Trapper snags first win of season at Penn Can

Bob Trapper wheeled the Tom Oleski owned No. 30+ from third to first on lap six and never looked back as he comfortably held the lead for the remainder of the Wix Filters 30 lap Modified feature Friday night at Penn Can Speedway.

An exuberant “Big” Jim O’Hara got the crowd fired up after his Late Model win with a roof dance and victory lane speech while standing on the roof.  Eric Stephens Jr. utilized a lap nine restart to grab the lead and ultimately his first Penn Can win in the Crate Sportsman.  Ryan Stone picked up his third win in the Street Stock main.

At the drop of the green flag Joey Colsten took the lead with Alex Tonkin ad Kevin Bates close behind.  Cautions plagued the early portion of the event the most severe being as six car pileup in turn one that resulted when Butch Tittle and Darwin Greene got together which broke Greene’s front end.  With three laps complete J. Colsten still led with Bates, A.Tonkin, Mike Schane and tenth starter Bob Trapper completing the top five.  Trapper ran fourth on lap five and on another restart moved to third.  Bates was working his usual outside lane as he challenged for the lead on lap six.  Bates swung to the outside of J. Colsten in turn one then Trapper made it three wide in the turn as he ran the extreme inside.  J. Colsten pushed up blocking Bates and allowing Trapper the inside as Trapper became the new leader off of turn two.  J. Colsten fell back behind Bates and A. Tonkin on lap seven.  Another pileup in turn one came on lap nine with four cars involved.  At this point Trapper led J. Colsten, Bates, Mike Colsten and Schane.  Track points leader Kevin Hartnett had advanced to sixth on lap 11 and began to harass Schane for fifth.  The racing calmed down in the second half of the event with Trapper leading J. Colsten around the 3/8 mile.  The main battle on the track was for fifth between Schane and Harnett as the duo took the white flag Hartnett nosed ahead and completed the ss in turn one.  Trapper ofScranton, in the A1 Spring Service Bicknell took the win by three car lengths over J. Colsten ofBinghamton,N.Y.in theGary’s U-Pull-It No. 151.  Bates of Lake Ariel; M. Colsten ofBinghamton,N.Y., and Hartnett of Troy rounded out the top 5.  Completing the top ten were Schane, A. Tonkin, Brett Tonkin, Dan Pompey and Mike Gular.

At the start of the Late Model main Ben Whitaker and Jim O’Hara got together while racing for the lead.  O’Hara was able to lead the opening circuit with Bud Philips close behind.  Tracy Gregory charged to the outside of Phillips on lap ten and spun while challenging for second.  O’Hara held off Phillips over the last ten laps for the popular win Phillips, Curt Tunilo Jr, Whitaker and Chad Hollenbeck were the top five.

A yellow on lap nine of the Crate Sportsman main erased Alex Stanton big lead placing Eric Stphens Jr. to his outside.  On the restart Stephens went byStantonand then heldStanton’s numerous who challenges to the inside off over the last ten laps for his initial Penn Can victory.  Stanton, Butch Green, Adam MacGeorge and Paul Rooney were top first five.

Ryan Stone picked up win three at Penn Can in the Street Stocks as he bested Shane Wolf Jr. and Brenton Miller.  Nick Grist got his fourth win in a row in the 4 Cylinders as he beat Andy Brigham and Joe Warner.  Georgie Brown won the Factory Stock event over Rob Warner and Lanson Albanese.

PENN NOTES: This Tuesday night is the Hot Summer Night Special at Penn Can Speedway featuring the traveling stars of the RoC Dirt Modified Tour and the best racers in the Southern Tier.  The last two Hot Summer Night events have been nail bitters as last year Stewart Friesen won a three wide battle over Alan Rudalavage and Duane Howard on the last lap to take his first win at theCan.  While two years ago Mike Gular charged to the front from 17th only to run out of methanol on the last lap turning the race over to a tight battle between Jeff Rudalavage and Mike Colsten which saw Rudalavage take the victory.

Gates will open at5 p.m.with hot laps at6:45 p.m.and racing at7:30 p.mon Tuesday night.

Wix Filters “100 Nights of Racing” Night

Modified Feature: 1. Bob Trapper, 2. Joey Colsten, 3. Kevin Bates, 4. Mike Colsten, 5. Kevin Hartnett, 6. Mike Schane, 7. Alex Tonkin, 8. Brett Tonkin, 9. Dan Pompey, 10. Mike Gular, 11. Butch Tittle, 12. GarthTonkin Jr, 13. Alan Rudalavage, 14. Mike Nagel, 15. Steve Babicek, 16. Bobby Gunther Walsh, 17. Butch Cerullo, 18. Chris Piasecki, 19. Mike Clapperton, 20. Brian Weaver, 21.Darwin Greene, 22. Joey Grammes, 23. Brent Boyer, 24. Billy Thornton, 25. Bobby Trapper Jr.

Late Model Feature: Jim O’Hara, Bud Phillips, Curt Tunilo Jr, Ben Whitaker, Chad Hollenbeck, Tracy Gregory, DNS Paul Strohl, Steve Deinhardt

Crate Sportsman Feature: Eric Stevens, Alex Stanton, Butch Green, Adam MacGeorge, Paul Rooney, Mike Nagel Jr, Dusty Barton

Street Stock Feature: Ryan Stone, Shane Wolf Jr, Brenton Miller, Randy Gates, Ken Srks Jr, Rich Talada, Chad Stone, Butch Green, Carl Shimer, Robert Hill, Ken Evans, Josh Towner, Chris Shimer, DNS, Matt Spencer, Matt Holmes, Herb Penny.

Four Cylinder Feature: Nick Grist, Andy Brigham, Joe Warner, Robbie Fiene, Matt Hynds, Sheldon Whitman, Ronald Welch, Andy Colwell

Factory Stock Feature: George Brown, Rob Warner, Lanson Albanese, Mike Mente, Randy Richards, Dan Wood, Ted Mills III, Gary Cleveland

(This column was supplied by By Ryan Lepre.)