Media Contact: Brett Deyo - Deyo99H@aol.com or 845.728.2781
For Immediate Release/June 9, 2010
Duane Howard Wins Thrilling 'Clash at the Can' At Penn Can Tuesday; Invader Takes $5,000 Top Prize Home To Oley, PA After Battle With Local Racer Brett Tonkin
SUSQUEHANNA, PA - It was a classic battle between invader and home track star.
Grandview (Pa.) Speedway regular Duane Howard and local racer Brett Tonkin thrilled the Penn Can Speedway fans Tuesday night with an extended side-by-side battle in the 60-lap 'Clash at the Can' presented by Don's Automotive Mall and Gary's U-Pull-It. Howard, of Oley, Pa., emerged for a $5,000 payday at the Susquehanna, Pa., oval: $4,000 from the posted purse and an additional $1,000 for taking the "Gambler's Challenge" prior to the start of racing.
The Race of Champions Dart Dirt Modified Tour-sanctioned feature ran with just one caution flag - coming for a slowing car on lap 40 - and was completed in approximately 20 minutes. The Modified main took the checkered just minutes after 10 p.m.
The event was the first for the Plant Food Company Inc./Reading Plastic Fabricators/G&G Used Auto Parts 'Super Summer Series' at the Can promoted by Brett Deyo and track managers Reed Miller and Al Wilcox. The next event, the 'Hot Summer Night' is set for Tues., Aug. 10.
"What a racy track tonight," Howard, 46, quipped in Victory Lane after exiting his Chad Sinon-owned BPG Racing No. 4. "You could run wherever you wanted, top or bottom. You can't ask for more than that."
Joey Grammes led the 29-car starting field to Gary Folk's green flag. Grammes paced the first four laps before Penn Can's own Tonkin, from nearby Carbondale, Pa., pressed his self-owned Bicknell into the top spot. Tonkin, 25, opened up a sizeable advantage in the event's first half, reaching lapped traffic by the lap-15 mark.
Howard, who started sixth, was racing toward the front in his Main Engines-powered Troyer along with Rochester, N.Y., star Danny Johnson, who had rolled off the grid 10th in Mike Payne's No. 27J.
Howard took second on lap 17 with Johnson following into third two circuits later. The duo diced for the runner-up spot while chasing down Tonkin. Johnson swept past Howard in traffic on lap 22. Howard returned the favor, positioning himself in second on lap 39, when Johnson clipped a lapped car exiting turn four.
Mike Colsten's slowing car drew the yellow on lap 40, placing Howard on the rear bumper of Tonkin's No. 15.
On the restart, Howard jumped to the bottom with Tonkin occupying the outside lane, prompting a lengthy wheel-to-wheel tussle that drew the large crowd to its feet. Lap after lap the pair diced without even the slightest of contact. Howard momentarily edged in front to lead lap 43.
Tonkin, chasing his most prolific victory, reclaimed the top spot and thwarted Howard's advances through lap 51, when Howard took sole possession of the lead.
Johnson took second on lap 57 and closed on Howard through late-race lapped traffic - dropping to the inside of the leader exiting the fourth turn on the final lap - but crossed the line a car-length behind Howard, who now owns a pair of Penn Can victories in two starts at the track. He won the 'King of the Can' event there in 2008.
"I'm really starting to like this place," Howard said.
Johnson took home runner-up pay. 'The Doctor' earned a guaranteed starting berth in the New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway 'Friends of Mike' race to be run July 31 paying $15,000 to win. Howard already secured a spot via a win earlier this season at Big Diamond (Pa.) Raceway.
Stewart Friesen, a native of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., who resides in Old Forge, N.Y., drove from 11th to finish third, securing the podium position on the final lap. Tonkin faded to fourth and Ryan Godown of Ringoes, N.J., narrowly beat Joey Grammes of Lehighton, Pa., to the checkered for fifth with Norm Hansell's No. 357.
An all-star field of 42 Modifieds signed into the pit area. Heat winners were D. Johnson, Godown, Howard, Gary Tomkins (in a Ken Brewer car) and Pat Ward. Rick Laubach and teenager Larry Wight split the consolations.
Denny Decker of Windsor, N.Y., won a competitive 25-lap Trackside Products RoC Street Stock feature. Decker started third and took over the lead from full-fender veteran Charlie Gilbert of Binghamton, N.Y., on lap 14. Decker paced the remainder of the distance. Rich Talada, Gilbert, Tom Garren and Kevin Boynton completed the front five.
Chris Stockham of Syracuse, N.Y., topped the 20-lap XCel 600 Modified main event. Stockham came from ninth starting spot to take the lead shortly after the halfway mark. Aaron Bowes, Mike Kelly, Kyle Gardner and Dave Baldwin Jr. trailed. There have been no repeat winners in XCel Modified competition this season.
The 'Super Summer Series' continues Tuesday night, Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m. with a 60-lap RoC Modified 'Hot Summer Night' 60 plus Late Models and Crate Sportsman. The series Modified champion will earn $1,000 cash with contingency prizes being handed out to drivers entering both events. Visit http://www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com/ or contact Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781 for further information.
PENN CAN NOTES: With the large crowd and solid car count, race management elected to start 26 Modifieds plus RoC provisionals, meaning 29 cars took the green for the feature. Mike Colsten (RoC), Joey Colsten (Penn Can) and Danny Tyler (Accord) were added to the field by RoC officials....
New Jersey legend Billy Pauch Sr. picked up a last-minute ride with the Cottekill, N.Y., Tyler racing operation as a teammate to Accord (N.Y.) Speedway regular Danny Tyler. Pauch qualified, but dropped out of the event early....
Last-minute ride-swapping turned heads in the pit area. Brian Weaver reunited with car owner Randy Decker, leaving Jim Gabriel Jr. to find a new home with the Ken Brewer team. Joining Gabriel in Brewer's stable was Central New York star Gary Tomkins. Mitch Gibbs left the Brewer team early last week. Jeff Strunk, meanwhile, filled the seat of the second Brad Grammes-owned No. 5....
Fred Woodward of Lias Tire/American Racer made the drive from Western Pennsylvania to attend the event and served as the grand marshall for the feature event....
Teenage racer Michael Weinert displayed his Plant Food Company Inc. Modified in the grandstand area prior to the start of racing and met fans and media members during the night....
Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway/Thunder on the Hill Series announcer Jeff Ahlum joined Al Robinson on the microphone for the event....
DON'S AUTOMOTIVE MALL/GARY'S U-PULL-IT CLASH AT THE CAN RACE SUMMARY
CLASH AT THE CAN RoC MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: DUANE HOWARD ($5,000), Danny Johnson, Stewart Friesen, Brett Tonkin, Ryan Godown, Joey Grammes, Pat Ward, Alan Rudalavage, Frank Cozze, Gary Tomkins, Mike Gular, Bobby Varin, Brett Hearn, Jeff Strunk, Jerry Higbie Jr., Rick Laubach, Kevin Bates, Brian Weaver, Dan Pompey, Larry Wight, Danny Creeden, Joey Colsten, Mike Colsten, Rich Ricci Jr., Billy Decker, Jim Gabriel Jr., Danny Tyler, Billy Pauch Sr., Ronnie Johnson.
Did Not Qualify: Kirk Horton, Dave Calaman, Dave Hinsch, Brian Decker, Jeremy Markle, Kevin Albert Jr., Danny Hieber, Stanley Wilkins, Michael Weinert, Billy Van Inwegen Jr., Nich Rochinski, Bobby Trapper, Jim Mahaney.
Lap Leaders: Joey Grammes (1-4); Brett Tonkin (5-42); Duane Howard (43); Tonkin (44-51); Howard (52-60). *Lap leaders received one can of beer per lap led from Lakey's Tavern.
Heat Winners: Danny Johnson, Ryan Godown, Duane Howard, Gary Tomkins, Pat Ward
Consolation Winners: Rick Laubach, Larry Wight
$1,000 Gambler's Challenge: Duane Howard
$150 Hard Charger Award (Grandview Speedway Starter's Stand & Jim Young Race Photos): Brett Hearn (23rd to 13th)
$50 Lap 41 In Memory Of Jane Kennerup: Brett Tonkin
$40 Big Diamond Fans Award: Ryan Godown
New Egypt Friends of Mike Guaranteed Starter: Danny Johnson
Selinsgrove Speedway 2011 Free Passes: Duane Howard
Trackside Products RoC Street Stock Feature Finish: DENNY DECKER, Rich Talada, Charlie Gilbert, Tom Garren, Kevin Boynton, Jon Carpenter, Ken Sparks Jr., Jason Butler, Rich Green, Mike Rasbeck, Chad Stone, Karl Shimer, Dan Babcock, Josh Stilson, Shane Wolf Jr., Darl Ellis Jr., Josh Towner, Eric Beach.
XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish: CHRIS STOCKHAM, Aaron Bowes, Mike Kelly, Kyle Gardner, Dave Baldwin Jr., Nick Mady, Tyler Bartik, Ryan Suchon, Brian Mady, Joe Fanelli, Justin Schrader, Eric Whitby, Jeromy Guistwite, George Loux, Mark Howanitz, Loren Ward, Jon Horn, Kyle Kocher, Keith McIntyre, Shawn Horning, Dave Ogin, Paul DeRuyter, Butch Getz, Dave Baldwin Sr., Mike Kepper.
No comments:
Post a Comment