TITTLE HOLDS OFF AKULIS FOR PENN CAN SPEEDWAY WIN

Susquehanna, Pa...5/16/98....Butch Tittle of Saylorsburg, Pa held of the

previous race winner and ten time track champ Chuck Akulis over the last

ten laps to score his first Modified feature win of the 1998 racing

season last Friday night in the headline thirty lap event.

Tittle, who started fifteenth on the field and took the lead on

lap twelve, steadily worked his way through lapped traffic over those

last ten laps after Akulis had put his Parts Plus sponsored machine in

the runner up spot and in a position to try to make it two in a row.

Mike Frederick led the first lap from his pole position before a

strong running Billy Huff took over on lap two. Huff led through the

first of three yellows when Randy Decker got sideways entering turn one

and was hit by Jeff Bronson and a couple of other cars on lap nine.

Amazingly all the

cars involved were able to drive away and only Bronson was done for the

evening. When the race resumed it was still Huff in front but Tittle was

right on his back bumper for second and a quick running Alan Rudalavage

right there for third, Billy Tittle in fourth and Akulis running in the

top

five . Three laps later Tittle got by Huff for the lead. At the halfway

point Rudalavage went by Huff for second while Akulis had moved into

fourth as Bill Tittle jumped the berm in turn four.Lap seventeen was the

turning point of the race as Akulis got both Huff and Rudalavage in

heavy lapped

traffic to move into second and set sail after Tittle who by now had

opened up a substantial margin over the rest of the field.

As the laps wore down, Akulis closed the gap right on the back

bumper of Tittle. They pair got into more traffic when they came upon

Bob Hamm on the last lap. With the pair running side by side and the

lapped machine of Hamm right there in front of them it was obvious

whoever picked the groove where Hamm wasn't was going to win the race.

Akulis went high coming off two and briefly forged in front but Tittle

charged back inside as Hamm's car drifted up just a little coming off

four and that was all Tittle needed to secure the win. Akulis was a

scant car length behind in second while Huff, in his best effort in a

long time was a solid third. Alan Rudalavage maintained his strong

running early season form to gain a fourth while Glen Knapp rounded out

the top five. Sixth through tenth went to Carl Nagel, Bill Tittle, Jim

Witko Jr., Randy Decker and John Siedlecky.

The twenty lap Late Model feature can be summed up in one word.

Heartbreak. Daleville, Pa.'s Jim OHara started on the pole and led the

first eighteen and three quarter laps before the front end broke. Dan

Stone was right there in second to take advantage and win his second

feature of

the year.OHara had led from the outset through a half dozen yellow

flags and with many challengers next to and behind him, but OHara was

equal to the task. An incident early in the race probably cost him later

on.

While the leaders were trying to weave their way through the

myriad of lapped traffic, OHara came in contact with the lapped car of

Gary Allen. It looked to be only incidental contact but it could have

been the deciding factor late in the race. With OHara in front, the

exciting Dan Stone seemed to mired back in the pack but he found an

outside groove late in the race and made a headlong charge to the front

in the last six laps and putting himself in the position to win the race

when OHara broke. When the race resumed after O'Hara's misfortune, Gene

Sharpsten and Curt Tunilo

lined up right behind Stone but it was no contest as Stone pulled away

to a six car length win at the end. Sharpsten took a solid second while

Tunilo came home third. Warren and Keith Stone completed the top five

finishers.

Craig Terrell led the early going of the twenty lap Street Stock

feature but it was short lived as Chuck Boman took over on lap three. It

was Boman's race until Jamie Shea came into the picture on lap seven and

moved

into second. At the halfway point with numerous yellow flags already

come and gone, it was Boman over Shea, Mike Buchek, Terrell and Mike

Decker in the top five spots.

Boman and Shea raced side by side for the next couple of laps

before Shea went by for good on lap twelve. The previous two race winner

Frank Bonham was running in the top eight when he and Mike Loney tangled

on lap eighteen and both went to the rear. He was never a factor after

that. Shea cruised comfortably home a winner for the first time in 1998.

He was followed by

Boman, Buchek, Terrell and Glenn Wilcox in the top five spots. Ah! but

it race was not over yet.

In a post race inspection Shea, Boman and Terrell were all

disqualified for technical reasons, giving the win to Mike Buchek.

The fifteen lap Pure Stock event had an extra incentive. It was

Pappy Beavan night and there was extra money on the line for the first

three finishers in the form of fifty extra Susan B. Anthony Silver

Dollars for the winner, Twenty-Five for second, Fifteen for third and

Ten for fourth

finishing positions. The past two races saw Bill Carp be the dominating

car only to have something go wrong and lose the race. Tonight he was

not to be denied as he led all fifteen laps en route to his first

victory of the season.

He was never seriously challenged and the car stayed together

for all the laps. Dwayne Robbins came home second in a spirited battle

with Rich Keehle while Charlie Gilbert and Jay Bradley completed the top

five.

Also on the card tonight were the KLASCAR Legend Series and they

came with thirty-four cars. Bob Sell led the first two laps before Kurt

Stametz took over on lap three. Stametz led until he got a little loose

coming off turn four on lap eight which gave the lead to Zane Zeiner.

Zeiner led the next

few laps until he too got a little loose giving the lead to Paul

Rochelle III. On a lap seventeen restart, Walt Martowicz got into the

fray as he, Rochelle and Zeiner went at it tooth and nail over the last

three laps.

Martowicz took over the lead when Rochelle bobbled on the

restart and dropped a few spots. Martowicz led the next lap until Zeiner

once again took over and Rochelle moved back into third. On the white

flag lap Zeiner asserted himself back into the first spot leaving

Martowicz to deal with

Rochelle. Rochelle went by Martowicz going down the backstretch and the

two made contact in turn four with Rochelle going around and Martowicz

coming out of it with second as Zeiner crossed under the checkers the

winner.

Martowicz was penalized by the flagger for getting into Rochelle

and put to the back of the lead lap, thereby giving second to a very

surprised Tim Tomson. Finishing third in this wild event was Tim Henry

while Rick Homan and Ray Scigowski completed the top five.

Next week will be a regular four class show consisting of

Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks along with the

second appearance of the Dwarf Cars. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. with

the first heat scheduled to go off at 7:30 p.m.

MODIFIED FEATURE: Butch Tittle, Chuck Akulis, Billy Huff, Alan

Rudalavage, Glen Knapp, Carl Nagel, Bill Tittle, Jim Witko Jr., Randy

Decker, John Siedlecky, George Kostelansky, Mike Frederick, Mike

Colsten, Rick Virkitis, Bob Hamm, Al Jubinski, Rusty Harrington, Garth

Tonkin, Joe Eisenhauer,

Scott Seman, Dan Stone, Mike Nagel, Alan Kellogg, Larry Kelleher, Jeff

Bronson, Jeff Rudalavage, Ed Hawley.

LATE MODEL FEATURE: Dan Stone, Gene Sharpsten, Curt Tunilo,

Warren Stone, Keith Stone, Larry Dilello, Dave Passetti, Alan Coy, Jamie

Griffiths, Rick Holgate, Jim OHara, Clayton Kauffman, Gary Allen, Marty

Bunker, Jason Bedford.

STREET STOCK FEATURE: Mike Buchek, Glenn Wilcox, Joe Damiano,

Dick Vauter, Mike Decker, John Greene, Dan Podwika, Jerry Whitmarsh,

Brian Taylor, Paul Fyfe, Mike Loney, Pete Gulick, Tony Nalachi, Frank

Bonham, Ken Winn, Sean Collins, Paul Rooney, Buddy Piccolini, Chris

Hunsinger, Ken Sparks Jr. DQ-Jamie Shea, Chuck Boman, Craig Terrell.

PAPPY BEAVAN MEMORIAL PURE STOCK FEATURE:Bill Carp, Dwayne

Robbins, Rich Keehle, Charlie Gilbert. Jay Bradley, Ned Finch, Lou

Gordonier, Scott Chapman, Kevin Cole, Joe Cole, Mark Aldrich, Adam Diaz,

Randy Testa Sr., Ron Latwinski.

KLASCAR LEGEND FEATURE: Zane Zeiner, Tim Tomson, Tim Henry, Rick

Homan, Ray Scigowski, Ron Dunstan, Jerry Woody, Bob Sell, Pete Welsh,

Mike Burrell, Kevin McArdle, Blane Gundrum, Jeff Doebler, Carey May,

Dale Barrall, Paul Rochelle III, Walt Martowicz, Kurt Stametz, Chris

Marcho, Jim Baker, Joe Sanflippo, Dennis Gardner, Kevin Welsh, Craig

Rochelle.