POMPEY, GENNARELLI, FOX, WILLIAMS AND ROBINSON COLLECT
CAN OPENER WINS
Story by Tyler Harpell
The Dan Harpell era at the Penn Can Speedway officially began with the 2015 installment of the “Can Opener”on Friday night. Alec Gennarelli was the first driver to find victory lane in 2015 as he picked up the win in the Sportsman 20 lap main event. Randy Fox bested the field enroute to his first career Penn Can Street Stock victory. Dan Pompey picked up the Modified win in the 40 lap affair after inheriting the lead with 6 to go. Mike Robinson collected a win in the 4 Cylinder feature with Jeremy Williams picking up the Factory Stock win.
Joey Colsten and Mike Dougherty brought the 20 car Modified field to the green flag for the Can Opener with Colsten grabbing the initial lead. Colsten’s lead however was very short lived as mechanical problems ended his night just two laps into the feature. Dougherty took over the top spot as he used the extreme outside groove of the wide racing surface.
Dickson City’s Nick Rochinski quickly moved into the runner up position and began challenging Dougherty for the lead in the early stages of the 40 lapper. Dougherty in his sophomore season behind the wheel of a Modified looked strong as he was able to hold off Rochinski’s challenges in the opening 9 laps. On a lap 10 restart however, Dougherty jumped the cushion allowing Rochinski to race by on the inside to take over the lead. While out front, Rochinski quickly opened up a sizeable advantage over the field.
The next caution flag flew on lap 14 as Joey Grammes’ number 78 Grant Hilfiger motorsports car came to a stop. The ensuing restart found Rochinski the leader with Dougherty, Gary Tomkins, Dan Pompey, and Adam MacGeorge completing the top 5. With the race resuming, Rochinski again opened up a commanding lead. Pompey meanwhile raced past Tomkins to enter the top three. As the race forged on, the battle began to heat up with Dougherty and Pompey for second and third.
By lap 30 Rochinski had opened up nearly a full straightaway advantage over Dougherty and began to catch the tail end of the field. Behind the leader, Dougherty and Pompey continued their battle lap after lap, with Tomkins and MacGeorge rounding out the top 5 with defending track champion Kevin Hartnett quietly running sixth.
The next caution came out on lap 34 as the formidable run for Gary Tomkins came to an end with drive shaft problems. The field was forced to come to a stop on the front straightaway as the safety crew went to check on Tomkins who had been hit with a piece of the driveshaft. Tomkins was able to walk to the golf cart where he was then taken to the ambulance to be checked out.
Before the drivers came to a stop on the track, it became apparent that race leader Nick Rochinski’s motor began to break up. When the drivers refired their cars, heartbreak set in for Rochinski as he was unable to fire his 20r machine, surrendering the lead to Pompey who had taken over second the lap before from Dougherty.
In the closing six laps Pompey was able to hold off the challenges that he faced from Dougherty. As the checkered flag flew for the first time for the Modifieds in 2015, it was Pompey collecting the win with Dougherty, Hartnett, MacGeorge, and Brian Malcolm completing the top 5.
In the Crate Sportsman feature it was Alec Gennarelli picking up the victory. In the early stages of the race, Bud Phillips and Josh Towner battled for the lead. By lap 6 Gennarelli had moved up from his sixth place starting spot to take over the lead. Gennarelli then went on to open up a sizeable lead with Towner maintaining second throughout the race. Gennarelli would hang on to claim the victory with Towner, Grant Hilfiger, Tyler Singleton, and Todd Titus completing the top 5.
Randy Fox triumphed for his first career Penn Can Speedway victory in the Street Stock 20 lap main event. Fox and Ray Lindquist put on an excellent display of racing in the early stages of the event. At the midway point of the race, Lindquist slid up the speedway leaving just enough room for Fox to capitalize and take over the lead. In the closing laps of the race, Fox was able to hold off the field, enroute to his first career PCS victory.
Mike Robinson led wire to wire as he picked up the 4 Cylinder 15 lap feature, with Jeremy Williams victorious in the Factory Stock 15 lap main event.
Penn Can Points: Despite starting slightly behind schedule because of afternoon rain showers, the entire program was run off in just over three hours. The tacky racing surface produced very quick lap times in all divisions with three wide racing throughout the night. This Friday the CRSA Sprint Cars make their first of three stops at the ⅜ mile oval along with a full program of racing. Race time is 7:30pm.
Penn Can Speedway Results 5-1-15
MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: DAN POMPEY, Mike Dougherty, Kevin Hartnett, Adam MacGeorge, Brian Malcolm, Mike Loney, Nick Petrilak, Alan Rudalavage, Joey Grammes, Bobby Trapper, Alan Kellogg, Nick Rochinski, Gary Tomkins, Scott Adams, Bob Trapper, Jamie Batzel, Frank Porreca, Joey Colsten, Ken Titus
SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH: ALEC GENNARELLI, Josh Towner, Grant Hilfiger, Tyler Singleton, Todd Titus, Bud Phillips, Randy Gates, Matt Brewer, Devon Zona, Henry Yeska, Ted Mills III, Marty Bunker, Ryan Olsommer, Dusty Barton
STREET STOCK FEATURE FINISH: Randy Fox, Shane Wolf Jr, Ray Lindquist, Ryan Stone, Rob Warner, Chuck Murray, Kyle Stark, Dan Force
FACTORY STOCK FEATURE FINISH: Jeremy Williams, Ted Mills Jr, Kris Shimer, Ned Fitch, Gary Cleveland, Jason Travis, Luke Arbogast, Jason Neyra, Nathan Hill
4 CYLINDER FEATURE FINISH: Mike Robinson, Burt Maynard, Frank Kennedy, Matt McKernan, Rob Nober, Don Doster Jr, Ronnie Welch, Josh Wilder, Lawrence Norton, Clayton Force, Nick Kennedy, Laverne Conklin, Brian Pope, Dylan Robinson