WILKINSON HAS THE PARTS PLUS FOR 1ST CAREER MODIFIED WIN

August 22, 1998

WEST LEBANON, NY- Rookie driver, Todd Wilkinson, won his first career

modified feature Saturday night at Lebanon Valley. Wilkinson took the lead

on lap two of the 30-lap event and cruised home for the win. David Sanchez

won the 20-lap sportsman main event and Danny Sanchez won the 20-lap street

stock feature. Paul LaRochelle won the 15-lap IMCA modified feature.

Jody Tornabene led the first lap of the 30-lap modified feature.

Todd Wilkinson grabbed the lead on lap two. Dave Leckonby was on the charge

early, moving from tenth to fifth on the first lap. Leckonby took fourth

on lap four, while Maynard Forrette and J.R. Heffner raced hard for third.

Brett Hearn was up to ninth by lap five and Kenny Tremont sat twelfth.

Donnie Ackner took over fourth on lap seven. Wilkinson had opened a full

straightaway lead by lap ten. Lap 13 would see a great three-way battle for

the third spot between Heffner, Leckonby and Ackner.

Wilkinson still had a strong lead as the crossed the start-finish

line, Tornabene sat second, Ackner third, Hearn fourth and Tremont fifth.

Ackner would take second and Tremont would take third by lap 16. Dickie

Larkin's night would end on lap 16. Tremont would take second on lap 17 and

set his sights on the front-running Wilkinson. John Hewitt would take fifth

position on lap 18. Hearn moved up to third on lap 20. Tornabene, Heffner,

Ricci and Leckonby had a good race for seventh in the final stages of the

race. Ricci would win the battle for seventh.

Tremont tried to reel in Wilkinson, but ran out of time. Wilkinson

would finish a half-straightaway ahead of Tremont, Hearn, Ackner and Hewitt.

The race went green to checker without a caution flag. Wilkinson won his

first modified event in a Troyer car identical to the one that Tremont has

run so well with in 1998.

Scott Puckett led the first five laps of the 20-lap sportsman

feature. David Sanchez would pass him on lap five. The first caution flew

on lap five for Bobby Hackel. Mike Mason would take second on the restart.

George Marcus was charging early, he was fourth by lap six. Last week's

winner, Chris Kokosa was moving up also, he was fifth by lap eight. Marcus

and Kokosa would take third and fourth by halfway. The filed would slow

again on lap 11 for a caution flag. Bobby Chalmers would take fifth on the

restart. The caution flag was out again on lap 14. Kokosa would take third

from Marcus on lap 16.

Kokosa would pass Jeff Cassidy for second on lap 18. The yellow

flew for the final time on lap 19 setting up a one-lap shootout for the

win. Sanchez was able to hold off the challenges and bring home the victory.

Kokosa was second, Cassidy third, Marcus fourth and Chalmers fifth.

Victor Hopkins lead the first six laps of the 20-lap street stock

feature. Rob Yetman took the lead on a lap six restart. Scott Goversten

move up to fourth by lap seven. Danny Sanchez would grab third on a lap

seven restart. Goversten would tag the turn four wall on lap seven and drop

out of the event on lap ten. Robbie Speed was up to fourth by lap ten.

Sanchez would race Bob Duzlak on a lap eleven restart, with Sanchez taking

the spot on lap 14. Sanchez would challenge Yetman for the lead in the

final stages of the race. Yetman would drift high in turn two on the final

lap allowing Sanchez to scoot by for the win. Yetman hung on for second

Todd Goldstein third, Adam Haas fourth and Speed fifth.

Steve Hough led half of the 15-lap IMCA modified feature. He lost

the lead on lap seven to Paul LaRochelle. LaRochelle was never seriously

challenged the rest of the race. Donnie Denue battled a smoking racecar

throughout the event. He would make the pass for second on the final lap

and take second place. Steve Hough was third, Craig Simmons fourth and

Anthony Markou fifth

MODIFIED SUMMARY--(30LAPS)-- TODD WILKINSON, Kenny Tremont Jr, Brett Hearn,

Donnie Ackner, John Hewitt, Chris Moore, Rich Ricci Jr, J.R. Heffner, Jody

Tornabene, Dave Leckonby, Eddie Marshall, Donnie Corellis, Maynard Forrette,

Guy Sheldon, Jason Goff, Mike King, Denny Soltis, Bobby Chalmers, John

Hancamp, Dave Mosher, Chip Mitchell, Hollis Morrissey, Wayne Figler, Steve

Devine, Dickie Larkin, John Lutes Jr, Rich Ricci Sr

SPORTSMAN SUMMARY-(20 LAPS)--DAVE SANCHEZ, Chris Kokosa, Jeff Cassidy,

Bobby Chalmers, George Marcus, Mike Mason, Ron Blake, Jay Casey, Roy Bridge,

Art Collins, Hawley Smith, Bobby Hackel, Tony La Porta, K.C. Goewey, Jason

Tompkins, Tony Ferrieao, Frank Harper, Mike Visconti, Wes Powell, Rusty

Granecker, Ed Riiska, Mike Boomhower, Lee Gagliardi, Scott Puckett, Joe

Bennett, Don Miller, J.R. Delvechio

IMCA MODIFIED SUMMARY-(15 LAPS)--PAUL LAROCHELLE, Don Denue, Steve Hough,

Craig Simmons, Anthony Markou, Jeff Heath, Rich Colesanti, George Proctor

Jr, Tom Faxon, Kevin Buff, Kevin Priest, Bill Lander, Jim Rajczi, Phil

Balmer, Don Sommers

STREET STOCK SUMMARY-(20 LAPS)--Danny Sanchez, Rob Yetman, Todd Goldstein,

Adam Haas, Robbie Speed, Lorne Browe, Don Ely, Mike McDowell, Shane Peele,

Tony Zullo, Bobby Blackburn, Rick Spencer, Larry Turner, John Routhier,

Ricky Duzlak, Victor Hopkins, Todd Parent, Ray Hall, Scott Govertsen, Steve

Brownell, Paul Rogers

ROOKIE STREET STOCK SUMMARY-(8 LAPS)--BOB MILLER, Wayne Hall, Geo Stalker

Jr, Walt Clark, Chris Lawlor, Don Collins, Glenn Mozeleski, Don Shepard,

Mike Bungay, Brian Keough, Tim Emmons, Richard Sigler

PURE STOCK A SUMMARY-(8 LAPS)--RYAN CRELLIN, Ron Tritchler, Eric Sbrega,

Philip Moffit, Art Lafferty, Bruce Moffit, Charlie Woodard, Anthony

Lopresti, Anthony Cotugno, Ed Ashley, Mark Huston

PURE STOCK B SUMMARY-(8 LAPS)--PETER DE FIFLIO, Danny Burl, Joe Mottoshiski,

Josh Webb, Peter Huntoon, Tom Meltz, Pete Leffler, R. Schumann Jr, Carl

Baillargeron, Scott Moran, Bill Krug, Joe Distefano, Joe Hallenbeck

PURE STOCK C SUMMARY-(8 LAPS)--RON FREDERICKS, Rich Kratt, Scott Kilmer,

Kirk Stanaway, Tom Sanchez Jr, Tim Drumm, Henry Warner, Jake Coons, Guy

Hughes, William Hammell,Jim Dellea, George Miles, Bob Palmer