Staff Report

It's kind of spooky the way James Cornell won the Pro Stock feature at Afton Speedway on Saturday.

After starting sixth, Cornell slid even further back, yet rallied to take the lead for good at the halfway point of the 50-lap race during the third-annual "Spooktacular" event at the track. Cornell held off a strong run by Harold Humphrey to earn the victory.

Jamie Shea and Humphrey led the field down to the green flag. Shea held the lead until a lap 3 yellow, which involved P.J. Goodwin, Cornell, and others in a tangle in turn two. Humphrey grabbed the lead on the restart and held it until Shea returned to the point on lap 15. Meanwhile, Goodwin and Cornell were fighting their way back through the field.

Goodwin was involved in another spin in turn one, but Cornell and Palladino avoided incidents to move into the top five with Glenn Wilcox.

Shea encountered problems around the halfway point, which briefly handed the lead to Humphrey. Wilcox fell off the pace and later made a pit stop as Cornell slipped past Humphrey to take the lead. Shawn Bennett was running in the top five until he had problems, which moved Palladino and Winnie Winchester into the top five.

Cornell held off Humphrey in the closing laps to take the $1,000 payday. Palladino finished third, with Goodwin and Gene Sharpsteen rounding out the top five.

Other feature winners in held-over events were Tim French in the DIRT Sportsman, Randy Hall in the IMCA Modified and Cal Pierce in the 4-Cylinder Modified feature.

Feature winners in the scheduled "Spooktacular" event were Chad Cook in the 20-lap Sportsman, Shawn Mills in the 4-Cylinder Stocks, Kurt Decker in Pure Stock, Steve Hill in the 4-Cylinder Modified main and Ally Amell in the Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club.

In the IMCA feature, which resumed on lap 6 after poor weather postponed the finish, Hall held out over Gil Sharpsteen and Mike Stoddard for the victory.

Racing concluded with a demolition derby. Brett Relyea bested 38 other competitors for the payday.

The "Spooktacular" concluded the on-track portion of the 2001 season at Afton Speedway. The final event of the year on the track calendar is the annual awards banquet, which will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at the River Club in Afton.

For more information, call 607-657-8010.

SPOOKTACULAR

HELD OVER DIRT SPORTSMAN FEATURE-TIM FRENCH, Kevin Jordan, Arnie Slade, Gary Gallerie, Ken Titus, Butch Klinger, Greg Doust, Don Hart, Olin Renwick, Jim LaVella, Chad O'Hara, Walt Chyrwaty, Craig Pritchard, Daryl Hagen.

SPORTSMAN FEATURE-CHAD COOK, Greg Doust, Tim French, Arnie Slade, Butch Klinger, Ken Weirich, Gary Gallerie, Walt Chyrwaty, Olin Renwick, Don Hart, Chad O'Hara, Jim LaVella, Daryl Hagen, Kevin Jordan, Ken Titus.

HELD OVER 4 CYLINDER MODIFIED FEATURE-CAL PIERCE, Curt Pierce, Ick Pierce, Matt Carpenter, Alan Bush, George Howe, Chris Berg, Steve Hill, Anna Howe.

4 CYLINDER MODIFIED FEATURE-STEVE HILL, Matt Carpenter, Cal Pierce, Ick Pierce, Curt Pierce, George Howe, Alan Bush, Chris Berg.

IMCA MODIFIED FEATURE-RANDY HALL, Gil Sharpsteen, Mike Stoddard, Joe Price, Jeff Cardinale, Geroge Catazano, Bob Chapman, John Thayer.

4 CYLINDER STOCK FEATURE-SHAWN MILLS, Ed Hulslander, Harold Humphrey, Rich Powell, Bob Doollittle, Larry Colton, Jackie Soper, Ed Leslie, Roger West, Skip Pickwick, Lori Bishop, George Crippen, David Culshaw, Bob Cummings, Leonard Miller, Fred Newton, Ken Carson, Scott Johnson, Pete Christansen, Andy Graves, Chris Smith, Jamie Banta, Rich Rought, Ralph Jennings, Ken Hotaling.

PURE STOCK FEATURE-KURT DECKER, Bobby Boynton, Derek Baldwin, Bob Stillson, Jamie Rosh, Ernie Martin, Jim Palmer, Rob Loucks, Mike Lartz, Rodney Tweedie, Shawn Walker, Brad Butcher, Buck Mills, Nate Evans, Mike Wilbur, Butch Green, William Solowiej, Paul Harrington, Bill Rampe, Shannon Hollenbeck, Mike Decker, Dave Bellis, Rick Trexler.