DUANE HOWARD CLAIMS KING OF THE CAN AT PENN CAN SPEEDWAY
Susquehanna, PA… The annual “King of the Can” has produced some memorable battles with the best Penn Can Speedway drivers squaring off against the invading all-stars. This year’s battle was no different as Duane Howard used patience and skill to beat two of the track’s finest, passing the Rudalavage brothers on his way to victory in the Race of Champions sanctioned event. The ROC sportsman main event saw Penn Can regular Jeff Crambo take the lead from ROC regular Brad Algar to get his first “King of the Can’ win. In the DART Dirt Pure Stock Series feature Steven Deinhardt captured the win in front of a fast charging Butch Green. Don’s Automotive Mall and Gary’s U-Pull-It sponsored this great night of racing.
Alan Rudalavage and Duane Howard lead the twenty five car field to the green with Rudalavage taking the early lead. The first fifteen laps click off with Howard glued to the bumper of the fast running Rudalavage with Mike Colsten, Tom McGurrin, and Brian Weaver close behind. Caution came on lap sixteen for a car slowed on the track regrouping the strong field. On the restart the cars of Bobby Trapper, Billy Van Pelt, and Rick Laubach tangled in turn three with only Trapper unable to continue.
The middle stages of the race saw Brian Weaver, Pat Ward, Joe Grammes, and Jeff Strunk all move towards the front of the field. A competition caution for fuel came out on lap forty with Alan Rudalavage in front of Howard, Weaver, Ward, Grammes, Strunk, and Jeff Rudalavage coming from his seventeenth starting spot. With the cars stopped on the track Weaver’s night came to an end when he pulled pit side with engine problems.
When racing resumed, the man on the move was Jeff Rudalavage. Lap after lap he took to the high groove and picked cars off on his way to the front. When caution flew on lap fifty three, Jeff Rudalavage sat fourth behind his brother, Howard, and Ward. Using the outer limits of the speedway he powered his way by Howard and his brother to take the lead on lap fifty eight and looked like he would repeat as the King. Unfortunately for Jeff Rudalavage caution came on lap sixty nine allowing the pack to form behind. When the green came back, Rudalavage did all he could to protect his lead but Howard had other ideas. With three laps remaining, Howard made an inside move to take the lead of the race for the first time and went on to win his first ever Penn Can Speedway feature event.
The ROC Sportsman were the next to take the track. Thirty eight sportsman attempted to qualify for the series event with the top twenty seven taking the green for the forty lap race. Jeff Crambo and Brad Algar lead the field on the start with Algar getting the top spot. Early cautions plaqued the event and kept the cars in tight order. Algar and Crambo remained the leaders with Joey Colsten, Nick Rochinski, Bob Lineman,and Kevin Jordan all right on their bumpers. Battles were happening all over the track with Algar trying to hold off Crambo, Rochinski and Colsten, were tight along with Jordan swapping postions with Lineman. As the race entered the later stages all eyes were on the fight for the lead. Algar pushed out of the groove on lap twenty nine allowing Crambo to take the point. Algar, Colsten, and Rochinski all stayed close but couldn’t catch Crambo who got his first “King of the Can’ crown. Algar held for second followed across by Colsten, Rochinski, and Jordan.
Penn Notes: The remaining King of the Can races for the late models, super stocks, pure stocks, and four cylinders will be held next Friday September 26th. The CRSA Sprints and Xcel 600 modifieds will also be on the card. Extra laps and extra money will be on the line. Over $700 in lap money has been collected for this big night of racing.
Modified Feature: Duane Howard, Jeff Rudalavage, Al Rudalavage, Pat Ward, Joey Grammes, Jeff Strunk, Stewart Freisen, Dan Vauter, Kevin Bates, Tom McGurrin, Doug Manmiller, Rick Laubach, Craig Terrell, Dan Pompey, Kerry Kratz, Gary Hager,Dave Jenkins, Mike Colsten, Don Hart Jr, Brian Weaver, Garth Tonkin Jr, Brett Tonkin, Billy VanPelt, Bobby Trapper, Nick Petrilak, DNQ, Mike Gular, Glenn Knapp, Steve Babicek, John Stangle, Mike McCollum, Bob Hamm, Colt Harris, Darwin Greene, Scott Frack, Bob Henrry Jr, Bill Miller
Sportsman Feature: Jeff Crambo, Brad Alger, Joey Colsten, Nick Rochinski, Kevin Jordan, Bob Lineman Jr, Dwayne Robbins, Adam MacGeorge, Nick Petrilak, Ken Hammond, Jeff Leslie, Mike Loney, Justin Holland, Frank Doty, Mike Nagel Jr, Billy Moyer Jr, Brad Brightbill, Charlie Hendrickson, Matt Janczuk, Rodney Hart, Brian Puckett, Shawn Mills, Chris Piasecki, Steve Yankowski, Casey Plummer, Shaun Walker, Brian White, DNQ Rick Brown, Ben Bushaw, Jamie Batzel, Richard Post, Craig Pope, Jason Carman, Damien Reynolds, Eric Griffin