TONY PEPICELLI AND CHRIS BUSHNELL SPLIT MODIFIED TWIN 20'S

Afton, NY…8/28/98... Genesee Beer and Northern Eagle Beverages of Oneonta, NY presented

a full night of racing at the Afton Raceway on Friday August 28, 1998.

Collecting feature wins on the night were Tony Pepicelli, Chris Bushnell, Jim

Crawn, Denny Smith, Denny Decker and Jeff Burnett.

Twin twenty lap feature events for the NASCAR Winston Racing Series Modifieds

were the headline of the night. In the first twenty lap feature, Chris

Bushnell took the lead at the drop of the green and opened up a quick six car

advantage before yellow appeared on lap four as Mark Schoonover, Seth Gano and

Mike Baldwin all came together in turn one.

On the restart, Rich Tiffany flexed his muscle and grabbed the lead from

Bushnell. Bushnell would come right back and regain the top spot as the field

completed lap number six. Moving quick to the front was Tony Pepicelli.

Pepicelli who started eighth on the grid was now up to second and challenging

Bushnell for the lead. On lap ten, Pepicelli put his mount up in front in

which would be the winning pass.

Caution would slow the field on lap eleven as Chris Bushnell went around in

turn three. On the restart it was all Tony Pepicelli. Throughout the season

Pepicelli has been fast enough to win when something would change his race.

That would not happen on this night, as Pepicelli was able to pull away by a

full straight away and went on for his first win at Afton.

Gary Smith was able to avoid a few late race cautions to claim second, Paul

Jensen, Mitch Gibbs and John Guernsey completed the top five. Heat wins went

to Tony Pepicelli, Chris Bushnell and Robbie Green.

For the second week in a row the second NASCAR Winston Racing Series Modified

20-lap feature went green to checker. Rick Amo and Earl Walrath brought the

field to the start of the race. Amo would jump out to the lead but his stay

at the front would only last one circuit, as Chris Bushnell would take command

on lap two.

Bushnell who had a little bad luck in the first feature was looking to make

up for it as he was starting to pull away from the rest of the pack. Behind

the leader Rick Amo was holding on to the second spot and was being pressured

by Mitch Gibbs. Paul Jensen was challenging Gibbs, for third, as these three

cars were all trying to run down Bushnell.

On lap eleven, Gibbs was able to get by Amo for second place. Two laps later

Paul Jensen was able to put Amo back to the fourth spot. Gibbs was now trying

to reel in Chris Bushnell who was holding a ten car advantage as the field

started to work into slower traffic on lap fifteen. Paul Jensen was now five

car lengths behind Gibbs as he was trying to improve on his finish as the laps

ticked down.

Gibbs would get no closer than five car lengths to Bushnell as they raced

through slower cars as the laps were run off. At the checkers, Chris Bushnell

collected his first ever Modified win with a flawless run. Gibbs crossed in

second, followed by Paul Jensen, John Guernsey and Tony Pepicelli.

Arnie Slade and Wink Hinkley paced the field to the start of the 20-lap

NASCAR Winston Racing Shortrack Series Sportsman feature event. Slade would

jump out to the lead and start to pull away by six car lengths over Wink

Hinkley and Jim Crawn. Crawn would take the second spot away late in the race

and set his sights on Arnie Slade.

Crawn would catch Slade on lap seventeen and start to pressure him for the

lead. Out of turn two with two laps left, Crawn was able to grab the top spot

and go on for the win, his fifth of the season at Afton. Arnie Slade crossed

second, but failed a post race inspection handing second to Aaron Excell.

Bill Walters, Wink Hinkley and Tony Ross completed the top five. Arnie Slade

and Wink Hinkley won heat races on the night.

In the 20-lap Street Stock feature event, Denny Smith took the lead on lap

four from John Walker and went on to win his sixth feature of the season.

Race winner Denny Smith, was followed across the line by John Walker who

finished second. Walker had to fend off the challenges of Butch Klinger and

Skip French. Klinger crossed third with French in fourth and TJ Fitzgibbons

in fifth. Heat wins on the night went to Butch Klinger and Denny Smith.

Denny Decker collected his fourth win of the season the 15-lap Pure Stock

race. Dan Howe was second, followed by Bill Cook, Dan Callan and Todd

Hurlburt. Scott Brown picked up the heat win. Jeff Burnett won his second

15-lap 4 Cylinder Stock feature on the season. Following Burnett across the

line were, Rick Lashway, Gene Brainard, Skip Pickwick and Jason VanPatten.

Heat wins on the night went to Jeff Burnet and Dave Jaindl.

NASCAR Winston Racing Series Modified 1st 20-Lap Feature Finish. TONY

PEPICELLI, Gary Smith, Paul Jensen, Mitch Gibbs, John Guernsey, Marty Bunker,

Jerry Northrup, Chris Bushnell, Earl Walrath, Rick Amo, Mark Schoonover, JR

Hurlburt, Steve Eldred, George Lewis Jr., Brian Weaver, Tony Wrench, Robbie

Green, Rich Tiffany, Mike Clapperton, Ed Strada, Mike Baldwin, Seth Gano, Mark

Gray, Jeremy Smith.

NASCAR Winston Racing Series Modified 2nd 20-lap Feature Finish. CHRIS

BUSHNELL, Mitch Gibbs, Paul Jensen, John Guernsey, Tony Pepicelli, Mike

Clapperton, Mark Schoonover, Earl Walrath, Marty Bunker, Gary Smith, JR

Hurlburt, Jerry Northrup, Ed Strada, Rich Tiffany, Brian Weaver, Rick Amo,

Mike Baldwin, George Lewis Jr., Mark Gray, Tony Wrench.

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

Aaron Excell, Bill Walters, Wink Hinkley, Tony Ross, Steve Davis, Brian

Gathen, Dave Burnett, Dave Crandall, Tim Ross, Steve Anderson, Pete Lyon.

Street Stock Feature Finish 15-laps. DENNY SMITH, John Walker, Butch

Klinger, Skip French, TJ Fitzgibbons, Steve Collins, Bret Belden, Bill Harris,

Don Newell Sr., Bob Zimmerman Sr., Mark Davis, Andy Clement, Terry Mudge,

Aaron Hacker, Bob Zimmerman Jr., John Gleazon.

Pure Stock Feature Finish 15-laps. DENNY DECKER, Dan Howe, Bill Cook, Dan

Callan, Todd Hurlburt, Neil Palladino, Ed Kaeling, Dennis Valentine, Bill

Hawkins, Scott Brown, Rob Falciani, Andy Tiffany.

4 Cylinder Stock Feature Finish 15-laps. JEFF BURNETT, Rick Lashway, Gene

Brainard, Skip Pickwick, Jason VanPatten, Russell Card, Duane Spoor, Dennis

Vroman, Dan Davis, Rob Coulman, Pete Christanson, Dave Jaindl, Bob Dedrick, Ed

Leslie, Amos Lancaster, Jon Erikson, Jim Potts, Jeff Dixon.