GEORGE KOSTELANSKY AND BRIAN DECKER SCORE ON A "HOT SUMMER NIGHT" AT PENN CAN

(Susquehanna, Pa.) Tuesday night's Binghamton Pepsi Cola/ Don's

Automotive Mall Hot Summer Night special at the Penn Can Speedway saw

local hero George Kostelansky drive to his second Modified win of the

season in the 40 lap Modified feature. For the second straight year,

Brian Decker picked up the win in the 30 lap Sportsman portion of the

highly anticipated mid-week racing card at the Penn Can Speedway.

With the feature line-up set by luck of the draw, Rick Virkitis and

Steve Babicek paced the 26 car Modified field to Glenn O'Laughlin's green

flag. After the first attempt to start the race failed due to a minor

spin, the ensuing restart saw Virkitis immediately jumped to the front of

the field. Kostelansky was on the move as he quickly made his way to

second, passing both Tom McGurrin and Babicek to pull into a contending

position behind Virkitis. Rick continued to show the way in the early

stages of the event with Kostelansky in hot pursuit.

Unfortunately for Virkitis, his tenure at the head of the field

would last only eight laps. As the leaders approached the tail side of

the field, contact between a couple of lapped cars sent the field

scattering. This would prove disastrous for Virkitis as he got swept up

in the incident and wound up sitting sideways across the front

straightaway. Though he was able to continue he was forced to restart

from the rear of the field.

This would prove to be the only break Kostelansky would need as he

would lead the final 32 laps of the event to pick up the feature win.

Though he would lead the rest of the way, it was far from an easy win as

for most of the race he had multiple feature winner Jeff Strunk and Brian

Weaver challenging. A couple of caution flags mostly for minor incidents

kept Strunk and Weaver poised right on Kostelansky's rear bumper the

entire distance. The only incident of a serious nature came when Mike

Colsten and Jim Gabriel Jr. tangled while racing for position. Colsten's

mount climbed the dirt bank outside the first turn, coming to rest atop

the bank completely off the racing surface. Mike was not injured but the

incident ended his night on a sour note.

When racing resumed, Kostelansky continued to lead but the best

battle on the track was for the runner-up position as Weaver was putting

heavy pressure on Strunk for the position. The two battled for many

laps, often side by side as Weaver repeatedly made challenges to the low

side of Strunk to try to take the spot. Strunk was able to utilize the

outside groove to his advantage, utilizing his superior momentum out of

the turn to hang onto the position. After several laps of a side by side

battle, Weaver was finally able to wrest the spot from Stunk.

With Weaver now in the runner-up position, the two time defending

track champion set off in pursuit of the leader. Over the closing laps,

Weaver was able to close in on Kostelansky enough to make a last ditch

effort out of the final turn, but this charge came up just short and

Kostelansky took the win by about a car length over Weaver. Stunk held

on for a strong third place finish ahead of Doug Worthing, who made a

late charge up through the field to finish fourth while Steve Babicek

rounded out the top five finishers. Tom McGurrin, Mike Nagel, Chris

Shupp, Mike Decker, and J.R. Hurlbert completed the top ten. Mike

Decker's charge from 25th starting position to finish ninth earned him

the $250 bonus as the highest finishing car powered by a DIRT legal 358

Modified motor.

The 38 Modified in attendance took part in four heat races with Jeff

Rudalavage, George Kostelansky, Brian Weaver, and Alan Rudalavage picking

up wins. Jeff Bronson and J.R. Hurlbert won the two Modified consolation

races.

For the second straight year, Brian Decker came home the winner of

the 30 lap Hot Summer Night Sportsman division feature. The Luck of the

Draw put most recent Friday night winner Shaun Walker on the pole flanked

by Decker. The early stages of the feature saw a great battle for the

top spot as Walker grabbed the early lead but was immediately challenged

by Decker for the top spot. As the race went on, this battle up front

intensified and as these two ran several laps side by side this allowed

championship contenders Kevin Bates and Chad Cook to move into a

challenging position.

The middle stages of the feature saw some great racing as these four

drivers were locked in a tight battle for position. It would become a

three car battle as Cook fell out of the lead pack after getting out of

shape in the third turn as the race neared the 20 lap mark.

The decisive point in this event would come on lap 25 as the leaders

were racing in heavy lapped traffic. With Walker leading the event and

committed to the low groove, Decker was running the top side trying to

pass when lapped traffic became a major factor. The leaders approached

two lapped cars racing side by side for position exiting the second turn.

Walker suddenly found his way blocked by the lapped cars. This proved

to be the opportunity Decker was waiting for as he was able to make a

bold move to the outside. His high side charge carried him not only past

Walker into the lead, but past the two lapped cars as well. Neither

Walker nor Bates were able to clear the lapped cars and Decker suddenly

found himself with a 20 car length advantage with five laps left to run.

Walker and Bates were not able to close in over the final five laps

and Decker sprinted to the win without a further challenge. Walker

managed to hold off Bates to score the runner-up finish with current

point leader Bates finishing third. Rick Whitney and invader Mike

Trautschold completed the top five rundown. Jack Swan, Chad Cook, Ryan

Olsommer, Brett Tonkin and Jessica Zemken completed the top ten.

Kevin Bates, Brain Decker, and Chad Cook won Sportsman division

heats while Rick Mill won the consolation event.

RACE NOTES: DIRT Modified Tour regulars Billy Decker and Danny Johnson

both were in the pits for the "Hot Summer Nights special. Decker drove

the back-up Decker Logging #9R to an 11th place finish. Danny Johnson

never really got a handle on Penn Can as he failed to qualify the Steve

Brownell Advanced Lubrications Technologies Bicknell car for the show.

Doug Worthing made his first start of the season aboard his EJ

Root/Parts Plus #63. Doug got off to a late start this season after some

off season health problems. As always, Worthing did most of his running

on the extreme outside groove, coming home with a solid fourth place

finish.

The BPG Racing team made up nearly a quarter of the starting field

with six cars making the field for the 40 lap event. Jeff Strunk fared

the best with a third place finish. Also making the field in BPG Racing

cars were Tom mcGurrin (6th), Mike Decker (9th), Sean Collins (15th),

Alan Rudalavage (17th) and Rick Virkitis (20th). Modified rookie Jamie

Shea was also aboard a BPG car, but failed to make the field.

Defending race champion Jeff Rudalavage was not able to defend his

championship as problems during the event dropped him to a 19th place

finish.

CVRA regular Bob Savoie made an unexpected appearance on Tuesday

night. Early mechanical problems put the longtime veteran on the trailer

early.

In Sportsman action, fifth finishing Mike Trautschold was the highest

finishing non-regular.

Fan favorite Jessica "Pumpkin" Zemken came away with a tenth place

finish in her first Penn Can appearance.

Also making his Penn Can debut was Lake Moc-A-Tek Speedway regular

Rick Raisner. The Easton, Pa. native drove to an 18th finish in his

first ever Penn Can appearance.

Racing continues this Friday night at the Penn Can Speedway with a

five star racing card beginning at 7:15 PM. The Modifieds, Sportsman,

Late Models, Super Stocks, and Pure Stocks will all be in action in a

full slate of qualifying events leading up to five big feature races.

With only a few weeks left in the point season, each race is critical in

the race for the championship as the championship is very much still up

for grabs in all five classes.

The Penn Can Speedway is located on Pa. Rte 171 seven miles East of

Exit #230 off I-81. For more information, contact the speedway office at

(570)-585-9928 or visit the track's website at www.penncan.com.

HOT SUMMER NIGHTS RACE SUMMARY:

MODIFIEDS(40 laps): 1. GEORGE KOSTELANSKY 2. Brian Weaver 3. Jeff Strunk

4. Doug Worthing 5. Steve Babicek 6. Tom McGurrin 7. Mike Nagel 8. Chris

Shupp 9. Mike Decker 10. J.R. Hurlbert 11. Billy Decker 12. Bill Huff 13.

Brian Franko 14. Jeff Sheeley 15. Sean Collins 16. Bobby Trapper 17. Jeff

Bronson 18. Alan Rudalavage 19. Jeff Rudalavage 20. Rick Virkitis 21.

Mike Clapperton 22. Dave Jenkins 23. Jim Gabriel Jr. 24. Bob Savoie 25.

Mike Colsten 26. Russ Hendrickson DNQ: Jim Mahaney, Danny Johnson, Rich

Keehle, Bob Hamm, Chris Weaver, Jamie Shea, Bob Thomas, Rick Whitney,

Daryl Ellis, Ron Mawson Jr., Matt Smith, Mike Frost

SPORTSMAN(30 laps): 1. BRIAN DECKER 2. Shaun Walker 3. Kevin Bates 4.

Rick Whitney 5. Mike Trautschol 6. Jack Swan 7. Chad Cook 8. Ryan

Olsommer 9. Brett Tonkin 10. Jessica Zemken 11. Arnie Slade 12. Bob

Lineman 13. Ken Titus 14. Dusty Jaeger 15. Mike Loney 16. Rick Mill 17.

Dan Buchannon 18. Rick Raisner 19. Brett Tonkin 20. Grant Hilfiger 21.

John Ferguson 22. Brian White 23. Shawn Mills 24. Garth Tonkin Jr. DNQ:

Brian Bray, Pat Votra, Matt Latwinski