PENN CAN BEATS MOTHER NATURE, WEAVER BESTS CLAPPERTON IN MODIFIED THRILLER

The tenacity of the Penn Can Speedway management paid off in a big

way on Friday night as they managed to get their entire racing card in

the books despite threatening weather all night. On a night when most

area tracks cancelled early, Penn Can management held out hoping for a

break in the weather, and their efforts were rewarded with a long enough

break in the wet stuff to get the racing card in the books.

Not only did they get the card in, but those fans braving the

weather were treated to a great Modified feature on RWG Construction

night. For the second straight week the outcome was decided on the final

turn of the final lap as Brian Weaver pulled off some last lap heroics to

wrest the lead away from Mike Clapperton in sight of the checkered flag.

Chad Cook picked up his seventh Sportsman feature of the season while

Dave Zona scored his first Late Model triumph of 2003. After coming

close on several occasions, Chris Hunsinger earned his first career Super

Stock victory and Charlie Gilbert won the Pappy Beavans Memorial Pure

Stock feature.

Jamie Shea and John Gurnsey paced the 26 car Modified field to the

green flag wit Gurnsey leading the early stages. The Modifieds had a

tough time getting their event started as caution flags on each of the

first four laps slowed the early stages of the event. Third place

starter Mike Clapperton, who runs a DIRT legal 358 C.I. motor in his

#M-16, was able to move past Gurnsey on the eight circuit of the event,

but Brian Weaver was the man on the move as he charged from his twelfth

starting position to run second behind Clapperton as the race passed the

halfway point.

The second half of the event featured some great racing at the head

of the pack as the two veteran drivers battled for the top spot.

Clapperton chose the high side of the track which allowed him to keep his

momentum and RPM's up, thus negating the big horsepower edge of Weaver's

big block powered machine. In almost every turn Weaver was able to pull

alongside Clapperton, but each time Mike's superior momentum on the high

side allowed him to drive back past Weaver and into the lead.

Weaver nearly took the top spot with a perfectly executed slide job

in the third turn as he drove in hard on the bottom past Clapperton

before sliding up the track in front of Clapperton to momentarily take

the lead. Clapperton countered Weaver's move perfectly as Brian's hard

entry into the corner forced him to drift up just enough for Clapperton

to cut back under Brian and retake the lead as the two veterans were

putting on a show for the Penn Can fans.

That show continued until the final lap when exiting the fourth turn

Clapperton slipped up just the slightest bit, but that was the only

opening that Weaver needed as he powered hard to the low side of the

speedway to pull alongside Clapperton and set up a drag race down the

frontstretch to the checkered flag. The superior horsepower of the big

block proved to be the deciding factor over the last 100 feet as Weaver

was just able to get the nose of his car past Clapperton as they flashed

under the checkered flag. Officials estimated Weaver's winning margin

between 1 and 2 feet. Clapperton's runner-up finish earned him the bonus

as the highest finishing car powered by a DIRT legal 358 C.I. motor.

Alan Rudalavage, Jamie Shea, and Steve Babicek were third through fifth

respectively. Dave Jenkins, Chris Shupp, Mike Decker, Bill Huff, and

last week's winner (also by photo finish) George Kostleansky rounded out

the top ten finishers.

Steve Babicek, Alan Rudalavage, and Dave Jenkins won the three

Modified heats with Bobby Trapper picking up the consolation victory.

In the Sportsman division, Chad cook wheeled his Coventry Transport

sponsored #2J to his seventh Penn Can feature win of the season. Cook

started eighth but wasted little time in making his way to the front as

he drove past early leader Dwayne Robbins to take over the top spot.

From there, Cook dominated the remainder of the event to pick up the win.

Robbins, a rookie this season in the Sportsman class, enjoyed his best

finish of the season with a second place effort behind Cook. Brian

Decker, Shawn Mills, and Mike Loney made up the remainder of the top

five. Brett Tonkin, Ken Titus, Garth Tonkin Jr., Shawn Walker, and Bruce

Evans Jr. placed sixth through tenth respectively.

Shawn Walker and Dwayne Robbins won he two Sportsman heat races.

Dave Zona piloted his Forkey's Welding sponsored #99Z to his first

victory of the season in the 20 lap Late Model feature. Zona started

eighth on the field as rookie Adam MacGeorge took advantage of a front

row starting spot to lead the early laps of the event. The rookie was no

match for Zona, however, as Dave was able to work past and into the lead.

Jason Carman tried to make a late run at Zona, but Dave was too strong

and he held on to win his first Penn Can feature of the season as Carman

settled for second ahead of previous winner Joe Damiano, Keith Mudge,

and Brent Dyer. Jim O'Hara, Steve Tourje, Pete Sobol, Adam MacGeorge,

and Allen Coy finished in that order in the back half of the top five.

Keith Mudge and Brent Dyer won Late Model heat races.

After several years of trying, Scranton, Pa.'s Chris Hunsinger broke

the ice on Friday night as he drove his Harrisburg Auto Auction/.Nunzi's

Automotive sponsored #15Jr. to his first career Penn Can Speedway

victory. Hunsinger battled Paul Rooney for most of the race before

taking the win. In the closing stages, James Cornell pressured Rooney

for the runner-up spot and as those two battled for second, Hunsinger was

able to open up a bit of a lead. Behind Hunsinger, Rooney held on for

second with Cornell third. Tracy Gregory and Mike Decker rounded out the

top five. Wade Decker finished sixth ahead of newcomer Phil Retter,

rookie Chris Strohl, Jim Hughes, and David Luff.

Hunsinger made it a clean sweep of the evening's activities as he

also won his heat race while Rooney prevailed in the other qualifying

event.

"Chargin" Charlie Gilbert picked up his second Pure Stock win of the

season in the Pappy Beavans Memorial Pure Stock feature, collecting the

$100 bonus from the Beavans family which comes in the form of 100 silver

dollars, a tradition at Penn Can for many years. Gilbert had to work for

the victory, as he was under heavy pressure from Dick Stark over the

second half of the event. Gilbert drove a perfect line and never opened

the door for Stark, who was able to pull alongside Gilbert several times

bout could not make the pass, settling for a strong runner-up finish.

Everett Cass, Keith Wilkins, and Michael Lartz completed the top five

running order. Josh Ellis, Tom Garren, Shane Wolf, Jason Harrington, and

Billy house rounded out the top ten finishers.

Shane Wolf, Everett Cass, and Billy House won Pure Stock qualifying

events.

Coming up on Tuesday, August 12th, the Penn Can Speedway will

present their annual "Hot Summer Nights" event. This year's Hot Summer

Nights card will feature an all open wheel event as the Modifieds and

Sportsman divisions will be in action. The Modifieds will see action in

a special 40 lap $2,500 to win feature with the winner receiving a

guaranteed starting spot in the Don's Automotive Mall Gary's U-Pull It

King of the Can race on September 19th. The Small Block Bonus on this

night will be doubled to $500 if a car powered by a DIRT legal 358 motor

wins the feature. If a car not eligible for the bonus wins, the highest

finishing DIRT legal Small Block collets $250. Along with the Modifieds,

the Sportsman division will see action in a 30 lap $1,000 to win event.

Special tire rules will be in effect in both classes as teams will have

the option of running either the regular track McCreary tires or DIRT

legal Hoosier tires.

Racing continues this Friday night at 7:15 PM with a five star

racing card. The Modifieds, Sportsman, Late Models, Super Stocks and

Pure Stocks will all be in action in a five star racing card.

The Penn Can Speedway is located on Pa. Rte 171, about 7 miles East

of the Great Bend exit off I-81. For more information on the Penn Can

Speedway, log onto www.penncan.com.

RACE SUMMARY:

MODIFIEDS 1. BRIAN WEAVER 2. Mike Clapperton 3. Alan Rudalavage 4. Jamie

Shea 5. Steve Babicek 6. Dave Jenkins 7. Chris Shupp 8. Mike Decker 9.

Bill Huff 10. George Kostelansky 11. Mike Nagel 12. Tom McGurrin 13.

Brian Franko 14. Rick Virkitis 15. Shawn Collins 16. Chris Weaver 17. Bob

Thomas 18. Mike Colsten 19. Mike Frost 20. Daryl Ellis 21. Ted Hollenbeck

22. Rick Holgate 23. John Gurnsey 24. Bobby Trapper 25. Roger Lewis 26.

Jeff Bronson

SPORTSMAN: 1. CHAD COOK 2. Dwayne Robbins 3. Brian Decker 4. Shawn Mills

5. Mike Loney 6. Brett Tonkin 7. Ken Titus 8. Garth Tonkin Jr. 9. Shawn

Wwalker 10. Bruce Evans Jr. 11. Greg Buchannon 12. Kevin Bates 13. Rick

Brown

LATE MODEL: 1. DAVE ZONA 2. Jason Carman 3. Joe Damiano 4. Keith Mudge 5.

Brent Dyer 6. Jim O'Hara 7. Steve Tourje 8. Pete sobol 9. Adam MacGeorge

10. Allen Coy 11. Randall Paxton 12. Lou Sparks 13. Jamie Griffiths 14.

Rich King 15. Bud Phillips

SUPER STOCK: 1. CHRIS HUNSINGER 2. Paul Rooney 3. James Cornell 4. Tracy

Gregory 5. Mike Decker 6. Wade Decker 7. Phil Retter 8. Chris Strohl 8.

Jim Hughes 10. David Luff 11. Adam Diaz 12. Dan Pompey 13. Nate Evans

PAPPY BEAVANS MEMORIAL PURE STOCKS: 1. CHARLIE GILBERT 2. Dick Stark 3.

Everett Cass 4. Keith Wilkins 5. Michael Lartz 6. Josh Ellis 7. Tom

Garren 8. Shane Wolf 9. Jason Harrington 10. Billy House 11. Frank Penney

12. Tom Eiklor 13. Rick Hand 14. Kevin Davies 15. Jerry Lobbdell 16.

Harry Marvin III 17. Gregg Brunges 18. John Evans 19. Ivan Smith 20. Bob

Boynton 21. Dan Babcock 22. Fred Velez