Brian Weaver and Mitch Gibbs Split Twin Twenties on Pepsi Night

Afton, NY…8/21/98... Pepsi Cola of Binghamton presented a full night of NASCAR Winston

Racing Series excitement on Friday August 21st at the Afton Raceway. Brian

Weaver, Mitch Gibbs, Steve Davis, TJ Fitzgibbons, Bill Cook, Dave Jaindl and

RC Faigle all visited victory lane on the evening.

In the first 20-lap NASCAR Winston Racing Series Modified feature event, Rich

Tiffany took the lead at the drop of the green. Robbie Green was able to take

the lead on lap two and started to open up a quick eight-car length advantage.

Steve Eldred and JR Hurlburt came together in turn two bringing out the

caution.

A flat tire on the leader Robbie Green's car forced him to pit, handing the

lead to Mark Gray. Gray would lead the next three circuits before Paul Jensen

would take over the top spot bringing Brian Weaver with him. Jensen and

Weaver would pull away from the rest of the pack and settle the race for the

win between them.

Weaver would pressure Jensen for the lead when caution came out on lap nine,

as Mark Schoonover, Marty Bunker, Earl Walrath and Chris Bushnell all came

together in the front stretch. On the restart, Weaver was able to get by

Jensen for the lead. Jensen would move up to the topside and keep the

pressure on Weaver for the number one position. On lap thirteen, Jensen

regained the top spot with Weaver still a very close second. Yellow would

bunch the field one more time on lap fifteen, with Jensen leading, Weaver

second and Mike Clapperton third.

On the restart, Weaver once again was able to grab the lead from Jensen on

lap sixteen. From here on Weaver was able to put seven car lengths between

him and Jensen over the final four laps, as he would go on to win his second

race of the season at Afton. Paul Jensen crossed second, Mike Clapperton,

Tony Pepicelli and JR Hurlburt completed the top five. Heat wins on the night

went to Mark Gray, Robbie Green and Mike Clapperton.

The second NASCAR Winston Racing Series 20-lap Modified feature event found

the top ten from the first feature inverted for the second race of the night.

Ed Strada and Mitch Gibbs paced the field to the start of the event. Gibbs

would jump right out to the top spot with Strada, Jeremy Smith and Rich

Tiffany all giving chase.

Gibbs would open up to a seven-car advantage as the field completed lap six.

Jerry Northup who started in position number six was now on the move to the

front and took the second spot from Strada on lap eight. Northrup was now

setting his sights on the high flying Gibbs. At the midway point, Gibbs leads

with Jeremy Smith, Paul Jensen and Tony Pepicelli rounding out the top five.

Northrup would not be able to reel Gibbs in as the lead was now increasing to

ten car lengths as lap number thirteen was completed. Behind the leaders,

Paul Jensen, Tony Pepicelli and Brian Weaver were in a tight battle for

fourth, fifth and sixth place. Weaver was able to grab the fifth spot on lap

sixteen from Pepicelli and would now challenge Jensen for fifth.

Back up in front it was all Mitch Gibbs, as Northrup would not be able to

catch him. This 20-lap feature would go green to checker with Gibbs

collecting his fourth win of the season at Afton. Jerry Northrup settled for

second with Jeremy Smith, Paul Jensen and Brian Weaver completing the top

five.

Steve Davis took the lead on lap number six from Arnie Slade and went on

to win his second NASCAR Winston Shortrack Series 20-lap Sportsman feature

event of the season. Jim Crawn made Davis earn the win as he slowly whittled

away a ten-car length advantage to race side by side with Davis on the final

two circuits. Davis was able to use the high side momentum to his advantage

to pick up the win by one car length. Crawn was second, Steve Anderson, Bill

Walters and Tony Ross completed the top five. Wink Hinkley and Jim Crawn

collected heat wins.

TJ Fitzgibbons took the lead from his second starting position at the drop of

the green and went on to lead every lap in the 20-lap Street Stock feature

event. The win was the second on the season for Fitzgibbons who had to hold

off determined Skip French to win by two car lengths. French had to settle

for second, with Butch Klinger, Andy Clement and Steve Collins rounding out

the top five. Heat wins went to John Walker and Denny Smith.

RC Faigle and John Leito swapped the lead over the final seven laps in

the 20-lap Eastern Limited Sprint feature event before Faigle went on to

collect his first Sprint Car win. Faigle took the lead with two laps to go in

lapped traffic and was able to hold on for the victory. Leito was second,

Gordy Button, Mike VanDusen and Doug Emery completed the top five. Heat wins

went to Mike VanDusen and RC Faigle.

Bill Cook picked up win number five in the Pure Stock ranks, following Cook

across the line were, Bill Hawkins, Dan Callan, Denny Decker and Rob Falciani.

Dave Jaindl collected win number six in the 15 lap 4 Cylinder Stock division.

Jim Potts, Harold Humphrey, Bob Dedrick and Dennis Vroman completed the top

five. Heat wins went to Dennis Vroman and Jeff Burnett.

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

WEAVER, Paul Jensen, Mike Clapperton, Tony Pepicelli, JR Hurlburt, Jerry

Northrup, Jeremy Smith, Rich Tiffany, Mitch Gibbs, Ed Strada, John Kollar,

Marty Bunker, Rick Amo, Steve Eldred, Mike Baldwin, Mark Gray, Rich Diamond,

George Lewis, Chris Bushnell, Mark Schoonover, Earl Walrath, Robbie Green,

Tony Wrench.

NASCAR Winston Racing Series 2nd Modified 20-Lap Feature Finish. MITCH

GIBBS, Jerry Northrup, Jeremy Smith, Paul Jensen, Brian Weaver, JR Hurlburt,

Mike Clapperton, Robbie Green, Chris Bushnell, Ed Strada, Rich Tiffany, John

Kollar, Marty Bunker, Rick Amo, Tony Pepicelli, Tony Wrench, Earl Walrath,

Steve Eldred, Mark Gray, Rich Diamond, George Lewis.

NASCAR Winston Shortrack Series Sportsman Feature Finish 20-Laps. STEVE

DAVIS, Jim Crawn, Steve Anderson, Bill Walters, Tony Ross, Tim Ross, Dave

VanBuren, Craig Pritchard, Arnie Slade, Wink Hinkley, Alan Johnson, Dave

Burnett, Dave Crandall, Pete Lyon, Aaron Excell.

Street Stock Feature Finish 15-laps. TJ FITZGIBBONS, Skip French, Butch

Klinger, Andy Clement, Steve Collins, Bob Zimmerman Sr., John Walker, Don

Newell Sr., Rich Rought, Bob Zimmerman Jr., Bill Harris, Denny Smith, Mark

Davis, Aaron Hacker.

Pure Stock Feature Finish 15-laps. BILL COOK, Bill Hawkins, Dan Callan,

Denny Decker, Rob Falciani, Neil Palladino, Dennis Valentine, Scott Brown, Dan

Howe, Andy Tiffany, Todd Hurlburt.

4 Cylinder Stock Feature Finish 15-laps. DAVE JAINDL, Jim Potts, Harold

Humphrey, Bob Dedrick, Dennis Vroman, Amos Lancaster, Shawn Mills, Rick

Lashway, Russell Card, Ed Leslie, Skip Pickwick, Bill Rampe, Jeff Burnett, Rob

Coulman, Pete Christanson, Ralph Jennings Jr., Duane Spoor.

Eastern Limited Sprint Cars 20-Lap Feature Finish. RC FAIGLE, John Leito,

Gordy Button, Mike VanDusen, Doug Emery, Rich Wood, George Ely, Wayne

Patterson, Lee Sanders, Howard Singer, Bob Wade, Warren Alexson, Jim

McCaffery, Fred Dittmer, Rick Hart, Rick Dunnigan, Patrick Parker.