Restart allows Fuller to claim victory> Albion driver edges Derbyshire at Unity

UNITY – Albion’s Dean Fuller knew if he was going to pass Unity Raceway pro stock points leader Judd Derbyshire and win the 35-lap feature Saturday night, it was probably going to have to be on a restart.

On the 20th lap, just two laps after a restart, that’s exactly what Fuller did and he proceded to hold off Mt. Vernon’s Derbyshire and Ellsworth’s Andy Saunders. The three cars dueled to the end with just two car lengths separating the three at the checkered flag.

“It was a good, clean race. It was a lot of fun,” said Fuller. “I felt I could only get by Judd if we had a restart. He lost a little speed at the end but whether or not I could have caught him without a restart, it would have been borderline.”

The caution flag that led to the restart occurred when Scott Albee’s car slid into the infield and Wayne Allard’s car had to be serviced in the pits.

Fuller eventually passed Derbyshire to the outside and then was able to slide inside of him.

“The outside groove was the fastest way around the track,” said Derbyshire, who mounted a couple of challenges but couldn’t recapture the lead.

“Once Dean got ahead, I just didn’t have enough to get around him. I tried the inside and the outside,” said Derbyshire. “I tried to get under him but he closed the door. Then I decided to play it safe and race for the points.”

After the race, Derbyshire, as is his custom, donated his second-place trophy to the group of youngsters who comprise the Unity Raceway Fan Club.

The youngsters pick a number and the one with the winning number receives Derbyshire’s trophy.

Saunders placed third.

Later on Saturday evening, Freedom’s Bub Nelson, part-owner of Fuller’s car, drove to an apparent car-length win over Unity’s Tim Ferreira in the super sportsman class.

But Nelson was disqualifed for technical infractions after a post-race inspection and Ferreira was awarded the victory. Searsmont’s Glendon Mehuren was bumped up into second place.

Another of the highlights was the Super Mini Cup car race.

The Super Mini Cup series features Winston Cup car replicas that are half the size of the Winston Cup cars.

According to Caribou’s Joe Chamberlain, the series director, the cars are 9 1/2-feet long and weigh 650 pouunds including the 265 pounds allocated for each driver. Each car carries 265 pounds in weight, a combination of the driver’s weight plus lead bars that add up to 265 pounds.

Chamberlain said the cars are fully-suspended like a Winston Cup car and cost approximately $7,000 apiece. They can hold a driver who is up to 6-foot-4.

His own race car, a replica of Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 Goodwrench Chevy, contains the phrase `Honey I shrunk the racecar’ on its back flap.

“You can’t believe the adrenalin rush driving these cars,” said Chamberlain, who added that they have reached speeds up to 80 miles an hour at Speedway 95 in Hermon.

“And they’re safe,” added Unity’s Pete Rowe, who drives the No. 4 Kodak car, a Bobby Hamilton replica. “They’re safer than driving on the interstate.”

Chamberlain said there are tours in 35 states.

The cars, which will be racing at five tracks over 17 weekends, are powered by Honda generator motors and require just $1 per week in fuel. Their engines are sealed so no team can gain an engine advantage.

Driver talent and the race setup determine the outcomes of the races.

Saturday’s race among six cars turned out to be a three-car duel between Rowe, Gabe Kordics’ No. 8 Budweiser car and Kent Stevens’ No. 12 Mobil 1 car.

Whitefield’s Kordics won the race when Skowhegan’s Stevens got tangled up in lapped traffic late in the 25-lap race. Stevens was second and Rowe finished third.

“He got caught in the lapped cars and I just happened to be in the right spot. I was able to pass on the outside,” said Kordics.