAMOND H AIR & HEAT SPORTSMAN (20 Laps):
1) William Edwards #08
2) Patrick Mennenga #16
3) Tom Posavec #01
4) Travis Nichols #2
5) Frank Buchanan #07
6) Kyle Maynard #0
7) Dusty Bouchard #47
8) Jim Higginbotham #76
9) Tommy Ausburn #69
K-COUNTRY STREET STOCKS (20 Laps):
1) Mark Mitchell #71
2) Tommy Roberts #44
3) Bobby Taylor #66
4) Paul Fletcher #94
5) David Chastain #17G
6) Mike Fiddia #41
7) Mike Rosa #76
8) A.J. Schreier #17R
9) Jamie Dunn #24
10) Bobby Carter #99
11) Gordon Cade #21X
12) Jason Holbrook #17
13) Mark Ryder #61
14) Tim Shull #79
15) Pete Reynolds #91
16) Jeff Teague #8
17) Doug Webster #72
18) Don Teague #2X
19) Rick Hart #13
20) Sid Mosbrucker #62
21) Rick Bass #21
22) Paul Fletcher #28
DQ Estle Morrow #02
DQ Kenny Abney #6X
FOUR CYLINDER STOCKS (15 Laps):
1) Joey Durbin #5
2) Joel Byall #40
3) Tom Ellis #31
4) Harold Barup #3
5) Rick Kuhn 347
6) Mike Muroski #M61
7) Harry Drier #61
8) Chris Noce #99
9) Heather Stalker #78
10) Kurtis Mitchell #00
11) Chris Antis #01
DNS Steve Gallagher #39
DNS Steve Moulton #41
DNS Michael Stalnaker #8
DNS Micael Spencer #12
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