The DIRTcar Sportsman Series Championship showcases the best drivers across the region to compete head-to-head. As a result, the Fulton Speedway SummerFAST crowd was treated to a side-by-side battle to the finish between all-time Series Feature winner Cody McPherson, from St. Catharines, ON, and Gavin Eisele, from LaFargeville, NY who won the previous Series race at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park.<\/p>\n
Gavin Eisele, still walking on air after his first career DIRTcar Sportsman Series win on Sunday, put it all together again to make it back-to-back visits to Victory Lane. This time it was on the SummerFAST stage at Fulton Speedway after an intense duel with Cody McPherson.<\/p>\n
Eisele grabbed the lead early but found himself locked in battle with Cody McPherson after a restart. McPherson made the pass for the lead and it appeared he had the car to beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started overdriving a little bit and just had to calm myself down and hit my marks a little better,\u201d said Eisele. \u201cBut I noticed I was a little better coming out of four. I had to make sure I was there though at the checkered flag.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t meant to be for McPherson as Eisle found just enough traction out of Turn 4 to beat McPherson to the finish line after an incredible side-by-side duel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you are racing against Cody [McPherson] that tight it\u2019s always difficult,\u201d said Eisele. \u201cThat was an awesome race. This thing has been a rocket lately.\u201d<\/p>\n
That rocket has pocketed Eisele back-to-back DIRTcar Sportsman Series wins.<\/p>\n
Canadian driver Cody McPherson was smiling widely getting out of the car despite coming up short against one of the North Country\u2019s best young talents.<\/p>\n
\u201cI needed a little bit more gear to run the bottom,\u201d noted McPherson. \u201cThis was only my second time here. Now I know. I could run the top and roll the middle. It was good but I knew I needed to be on the bottom of three and four. I just couldn\u2019t clear him. I had to pinch him as much as I could but he was just hitting his marks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe raced him clean and he raced me clean. Hats off to Gavin [Eisele] and the whole team. It was a fun race and I hope the fans enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The race for the final step on the podium was no less exciting. Zach Sobotka, from Parish, NY, started sixteenth before picking off 13 cars in 30 laps at Fulton.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got off to a pretty bad start in Time Trials and our Heat Race. So that made us start pretty far back there in the Feature,\u201d said Sobotka.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Fulton was in prime condition with racing lanes available from top to bottom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe track was racy and you could go where you wanted,\u201d he noted. \u201cMy car would work for a few laps on top and I\u2019d have to cool the right rear on the bottom. I assume the tire cooled down and I could go back up there and run guys down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSixteenth to third? I can\u2019t complain about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The DIRTcar Sportsman Series Championship heads to Ransomville Speedway in Ransomville, NY for the Mike Bonesky Memorial on Tuesday, Aug. 20.<\/p>\n