3RD WIN OF SEASON FOR MITCH GIBBS

Afton, NY…Friday August 7, RJR Tobacco and Gatorade presented a full night of

NASCAR Winston Racing Series action at the Afton Raceway. Winners on the

night were Mitch Gibbs, Jim Crawn, Butch Klinger, Bill Hawkins and Dave

Jaindl.

Mark Gray and Steve Eldred brought the field to the start of the 30-lap

NASCAR Winston Racing Series Modified feature event. Eldred would jump out to

the early lead. Chris Bushnell who started in position number six was up to

second on lap five and challenging Eldred for the lead. Bushnell would take

the lead on lap six.

Bushnell would open up some daylight on the rest of the field as he pulled

away by eight car lengths. Paul Jensen was also on the move to the front of

the field, as he would grab the third position from Mark Gray on lap eight.

Two laps later Jensen would be in second and looking to reel in Bushnell.

Caution appeared on lap thirteen as Tony Pepicelli, Tony Wrench, Mark Gray

and Steve Eldred all came together in turns one and two. Bushnell leads with

Jensen second and now Mitch Gibbs up to the third spot. On the restart,

Bushnell kept the top spot pulling away once again by six car lengths. Gibbs

tried for second but Jensen was up to the challenge. Midway through the

feature, Bushnell leads, Jensen second, Gibbs, Robbie Green and Jerry Northrup

round out the top five.

Yellow once again appeared on lap eighteen as two cars tangled in turn two.

This put Jensen and Gibbs on the back bumper of Bushnell for the restart. At

the drop of the green, Gibbs went to the high side passing both Jensen and

Bushnell for the lead by the time the field reached turn two. Jensen was able

to follow suit, as he would take second away from Bushnell on the same lap.

Robbie Green was now in the hunt and took the third spot from Bushnell on lap

twenty-two. On the next circuit, Bushnell took third back from Green. Tony

Pepicelli was the fastest car on the speedway in the late portion of the race.

Pepicelli was now fifth and had a ton of ground to make up to catch the

leaders after being involved in an earlier incident.

Paul Jensen was never able to make a serious charge on Mitch Gibbs as the

laps ticked away. At the checkers, Mitch Gibbs picked up his third win of the

season. Paul Jensen second, Chris Bushnell finished a seasons best third.

Robbie Green and Tony Pepicelli completed the top five. Heat wins on the

night went to Paul Jensen, Mark Gray and Brian Weaver. Mitch Gibbs received

an extra $300 from Gatorade for winning and also received $50 from NYSSCA for

being the first member across the finish line.

Jim Crawn collected his fourth win of the season in the 20-lap NASCAR Winston

Racing Shortrack Series Sportsman division feature event. Crawn had to earn

this win as Bill Walters took the lead on lap two and opened up a six-car

length advantage with Jim Crawn running in second.

The race leaders would encounter slower traffic allowing Crawn to gain ground

each lap on race leader Bill Walters. On lap fifteen, a slower car went

sideways in front of Walters, allowing Crawn to sneak by on the high side.

That would be the move for the win as Crawn went on for victory by three car

lengths over Bill Walters. Tony Ross made a late race charge for third, Steve

Anderson and Aaron Excell completed the top five.

Heat wins went to Tim Mayne and Arnie Slade. Jim Crawn picked up an extra

$250 from Gatorade for winning the feature. Bill Walters was the first member

of NYSSCA across the line picking up $50.

Butch Klinger passed race leader Denny Smith on lap eighteen to pick up the

win in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Smith took the lead on lap eleven

with Klinger challenging him for the position. Klinger kept using the high

side and made the pass stick as they entered turn three to get the white flag.

The win is Klinger's fourth of the season.

Denny Smith was second, Skip French, TJ Fitzgibbons and Bill Harris completed

the top five. Heat wins went to John Walker and Andy Clement. Klinger picked

up an extra $200 from Gatorade as the feature winner and $50 for being the

first NYSSCA member across the line.

Bill Hawkins collected his first ever win in the 15-lap Pure Stock Feature.

Hawkins held off a Scott Brown over the last five laps to score the victory.

Bill Cook, Neil Palladino and Todd Hurlburt completed the top five. Heat win

went to Todd Hurlburt.

In the 15-lap 4 Cylinder Stock feature, Dave Jaindl collected his fifth

win of the season, holding off second place Gene Brainard. Dennis Vroman,

Ralph Jennings Jr and Harold Humphey completed the top five. Jeff Burnett and

Ralph Jennings Jr. won heat races. Jaindl received an extra $150 from

Gatorade and $50 from NYSSCA.

NASCAR Winston Racing Series Modified Feature Finish 30-laps. MITCH GIBBS,

Paul Jensen, Chris Bushnell, Tony Pepicelli, Robbie Green, Jerry Northrup,

Jeremy Smith, Mark Schoonover, Mike Clapperton, Tony Wrench, Rick Amo, Earl

Walrath, Ed Strada, Mark Gray, Mike Baldwin, Brian Weaver, Steve Eldred, John

Kollar, Rich Tiffany, Rich Diamond.

NASCAR Winston Shortrack Series Sportsman Feature Finish 20-laps. JIM CRAWN,

Bill Walters, Tony Ross, Steve Anderson, Aaron Excell, Wink Hinkley, Steve

Davis, Alan Johnson, Arnie Slade, Pete Lyon, Tim Ross, Tim Mayne, Dave

Burnett, Geoff Carner.

Street Stock Feature Finish 20-laps. BUTCH KLINGER, Denny Smith, Skip

French, TJ Fitzgibbons, Bill Harris, John Walker, Bob Zimmerman Sr., Jeff

Witt, Mark Davis, Phil Youngs, Rich Rought, Bob Zimmerman Jr., Aaron Hacker,

Andy Clement.

Pure Stocks Feature Finish 15-laps. BILL HAWKINS, Scott Brown, Bill Cook,

Neil Palladino, Todd Hurlburt, Dan Howe, Denny Decker, Jason Wood, Jim Cornell

Jr., Dan Callan, Dave Armbros.

4 Cylinder Stock Feature Finish 15-laps. DAVE JAINDL, Gene Brainard, Dennis

Vroman, Ralph Jennings Jr., Harold Humphrey, Rick Lashway, Shawn Mills,

Russell Card, Pete Christanson, Bob Dedrick, Dan Davis, Amos Lancaster, Rob

Coulman, Dennis Kirk, Scott Davis, Skip Pickwick, Jeff Burnett.