Pit Strategy Knocks Fultz Out Of Contention In The Early Bird 125

Fresh Tires Key For Top Finishers At Birmingham

While many racers were getting prepared for the Rattler at South Alabama Speedway, which will take place on March 2nd, Jeff Fultz decided to sneak in a race before the event by entering the Early Bird 125 at Birmingham International Raceway (AL), the event he drove onto victory in 2007.  This year though it wasn’t quite the results he was looking for as Fultz finished seventh in the feature.

Fultz was planning on hauling his own car to Birmingham, but a call from Stanley Smith’s team put Fultz in the driver’s seat of the #49 Super Late Model for the weekend.  While the car was strong, Fultz and the team couldn’t quite get on the same page with the setup.  A late race caution also shook things up as Fultz had already taken on his allotment of tires earlier in the event, putting the leaders on fresh rubber for the rest of the event.

“About the halfway point we were loose and I thought the race was going to go green the rest of the way, so we pitted,” said Fultz.  “If we would have stayed green the rest of the way we would have been good.  We didn’t have the car to win, but we had a car that could finish second or third. 

“On lap 204 someone threw a water bottle out (that caused a caution) and I knew we were sitting ducks because we didn’t have tires.  If we would have taken tires at the same time as everyone else we would have been between the #38 (Josh Hamner) and the #2 (Dennis Reno, Jr.).  It is just a part of it though.”

While the results weren’t what the team or Fultz wanted, he knew he had a good car under him for the race.

Jeff Fultz piloted Stanley Smith's #49 machine at Birmingham.  (51 Photo)

“I have to thank these guys for letting me come down here and have some fun,” explained Fultz.  “They are good guys and this is a good race car.  We just have to work a little bit more on what suits me.  Their piece is good, but I needed the car to turn a bit more for my driving style.  I couldn’t give them the information they needed to get the car where it needed to be.  Stanley (Smith) had fun though watching his car and I didn’t put a mark on it.”

Jeff Fultz's next race will be the Rattler at South Alabama Speedway on March 2nd.