WINS KING OF THE CAN AT PENN CAN SPEEDWAY; COLLINS, WILLIAMS AND GRIST ALL VICTORIOUS
Story By: DAN HARPELL / PENN CAN SPEEDWAY MEDIA
Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
SUSQUEHANNA, PA – October 17, 2016- Nick Rochinski is often one of the fastest cars on the track but bad luck has given him little to show for it, until Friday night. Rochinski dominated the 50 lap King of the Can for STAR Series Modifieds at Penn Can Speedway to secure his first win of the year. Tom Collins, Jr., Jeremy Williams and Nick Grist were also victorious.
Rochinski raced into the lead at the drop of the green but the legendary Mike Colsten quickly mounted an attack. Colsten was the first to challenge Rochinski in the early going before sixth starting Brian Malcolm joined in on the hunt for the lead on lap five.
Malcolm was able to move past Colsten for second on lap 17 and set his sights on Rochinski. The next driver to mount an attack was Dan Creeden from his eighth starting spot. Creeden took over third on lap 23 and went to work on Malcolm and leader Rochinski.
Rochinski was strapped to a rocket on this night as Malcolm would dive down low in the corners but Rochinski would fly off the corners on the top of the speedway. While Malcolm was trying everything he could to challenge Rochinski for the lead, Creeden was all over Malcolm for second.
Over the closing laps Rochinski was just no match for the rest of the field as he checked out to a ten car length lead. Creeden would challenge Malcolm to the end but at the finish it was Rochinski taking the biggest win of his career over Malcolm, Creeden, Colsten and Penn Can Track Champ Alan Rudalavage.
Sixth through tenth went to Brett Tonkin, Joey Grammes, Ken Titus, Steve Davis and Bobby Trapper, Jr. Creeden wrapped up the STAR Series title with his third place finish.
The GRIT Series Sportsman was plagued by a rash of cautions but the racing up front was fantastic when the green was out. Tom Collins, Jr. was hounded by Track Champion Mike Schane throughout the race. While they battled for the lead Nick Nye was moving through the field from his tenth starting spot.
Nye was able to move up to third but the race was for the lead between Collins and Schane. Collins was up to the challenge and held off Schane to notch the feature win. Schane was second ahead of Nye, Mike Nagel, Jr. and Kevin Ward. Sixth through tenth went to Stacy Jackson, Paul Rooney, Randy Gates, Casey Pavlick and Adam MacGeorge.
Factory Stock Track Champion Jeremy Williams put an exclamation point on an amazing season by winning the STAR Series feature event. He was the races early leader but 11th starting Bobby Hall, Jr. was making his way to the front. Hall was able to track Williams down and pass him for the lead on lap nine.
Williams was able to put his home track knowledge to good use as he raced back into the lead with just seven laps to go. Once out front he never looked back and scored the big win. Jason Travis was a strong second ahead of Charlie Towner, Buck Mills, Jr. and Hall. Positions six through ten went to Josh Towner, Grayson Albanese, Kevin Skelly, Justin Hall and Chuck Culbertson.
The race of the night took place in the Four Cylinder feature. Nick Kennedy quickly hustled his mount into the lead but ninth starting Nick Grist needed just three laps to move into second to challenge Kennedy. The two drivers put on a clinic as they raced side by side, lap after lap with Kennedy holding a slight advantage.
As the leaders entered heavy lapped traffic at the halfway point Grist made the move of the race to take the lead down the backstretch. Kennedy ran the extreme outside, which was the preferred line, but Grist got a great run on the bottom of the track down the backstretch and trapped Kennedy behind a lapped car going into turn three.
Grist would grab the lead and hold on to capture the checkered flag. Kennedy was second ahead of Adam Gilbert, Kenny Underwood and Clint Kadaronak. Finishing in positions six through ten were Dave Shafer, Phil Burns, Jimmy DiFulvio, Tyler Belcher and Mikey Travis.
STAR SERIES MODIFIEDS FEATURE FINISH: NICK ROCHINSKI, Brian Malcolm, Dan Creeden, Mike Colsten, Alan Rudalavage, Brett Tonkin, Joey Grammes, Ken Titus, Steve Davis, Bobby Trapper, Jr., Joey Colsten, Randy Green, Brad Szulewski, Richard Smith, Rusty Smith, Alan Kellogg, Darwin Greene, Ed Dachenhausen, Kevin Hartnett, Donnie Elliott, Mike Clapperton, Lee DeWitt, Bobby Trapper, Dan Morden.
GRIT SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH: TOM COLLINS, JR., Mike Schane, Nick Nye, Mike Nagel, Jr., Kevin Ward, Stacy Jackson, Paul Rooney, Randy Gates, Casey Pavlick, Adam MacGeorge, Dusty Barton, Donnie Lawson, Tim Guild, Dale Welty, Nick Branning, Tim Howell, Devon Zona, Lem Atkins, Dustin Jordan, Brett Graham, Matt Brewer, Ryan Stone, Steve Andrulonis, Carl Bittenbender.
STAR SERIES FACTORY STOCK FEATURE FINISH: JEREMY WILLIAMS, Jason Travis, Charlie Towner, Buck Mills, Jr., Bobby Hall, Jr., Josh Towner, Grayson Albanese, Kevin Skelly, Justin Hall, Chuck Culbertson, Brad Marvin, Randy Fox, Buck Mils, Sr., Cyrus Homer, Shannon Oswald, Chris Groover, Kevin Garland, Jason Rinker. DNS: Jason Neyra.
FOUR CYLINDER FEATURE FINISH: NICK GRIST, Nick Kennedy, Adam Gilbert, Kenny Underwood, Clint Kadaronak, Dave Shafer, Phil Burns, Jimmy DiFulvio, Tyler Belcher, Mikey Travis, Joe Smith, Anthony Seward, Jim Backowski, Rick Lunn, John Houghtaling, Brandon Nielson, Sheldon Whitman, Jeremy Warren, Frank Kennedy, Kyle Rogers.
