Port Royal – Tim Fuller of Watertown, Ny., scored a rich payday at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday night, besting a stellar 35-car NDRL Late Model field with a powerful move by Mason Zeigler for the lead and victory, worth $3,000.
In the 25-lap 410 sprint car feature, Dylan Cisney poured some local flavor into victory lane by holding off Doug Esh for the win as a hometown favorite.
And in the 355 econo late model division Todd Snook took his first checkers of the season.
Fuller started fifth in the 30-lap NDRL Northeast late model field as Mason Zeigler started on the pole.
Zeigler, a 21-year old gasser from Chalk Hill who set a new one-lap track record for late models earlier in the night, took control when the race got underway over fourth starter Jared Miley of South Park.
The only caution flag of the race unfurled with five laps in the book and the restart saw NDRL Northeast point leader Keith Barbara of South Park race into second but fail to challenge Zeigler for the lead.
Fuller began coming to life near the halfway point of the race, using the high groove to complete his advances, taking over third from Miley on the 14th tour.
He got by Barbara with 14 laps to go and set his sights on leader Zeigler who was blasting around the bottom of the track.
Zeigler then moved up to the top groove as Fuller pulled up on this back bumper but by that time Fuller was into his rhythm and there was only one more spot for him to conquer.
Fuller pulled the trigger on Zeigler with a low dive in the third corner before pulling a slide job to complete the pass after catching the cushion in the fourth turn with 11 laps left.
Once in front Fuller entered the backmarkers with seven laps to go and only once did Zeigler get close enough to think about mounting a challenge but after the lapped traffic separated Fuller was again able to jet away, taking his first career Port Royal victory by 1.658 seconds.
Zeigler finished second followed by Miley, Barbara and Dan Stone of Thompson.
Sixth through 10th went to Jamie Lathroum, Mechanicsville, Md.; Jason Cover, York Haven; Mike Lupfer, Shermansdale; Tim Wilson, McClure; and Max Blair, Centerville.
Heats went to Blair, Lathroum, Wilson and Zeigler with Jason Schmidt taking the B Main.
Zeigler set a new one lap track record in qualifications with a time of 18.072 seconds.
Perhaps picking up where Keith Kauffman’s retirement left off in exciting the hometown fans, hometown driver Dylan Cisney started on the pole of the 410 sprint main with Dave Ely chasing him in second when the race began.
This race too was only slowed by one caution flag, just shy of the halfway point with 12 laps completed.
Curt Stroup held third spot early before sixth starter Doug Esh took the position with three away.
The leaders entered the backmarkers on the eighth lap with Cisney circling the high side of the speedway in near flawless form.
At the restart on lap 12, eighth starter Rick Lafferty was sitting fourth with fifth starter Blane Heimbach still in fifth spot.
Cisney pulled away from Ely when action resumed as Esh labored for second, finally getting the spot with three laps to go after the race again entered lapped traffic with five laps remaining.
Heimbach followed Esh through for position with three laps to go and the pair rapidly began closing on Cisney.
As the leader crossed the stripe for the white flag, Esh was poised to make a strong move for control but a small slip on the cushion in the second turn cost him just enough momentum entering the third corner to prevent a pass for the win.
Cisney instead enthralled the local supporters from Juniata County when he took the win by .491 seconds with Esh a challenging second followed by Heimbach, Ely and ninth starter Mike Wagner.
Sixth through 10th went to Lafferty, Greg Hodnett, 13th starter Mike Erdley, Curt Stroup and fourth starter Chad Layton.
Heats went to Layton and Stroup.
Todd Snook took the lead during the mid stages of the 15-lap econo late model main to record his first win of the season at the track in the new division.
Tim Krape came to second but failed to challenge for the win.
Newcomer Curtis Heath finished third followed by Eric Irvin and Cody Butterbaugh.
Sixth through 10th went to Harold Ranck, Jared Fulkroad, Shaun Miller, Lucas Bryner and Danny Sollers.
Race Results: – 6/21/14
410 sprints, 25 laps: 1. Dylan Cisney, 2. Doug Esh, 3. Blane Heimbach, 4. Dave Ely, 5. Mike Wagner, 6. Rick Lafferty, 7. Greg Hodnett, 8. Mike Erdley, 9. Curt Stroup, 10. Chad Layton, 11. Nate Snyder, 12. Scott Wilson, 13. Davey Sammons, 14. Alex Schanz, 15. Trenton Sheaffer, 16. Dave Hahn, 17. Dustin Baney, 18. Joey Hershey
Late Models, 30 laps:1. Tim Fuller, 2. Mason Zeigler, 3. Jared Miley, 4. Keith Barbara, 5. Dan Stone, 6. Jamie Lathroum, 7. Jason Covert, 8. Mike Lupfer, 9. Tim Wilson, 10. Max Blair, 11. Brett Schadel, 12. Mitch Hack, 13. Andy Haus, 14. Mike Knight, 15. Justin Kann, 16. Trent Brenneman, 17. Jeff Miller Sr., 18. Lindsay Barton, 19. Jason Schmidt, 20. Nick Dickson, 21. Eric Zembower, 22. Scott Haus, 23. Dustin Hoffman, 24. Matt Parks, 25. Tim Smith Jr.
DNQ: Patrick Bryner, Scott Flickinger, Tim Fedder, Austin Berry, Chris Casner, Mike Mort, Rance Garlock, Derrick Casner, Coleby Frye, Dylan Yoder
355 Econo Late Models, 15 laps: 1. Todd Snook, 2. Tim Krape, 3. Curtis Heath, 4. Eric Irvin, 5. Cody Butterbaugh, 6. Harold Ranck, 7. Jared Fulkroad, 8. Shaun Miller, 9. Lucas Bryner, 10. Danny Sollers, 11. Chase Bowsman, 12. Devin Hart, 13. Jason Nace, 14. Andrew Yoder, 15. Garrett Gray