Vauter, Stone, Hilfiger, and Payne Repeat at Penn Can. NASCAR’s Ray Evernham Win Speedstr Feature
Susquehanna, PA…Penn Can Speedway suffered through a week of wet weather with more storms in the forecast this past Friday night. The predicted rain never materialized and another racing program was put into the books on a special night with appearances of NASCAR car owner Ray Evernham and ARCA star Erin Crocker. Dan Vauter backed up his win of a few weeks back with a strong victory in the thirty lap modified feature. In the companion late model feature, Dan Stone used lap traffic to make a last lap pass on Alan Kellogg to pick up another late model win. In the sportsman feature, Grant Hifiger won his third race of the season with Frank Payne getting another super stock victory. After greeting the crowd and signing autographs, Ray Evernham strapped into his Tobias Speedstr and went out and won his first feature event in the newly minted Speedstrs over Erin Crocker and Nick Pecko.
Bobby Trapper used his outside pole position to charge into the lead of the thirty lap modified main event. A caution on lap two for a stalled car had Trapper in the lead with Billy Thornton, Mike Colsten, and Dan Pompey the top five cars. When racing went back to green, Trapper held the top spot for the next ten laps when the second caution came for a disabled car on the back stretch. Mike Colsten would take the top position from Trapper and lead the next four laps until Dan Vauter got position on lap fifteen and took control.
Vauter would keep his car out front with Trapper second followed by Colsten, Joey Grammes, and Steve Babicek. The man on the move was Jeff Rudalavage who pitted early in the race. Rudalavage picked off position getting to fourth with six laps remaining. Vauter stayed strong and went on to claim the win with Grammes getting by Colsten for second. Colsten settled for third with Rudalavage and Babicek rounding out the top five.
The late model feature would be a back and forth affair with Alan Kellogg and Dan Stone exchanging the lead. Kellogg gained the top position passing Chris Hunsinger on lap two. With Stone making his way through the pack, Kellogg settled into the top position until caution slowed the field and the pack set up on Kellogg’s rear bumper. Stone made the first pass for the lead on lap nine with Kellogg in the runner-up spot followed by Chad Hollenbeck, Tracy Gregory, and Dan Snyder. A few laps later, Kellogg regained momentum and charged by Stone on lap fourteen. Kellogg looked to be set up for his first win of the season until he experienced lapped traffic crossing under the white flag. He kept his car low allowing Stone the outside of the track where he made the winning pass. Kellogg finished second, Hollenbeck, Snyder, and Ben Whitaker followed.
In the sportsman twenty lap feature event Josh Ainey would use his front row starting position to take the early lead. A lap five restart saw Eric Griffin vault into the lead followed by Ainey, Grant Hilfiger, Paul Strohyl, and Justin Holland. Hilfiger move by Griffin on lap ten with Holland on the move into third. Holland got to second on lap fourteen and chased down the leader. With caution slowing the field on lap seventeen, Hilfiger was out front followed by Hollandf, Strohl, and Tim Howell. Another quick caution grouped the field for a green, white checker. Hilfiger held on and got his third win of the season. Holland, Strohl, Howell, and Mike Nagel rounded the top five.
The twenty car super stock pure stock challenge race started with Jim Sykes out front. Sykes would turn the lead over to Frank Payne on lap four. With Payne out front a few mid race cautions kept the field tight. Chris Strohl, Carl Heater, and Tom Herman would be the main challengers for Payne’s position. While the cars behind Payne swapped positions lap after lap, Payne held strong and won another super stock/pure stock feature event. Heater came home second followed by Strohl, and the first of three pure stocks, Jon Carpenter, Ken Sparks, and Steve Polhamus.
Erin Crocker jumped to the early lead in the Todias Speedstr event with Doug Rose and Ray Evernham following. Evernham made the move to the front on lap three and would fight off all challenges to win the event over teammate Crocker, last weeks winner Nick Pecko, and modified driver Dan Vauter.
Penn Notes: Rain all week played havoc with the track surface. Many hours of track work are planned to settle this condition for next Friday’s racing. The CRSA Sprints return to make their third visit of the season. This division is growing weekly. Another twenty four plus field is expected. Modifieds, late models, super stocks, pure stocks, and four cylinders will also be on the card. The sportsman have the night off.
Modified Feature: Dan Vauter (Forest City, PA), Joey Grammes, Mike Colsten, Jeff Rudalavage, Steve Babicek, Craig Terrell, Alex Tonkin, Brian Weaver, Bill Miller, Billy Thornton, Bobby Trapper Jr, Darwin Greene, Garth Tonkin Jr, Al Rudalavage, Bobby Trapper, Chad Cook, Dan Pompey, Mike Nagel, Mike Lartz, Dave Jenkins, Chris Weaver, DNS Bernie Griffin
Late Model Feature: Dan Stone (Thompson, PA), Alan Kellogg, Chad Hollenbeck, Dan Snyder, Ben Whithaker, Scott Adams, Tracy Gregory, Chris Hunsinger, Jeremy Randall, James Cornell, Bud Phillips, Dave Zona, Curt Tunilo Jr
Sportsman Feature: Grant Hilfiger (Henryville, PA), Justin Holland, Paul Strohl, Tim Howell, Mike Nagel Jr, Eric Griffin, Bob Lineman Jr, Paul Rooney, Andy Stout, Nick Petrilak, Tom Witko, Bob Janesky, Jeff Crambo, Allison Martinelli, Josh Ainey, Chance Spoonhower, Rick Brown, Dwayne Robbins, Joey Colsten, Jamie Cortazar, Casey Plummer