JEFF STRUNK, KEVIN BATES, KEITH MUDGE, JAMES CORNELL, AND KEITH WILKINS

FRIDAY NIGHT STARS AT PENN CAN

(Susquehanna, Pa) It only took Jeff Strunk three weeks to find his way to

victory lane at the Penn Can Speedway as he wheeled his Chad Sinon

Motorsports/BPG Racing Bicknell machine to his first career Penn Can

Modified feature win in only his third start at the speedway. Teenage

racing sensation Kevin Bates pulled off a last lap pass to win his first

Sportsman feature of the season while Keith Mudge led every lap of the

Late Model feature for his first trip to victory lane in 2003. James

Cornell continued to dominate the Super Stock division as he picked up

his third win in as many starts in 2003 and Keith Wilkins drove to a very

popular first career victory in the Pure Stock feature.

Mike Nagel and Ralph Mele paced the Modified feature to the green

flag with Mele leading the early stages before BPG racing teammates Tom

McGurrin and Alan Rudalavage were able to storm past and into the top two

positions as eventual winner Strunk was making his way toward the front

from his twelfth starting position. By halfway, Strunk had driven his

way up to third as McGurrin and Rudalavage swapped the top spot between

them several times as Strunk was rapidly closing in.

Just past the halfway point, Strunk had worked past McGurrin into

the runner-up position and was closing the gap on Rudalavage for the

lead. Strunk too the lead with a daring move in the closing stages of

the race. As he and Rudalavage battled for the top spot in heavy lapped

traffic, Strunk saw a hole open up to the outside. Seizing the

opportunity, Jeff went to the outside of Rudalavage exiting the second

turn. This would prove to be the winning move as Jeff was able to wrest

the lead away from Rudalavage, a lead that he would never relinquish.

A last lap caution flag gave Rudalavage one final shot to try to

work past Strunk, but Jeff was not going to be denied his first Penn Can

Speedway feature win. He executed a perfect restart and was able to open

enough of a lead on Rudalavage that Alan could not make a run over the

final lap. Jeff's Main Engines powered Bicknell machine crossed under

the checkered flag by a comfortable margin over fellow BPG Motorsports

team member Rudalavage. Tom McGurrin finished third to give the Chad

Sinon Motorsports/BPG Racing Team a sweep of the top three finishing

positions. Bill Huff not only collected fourth place money, but for the

second time this season he collected a $200 bonus since his fourth place

finish was the highest for a DIRT legal 358 Modified. George Kostelansky

rounded out the top five finishing order. Defending track champion Brian

Weaver finished sixth ahead of Mike Colsten, Rick Virkitis, Brian Franko,

and Ralph Mele.

Ralph Mele, Alan Rudalavage, Tom McGurrin, and Dave Jenkins won the

four Modified heat races. Butch Tittle was the consolation event winner.

The Sportsman division feature event saw sixteen year old Kevin

Bates pull off a stunning last lap pass to pick up his first Sportsman

win of the 2003 season aboard his Stag Excavating/Penns Best Trucking

sponsored #42. Bates started tenth o9n the field but capitalized on a

series of early race caution flags to work his way into contention. As

it was in the Modified feature, lapped traffic also played a role in

determining the outcome of this race as well. With the white flag being

displayed, Kevin was chasing fellow teenager Brett Tonkin, who was

looking for his first career feature win. As the two approached heavy

traffic, Tonkin hesitated for just an instant, and Bates was in position

to capitalize on the opportunity. Kevin chose the outside groove exiting

the turn in traffic, and he made a good choice as the outside lane was

clear which allowed Kevin to drive past Tonkin and take the white flag as

the race leader. Kevin ran of the final lap without any challenge from

behind to score his first win of the 2003 season and second career at

Penn Can. Tonkin drove a strong race to finish second to bates, meaning

that the top two finishers in the Sportsman feature have yet to reach

their 20th birthday. Anthony Reggie finished third ahead of Mike Loney

and Shawn Mills. Rick Whitney, Grant Hilfiger, Dwayne Robbins, Dave

Leyshon, and Brian Decker were sixth through tenth respectively.

The Sportsman qualifying racers were won by Rick Mills, Chad Cook,

and Ted Stout.

In the Late Model division, Keith Mudge made the most of an outside

pole starting position as he led all 20 laps of the Late Model feature to

pick up the win in his Benson Steel Fabricating sponsored #35. Mudge had

to hold off a late challenge from Dave Zona to pick up the win while Zona

settled for a runner-up finish after a strong run. Jason Carman finished

third ahead of Jamie Griffiths and Jim O'Hara. Joe Damiano, Brent Dyer,

Randall Paxton, Bud Phillips, and Adam MacGeorge completed the top ten

finishing order.

The pair of Late Model heats were won by Randall Paxton and Keith

Mudge.

James Cornell continued his domination of the Super Stock division

thus far in the 2003 season at Penn Can as he drove his Colors Inc./Tepco

Truck Parts sponsored entry to his third victory in as many starts. This

was not an easy win for Cornell, however, as he had to pull off some late

race heroics in order to earn the win. Throughout most of the race the

battle for the lead was between Paul Rooney and David Luff as Rooney held

onto the lead but was under constant pressure from Luff while Cornell sat

third. As the laps wound down, James was able to get around Luff for

second, then make the winning pass on Rooney as the white flag was

displayed . Rooney held on for a solid runner-up finish while Luff

crossed the line third. Chris Strohl finished fourth while Jay

Sisenkitch picked up his first ever top five finish with a fifth place

run. Chris Hunsinger finished fifth while Brett Spoor rebounded to

finish seventh after climbing the fourth turn bank and nearly leaving the

speedway. Tracy Gregory, Nate Evans, and newcomer Carl Heater completed

the top ten running order.

In the Pure Stock ranks, Factoryville, Pa.'s Keith Wilkins drove to

his first career feature win. Wilkins started fourth and took control of

the event early, bu over the closing stages he was under heavy pressure

from Harry Marvin III for the top spot. Marvin challenged Wilkins all

the way, but Keith never opened the door for Marvin and Harry settled for

a solid runner-up finish. Defending track champion Toby Sparks made his

initial start of the season and wound up finishing third with Shane Wolf

and Craig Decker completing the top five. Rookie Josh Ellis scored a

sixth place finish ahead of Billy House, Tom Garren, Kevin Davies, and

Greg Brunges.

Craig Decker, Charlie Gilbert, and Kith Wilkins won the three Pure

Stock heat races.

On Friday, May 23rd, the URC Sprint Cars will make their annual

appearance at the Penn Can Speedway. They will be joined by the

Modifieds, Super Stocks and Pure Stocks as the Late Models and the

Sportsman will have the night off. Last year's event saw more than 30

sprint cars in the pits, led by former Penn Can Speedway Modified star

George Suprick. The URC club's early season car counts have been strong,

so look for another solid field of sprint cars for this very special

event.

Racing action continues this Friday night at Penn Can when the

Modifieds, Sportsman, Late Models, Super Stocks, and Pure Stocks return

to action in another five star racing card. Racing action gets underway

at 7:15 PM. The Penn Can Speedway is located in Susquehanna, Pa. about

seven miles South of Binghamton, NY. Penn Can Speedway is located on

Pennsylvania Rte 171, about 7 miles East of Exit #230 off I-81.

RACE SUMMARY:

MODIFIEDS: 1. JEFF STRUNK 2. Alan Rudalavage 3. Tom McGurrin 4. Bill Huff

5. George Kostelansky 6. Brian Weaver 7. Mike Colsten 8. Rick Virkitis 9.

Brian Franko 10. Ralph Mele 11. Mike Nagel 12. Jeff Bronson 13. Butch

Tittle 14. Chris Shupp 15. Mike Clapperton 16. Joey Grammes 17. Dave

Jenkins 18. Daryl Ellis 19. Sean Collins 20. Rick Whitney 21. Steve

Babicek 22. Mike Decker 23. Chris Weaver 24. Mike Frost

SPORTSMAN: 1. KEVIN BATES 2. Brett Tonkin 3. Anthony Reggie 4. Mike Loney

5. Shawn Mills 6. Rick Whitney 7. Grant Hilfiger 8. Dwayne Robbins 9.

Dave Leyshon 10. Brian Decker 11. Ted Stout 12. Bob Lane 13. Rick Thomas

14. Brandon Buck 15. Mike Mondak 16. Ken Titus 17. Brian White 18.Ryan

Olsommer 19. Dan Buchannon 20. Chad Cook 21. Joe Wielgolz 22. Brian Bray

23. Rick Brown 24. Garth Tonkin Jr. DNQ: Alex Konopka, Bruce Evans Jr.

LATE MODEL: 1. KEITH MUDGE 2. Dave Zona 3. Jason Carman 4. Jamie

Griffiths 5. Jim O'Hara 6. Joe Damiano 7. Brent Dyer 8. Randall Paxton 9.

Bud Phillips 10. Adam MacGeorge 11. Lou Sparks 12. Rich King 13. Steve

Tourje

SUPER STOCK: 1. JAMES CORNELL 2. Paul Rooney 3. David Luff 4. Chris

Strohl 5. Jat Sisenkinch 6. Chris Hunsinger 7. Brett Spoor 8. Tracy

Gregory 9. Nate Evans 10. Carl Heater 11. Matt Gesford 12. Eric Bonham

13. Darren Stout DNS: Joe Cabets

PURE STOCK: 1. KEITN WILKINS 2. Harry Marvin Jr. 3. Toby Sparks 4. Shane

Wolf 5. Craig Decker 6. Josh Ellis 7. Billy House 8. Tom Garren 9. Kevin

Davies 10. Gregg Brunges 11. John Evans 12. Matt Payne 13. Brian Mills

14. Dan Donnelly Jr. 15. Frank Penny 16. Charlie Gilbert 17. Matt Hoyte

18. Michael Lartz DNS: Rich Green, Kevin Green, Bob Tyriw