Heartbreak for Fuller, as Mahaney wins at Airborne on Thursday night

PLATTSBURGH | For 27 laps of Thursday night's DIRTcar 358 Modified feature at Airborne Park Speedway, Tim Fuller appeared to be on his way to a dominant victory. Conversely, Mike Mahaney seemed content to settle for a respectable third-place finish. That line of thinking turned out to be premature. With three laps remaining, Fuller's car lost power on the frontstretch, ending his night. Mahaney capitalized on the Hall of Famer's heartbreak to claim his first win of the season at "The Big A." After a slow start to the year, it marked Mahaney's third feature win in six days for "Smooth Shoe." George Foley held the early lead, but Dave Camara slipped past him on Lap 7. Fuller grabbed the top spot from Camara on Lap 14 and quickly built what seemed to be an insurmountable advantage until his engine expired late. Thomas Cook inherited the lead after Fuller's misfortune, but following the restart, Mahaney took the Adirondack Auto machine to the high side and powered past Cook down the frontstretch. Mahaney pulled away over the final two circuits to take the checkered flag. Felix Roy also overtook Cook to finish second. Cook, Justin Stone — who charged from the 13th starting spot — and Camara rounded out the top five. In the 25-lap J&S Steel Sportsman Modified feature, Jason McClatchie captured an extremely popular win — his first in an open-wheel car at Airborne — after advancing from the Renegade division. Brett Warren and McClatchie led the field to the green, with Warren pacing the first five laps. Incidents on Laps 5 and 7 eliminated top points drivers Donovan Lussier and Nick Heywood, opening the door for others to gain ground. McClatchie took command on the first restart, but Lonnie Rivers was on the move. Rivers passed Warren for second on Lap 9 and set his sights on the leader. He pulled underneath McClatchie when the leader drifted high with 18 to go, but McClatchie held firm and drove off over the final six laps to earn a trip to victory lane. Rivers finished second, Warren held on for third, Evan Roberts placed fourth, and Charlotte Morin was fifth. In the Limited Sportsman feature, Garin Thompson celebrated his high school graduation with his second win of the season. Thompson started on the outside of Row 1 alongside another recent graduate, Parker Dermody. He snatched the lead from Dermody at the drop of the green flag and drove off for a convincing victory. The best battle on the track took place behind him, as Dermody and fellow graduate Kobe Hernandez battled from Laps 7 to 10. Dermody eventually distanced himself to claim second. Lea-Jeanne Lauziere placed fourth, and Michael Block rounded out the top five. The 9th State Cannabis Renegade division delivered its weekly dose of thrills, with Josh Terry outdueling Roland Guay for the 20-lap feature win. It was Terry's first victory of the season. He swapped his new black car for last season's orange ride and led flag-to-flag. Terry and Guay started on the front row and stayed tightly bunched for most of the race. Terry opened a small gap early, but Guay closed to within a car length with six laps to go. Guay briefly edged ahead in Turn 2 on Lap 16, but Terry powered away on the backstretch and was never seriously challenged again. Guay's brother, Nathan, had the best seat for the battle and crossed the line in third. Behind them, Shawn Duquette and Tylor Terry engaged in a tight duel for fourth, with Duquette prevailing. The night concluded with a late surge from J.P. Corrow, who earned his third win of the season in the Mini Stock division. Corrow methodically worked through the field and was ready to pounce when opportunity struck late. Jeremiah King built a large lead in the early going and appeared to be in control, but a pair of late cautions changed the narrative. After a Lap 9 incident eliminated several contenders, Corrow — who started 11th — found himself in the top five. He climbed to second on Lap 12 and used a high-side move to edge past King at the stripe with two laps to go. Corrow held on from there for a comeback win that seemed unlikely just a few laps earlier. King held on for second, Speedy Bressette charged from 16th to third, Jamie Whitney took fourth, and Matthew Parker was fifth. Airborne Park Speedway returns to action Thursday, July 3, with an Independence Day Celebration featuring fireworks, the $2,000-to-win Firecracker 44 for Sportsman, a $1,000-to-win Pro Stock race, and a 50-lap Enduro. General admission is $20. Kids 12 and under get in free. Pit passes are $35 for members and $45 for non-members.

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Heartbreak for Fuller, as Mahaney wins at Airborne on Thursday night

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