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JEFF STRUNK CAPTURES FIRST BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY VICTORY OF THE SEASON…By Gary Lileck
Forestville, PA – June 20, 2008 – Defending track champion Jeff Strunk waited until the month of June to capture his first 358 Modified feature victory of the season Friday night at Big Diamond Raceway. Competition has been fierce this season as Strunk became the eighth different feature winner in nine events held.
Hillside SPCA and Oak Hill Farms presented a four division card. Other feature winners included: Tom Brennan (Sportsman), Kevin Olenick (Roadrunners), and Mike Keppler (Xcel Chassis 600 Modifieds).
Shawn Reimert led the opening moments of the 25-lap 358 Modified main event. Reimert, steering Vince Gagliardo’s #41, set sail for the opening seven circuits. Troy Wink, driving his self owned #27, started third and pressured the race leader. Wink, who returned to full-time competition last season after several years away from the sport, passed Reimert for the lead on the eighth lap.
A caution flag had frozen the field with eight laps in the books. Strunk, who started thirteenth, had worked into the third position behind Wink and Reimert. Under green conditions, Strunk immediately dueled with Reimert and took the second position as the pair dash down the back straightaway. Strunk closed on Wink and glanced to the outside on occasion.
On lap eleven, Strunk tossed his Glenn Hyneman owned #126 to the outside of Wink. Strunk grabbed possession of the top spot. Meme DeSantis (started eleventh) powered ahead of Wink via the outside lane of lap thirteen. While fast paced green flag racing continued, two-time feature winner Duane Howard (after beginning from fifteenth) skated ahead of Wink for the third spot on lap eighteen.
With five laps remaining, Strunk held a comfortable three second advantage on the field. The caution lights flashed, however, with twenty-one laps complete. Despite the restart, Strunk continued to show the way. DeSantis, however, slightly dropped from the pace and lost a few positions during the closing moments. Strunk, of Mohnton, raced to his thirty-fifth career BDR triumph, grabbing his first win of the year.
Howard, driving Chad Sinon’s BPG Racing-4, moved into second on lap twenty-two and comfortably remained there at the finish. Howard holds a slim 35 point lead over Strunk in the current point standings. Billy Pauch Jr., steering the PPB #8, started fourteenth and worked into third on lap twenty-four. Previous week’s winner, Doug Manmiller grabbed fourth on the final lap and DeSantis held on to round out the front finishing five.
Wink recorded his finest outing of ’08 with a sixth place finish. Gary Hager finished seventh ahead of Kevin Hirthler, Reimert, and John Willman, driving the Nowatarski-11 this week.
Heats for the 35 cars present were won by Reimert, Wink, Mike Nicholas, and Rick Laubach. Colt Harris won the consolation. Craig Von Dohren qualified for the A-Main, however, the speedway’s all time feature winner was unable to start the feature.
Daryl Dissinger led the opening two circuits of the 20-lap Sportsman feature, until a caution flag period. On the restart, Dissinger’s machine erupted an engine and the field scattered down the backstretch. Brad Brightbill and Earl Paules made heavy contact on the backstretch, which flipped Paules’ car over the bank on the backstretch. Corey Renninger was also involved in the hard crash. Nobody was injured in the nasty red flag accident.
Rookie competitor Steve Yankowski Jr. became the new race leader on lap three. Tenth starter Tom Brennan (Pottsville) moved into second on lap seven. Brennan glanced to the inside of Yankowski in turn two of lap eight and wrestled the lead away in the third corner.
While Brennan led, Brightbill was putting together an incredible story. He returned to compete with damage to his machine and still managed to work through the field. Brightbill methodically passed cars throughout the top ten and moved into second on lap fourteen. Two laps later, however, Brightbill lost a front bumper and was sent pitside for safety precautions.
Brennan built a comfortable lead over the final four laps and backed up his April 18 victory with another triumph. It was Brennan’s fourteenth career BDR Sportsman win, which incidentally ties him for second with tri-promoter Dave Dissinger, who is a past Sportsman champion at the speedway.
Former Roadrunner champion Kevin Beach finished second ahead of fourteenth place starter Kyle Weiss. Mike Loney, calling Big Diamond home this season, ended up fourth and Billy Moyer Jr. raced within the top ten throughout most of the event, finishing fifth on the final lap.
Heats for the 33 Sportsman trackside were won by Dissinger, Moyer, Josh Biever, and Ebby Ridge. Renninger won the consolation.
The 15-lap Roadrunner feature found Rob Pyle taking the lead from Danny Mazy on lap two. Marc Berzowski, making his first BDR start of the season, grabbed the top spot on the ninth lap. On a lap fourteen restart, Pyle worked back into the lead and a tremendous battle for victory was about to unfold.
Pyle, Kevin Olenick, and Joe Hendricks raced closely on the final lap. They screamed down the frontstretch to grab the checkered flag in three abreast fashion. Olenick nosed in front on the bottom while Pyle selected the middle and Hendricks looked onto the top side. Olenick (Forestville) was scored the winner by about a radiator over Pyle. It was Olenick’s first win of the season and fifth of his young BDR career.
Pyle grabbed an apparent second place, however, his machine was disqualified in post race inspection. Hendricks finished second ahead of points leader Elvin Brennan. Two-time main event winner, Kody Sites, finished fourth and Berzowski (driving the Ed Kuperavage #66K) placed fifth.
Mazy and Sites were the heat race winners. During intermission, the Roadrunner drivers entered the grandstands, taking a collection for their fellow competitor Bud Vidal. On Thursday, Bud Vidal and family suffered a house fire, losing everything and one of their pets. The fans graciously donated to Bud in the collection.
Mike Keppler (Bechtelsville) nearly won every BDR 600 Modified feature last season. This year it took him until race three to capture his first Diamond victory. Keppler took the lead on lap 16 and cashed in for the triumph. The 600 Modified main was halted for a pair of red flags. Chuck Miller flipped his machine over the third turn wall, and Joe Fanelli’s car later caught fire for the second red flag. Neither driver was injured.
Butch Getz finished second ahead of previous race winner Nick Mady, Rob Vivona, and Mike Pychinka. Heat winners were Keppler, Ryan Higgs, and Dillon Stein. Tyler Bartik won the consolation.
The World of Outlaw Late Models make their first ever visit to BDR on Wednesday June 25 as part of The Great Northern Tour. Adult grandstand tickets are $25, Children 12 and under will be admitted free. Pit passes for the event will be $30 for BDR members and $35 for non-members. Racing begins at 7:00PM. 358 Modified feature winner Jeff Strunk had the Bernheisel #119B on hand for test laps and will be in the field for this event. Friday June 27 is a four division program of 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Roadrunners, and Central PA Legend Cars. Racing begins at 7:45PM.
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY COMPLETE RESULTS – JUNE 20, 2008
358 MODIFIED FEATURE (25-LAPS): 1) Jeff Strunk, 2) Duane Howard, 3) Billy Pauch Jr., 4) Doug Manmiller, 5) Meme DeSantis, 6) Troy Wink, 7) Gary Hager, 8) Kevin Hirthler, 9) Shawn Reimert, 10) John Willman, 11) Danny Hieber, 12) Rick Laubach, 13) Craig Whitmoyer, 14) Colt Harris, 15) Dale Hartz, 16) Corey Sechrist, 17) Bobby Gunther-Walsh, 18) Shawn Fitzpatrick, 19) Ryan Godown, 20) Ryan Grim, 21) Terry Meitzler, 22) Keith Hoffman, 23) Ryan Watt, 24) Ray Swinehart, 25) Mike Nicholas, DNS: Craig Von Dohren. Did Not Qualify: Sean Merkel, Dan Hineline, Stewart Friesen, Kenny Eckert Jr., Kevin Albert Jr., Neil Huber, Mark Forte Jr. Danny Nicholas, Shawn Horning.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE (20-LAPS): 1) Tom Brennan, 2) Kevin Beach, 3) Kyle Weiss, 4) Mike Loney, 5) Billy Moyer Jr., 6) Josh Biever, 7) Ebby Ridge, 8) Gary Wagner, 9) Rick Raisner, 10) Harry Landis, 11) Mike Mammana, 12) AJ DeSantis, 13) Brad Brightbill, 14) Steve Yankowski Jr., 15) Lenny Hoffert Jr., 16) Pete Phillips Jr., 17) Daryl Dissinger, 18) Kevin Smith, 19) Chris James Jr., 20) Earl Paules, 21) Corey Renninger, 22) Shane Moser, 23) Brad Force, 24) Jonathan Kumernitsky, 25) Tim Fitzpatrick, 26) Jordan Umbenhauer. Did Not Qualify: Jared Umbenhauer, Rich Stankiewicz, Earl Mace, Mike Lisowski, Kevin Brady, Ryan Moyer, Jordan Dreher.
ROADRUNNER FEATURE (15-LAPS): 1) Kevin Olenick, 2) Joe Hendricks, 3) Elvin Brennan, 4) Kody Sites, 5) Marc Berzowski, 6) Chris Holland, 7) Jeremy Becker, 8) Brian Close, 9) Tom Hablett, 10) Gary Willard Jr., 11) Hunter James, 12) Toby Chase, 13) Danny Mazy, 14) Neil Bressler, 15) Kevin Holland, 16) Butch Lesher, 17) Davey Nester, 18) Ricky Bender, 19) Mark Paine, 20) Ryan Olenick. DQ: Rob Pyle. |
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