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Greater Pittston unbeaten in American Legion baseball playoffs

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Statue of John F. Kennedy unveiled in downtown Pittston

<p>LAUREL RUN &#8212; With its Dukes of Hazzard-themed resemblance and its Dixieland horn, Ray Kocin&#8217;s racing automobile has grown into one of the most popular annual attractions at the Giants Despair Hillclimb.</p><p>This time, it grew a bit disruptive.</p><p>The 1980 Chevy Sport Modified &#8212; also nicknamed &#8220;The General Lee&#8221; after the car in the old TV show &#8212; sprayed radiator fluid all over the roadway Sunday, ending the event a bit early while keeping fifth-place finisher Kocin from a final timed run and costing Giants Despair winner John Burke one last shot at breaking his own course record.</p><p>&#8220;Blew a radiator hose,&#8221; Kocin, from Weatherly, said. &#8220;What are you going to do?&#8221;</p><p>That didn&#8217;t stop Burke from putting up a fastest time of 39.241 seconds during his initial runs Sunday and finishing first overall at Giants Despair for a fifth straight year &#8212; tying Laurel Run native Darryl Danko for the second-most consecutive victories in the event.</p><p>The put Burke, from Rumson, N.J., in position to match the record six straight Giants Despair victories Ron Moreck accomplished in a Formula Reynard from 1997 through 2002.</p><p>&#8220;Maybe I&#8217;ve got to go for that,&#8221; Burke said.</p><p>Connor Burke, John&#8217;s son, finished second overall and won the Formula Atlantic Division in an &#8216;04 Swift with a time of 41.161.</p><p>&#8220;I was watching him, he did a great job,&#8221; John Burke said.</p><p>Bryan Fritzler of Lincoln University came in third with winning the Prototype 1 category in 43.875 and Larksville&#8217;s Stephen Sincavage came in fourth in a 2017 Chevy Corvette at 44.153.</p><p>The weekend saw single-run records fall in 13 of the event&#8217;s 44 categories, including Sincavage&#8217;s run to win the Super Street Prepared. Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s Gary Michael Polakoski, driving a &#8216;90 Ford Mustang, made a new mark in the American Sedan slot with a time of 46.709. West Pittston&#8217;s Andrew Baylor became the man to beat in the Formula 500 by hitting 49.956 in a QRE Invader.</p><p>And Bear Creek&#8217;s Billy Feist, driving an &#8216;86 Corvette in honor of his slain friend and former Wilkes-Barre resident Donnie Bachman, set the Touring 1 standard with a time of 46.229.</p><p>John Burke joined Moreck and Danko as the only drivers to conquer the hill in under 40 seconds during Pennsylvania&#8217;s oldest continuing motorsports event, a Giants Despair Hillclimb history that includes racing names like Carroll Shelby, Roger Penske and Oscar Koveleski.</p><p>While none of those racing legends ever accomplished that feat, Burke cracked the magical 40-second mark for the fifth straight year. Danko, who was sidelined from this weekend&#8217;s Giants Despair due to injury, is the only other driver to run a sub-40 at Giants Despair twice.</p><p>&#8220;The weather was great,&#8221; Burke said. &#8220;We had two great days. We had fun this weekend.&#8221;</p><p>He didn&#8217;t get a new record time to help celebrate his birthday on Wednesday, though.</p><p>A settling course provided a rocky ride that Burke blamed for cooling the throttle on his Reynard, which formerly ran on the IndyCar circuit.</p><p>&#8220;The track is bumpier. I didn&#8217;t feel like it would affect the times, but I think it does,&#8221; said Burke, who set the course record of 38.024. &#8220;It&#8217;s harder for me to put the power down, because of the bumps. I think the track is slower.&#8221;</p><p>Burke earlier complained about a double-bump where the roadway had settled entering the course&#8217;s third turn, which is where Kocin&#8217;s coolant let loose.</p><p>&#8220;Turn 3 is terrible,&#8221; Kocin said. &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t get power through it.&#8221;</p><p>But he was quick to add the roadway had nothing to do with his faulty radiator hose.</p><p>&#8220;The line just blew apart,&#8221; Kocin said.</p><p>That prevented Kocin, driving in the day&#8217;s next-to-last scheduled attempt, from bettering his best time of the weekend of 44.470.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m just stuck in the 44s,&#8221; Kocin said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been trying to get to 43.9. I was going for it.&#8221;</p><p>But with the roadway slick from The General Lee&#8217;s leaking fluid, the event was halted without Burke even starting his engine for what was supposed to be the day&#8217;s final shot at the Giant.</p><p>&#8220;I really had my mind set on it. I was mentally pumped for that last run,&#8221; Burke said. &#8220;I was going to try to take Turn 1 harder and take it flat. But there&#8217;s fluid down on the road. I&#8217;d need a practicing lap lap just to see what it was like, and this was the last run.</p><p>&#8220;But there&#8217;s always next year.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Jack Danko Jr. begins his run up East Northampton Street in Lauren Run during the 111th annual Giants Despair Hillclimb on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_giant-2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jack Danko Jr. begins his run up East Northampton Street in Lauren Run during the 111th annual Giants Despair Hillclimb on Sunday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_giant-3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">New Jersey&#8217;s John Burke starts his run up East Northampton Street in Laurel Run while winning the Giants Despair Hillclimb for a fifth consecutive year Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_giant-3-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>New Jersey&#8217;s John Burke starts his run up East Northampton Street in Laurel Run while winning the Giants Despair Hillclimb for a fifth consecutive year Sunday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_giant-1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Event chairman and driver Jack Danko, Sr. descends East Northampton Street in Lauren Run during the 111th annual Giants Despair Hillclimb. Danko Sr. finished 25th overall and second in the Prototype 1 Category on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_giant-1-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Event chairman and driver Jack Danko, Sr. descends East Northampton Street in Lauren Run during the 111th annual Giants Despair Hillclimb. Danko Sr. finished 25th overall and second in the Prototype 1 Category on Sunday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>John Burke wins fifth straight Giants Despair Hillclimb</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Giant Despair Hillclimb</strong></p><p><strong>Top 25 Overall Finishers</strong></p><p><strong>Name` Town` Car` Class` Time</strong></p><p>1. John Burke`Rumson, N.J.` 97 Reynard Champ` Special 3` 39.4241</p><p>2. Connor Burke`Rumson, N.J.` 04 Swift 014`Formula Atlantic` 41.161</p><p>3. Bryan Fritzler`Lincoln University`03 Fritzler FT03 Corsair`Prototype 1`43.875</p><p>4. Stephen Sincavage` Larksville`17 Chevy Corvette Z06` Super Street Prep` 44.153</p><p>5. Raymond Kochin` Weatherly` 80 Chevy Sport Modified` Special 3` 44.470</p><p>6. Kurt Elkenberg` Stewartstown` 94 Cheetah SR1` Special 1` 44.5</p><p>7. Timm Murphy`Pittsburgh`Formula Mazda`Formula S`44.545</p><p>8. Mark Aubele`East McKeesport`97 BMW M3`Street Mod Extreme`45.237</p><p>9. Dave Cutchins`N/A`Formula Mazda`Formula S`45.479</p><p>10. Mary Sincavage`Larksville`17 Chevy Corvette Z06`Super Street Prep`45.775</p><p>11. Jack Danko Jr`Laurel Run` Laurel Run` Formula Continental` 45.934</p><p>12. Bill Feist` Bear Creek Twp.` 86 Chevy Corvette` Touring 1` 46.229</p><p>13. James Vodopija`Pottstown`00 Chevy Corvette`Super Street Mod`46.286</p><p>14. Gary Michael Polakoski`Wilkes-Barre`90 Ford Mustang`American Sedan`46.709</p><p>15. Mikey Robinson` Perkasie `99 Chevy Camaro` E Street Prep `47.166</p><p>16. Brian Halecki` N/A `Camaro `American Sedan` 47.630</p><p>17. Brian Micciche`York`93 Mazda Rx7-LS3`Street Mod Extreme`47.649</p><p>18. Adrienne Vrabel` Duryea` 86 Chevy Corvette` Super Street Mod` 47.782</p><p>19. Robert Oswald Jr.`Boyertown`04 Viper Sv-1`Solo V`47.849</p><p>20. Haley Levengood`Reading`37 Ford Legend`INEX Mod`48.011</p><p>21. Todd Reid`Elkton, Md.`95 Honda Civic`Special 3`48.131</p><p>22. Steve Lewis`Perkiomenville`17 Ford Mustang GT`E Street Prep`48.152</p><p>23. Mike Lascoskie`Reading`77 Chevy Monza`Special 3`48.202</p><p>24. Jason Keffer`N/A`N/A`Formula Continental`48.376</p><p>25. Jack Danko Sr.`Laurel Run`Radical`Prototype 1`48.723</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

John Burke wins 5th straight Giants Despair Hillclimb