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…By Gary Lileck
Forestville, PA-July 20, 2007- Craig Von Dohren registered his second straight 25-lap 358 Modified feature victory Friday evening at Big Diamond Raceway. It was the Oley PA resident’s third triumph of the season and a record leading 60th BDR career win.
Randy West of Boyertown PA emerged victorious in the 25-lap United Racing Company (URC) Sprint-car main event. It was West’s first ever triumph at Big Diamond and second career with the URC organization.
Other winners on NAPA Auto Parts of Schuylkill County night included: Jordan Umbenhauer (Sportsman) and Elvin Brennan (Roadrunners).
The season’s sixteenth 358 Modified main event found twenty-five starters ready for competition. Local racer Kenny Eckert Jr. placed his Bicknell-29 in front on the initial green flag. Third place starter, Mike Nicholas, asserted himself into the runner-up position. While Eckert and Nicholas raced closely up front, thirteenth place starter Craig Von Dohren was surging through the field. Von Dohren entered the top five on lap nine.
The caution flag waved with ten laps complete. On the ensuing restart, Nicholas powered past Eckert to gain command of the top spot. Von Dohren worked ahead of Eckert in turns three and four to occupy the second position. The yellow lights flashed at the completion of eleven circuits for a pair of occurrences. On the lap twelve green, Von Dohren blasted to the outside of Nicholas in turn two, becoming the new race leader.
Von Dohren dominated during the next several caution-free laps, while Nicholas raced in second. Positions three through eight raced in close formation with various spot changes taking place. The caution flag would regroup the field, however, with eighteen laps in the books. Von Dohren remained the race leader, while Nicholas had his hands full with the competition. Doug Manmiller, who originally started eleventh, displaced of Nicholas for second on lap twenty.
The event’s most serious accident, a solo car incident, took place with twenty-two laps on the counter. Ray Swinehart’s machine got out of shape heading into turn one. The car spun sideways into the jersey barrier and launched airborne, nearly flipping over. The red flag was thrown, and Ray was able to climb from his #33 uninjured.
Von Dohren, driving the Mike Harvey owned #1c Teo Pro Car, led the closing three circuits and cashed in for his third win of the season. Manmiller (Shoemakersville), in his self-owned Teo-00, finished second. Ryan Watt (Boyertown) throttled the Purcell Motorsports-6 Bicknell into third on lap twenty-two and remained there at the finish. Hard charger of the race, Meme DeSantis (Temple), powered the Hiester #11 from twenty-second to fourth.
Current points leader Jeff Strunk (Mohnton) started fifteenth and drove the Hyneman-126 into fifth on lap twenty-three. Strunk earned his thirteenth top five finish of 2007. Keith Hoffman (Whitehall) made a late race maneuver past Nicholas (Lebanon) to finish sixth, with Nicholas crossing in seventh. Terry Meitzler (Kutztown) finished eighth ahead of Jimmy Reppert (Hamburg) and Ryan Grim (Laurys Station).
URC made their first BDR appearance in nearly two seasons and a full field took part in the evening’s festivities. An early feature red (lap one) was needed when Kyle Purks tagged the outside turn four wall and flipped a couple of times. Purks, who started from 25th, was uninjured in the accident.
New Jersey’s Scott Pursell led the contest’s early moments. Randy West started sixth and worked into the runner-up spot by the third lap. West stormed to the high side of Pursell in turns one and two of lap four to become the new race leader. Throughout the event’s duration West was clearly the dominant driver. Despite a caution on lap twelve, West had worked into lapped traffic on two separate occasions and enjoyed a full straightway advantage along the way.
Jason Clauss had worked into second on lap nine. Just inside the five-to-go signal, Clauss closed to about a half-straight behind the race leader. West, driving for veteran car owner Elmer Stoltzfus, drove the #00 machine to a convincing victory over a quality field of drivers. West, who started his career in Micro Sprints back in the early 90s, is a tour regular with URC this season.
Clauss (Boyertown), winner of BDR’s last URC event nearly two years ago, finished second ahead of two-time tour winner Michael Carber (Piperville). J.J. Grasso (Pedricktown NJ) started ninth and finished fourth, while former Modified competitor Mark Bitner (Trenton NJ) rounded out the top five. Dave Ely (West Lawn) finished sixth ahead of 358 Sprint driver Pat Cannon (Mechanicsburg), Chris Coyle (Willmington DE), Greg Coverdale (Milford DE), and Brian Seidel (Allentown).
The 20-lap Sportsman feature was plagued with some early race yellow flag fever. Young Steven Hughes placed his #04 in front during the opening moments. Jordan Umbenhauer, originally started tenth, placed his machine in the runner-up spot behind Hughes on lap four. Umbenhauer, a second generation racer from Richland PA, pressured Hughes for several laps.
Umbenhauer glanced to the inside of Hughes on lap eleven, but Hughes remained the race leader. One lap later, the pair raced side-by-side through the first and second turns. Umbenhauer out-powered Hughes as they raced down the backstretch. A caution took place with just a pair of circuits remaining. There was no stopping Umbenhauer, however, as he cruised to the winner’s circle for his first win of the season (eleventh different Sportsman winner of ’07) and second of his young career.
Mike Mammana (Nazareth) quietly worked through the field during the event’s second half. Mammana passed Hughes for the runner-up spot on lap nineteen and finished second. Craig Whitmoyer (Hamburg) charged from the rear after an earlier incident, passed Hughes on the final lap, and raced to a third. Hughes (Riegelsville) ended up fourth ahead of Ray Woodall Jr. (Pen Argyl).
Andy Miller (Schuylkill Haven) raced within the top five during most of the contest and settled for sixth in the end. Sophomore racer Kevin Beach (Llewellyn) placed seventh ahead of Kevin Nolf (Nazareth), a first starting Pete Marburger (Reading), and the final car to finish the race Tom Cremer (Sinking Springs).
During the previous two Roadrunner events, Elvin Brennan was leading and had to pit with flat tires. Im this week’s 15-lap main event, nothing would keep Brennan from victory lane. The local driver from Pottsville PA started outside pole and led all 18-laps.
Only one caution slowed the event. Brennan was holding a comfortable advantage until the lights flashed on lap nine. Under green conditions, Brennan remained in control the field and once again pulled to safe gap. Brennan held on to capture his first triumph of the season, becoming the seventh different Roadrunner winner of ’07.
Tom Hablett (Schuylkill Haven) motored into the runner-up spot on lap 17 and finished there. Andy Zvorsky (Orwigsburg) finished third ahead of three-time winner Kevin Olenick (Pottsville). Ricky Bender (Joliett) exploded a tire as he crossed the finish line, however, was able to grab fifth. Rounding out the top ten were two-time winner Eric Pinkerton (Tower City), Chris Holland (Pine Grove), Dave Miller (Pine Grove), Rob Pyle (Downingtown), and Mark Paine (Kutztown).
Shiley Fabrication quick time winners of the evening were: Craig Von Dohren-17.444 (358 Modified) and Jordan Umbenhauer-18.403 (Sportsman).
This Friday July 27 is a three-division show consisting of 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, and Roadrunners. Ken’s Tire will sponsor the evening and a drawing will be held for a winner of the Bridgestone Indy Go-Kart that has been on display for the last month. All proceeds from the Go-Kart will go to the winner’s share of the purse in each of the three divisions. Gates open at 5:00PM with warm-ups at 7:00PM, and racing goes green at 7:30PM.
Mark’s Mechanical presents a three-division card of events on Sunday July 29. The popular Winged Super Sportsman tour returns to the BDR clay. This particular class of racing holds a rich history in the speedway’s past seasons. This will be an independent race for the Super Sportsman paying $1200 to win and $150 to take the green flag. The Limited Late Models make their first BDR appearance of the season racing for $800 to win and $100 to take the green. The Central PA Legends will be competing in their third straight race of the weekend, entitled a National Qualifier.
Gates open at 3:30PM, warm-ups will begin at 5:30PM or 6:00PM (official start-time will be announced shortly), and qualifying begins approximately one half-hour after hot laps. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults, and $10 for students, seniors, and military.
Big Diamond Raceway – Full Results – NAPA Auto Parts of Schuylkill County Night -Friday July 20, 2007
358 Modified Feature (25-laps): 1) Craig Von Dohren, 2) Doug Manmiller, 3) Ryan Watt, 4) Meme DeSantis, 5) Jeff Strunk, 6) Keith Hoffman, 7) Mike Nicholas, 8) Terry Meitzler, 9) Jimmy Reppert, 10) Ryan Grim, 11) John Willman, 12) Kenny Eckert Jr., 13) Gary Wagner Jr., 14) Colt Harris, 15) Sean Merkel, 16) Jamie Schwartz, 17) Ray Swinehart, 18) Kurt Spotts, 19) Billy Pauch Jr., 20) Rick Laubach, 21) Bobby Gunther-Walsh, 22) Corey Sechrist, 23) Scott Frack, 24) Shawn Fitzpatrick, 25) Jeff Sechrist. DNS: Dale Hartz. Heat winners: Reppert, Nicholas, Walsh.
URC Sprint-Car Feature (25-laps): 1) Randy West, 2) Jason Clauss, 3) Michael Carber, 4) J. J. Grasso, 5) Mark Bitner, 6) Dave Ely, 7) Pat Cannon, 8) Chris Coyle, 9) Greg Coverdale, 10) Brian Seidel, 11) Kramer Williamson, 12) Jimmy Stitzel, 13) Scott Pursell, 14) Curt Michael, 15) Mares Stellfox, 16) Ed Aikin, 17) Davey Sammons, 18) Josh Weller, 19) Adam Gordon, 20) Robbie Stillwagon, 21) Davie Franek, 22) Trevor Lewis, 23) Mike Haggenbottom, 24) Joey Biasi, 25) Kyle Purks. DNQ: Dave Betts, Brian Buckwalter Jr., Kevin Welsh, Jimmy Stitzel, Jamie Bodo. Heat winners: Pursell, Bitner, Clauss. Consi winner: Michael.
Sportsman Feature (20-laps): 1) Jordan Umbenhauer, 2) Mike Mammana, 3) Craig Whitmoyer, 4) Steven Hughes, 5) Ray Woodall Jr., 6) Andy Miller, 7) Kevin Beach, 8) Kevin Nolf, 9) Pete Marburger, 10) Tom Cremer, 11) Brad Brightbill, 12) Tom Brennan, 13) Earl Paules, 14) Josh Biever, 15) Chris James Jr., 16) Leroy Long, 17) Frank Cozze Jr., 18) Gene Weidman, 19) Patrick Cozze, 20) Corey Renninger, 21) Mike Taylor, 22) Shane Moser, 23) Roy Wiest, 24) Conrad Fitch, 25) Jim Somers Jr., 26) James Morris, 27) Ebby Ridge, 28) Shawn Hiestand. DNS: Richard Stankiewicz. Heat winners: Brennan, James, Wiest.
Roadrunner Feature (18-laps): 1) Elvin Brennan, 2) Tom Hablett, 3) Andy Zvorsky, 4) Kevin Olenick, 5) Ricky Bender, 6) Eric Pinkerton, 7) Chris Holland, 8) Dave Miller, 9) Rob Pyle, 10) Mark Paine, 11) Jim Neiman, 12) Derek Bender, 13) Perry Valeriano, 14) Davey Nester, 15) Joe Hendricks, 16) Neil Bressler, 17) Gary Renninger. DNS: Bud Vidal. |
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