TUCSON, Ariz. -- Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., survived Ryan Gustin's furious late charge in Friday's Winter Extreme main event to claim a $3,000 victory in a thrilling 30-lap feature at Tucson International Raceway.
The third-starting Fuller inherited the lead when race-long leader R.C. Whitwell fell out of the race on lap 22 and later pulled ahead of a side-by-side battle with Gustin on the final lap to claim his second-career victory in Tucson's annul six-race miniseries.
Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, settled for second in the National Dirt Racing League non-points event. He charged from the seventh starting spot and pressure Fuller through the final seven laps, only to push high after inching ahead in the final corner.
Polesitter Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., who claimed his 12th career Arizona victory in Wednesday's third-round feature, ran among the top three for the entire distance of Friday's race but was never a serious contender in settling for third.
Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., charged from 17th to claim his fourth top-five finish in four event on the week, while fourth-starting Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., rounded out the race's top five finishers.
After taking second from Moyer early, Fuller kept pace with Whitwell for most of the race's first 20 laps and made multiple looks under the high-running leader. Fuller twice inched ahead of Whitwell in turns on e and two, but Whitwell powered the high side of turns three and four to twice pull back out front.
Fuller assumed the lead after Whitwell dropped out on lap 22, but he soon had to deal with Gustin. The two drivers ran side-by-side for most of the race's final three laps before Gustin inched ahead with a hard charge into turn three on the final circuit.
The track's slight cushion couldn't hold Gustin's momentum, and he pushed high exiting turn four. Fuller remained steady on the bottom to pull ahead for the victory.
"I just messed up there that last corner," said Gustin, who notched his first top-five finish of the week. "I should've cracked it a little more instead of trying to drive in there wide open and carrying too much momentum, hit the cushion and push. That's on the driver tonight, but these guys did a great job getting the car going."
Whitwell, the Tucson driver who on Saturday to become the first home-state racer to win during Arizona's annual stretch of January special events, turned back multiple challenges from Fuller and Moyer through the first half of the race and began inching away from Fuller just before lap 20.
But his hopes of becoming the week's first repeat winner were dashed when sparks flew from beneath his car and he slowed in turn four just before completing lap 23. He was pushed to the pit area and settled for a disappoint 19th-place finish.
The race was slowed by three cautions. Spins by Donny Schatz (lap five) and Mason Zeigler (lap 13) caused the first two cautions, while Whitwell's misfortune caused the final caution at lap 22.
Moyer, Mars and Diemel are the only three drivers to make all four Winter Extreme features; Travis Dickes of Madison, Neb., was leading the sixth heat race before slamming the turn-three wall midway through; Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., was the fastest qualifier in group six but didn't make the main event after dripping out of his head race.
Feature Finish: 1. Tim Fuller, 2. Ryan Gustin, 3. Billy Moyer, 4. Jimmy Mars, 5. Shane Clanton, 6. Tony Jackson Jr., 7. A.J. Diemel, 8. Garrett Alberson, 9. Ricky Weiss, 10. Chris Simpson, 11. Jordan Yaggy, 12. John Blankenship, 13. Jason Hughes, 14. Justin Asplin, 15. Max Blair, 16. Tony Toste, 17. Clay Daly, 18. Jason Papich, 19. R.C. Whitwell, 20. Kent Robinson, 21. Robert Sanders, 22. Nick Bartels, 23. Mason Zeigler, 24. Donny Schatz.
Go to www.dirtondirt.com for complete race results.
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