BOB PUCKETT WINS VICTORIA QUALIFIER

Susquehanna, Pa. Scranton's Bob Puckett picked the ideal time to score his first ever career victory, collecting the $500 bounty on five-time winner Chuck Akulis and capturing the win as the Victoria 200 Qualifying Series came to Penn Can Motor Speedway. The Winner's purse, bounty, and $500 bonus, which Promoter Seward Rice will present to Puckett when he travels to Fulton Speedway this September, made the youngster's first victory worth $1800.

In the early going all eyes were on veteran Akulis as the fans expected to see him pick apart the field and blast his way to win number 6. Akulis started 19th, and by the 6th time around had made his way to the number 8 spot.

Up front, Puckett was on the move in the Apple House Trucking #41 from his 4th starting spot, staging an exciting side-by-side battle for 2nd with Carl Reynolds while local favorite John Parks led the way around Penn Can's high banked oval. By the 5th circuit Puckett had closed in on Parks and blasted his way into the lead. The young Scrantonian never looked back, and Butch Tittle, Ron Mawson, Akulis, and Dick Longstreet were forced to battle for the runner-up spot in the Gary's U-Pull-It/Victoria 200 qualifying event. An interesting note to Puckett's first win is the fact that it came with a small-block under the hood in this Victoria 200 small-block qualifier.

Mike Nagel brought the #7M home to victory in the "B" Modified event, capturing the $200 winner's purse. Nagel took the lead from Eddie Karwaski, Jr on the 2nd lap and held on for the win, with Bill Dianella, Dick Marcinko, Karwaski, and Tom Kelleher rounding out the top five finishing positions.

In the Gary's U-Pull-It Late Model feature Mike Hinds moved the Hinds Oil Co #94 into the early lead as Susquehanna's Larry DiLello gave chase. DiLello took over the top spot on lap number 5, only to surrender it to John Siedlecky one lap later. Allen Coy, behind the wheel of the Felix Hardware 53, moved in to challenge Siedlecky, taking over the lead on lap 10 when Siedlecky spun in turn 4. Coy then found himself faced with the challenge of holding back 2-time winner Curt Tunilo, who mounted a late-race challenge and closed in on the leader. As the two entered the final lap they were side-by-side, with Coy barely edging Tunilo by inches at the wire. Hinds held on to finish 3rd, while Jamie Page captured 4th and Siedlecky 5th.

The Street Stock feature was another action-packed thriller as Mike Mills took the early lead with Bill Trego in hot pursuit. By the 2nd lap Trego had taken the lead and just one lap later Bob Trapper took it away from the Moscow, Pa runner. Trapper then held the lead until lap number 6, when a caution flag closed the field and gave Thompson's Ed Reddon the fast outside lane. Reddon blasted into 1st while Trapper gave chase, turning the tables on Reddon and retaking the lead From there on in it was all Trapper, while Reddon, Mike Clapperton, Don Newell, Rick French, and Mike Frederick hooked up in a battle for 2nd. Clapperton captured the runner-up spot with Mike Frederick, Ed Reddon, and Don Newell close behind.

The wins by Puckett, Coy, and Trapper closed the gaps in all three point races, making this week's Mid-Season Championship night a pivotal point in the 1988 season here at Penn Can Speedway. The Modifieds will compete for 40 laps in their extra-purse, extra-points event. A special thanks from Promoter Seward Rice and the staff at Penn Can Speedway to Eric Kingsley and Marsha Wetmore of Fulton Speedway and to Gary Beagell and the folks at Gary's U-Pull-It for their involvement in the night's racing program. "SEE YOU AT THE RACES!!!!!"

MODIFIED FEATURE PUCKETT, SCRANTON, PA 2.Butch Tittle, (25 laps) BOB Saylorsburg, Pa 3.Ron Mawson, Pittston, Pa 4.Chuck Akulis, Windsor, NY 5.Dick Longstreet, Scranton, Suprick, Scranton, Pa 7.Carl Reynolds, Pa Scranton, Pa 8.Lynn Highhouse, Honesdale, 6.George Pa 9.Bill Mead, Montrose, Pa 10.John

Parks, Susquehanna, Pa "B" MODIFIED FEATURE (15 laps) MIKE NAGEL, SUSQUEHANNA, PA 2.Bill Dianella, Newton, NJ 3.Dick Marcinko, Jessup, Pa