GEORGE KOSTELANSKY CAPTURES TIM OLENSKI MEMORIAL AT PENN CAN

(Susquehanna, Pa.) Susquehanna, Pa.'s George Kostelansky picked up his

second win of the season in the Tim Olenski Memorial Modified feature

last Friday night at the Penn Can Speedway. Gary Gallerie picked up his

fourth Sportsman win of the season while Chris Pasecki won his third

Super Stock feature of the season. Randall Paxton won his second Late

Model feature of the season in the American Race Tires Late Model Series

event. Shane Wolf won not one but two Pure Stock features as he emerged

victorious in both the regularly scheduled feature as well as the one

held over from August 23rd to run his season win total to four.

Chris Shupp and Jim Crawn paced the 25 car field to the green flag

to start the 30 lap Tim Olenski Memorial feature with Crawn powering

past Shupp to take over the lead. Crawn continued to lead as fourth starting

Kostelansky advanced to the runner-up position behind Crawn. Meanwhile

back I the field the race for the championship took a major turn on the

eleventh laps as contact between Jeff Bronson and Tom McGurrin sent the

field scattering. While Bronson and McGurrin were able to continue on,

the scramble behind them collected defending champion and current second

place man in points Brian Weaver. Despite damage to the left side of

his car Weaver was able to continue on in the event, but was at the back of

the pack.

The ensuing restart would prove to be the pivotal moment in the

Race as Kostelansky was able to utilize the restart to his advantage to

Snatch the top spot away from Crawn. Once out front George was never seriously

challenged the rest of the way. As Crawn began to fade a bit, Tom

McGurrin moved into second with current point leader Mike Colsten also

moving up to third. Over the closing laps this was the best battle on

the track as Colsten and McGurrin swapped the second position several

times. Colsten was able to take the spot away from McGurrin for good in

the closing stages, but by then Kostelansky enjoyed a comfortable lead

and Mike was not able to run him down over the closing laps. At the

finish it was Kostelansky by a comfortable margin over Colsten and

McGurrin. Brian Weaver was able to rebound from his early misfortune to

finish fourth while Crawn held on to secure the fifth position at the

finish. Alan Shiffler finished sixth while Steve Babicek charged from

21st starting position to finish seventh. Bill Huff, Jeff Bronson, and

Rick Virkitis all recovered from early incidents to salvage top ten

finishes, crossing the line eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively.

In addition to the winner's share of the purse, Kostelansky also

collected a $205 bonus posted by the Olenski family for the race winner.

He also earned a guaranteed starting spot in the All Star Race during

Victoria 200 Weekend at Fulton on October 5th. Fifth finishing Jim

Crawn and 15th place finisher Troy Weisenfluh also collected an extra $205

Each courtesy of the Olenski family.

Chris Weaver, Rick Virkitis, and Jim Crawn won Modified qualifying

races.

Mike Colsten's second place finish coupled with Brian Weaver's

fourth place finish finds Colsten holding a 16 point advantage going

into next Friday night's Pump 'n Pantry Season Championship. Colsten can

clinch the championship next week with a finish of fourth or better in

the Championship Night feature.

In Sportsman action, Gary Gallerie drove to his fourth feature win

of the season in the 20 lap Sportsman feature. Gallerie started fifth

in the feature but wasted little time in making his way to the front,

driving past early race leader Brett Tonkin prior to the halfway point

to take over the lead. Once out front, Gary had things pretty much his own

way as he dominated the remainder of the event to pick up the win.

Craig Terrell advanced to second but could not make a run at Gallerie over the

closing laps and settled for a strong runner-up finish. Jamie Shea

finished third ahead of Ken Titus and Rick Whitney. Alex Konopka, Mike

Marold, Brian Decker, Kevin Timinski, and Bob Lane completed the top

ten.

Craig Terrell's runner-up finish coupled with closet challenger Dan

Vauter's 14th place run assures Terrell of being the first Penn Can

Speedway Sportsman track champion. Going into next week's Championship

night, Terrell holds an insurmountable 118 point cushion over Vauter,

thus assuring him of the championship.

Gary Gallerie, Brian Decker, and Craig Terrell won the three

Sportsman heat races.

The Late Models took a week off from the weekly point chase to run

their final American race Tires Series event of the season at Penn Can.

Falls, Pa.' s Randall Paxton came home the winner of the Late Model

feature, his second win of the 2002 season. With the feature line-up

set by luck of the draw, Paxton started on the outside pole. He drove past

polesetter Jason Carmen early in the event then led the rest of the way

to pick up the victory as he held Carmen off the rest of the way to

score the win. Keith Mudge finished third ahead of Jim Sherman and current

series pint leader Allen Coy, who recovered from an early race flat tire

to salvage a fifth place finish. Dave Zona, RJ Windhausen, Steve

Tourje, Dan Clark, and Jim O'Hara completed the top ten.

Going into next weekend's Championship night, Allen Coy holds an 18

point advantage over Dave Zona. Coy needs to finish fifth or better to

successfully defend his Late Model championship.

Jason Carmen and Keith Mudge came home winners of the Late Model

heat events.

Chris Piasecki won his third Super Stock feature of the season as

He drove the Tony Nalachi owned #16 to a flag to flag victory in the Super

Stock feature. Piasecki led all the way, but it was not an easy win as

he received a strong challenge fronm defending Super Stock champion

Jamie Shea over the closing laps. Shea pressured Piasecki hard over the final

laps but could not find a way past and Piasecki flashed under the

checkered flag for his third win of the season followed closely by Shea.

Paul Rooney, Tracy Gregory, and Joe Cabets completed the top five.

Brett Spoor, Craig Trella, Ron Latwinski, Rick Brown, and Chris Hunsinger

completed the top ten.

Going into Championship Night, Jamie Shea holds a 48 point lead

Over Brett Spoor, meaning that only a major problem on Friday night can stop

Shea from successfully defending his 2001 track championship.

Paul Rooney and Chris Piasecki won Super Stock heat races.

Shane Wolf came home the winner of the regularly scheduled Pure

Stock feature. Newcomer Jeff Witt made his presence known as he came

from 21st starting position to finish second ahead of Bret Welch.

Michael Lartz, and Billy House. Dan Babcock finished sixth ahead of

Championship contenders Toby Sparks and Nate Evans. Both Evand and sparks found

adversity in this race as Sparks suffered a flat tire while running in

the top five then moments later Nate Evans got spun out while running

second. Both charged from the back of the pack to salvage top ten

finishes, running seventh and eighth respectively. Jerry Whitmarsh and

Keith Wilkins completed the top ten.

With over 30 Pure Stocks in the pits, heat ace wins went to Bob

Boynton, Toby Sparks, Daryl Ellis, and Bret Welch. Jeff Witt won the

consolation event.

Shane Wolf opened the night with a win in the held-over event from

August 23rd. Wolf held off Michael Lartz to pick up the win, giving him

a sweep of the two Pure Stock features. Point leader Toby Sparks

finished third ahead of Bob Boynton and Nate Evans. Everett Cass, Jeff

Witt, Gary Druhl, Rob Welsh, and Tom Garren completed the top ten.

The Pure Stock championship will be decided on Championship night

As a very tight battle finds Toby Sparks holding a slim seven point lead

over Nate Evans going into Championship night. This one is going to go

right down to the wire as it is too close to call at this point.

This Friday night is Pump 'n Pantry Championship Night at Penn Can.

All five divisions will be running their final point shows of the season

and the stakes will be high as with the exception of the Sportsman class

where Craig Terrell has clinched the championship, the championship is

still up for grabs in the Modifieds, Late Models, Super Stocks, and Pure

Stocks. Don't miss all of the action which gets underway at 7:15 PM.

RACE SUMMARY:

TIM OLENSKI MEMORIAL MODIFIED FEATURE: 1. GEORGE KOSTELANSKY 2. Mike

Colsten 3. Tom McGurrin 4. Brian Weaver 5. Jim Crawn 6. Alan Shiffler 7.

Steve Babicek 8. Bill Huff 9. Jeff Bronson 10. Rick Virkitis 11. Tom

Hager 12. Mike Nagel 13. Carl Nagel 14. J R. Crouse 15. Troy Weisenfluh

16. Rick Whitney 17. Colin Jackson 18. Chris Shupp 19. Sean Collins 20.

Larry Kelleher 21. Mike Decker 22. Brian Franko23. Andy Tiffany 24. Mike

Clapperton 25. Chris Weaver

SPORTSMAN: 1. GARY GALLERIE 2. Craig Terrell 3. Jamie Shea 4. Ken Titus

5. Rick Whitney 6. Alex Konopka 7. Mike Marold 8. Brian Decker 9. Kevin

Timinski 10. Bob Lane 11. Ray Pursell 12. Frank Bonham 13. Brett Tonkin

14. Dan Vauter 15. Dennis Latwinski 16. Bob Thomas 17. Dan Buchannon 18.

Mark Hanichak 19. Garth Tonkin Jr

AMERICAN RACE TIRE LATE MODEL SERIES FEATURE: 1. RANDALL PAXTON 2. Jason

Carmen 3. Keith Mudge 4. Jim Sherman 5. Allen Coy 6. Dave Zona 7. R. J.

Windhausen 8. Steve Tourje 9. Dan Clark 10. Jim O'Hara 11. Lou Sparks

12. James Cornell Jr. 13. Jom Damiano 14. Brett Dyer 15. Rich King 16. Daryl

Ellis 17. Jamie Griffiths

SUPER STOCK: 1. CHRIS PIASECKI 2. Jamie Shea 3. Paul Rooney 4. Tracy

Gregory 5. Joe Cabets 6. Brett Spoor 7. Craig Trella 8. Ron Latwinski 9.

Rick Brown 10. Chris Hunsinger 11. Dwayne Robbins 12. Rob Schultz 13.

Jack Evans 14. Ken Wynn

PURE STOCK: 1. SHANE WOLF 2. Jeff Witt 3. Bret Welch 4. Michael Lartz 5.

Billy House 6. Dan Bbcock 7. Toby Sparks 8. Nate Evans 9. Jerry

Whitmarsh 10. Keith Wilkins 11. Tm Garren 12. Dave Bagg 13. Greg Brunges 14. Gary

Druhl 15. Brad Albrecht 16. Craig Decker 17. Matt Payne 18. Bob Boynton

19. Jason Sterling 20. Auburn Lyons 21. Everett Cass 22. Mike Hoyte 23.

Daryl Ellis 24. Mark Shipman 25. Mike Hoyte

PURE STOCK FEATURE(held over from August 23rd) 1. SHANE WOLF 2. Michael

Lartz 3. Toby Sparks 4. Bob Boynton 5. Nate Evans 6. Everett Cass 7.

Jeff Witt 8. Gary Druhl 9.Rob Welsh 10. Tom Garren 11. Keith Wilkins 12.

Kevin Davis 13. Bret Welch 14. Dave Bagg 15. Dan Donnelly 16. Greg Brunges 17.

Jim Ortiz 18. Daryl Ellis 19. Ivan Smith 20 Rich Green DNS: Bubba Folk,

Mike Hoyte, Dennis Gow