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NASCAR SJAPS: Fultz Grabs Victory, Nabs Slim Jim All Pro Series, NASCAR Touring Points Lead

17 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Louisville, Ky - Many people didn't give Cincinnati, Oh.'s Jeff Fultz a good chance of winning the $54,950 NAPA Auto Parts 300 after the motor blew in his primary car during afternoon practice. Perhaps no one asked Fultz or his teammates about their chances though. At Louisville Motor Speedway on Saturday night, after switching some suspension pieces from the primary to the backup car, Fultz hung tough and took the victory, grabbing the Slim Jim All Pro Series, NASCAR Touring points lead in the process. The win was worth $9,525 to Fultz's JCR3 race team.

"Well I've been coming here for years, and we've been third, we've been second, getting beat right at the end. We blew our motor about 10 laps into practice and my guys worked all day to get the backup car ready to race. This win's for all of them," stated Fultz. "Jon (Craig) made the best calls on the pit stops so we took two left side tires on the first pit stop and saved the rights for the end. The track, I love this place, it's been owing me one so we got it tonight," added the race victor.

Bud Pole qualifying resulted in a new track record being set. A total of 18 drivers broke the record that was held by Concord, N.C.'s Conrad Burr. Best of the 18 was 1999 Slim Jim All Pro Series Champion Wayne Anderson of Wildwood, Fla. The second-generation driver pedaled his Jani-King Chevrolet around the 0.4375-mile d-shaped oval in a time of 14.415 seconds at an average speed of 109.261 mph to earn the right to start the 300 lap race from the pole position. For the second year in a row New Albany, Ind.'s Josh Clemons placed his SkySpy Chevrolet on the outside of the front row.

Anderson grabbed the lead when the initial green flag waved, with Clemons tucking in behind the leader. On-track excitement heated up quickly, as it always does, on Louisville's tricky oval. A rear suspension piece broke on Steven Howard's car on the first lap and the Greer, S.C. driver was too quickly done for the evening. Points contender Lee Tissot bumped the wall on lap 14 and was forced to head to the pits for lengthy repairs. On lap 30 the caution was displayed when leading Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Casey Yunick backed hard into the frontstretch retaining wall. His day was done early as his crew was unable to repair the badly damaged car.

On lap 37 Louisville, Ky.'s Jesse Harris went for a spin in turn one but made no contact. And on lap 60 the caution was again displayed when Summerville, S.C.'s Benny Gordon could not keep his Chevrolet off of the turn two wall when a right front tire went down.

After this early rash of incidents the competitors began to settle down and it appeared that they began to do what they came for, and that was race to win. Anderson maintained the lead throughout and fellow Floridian David Reutimann got by Clemons on lap 93, then attempted to chase down the leader. The lead came to the Zephyrhills, Fla. resident on lap 111 when Anderson had a right front tire go down, forcing the leader to the pits, and resulted in Anderson losing three laps under green flag conditions.

Reutimann then stretched out to a sizable advantage but his lead was erased on lap 134 when Tina Gordon spun in turn three. During the ensuing caution period all of the leaders pitted for tire changes, save for Fultz who pitted during a prior caution period. On the restart Fultz set the pace but was run down by Reutimann on lap 165.

Again Reutimann moved out to a comfortable margin, and appeared to be well on his way to his first career Slim Jim All Pro Series victory. At times his lead was well over 10 car lengths. On lap 251 his comfort zone was taken away when the eighth caution period occurred after contact between Greg Pope and Gordon sent Gordon spinning, collecting A.J. Frank as well. The leader then made a pit stop for right side tires, as did Fultz and Ken Weaver. The lead was then handed to series points leader Billy Bigley, Jr. and Bigley's four tire change during the seventh caution period appeared to be the perfect strategy.

Bigley kept his Peerless Woodworking/Nevamar Decorative Surfaces Chevrolet out front just until the race was restarted. He and Gentry got together heading into turn one when the green flag was again displayed, sending both cars into a lazy spin. Wilmington, N.C.'s Kevin Prince then took over the top spot on lap 258, and just like Reutimann, seemed to have his first series win in sight.

All the while, Fultz seemed to be biding his time at the wheel of the Cleaver Brooks/C&C Boilers/Honeywell Chevrolet, letting others set the pace. When it was time to go though, he definitely did. He grabbed the lead from Prince on lap 289, and just before the scheduled distance was about to be completed, the caution waved for the 11th and final time when Louisville, Ky.'s Chuck Winders and Reutimann got together.

Fultz had to hold off Prince and Weaver during the green-white-checkered dash to the finish and managed to sweep under the checkered flag 0.410 seconds ahead of the duo for his second win of 2000, and fourth of his career. Prince and Weaver earned career-best second and third place finishes respectively while 17-year-old Shane Sieg also secured a career-best finish of fourth. Rounding out the top five was persevering polesitter Anderson. Rounding out the top 10 were Gary Terry, Pope, Winders, Brian Smith and Harris. Fultz's victory march was run in race-record time of one hour, 43 minutes and 21 seconds for a winning average speed of 77.975 mph. The top three finishers completed all 307 laps and there were 12 cars running at the finish. Five drivers swapped the lead six times and the 11 caution periods ate up 59 laps.

Winning the race also propelled Fultz into the points lead for the first time this year. He now holds a 10 point lead over Bigley, while Reutimann is just 22 points behind Bigley. The fourth and fifth points positions are now occupied by Frank and Tissot.

Reutimann led twice for a total of 114 laps to capture the $500 Gatorade Front Runner Award. Bigley continues to lead the points chase in this category with an eight point lead over Smith.

Jon Craig snagged his second $300 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Crew-Chief-of-the-Race Award after coaching his race team to its second win of 2000. Bigley's crew chief Adam Heckelman leads Craig by 12 points after nine races.

Pope's seventh place finish, tops for the four rookies in the race, earned him the $250 Moroso Performance Products Rookie-of-the-Race Award. Pope closed to within seven points of rookie points leader Yunick.

Next weekend the Slim Jim All Pro Series drivers head to Myrtle Beach Speedway in Myrtle Beach, S.C. for a 250-lap race. The Myrtle Beach 250 will take the green flag at 8:00 p.m. as the drivers take to the 0.538-mile D-shaped oval.

Text provided by SJAPS

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