Press Release-Rookie Gullatta Wins Best Western-DuQuoin 50 as CARS Late Models Washed Out
For additional information on this release contact Bob Sargent at 217-764-3200 or Jay Hardin at jhardin3@verizon.net. Full ARCA truck results can be found at www.arcaracing.com. Mother Nature once again was a major part of the story surrounding the 4th scheduled ARCA Lincoln Welders truck race at the DuQuoin State Fair Sunday afternoon and while the C.A.R.S. Late Model feature was postponed until Labor Day, not even Mother Nature could stop rookie Nick Gullatta of Ohio from winning a rain shortened Best Western-DuQuoin 50 for the ARCA truck series. Sunday marked the fourth annual appearance of the ARCA truck series, this time paired with the Crate American Racing Series Late Models for a full day of racing on the DuQuoin 'Magic Mile'. Gullatta, who finished third behind Norman Weaver at the Illinois State Fairgrounds one week ago set quick time in Pork Pole qualifications with a lap of 36.820 seconds, a speed of 97.773 miles an hour but by virtue of a pill draw which inverted the top qualiiers had to start the 50 mile event in the sixth position, next to Weaver. Illinois State Fair ARCA truck track record holder John Kasmierski jumped into the lead from his outside front row starting slot while pole sitter Bill Withers dropped back. Gullatta took a few laps to dispose of Weaver and then began picking off the leaders working his way to second by the ninth circuit. Just after Kasmierski and Gullata completed lap ten Gullata sailed past Kasmierski in front of the grandstand and began pulling away as ominous clouds began invading the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds from the southwest. Rain began falling just after lap twenty but the fifty three year old Weaver, who scored the first ever win for Toyota in the ARCA truck series at Springfield, not to mention his first ever ARCA truck win, also picked off the leaders and began hunting down the rookie leader in hopes of a second consecutive mile dirt track win. Weaver caught Gullatta after the 30 mile mark and made several moves on the rookie but the skies opened up fully on lap 35 and the race was red flagged a few laps later with the checker falling on Gullatta. Unfortunately Mother Nature stood in the way of the quest of popular veteran NASCAR pilot Ken Schrader to capture his first ever main event on the DuQuoin "Magic Mile". Schrader, who hails from nearby Fenton, Missouri made his USAC Stock Car debut on the mile dirt track in 1979 and has yet to post a main event victory on what he considers his 'home' one mile dirt track. Schrader appeared to be the odds on favorite to win the first ever C.A.R.S. Late model feature at DuQuoin, setting a track record of 32.204 (111.787) in qualifications and then setting another track record of 112.254 in winning his six lap heat race. Schrader was set to start his Red Baron Pizza late model from the pole of the 20-mile Best Western Challenge for the Crate American Late Models but the feature event was postponed due to the rain and will be made up on Labor Day, September 4 as part of the 54th Southern Illinois 100 for the ARCA RE/Max series. Schrader has filed an entry for that event as well, which will mark the first time in the history of the 84 year old DuQuoin State fair that three auto racing main events are contested on Labor Day. Next up for the auto racing program on the DuQuoin "Magic Mile" is the 56th Ted Horn 100 for the USAC Silver Crown Series on Sunday night, September 3rd along with preliminary events for the UMP Modifieds.