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LOCAL TRACKS: Tonkin takes points lead at Afton

Scott Walsh, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·4 min read

Jun. 30—Brett Tonkin of Carbondale followed up his win the previous week by finishing second in the 30-lap Modified feature at Afton Motorsports Park in New York on June 24.

In the process, Tonkin moved into the lead in the track division standings with 410 points. That's eight more than Shaun Walker and 10 ahead of Brandon Loucks. Both of those drivers are from Masonville, New York.

Brian Puckett of Old Forge placed seventh in the feature. Darwin Greene from Susquehanna was ninth, Nick Mady of Dingman's Ferry was 11th and Old Forge's Bobby Puckett was 20th. Brian Puckett and Mady also won their respective heat races.

Greene is seventh in the standings with 277 points. Bobby Puckett is 11th with 230 points, Mady 12th with 225 points, Forest City's Dan Vauter 19th with 204 points and Brian Puckett 20th with 199 points.

Try it again

June has been a rough month for area race tracks with rain seemingly every Friday and Saturday postponing cards.

Penn Can Speedway is no exception. The Susquehanna track has had its "Pappy" Beaven Memorial Night washed out each of the past two weeks. It will try again to hold the program honoring the track's founder Friday at 7 p.m.

It also is Military Appreciation Night, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Plus, the CRSA Sprints make their first of two visits to Penn Can this year. With one win, one second and one third place this season, Jordan Hutton of Hannibal, New York, is the standings leader with 505 points.

Also on the program are Modifieds, Sportsman, Limited Sportsman, 600cc Modifieds, Factory Stocks and Four-Cylinders.

Holiday racing

Several tracks and series are hosting events in conjunction with the July 4 holiday.

After being idle last week, Hamlin Speedway returns to action Saturday at 7 p.m. All divisions are in action, headlined by the All-Star Slingshots Firecracker 100.

On Sunday, the Short Track Super Series Modified North Region heads to Fonda Speedway in New York for the Firecracker 50. The 50-lap race pays $10,000 to win. The Crate 602 Sportsman North Region will also run the Firecracker 25 paying $2000 to win. Racing starts at 7:15 p.m.

The Super DIRTcar Series is at Land of Legends in Canandaigua, New York, on Monday for the Stars and Stripes Spectacular. The 60-lap Modified feature pays $7500 to win.

Then Wednesday, the Super DIRTcar Series returns to Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York, for the makeup of a May 7 rainout. The 75-lap feature pays $7,500 to win. There also will be a 30-lap Big Block Modified feature and a 20-lap Sportsman feature.

Fast tracks

Harding's Jordan Thomas opened the Empire Sprint Series/CNY Speedweek on Wednesday with a seventh-place finish at Can Am Speedway in Lafargeville, New York. Thomas was scheduled to compete Thursday at Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, New York. The ESS/CNY Speedweek then heads to Brewerton, N.Y., Speedway on Friday before concluding Saturday at Fulton, N.Y., Speedway. ... At Bloomsburg Fair Raceway on June 22, Mike Loney of Taylor finished second in the 602 Sportsman 20-lap makeup feature. Scranton's Brandon Oleski was seventh, Tyler Peet from Lake Ariel eighth and Ralph Mele of Hamlin ninth. In the scheduled 20-lap feature, Loney placed eighth, Peet ninth, Lake Ariel's Allan Kellogg 10th and Oleski 17th. ... Two of the first five races of Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek were rained out. The 10-race series was scheduled to continue Thursday at Lincoln Speedway. It then heads to Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, Port Royal Speedway on Saturday, Selinsgrove Speedway on Sunday before wrapping up back at Port Royal on Monday. ... Big Diamond Speedway in Minersville will hold the annual Georgie Stevenson Memorial on Friday at 7:45 p.m. Headlining the show is a 40-lap Modified feature paying $6,000 to win and a 20-lap 602 Sportsman feature paying $1,500 to win. ... Condolences to racing brothers Nick and Brian Mady on their death of their grandfather and biggest supporter, Joseph O. "Marlo" St. Onge. He was 86.

SCOTT WALSH covers motor sports for The Times-Tribune. Contact him at swalsh@timesshamrock.com; 570 348-9100 ext. 5109; and follow him @swalshTT on Twitter.