FULTON, N.Y. — Tim Sears Jr. made a statement Saturday night at the Fulton Speedway with his second Tracey Road DIRTcar Modified victory of the season.
With his feature win, his point lead increased with only four point races left.
Sears would start the 35-lap feature in 14th and would steadily work his way to the front, taking the lead on lap 18. Once out front, Sears had his car working on every inch of the speedway as he sliced through traffic putting cars down a lap, and was never seriously challenged after taking the lead.
Other winners on Microgame Play and Trade night were Remington Hamm (DOT Foods DIRTcar Sportsman), Jim Evans (Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux Hobby Stocks), Dylan Piersall E&V Energy Novice Sportsman) and Chris Bonoffski (Highbank Holdup Weekend Four Cylinder Open).
Robert Gage and Sean Beardsley would bring the 31-car starting field down to the green flag with Beardsley grabbing the lead.
With 10 laps on the counter, Beardsley and Marshall Hurd were putting on a battle for the lead running bumper-to-bumper and side-by-side lap after lap with Hurd leading by a bumper at the flag stand. Alan Fink, Tim Sears Jr. and Gage ran third through fifth.
Beardsley would retake the lead from Hurd on lap 15 with Sears, Dave Marcuccilli and Fink within striking distance of the top two.
After moving into second, Sears would pressure Beardsley for the lead and would make the pass for the top spot on lap 18. Sears would open a straightaway lead with 10 laps remaining while Beardsley, Marcuccilli, Larry Wight and Hurd raced for third through fifth.
Over the final laps and with no yellows to slow the pace, Sears drove away from the field to collect the popular win with fans.
Marcuccilli, Larry Wight, Beardsley and Hurd completed the top five.
The 25-lap Sportsman feature would see Kevan Cook take the lead on lap one.
By lap five, Cook would open a 15-car length advantage over Remington Hamm and Pat Nolan with Clayton Brewer within striking distance of the top three. Hamm would take the lead on lap eight just before a red flag because of a multi-car incident in turn four, which left the track blocked. All drivers were okay.
By lap 10, Hamm would hold a few car length advantage over Cook. Wade Chrisman, Brewer and Nolan were still in the top five.
With 10 laps to go, Hamm would build the biggest lead of the race by a half a straightaway. On the other hand, you could have thrown a blanket over Cook, Chrisman and Emmett Waldron as they raced in second, third and fourth.
The caution flag would wave on lap 18, erasing Hamm’s lead, giving the field one last shot to steal the win away. Hamm got a great restart and was able to outrun Waldron to the checkers. Chrisman, Brewer and Cook finished third through fifth.
Dylan Piersall led every lap of the 15-lap Novice Sportsman feature for his first win of the year.
Brianna Murtaugh, Sam Grooms, Kingston Sprague and Jeremy Lefler completed the top five.
The Hobby Stocks 20-lap feature had great side-by-side racing, and no lead was safe from lap one until the checkers that had Jim Evans picking up his first win of the season. Brandon Barron, Brennan Fitzgibbons, Edward Stevens and Mike Watkins finished second through fifth.