Penn Can Speedway celebrated the Independence Day weekend with another night of great racing for the huge holiday crowd that saw two first time winners visit Victory Lane.
In the Warner’s Gas Service sponsored modified main event, Dan Pompey of Nicholson won his first-ever modified event at the speedway. In the companion super late model feature, Dave Zona won for the second time in 2010. The Hornbeck Chevrolet crate sportsman feature saw Mike Nagel Jr. of Susquehanna return to Victory Lane, while Shane Wolf Jr. of Susquehanna also was a repeat winner in the S&W Awards street stocks. Chris Conrad of Montrose was another first time winner in the four cylinders.
It did not take Pompey long to get to the front of the modified field, as front row starters Stanley Wilkins and Josh Beierle both slid high in turn two on the first circuit, allowing Pompey the top spot. It looked as if Pompey would check out on the field as he developed a large lead with Mike Colsten, Joey Grammes, Kevin Hartnett, Mike Gular, and Brett Tonkin all coming from deep in the pack.
The first of only two cautions on the night came on lap 12 for a disabled car in turn one, bringing the field back together. Pompey was the leader but now had Grammes, Hartnett, and Colsten glued to his bumper.
On the double file restart, Pompey regained the lead and would have to fight off the challenges of Grammes, who used every inch of the track to try and get by the lead car.
With laps clicking off, the second and final caution slowed the pace and regrouped the field. Pompey, Grammes, Hartnett, Colsten, and Allan Rudalavage were the top five, with Gular and point leader Brett Tonkin just outside the top five.
With the green back out, the top cars thrilled the fans with their side-by-side racing, swapping positions behind the leader lap after lap. Tonkins charge through the pack ended on lap 28 with mechanical problems.
With two laps remaining, Grammes pulled alongside Pompey and looked like he might make the pass, only to be denied. Pompey took the checkered for an extremely popular win. Grammes settled for second with Hartnett, Colsten and Rudalavage rounding out the top five.
Steven Dienhardt led the late model field to the green and took the early lead. With early cautions slowing the action, Curt Tunilo managed to get by Dienhardt to pace the field early. The man on the move was Dave Zona, who came from the seventh starting position into contention on lap 5, where he shot under Tunilo for the front spot.
Zona would have a very strong car all evening, keeping it out front and holding off challenges from Jim O’Hara and Ben Whitaker. The final caution of the 25-lap event came on lap 17, bunching the pack together with Zona out front followed by O;Hara, Whitaker, and Dan Stone.
The four would battle over the last eight laps with Zona stay strong and claiming the win. O’Hara had another top finish in second with Whitaker, Stone and Bud Phillips completing the top five.
The Hornbeck Chevrolet crate sportsman feature was another tight race featuring a great six-car battle between point leader Mike Nagel, Corey Ziegler, Grant Hilfiger, Adam MacGeorge and Butch Green.
Wes Campell was the first to take the point position in the 20-lap event. Corey Ziegler took a turn out front getting by Campell on lap three. With Ziegler leading, Nagel came from deep in the pack to take the lead on lap 15.
With caution slowing action a five-lap shootout would begin with Nagel, Ziegler, Hilfiger and MacGeorge all within a car of each other. Nagel would beat the pack to the checker for his fourth win of the year. Ziegler, Hilfiger, MacGeorge and Butch Green followed.
The S&W Awards street stock feature was another three-car battle between Shane Wolf Jr., Shane Wolf Sr. and Kenny Sparks.
Sparks looked like he might be in line for his first feature of the season when he took the lead early in the event. Wolf Jr. and Wolf Sr. had other ideas as Wolf Jr. slipped under Sparks to take the top spot on lap six.
Wolf would lead the remaining circuits to claim his fifth win of the year. He was followed across by his father Shane Sr., Sparks, Ryan Stone and Butch Green.
In the four cylinder main event Chris Conrad would take the early lead and hold off Klem Underwood, Andy Brigham, and Andy Colwell for his first ever feature win.
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