By kyohnson 
In Fulton, New York, in 2017, Fulton Speedway introduced a new rule. If a division attracts more than 40 entries, two features are held, each with a full purse and points. Such was the case on Saturday night, when the SUNY Canton Sportsman held their initial points-paying race of the season.
Mike Phelps and Jeremy Pitcher formed the front row for the opening 25-lap feature event of the evening. Pitcher quickly grabbed the lead. He quickly pulled away from the field, establishing a significant lead over Phelps, Tyler Trump, Kyle Fink, and Billy Clark.
On lap 16, Pitcher’s advantage was erased when Dorian Wahdan came to a stop with a damaged front end. Zach Sobotka also slowed on lap 17 due to mechanical issues. However, no driver could match Pitcher’s pace as he once again took the lead on the restart.
Ultimately, Pitcher claimed his first win of the year by a significant margin over Phelps, Billy Clark, Tyler Trump, and Kyle Fink. Pitcher found the victory to be extremely emotional and significant, as he explained that 2017 is his final year in racing competition.
Tyler Thompson quickly took control in the early stages of the second feature race against Glenn Forward and Chris Mackey. In the opening laps, Forward remained closely attached to Thompson’s tail as Thompson aimed for his first SUNY Canton Sportsman victory. Forward overtook Thompson for the lead as they entered the east end of the speedway on lap 5, but Thompson’s second-place position didn’t last long as he slowed and pulled into the pits with issues just two laps later.
A caution on lap 9 for Rachel Zacharias slowed the field for the first time, allowing Mackey and Friday night’s winner Todd Root to close in. However, Forward never faced serious pressure and easily pulled away from the pack on the restart.
Forward cruised to victory in the second feature, while Kevin and Todd Root engaged in a thrilling three-wide battle with Mackey for the runner-up position. Kevin Root finished second, followed by Todd Root and Mackey. Mike Button completed the top five.
The 20-lap Late Model feature was dominated by former Modified racer Chad Homan. Homan utilized his front-row starting position to pull away and dominate the field. He was only briefly challenged by Bryce Davis. A single caution on lap 12 for Jason Occhino’s spinning slowed Homan’s run for a moment. Homan then easily claimed his first win at the track. In victory lane, Homan noted that he would be competing at Fulton weekly in 2017, marking his first change of home track since the late 1990s.
(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #1 25 Laps) – JEREMY PITCHER, Mike Phelps, Billy Clark Jr., Tyler Trump, Kyle Fink, Will Shields, Corey Barker, Willy Decker Jr., Ron Davis III, Brent Joy, JJ Courcy, Nick Krause, Jackson Gill, Alex LaJoie, Patrick Picotin, Chantal Provencher, Mike Button, Zach Sobotka, Dorian Wahdan, Jeff Taylor, Bill Megnin, DNS Nate Higgins.
(SUNY Canton DIRTcar Sportsman #2 25 Laps) – GLENN FORWARD, Kevin Root, Todd Root, Chris Mackey, Mike Button, Alan Fink, Jessica Power, Brett Draper, Tony Finch II, Wade Chrisman, Chris Cunningham, Jim Spano, Jeremy Dygert, Cedric Gauvreau, Dylan Zacharias, Pat LaPage, John Strickler, Tom Mackey, Mike Stanton Jr., Torrey Stoughtenger, Tyler Thompson, Rachel Zacharias.
(Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux RUSH Late Models 20 Laps) – CHAD HOMAN, Bryce Davis, Dale Caswell, Matt Parkhurst, Chris Fleming, Billy Eisele, Kevan Cook, Jason Occhino, Bret Belden, Jason Parkhurst, Brandon Carvey, Steve Coit, AJ Kingsley.