KOSTELANSKY GETS WIN NUMBER TWO AT PENN CAN

Susquehanna, Pa...7/24/98....George Kostelansky grabbed win number two

for the 1998 season as he passed Jim Witko on lap eight and never looked

back en route to the thirty lap Modified feature event last Friday night

at the Penn Can Speedway despite the numerous cautions that plagued the

race.

Ed Hawley and Bob Hamm started the race from the front row and

Hamm quickly opened up a small advantage over the rest of the field.

With the field exiting turn two after completing lap two, Jeff Bronson

made contact with third place Hawley send the veteran, Hawley into a

slide and in the process involving half the field into a backstretch

parking lot with Carl Nagel's machine coming out with some serious

damage inflicted.

When the race resumed with Hamm still in the spot, the man on

the move was former winner Jim Witko. Witko moved into second on lap

three and took the lead from Hamm a couple of laps later. As soon as

Witko made his move, Kostelansky quickly followed suit, passing Hamm on

the outside and falling in behind Witko as lap six was completed. Two

laps later Kostelansky dove under Witko going into turn one to capture

the top spot.

As the laps wound down, the yellow flags flew en mass and a

number of minor incidents marred the event and slowed the event

dramatically. Kostelansky never faltered throughout as Witko stayed

close enough to apply token pressure but never had enough to mount a

serious challenge. Rusty Harrington moved into a comfortable third on

lap eleven and stayed there the rest of the race, holding off Mike Nagel

and point leader Jeff Rudalavage for that spot right until the end of

the race. That's the way it ended with Kostelansky in front followed by

Witko, Harrington, Mike Nagel and Jeff Rudalavage in the top five

finishing positions. Sixth through tenth went to another good run by the

unheralded Garth Tonkin in sixth, Hamm held on for seventh, last week's

winner Mike Colsten struggled to eighth while Bill Tittle and Chuck

Akulis completed the top ten.

Brad Schafer led the first lap of the twenty lap Late Model

feature before "the fat rat" Larry Dilello took over and set the pace

for the next dozen laps until point leader Warren Stone caught up.

Stone, who started tenth steadily moved through the pack while Dilello

was busy up front holding off a surprisingly strong Dave Zona.

Stone got by Zona on lap thirteen and got by Dilello a couple of

laps later to take home win number two of the 1998 season and retain his

small point margin. Dilello, in his best finish so far this year came

home second while Zona in another powerful run took third. Completing

the top five were Curt Tunilo and two time winner Gene Sharpsteen. Last

week's winner Dan Stone had a tough night with a flat tire and not

getting hooked up to the track eventually ending up fourteenth.

Brett Spoor led lap one of the twenty lap Street Stock feature

consistent top ten finisher Joe Domiano took over. Domiano led the next

nine laps until the halfway point when what look like a sure win turned

very sour. Something in the rear of Domiano's machine broke while in

front causing the left rear wheel to collapse, taking him out of the

race.

Two time winner Chuck Boman inherited the top spot and proceeded

to lead the next seven circuits before fate, in the form of Sean Collins

stepped in. Collins, while running second, got into the back of the

Boman machine, taking him around. Boman went to the rear and Collins was

sent to the pits. The most surprised driver in the place was third

place runner Mike Loney who found himself in the top spot. Loney held

off Jamie Shea over the last three laps to grab off his third win of the

year and tighten up the points battle between himself and Shea. Glen

Wilcox held off last week's winner Dick Vauter for third while Boman

came back and got fifth.

The final event on the cars was the fifteen lap Pure Stock event

and it went green to checker without a yellow and point leader Duane

Robbins led every lap to take home win number three of the season.

Robbins was never seriously challenged and Kevin Cole took his second

consecutive second place finish. He was followed by Rich Keehle in

third, Joe Cole in fourth and Randy Testa in fifth.

Next week will be another regular show of Modifieds, Late

Models, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks and the Dwarf Cars will also be on

the schedule. Racing is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

MODIFIED FINISH: George Kostelansky, Jim Witko, Rusty

Harrington, Mike Nagel, Jeff Rudalavage, Garth Tonkin, Bob Hamm Jr.,

Mike Colsten, Bill Tittle, Chuck Akulis, Randy Decker, Glen Knapp, Al

Jubinski, Bill Huff, Jeff Bronson, John Siedlecky, Dan Stone, Jim Witko

Jr., Butch Tittle, Dan Morden, Alan Rudalavage, Rick Virkitis, Ed

Hawley, Carl Nagel, Kirk Horton, Chris Shupp.

LATE MODEL FINISH: Warren Stone, Larry Dilello, Dave Zona, Curt

Tunilo, Gene Sharpsteen, Keith Stone, Alan Coy, Dave Passetti, Jim

O’Hara, Jason Bedford, Jamie Griffiths, Chad Hollenbeck, Brad Schafer,

Dan Stone, Randall Paxton, Rick Holgate, Gary Allen, Dennis Latwinski.

STREET STOCK FINISH: Mike Loney, Jamie Shea, Glen Wilcox, Dick

Vauter, Chuck Boman, Dan Podwika, Chris Hunsinger, Ken Sparks Jr., Brett

Spoor, Sean Collins, Mike Decker, Joe Domiano, Mike Frost, Frank Bonham,

Paul Rooney, Tony Nalachi.

PURE STOCK FINISH: Dwayne Robbins, Kevin Cole, Rich Keehle, Joe

Cole, Randy Testa, Bob Teebury, Frank Supeck, Mark Jubinski.