TRENTON, N.J. - Seventeen of the top 20 finishers in last year's Trenton "200" modified sportsman stock car national championship will be back to try their hands at a repeat performance, but ironically only two will be in top 30 guaranteed slots when the green flag falls on the fifth annual renewal of the classic at Trenton Speedway at 3:30 pm. today.
Southerners roared off with top money last year, and 1967's record booty should make things even more interesting with a share of $21,500 being the aim of the star-studded field.
Virginians Ray Hendrick, who has won two in a row, Bill Dennis and Gaither (Runt) Harris placed 1-2-3 in 1966, and the trio will be back on Sunday but will have to earn one of the 30 remaining slots in the 60-car field in time trials.
Jerry Dostie of Guilford, Conn, fourth a year ago, and fifth-place man Mario (Fats) Caruso of Shrewsbury, Mass., winner of the 1963 inaugural and average speed record-holder at 91.375 miles per hour, find themselves m the same situation and will have to battle the clock before competing against the 30 guaranteed starters.
Al Tasnady, sixth-place finisher last year, and 12th-place finisher Lennie Pond are the only drivers from last year's top 20 to earn guaranteed posts, leaving such standouts as Jim Hayes, Pete Hamilton, Bugs Stevens, Dick Watson, Sal Dee, NASCAR sportsman champ Don MacTavish, Eddie Crouse, Pat Moon, Frank Myroncuk and NASCAR modified king Ernie Gahan still seeking berths in the starting field.

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Carl "Bugsie" Stevens of Rehoboth, Mass., beat out a hot contender in an 80-lap battle Sunday for first place in the Trenton 200 modified-sportsmen stock car national championship at Trenton Speedway.
Donnie Allison of Hueytown, Ala., fought with Stevens for the lead position from the 120th lap but ended up chasing the winner across the finish line, just three seconds behind, for second place.
Stevens, current NASCAR modified point leader, finished the 200 laps on the one-mile circuit in two hours, 16 minutes and nine seconds for an average speed of 88.138 miles per hour.
Driving a 1937 Chevrolet with a 427 cubic inch Chevy engine- owned by Len Poehler of Freetown, Mass., Stevens picked up another 900 points for the win and an estimated $15,000 from the record $21,700 purse. Allison also drove a '37 Chevy as did third-place finisher Fred Vessaro of Westerly, R.T., who finished 196 laps.
Starting in 33rd position, Stevens moved into second place behind Allison on the 120th lap and stayed there until the 186th. He then pulled alongside Allison in the second turn and passed him in the back straight away. Allison had led the race for 96 of the 200 laps. He went out front in the 69th lap when leader Gene Bergin of Manchester, Conn., went into the pits.
Allison fell behind on the 96th when he made a pit stop, but regained the lead on the 117th mile and held it until the 186th. Allison was a pinch-hit driver for Ray Hendrick of Richmond, Va., winner of the Trenton 200 the past two years and second place winner the two years before that. Hendrick had qualified the car but couldn't race it because of a NASCAR Grand National commitment at Richmond.
The race had been rained out twice and officials started it 20 minutes early Sunday because they feared it would be rained out again. Paul Radford, Richmond, Va., was fourth and Al Grinnan, Fredericksburg, Va., fifth. Then came Rene Charland, Agawam, Mass., sixth; Ed Pathnode, Westfield, Mass., seventh; Bill Hensley, Ridgeway, Va., eighth; Pat Moon, Northport, N.Y., ninth, Bill Slater, Hartford, Conn., 10^th.