RICK WHITNEY, BOB CHAPMAN, DAN VAUTER, AL COY, AND CRAIG DECKER VISIT

PENN CAN SPEEDWAY VICTORY LANE

(Susquehanna, Pa.) Rick Whitney picked up his first feature event

win of the season last Friday night on Don's Automotive Mall Night at the

Penn Can Speedway. Whitney came home victorious in the 30 lap Modified

feature to record his first win of the 2001 season. Bob Chapman picked

up his second win of the season in IMCA Modified action while Al Coy won

his third Late Model feature of the season. A pair of teenagers also

had memorable nights as 15 year old Dan Vauter won his second Super Stock

feature of the season . Sixteen year old Craig Decker became the third

generation of the Decker family to win at Penn Can as he scored his

first career feature win in Pure Stock action.

The 30 lap Modified feature saw rookie Chris Weaver grab the early

lead and hold the top spot for the opening laps before being chased down

and passed by eventual winner Whitney, who took his Whitney Stone

sponsored #114 to the top spot as he moved past Weaver. The first 23

laps of the Modified feature would run without a caution flag which

allowed Whitney to build up an advantage over the rest of the field.

When that caution flag did fly on lap 23, this closed up the field

behind

Whitney. On the restart, Butch Tittle, who had charged from his 11th

starting position slipped past Weaver for the runner-up position.

This set up what would be a dramatic final lap. As the leaders

received the white flag, Tittle made a low move entering the first turn

to take the top spot away from Whitney, but in doing so got into the

first turn hot and pushed up which allowed Whitney to dive underneath

and re-take the top spot. The two raced dead even down the backstretch with

Whiney taking advantage of his position in the preferred inside groove

to re-take the lead in the third turn, then hold off a final outside charge

by Tittle to take the win. Tittle finished second with Chris Weaver

earning a career best third place finish. Bill Huff and George

Kostelansky completed the top five. Jeff Bronson, Mike Colsten, Mike

Nagel, Alan Rudalavage, and Carl Nagel made up the second half of the

top ten finishing order.

Kirk Horton, Alan Rudalavage, and Harry Marvin earned Modified heat

wins. Brian Decker was the consolation winner.

Alan Coy came home the winner of the 20 lap Late Model feature

event. Coy started the feature event tenth and worked his way steadily

forward, taking the top spot away from Jamie Griffiths just prior to the

halfway point of the feature. Once out front, Coy had things his way as

he was not challenged the rest of the way. The win was Coy's third of

the season at Penn Can. Jamie Griffiths finished second with Randall

Paxton, Al Whittaker, and Keith Mudge rounding out the top five.

Finishing in positions six through ten were Jo Damiano, Jim Sherman,

Gene

Sharpsteen, Dave Zona, and Jim O'Hara.

Late Model heat winners were Gene Sharpsteen and Al Coy.

Bob Chapman picked up his second IMCA Modified feature event of the

season, breaking Sean Lias' streak of four wins in a row. Lias was an

early retiree from this feature with transmission problems aboard his

#37. Steve Hartman chased Chapman across the finish line, but was not

able to challenge for the win. Larry Robbins finished third ahead of

Kevin Cole and Charlie Gilbert.

Steve Harman and Sean Lias took qualifying race wins in IMCA

Modified action.

Vandling, Pa. teenager Dan Vauter picked up his second Super Stock

feature of the season. The second generation star piloted his Community

Bank and Trust sponsored #14 to a thrilling feature win as he and Chris

Piasecki spent many laps battling side by side for the top spot. Vauter

was able to hold off repeated challenges from Piasecki to take the win

over Chris. Glenn Wilcox, Tracy Gregory and Paul Rooney made up the

remainder of the top five finishing order. Ken Sparks, Mark Hanichak,

Dwayne Robbins, Rick Brown, and Nick Petrilak finished sixth through

tenth respectively.

Tracy Gregory and Brett Spoor were Pure Stock heat race winners.

Craig Decker became the third generation of racing Deckers to win

at

Penn Can as Craig became a first time winner in the 15 lap Pure Stock

feature. Wheeling his familiar Decker Logging #9C, Decker took over the

top spot from Nate Shay on an early restart, then led the rest of the

way

to score a popular victory. Harry Marvin IV finished second, but could

not make a run at Decker. Chad Stone, Nate Evans, and Nate Shay also

earned top five finishes. Shane Wolff, Roger Salai, Everett Cass, Jerry

Whitmarsh and Bob Tyriw completed the top ten.

Harry Marvin IV and Shane Wolff were Pure Stock qualifying race

winners.

Racing continues this Friday night at 7:15 PM sharp with a regular

five division show consisting of Modifieds, IMCA Modifieds, Late Models,

Super Stocks, and Pure Stocks on the card. Penn Can Speedway is

located

on Pennsylvania Rte 171, seven miles East of Exit 230 (formerly Exit 68)

off I-81. For more information regarding the Penn Can Speedway, contact

the speedway office at (570)-585-9928. The race day track phone number

is (570)-853-3434.

DON'S AUTOMOTIVE MALL RACE SUMMARY:

MODIFIEDS: 1. RICK WHITNEY 2. Butch Tittle 3. Chris weaver 4. Bill Huff

5. George Kostelansky 6. Jeff Bronson 7. Mike Colsten 8. Mike Nagel 9.

Alan Rudalavage 10. Carl Nagel 11. Rick Virkitis 12. Harry Marvin 13.

Mike Decker 14. Garth Tonkin 15. chris Schupp 16. Brian Franko 17. Kirk

Horton 18. John Gournsey 19. Tom McGurrin 20. Rich Keehle 21. Scott

Frack

22. Tom Oleski 23. Brian Decker 24. Brian Weaver DNQ: Mike Frederick,

Tom

Rose

LATE MODELS: 1. AL COY 2. Jamie Griffiths 3. Randall Paxton 4. Al

Whittaker 5. Keith Mudge 6. Joe Damiano 7. Jim Sherman 8 Gene Sharpsteen

9. Dave Zona 10. Jim O' Hara 11. Jim Fuga 12. George Leatso 13. Rich

King

14. Jade Brewer 15. Jason Carmen 16. Jason Bedford 17. Lou Sparks 18.

Clint Kauffman DNS: Bill Carp

IMCA MODIFIEDS: 1. BOB CHAPMAN 2. Steve Hartman 3. Loarry Robbins 4. Joe

Cole 5. Charlie Gilbert 6. Billy House 7. Joe Cole 8. Jason Makosky 9.

Steve Welsh 10. Sean Lias DNS: Frank Bonham

SUPER STOCK 1. DAN VAUTER 2. Chris Piasecki 3. Glenn Wilcox 4. Tracy

Gregory 5. Paul Rooney 6. Ken Sparks 7. Mark Hanichak 8. Dwayne Robbins

9. Rick Brown 10. Nick Petrilak 11. Rich Keehle 12. Jamie Shea13. Randy Rollison 14.

Brett Spoor 15. Dave Anderson 16. Craig Trella DNS: Jeff Simko

PURE STOCK: 1. CRAIG DECKER 2. Harry Marvin IV 3. Chad Stone 4. Nate

Evans 5. Nate Shay 6. Shane Wolff 7. Roger Salai 8. Everett Cass 9.

Jerry

Whitmarsh 10. Bob Tyriw 11. Michael Lartz 12. Tom Garron 13. Keith

Wilkins 14. Brett Tonkin 15. Danny Bagg 16. William Solowej 17. Jim

Ortiz

18. Andy Crowell DNS: Archie Ellsworth