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By Gary Lileck
Forestville, PA – May 18, 2007 – Billy Pauch Jr. of Frenchtown NJ powered to a convincing victory in
Friday’s 25-lap 358 Modified feature at Big Diamond Raceway. Once grabbing the lead, the third generation
racer wasted no time in taking command of the contest. It was Pauch’s second career victory at the track.
Schaeffer’s Harley Davidson Buell (Orwigsburg) sponsored the evening’s festivities. Other divisional
main event winners were: Rob Gibson (Sportsman), Eric Pinkerton (Roadrunners), and Dave Ely (Wingless ARDC
Midgets).
Jeff Sechrist (Wernersville) jumped into the early race lead behind the wheel of his self-owned
#318 modified. Pauch Jr., driving the Mike Dinatale #11D, started the contest from ninth. On the fifth
circuit, Pauch darted to the inside of Sechrist for possession of the lead. Keith Hoffman (Whitehall)
began the event from fifteenth. On a lap eleven restart, Hoffman passed a pair of machinery en route
to the runner-up spot.
The race’s final caution flag was unfurled with fifteen laps on the board. Pauch executed a flawless
restart and immediately pulled from Hoffman. As the final laps clicked to conclusion, Hoffman gained some
ground on the leader, however, Pauch remained in command.
Pauch missed the first few races of the early season, as he was competing in an asphalt modified. In
only his third start of ’07, Pauch has quickly hit the winner’s circle. Pauch’s triumph was captured just
after he had finished fourth (started seventeenth) in the previously completed ARDC feature.
Hoffman, in the PPB #1 machine, enjoyed his finest performance of the season with a runner-up
finish. John Willman (Birdsboro), driving the Saracino Motorsports #91, raced within the top five during all
25 laps and finished third. Current points leader Jeff Strunk (Mohnton) started sixteenth and moved into
fourth on lap twenty-one. Sechrist rounded out the front finishing five.
Doug Manmiller (Shoemakersville) drove his self owned Teo #00 to a sixth place effort. Shawn
Fitzpatrick (Pottsville) placed seventh ahead of Terry Meitzler (Kutztown), Jimmy Reppert (Hamburg), and
Danny Erb (Boyertown).
Qualifying heat winners for the 32 cars trackside were: Billy Pauch Jr., Doug Hendricks, and John Willman.
The B-Main winner was Troy Wink.
Rich Stankiewicz (Reading) was the early show star in the caution plagued 20-lap Sportsman
headliner. Stankiewicz, a former Limited Late Model racer at the track during the 80s, started from the
pole position. Stankiewicz led the opening nine circuits unchallenged.
On a lap ten restart, former go-kart star, Rob Gibson (Schuylkill Haven), placed the PPB #8 in
command past Stankiewicz. Gibson placed some distance between himself and Stankiewicz as the race drew to a
conclusion. Gibson held on to become the sixth different Sportsman feature winner in six races held.
Stankiewicz nailed down a season’s best of second. Sophomore racer Kevin Beach (Llewellyn) scored
a third straight top five of third. Josh Biever (Orwigsburg) started fourteenth, rebounded from an
earlier accident, and throttled to a fourth place effort. Former track champion Tom Brennan (Pottsville)
was also involved in an earlier incident and rallied for a fifth place finish.
33 Sportsman signed in for the night’s competition. Heat winners were: Joe Masiado, Billy
Moyer Jr., and Rich Stankiewicz. The B-Main was won by John Stangle.
The 15-lap Roadrunner feature was another fast paced event, with plenty of lead changes. Rookie Brian
Johnson (Ashland) led the opening pair of laps. Johnson’s team-ate Gary Renninger (Pottsville) took
command on lap three. Veteran racer Dave Miller (Pine Grove) grabbed the spot on lap ten and remained there
until contact and a flat tire caused him to fall back.
Through the fray, Eric Pinkerton (Tower City) muscled his #37 Monte Carlo into the number one spot
on lap thirteen. Pinkerton remained in command and captured his second win of the season.
Joe Hendricks (Auburn) was passing cars on the bottom and top. Hendricks finished second. Renninger
nailed down a season’s best of third. Kevin Olenick (Pottsville) finished fourth ahead of Dan Strenkoski
(Llewellyn).
New Jersey’s Chris Zrinski led the opening two circuits of the 20-lap ARDC feature. Seventh starter
Ryan Smith (Kunkletown) took control on lap three. Smith is a second generation talent who has achieved
much success in Slingshots, Micro Sprints, and most recently the 2006 point title in Ford Focus Midgets.
He was looking for a first career ARDC win and led until late in the event.
Dave Ely (Reading) always competes strong at BDR and made a late race surge past Smith on lap 19. Ely,
driving a Spike Chassis #77, grabbed his first ARDC triumph of the season. Ely was followed by Andy Martin
(Gordonville), Billy Pauch Jr., and PJ Garguilo (Reading).
ARDC heat race winners were: Nick Wean, Randy Monroe, and Frank Polimeda. Incidentally, Polimeda was
racing third in the main event, when his #44 flipped viciously down the home straight and into turn one.
Frank was checked for further observation in the ambulance and was not injured. The consi was won by
Steve Lenig.
One of America’s well established holiday weekends is quickly approaching. Big Diamond Raceway
will kick-off the Memorial Day Weekend with exciting racing on Thursday and Friday. Thursday May 24 marks
the return of 410 Sprint-car racing to the Coal Region. The inaugural Keystone Cup Series visits Big
Diamond highlighted by the sprinters. Roadrunners are also on the card. Gates open at 5:00PM with racing
beginning at 7:30PM.
The Keystone Legend Cars make their ’07 season debut on Friday May 25. 358 Modifieds and Sportsman complete the card.
For more details on this weekend’s double day show and all other information, please visit the
speedway’s official track website at www.bigdiamondraceway.com
-Full Results Friday May 18, 2007-
358 MODIFIEDS
Feature (25-laps): 1) #11D-Billy Pauch Jr., 2) #1-Keith Hoffman, 3) #91-John Willman, 4) #126-Jeff
Strunk, 5) #318-Jeff Sechrist, 6) #00-Doug Manmiller, 7) #102-Shawn Fitzpatrick, 8) #81-Terry Meitzler, 9)
#97-Jimmy Reppert, 10) #44-Danny Erb, 11) #11-Meme DeSantis, 12) #S1-Bobby Gunther-Walsh, 13) #47-Gary
Wagner Jr., 14) #15-Dale Hartz, 15) #8-Doug Hendricks, 16) #3x-Danny Nicholas, 17) #6-Ryan Watt, 18)
#29-Kenny Eckert Jr., 19) #27-Troy Wink, 20) #17-Ryan Grim, 21) #14-Rick Laubach, 22) #33-Ray Swinehart,
23) #10T-Matt James, 24) #1c-Craig Von Dohren.
Did Not Qualify: Greg Weiland, Corey Sechrist, Scott Frack, Kurt Spotts, Jason Hamilton, Sean Merkel, Steve
Swinehart, Mike Nicholas.
SPORTSMAN
Feature (20-laps): 1) #8-Rob Gibson, 2) #2-Rich Stankiewicz, 3) #6JR-Kevin Beach, 4) #46-Josh Biever,
5) #26-Tom Brennan, 6) #2T-Mike Taylor, 7) #72-Ray Woodall Jr., 8) #56-Shawn Hiestand, 9) #64-Andy
Miller, 10) #6-John Stangle, 11) #123-Craig Whitmoyer, 12) #19-Jordan Umbenhauer, 13) #75-James Morris, 14)
#84-Leroy Long, 15) #04-Steven Hughes, 16) #71J-Codie Berk, 17) #14-Louie Mitchalk, 18) #17-Billy Moyer Jr.,
19) #43-Joe Masiado, 20) #8XL-Keith Fleming, 21) #19B-Brad Brightbill, 22) #71-Mike Mammana, 23) #33E-Earl Paules.
DQ: #27-Andrew Stout.
Did Not Qualify: Mike Bent, Patrick Cozze, Kyle Deiter, Jarrad Miller, Roy Wiest, Kyle Somers, Chris
James Jr., Frank Cozze Jr., Shane Moser.
ROADRUNNERS
Feature (15-laps): 1) #37-Eric Pinkerton, 2) #11x-Joe Hendricks, 3) #101-Gary Renninger, 4) #450-Kevin
Olenick, 5) #11-Dan Strenkoski, 6) #97-Jeremy Becker, 7) #22-Tom Hablett, 8) #z71-Andy Zvorsky, 9) #66-Chris
Holland, 10) #16-Robert Derfler, 11) #93-Rob Pyle, 12) #1-Dave Miller, 13) #8-Davey Nester, 14) #29B-Ricky
Bender, 15) #29W-Derek Bender, 16) #17-Bud Vidal, 17) #201-Brian Johnson.
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