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Big Diamond Raceway continues to host weekly modified stock car racing in front of huge crowds every Friday night. Under the direction of Buddy Biever, Barry Bashore and Dave Dissinger, who took the helm prior to the 2006 season, the track has blossomed.
Aside from the weekly classes, Big Diamond has hit homeruns with visits from numerous traveling clubs such as the ARDC Midgets, USAC Sprints, URC Sprints and others.
Now they are aiming at another big hit. The World of Outlaws Late Model Series (WoO LMS) will be making a first-ever visit to Big Diamond and this area on Wednesday, June 25, for the Jack Rich Inc. ‘Coal Country 40.’
The WoO LMS is the nation’s premier traveling tour for dirt Late Model stock cars. A cousin of the longer-running World of Outlaws series for winged Sprint Cars that was founded by the late Ted Johnson in 1978, the WoO LMS first ran in 1988-89 under the direction of Johnson. The series sat dormant until being rekindled in 2004 by the World Racing Group and has grown in each season since then to take its place as the most competitive and lucrative tour for dirt Late Model racers.
“The opportunity came up and this was something that fits into our budget. We really don’t have the seating for a WoO Sprint Car show, which would be a great show, but we couldn’t seat the people plus we’d have to charge a much higher admission price just to pay off the purse,” said Big Diamond co-promoter Buddy Biever.
“Economically they’re structure was within the range that we could make this work.”
The WoO LMS runs between 40-50 races a year and are heading into Big Diamond as part of their Great Northern Tour swing. The 40-lap main will be paying $7000 to win.
Aside from all of the leading stars who follow the tour, local dirt modified ace and multi time track champ Jeff Struck has secured a ride for the race.
Strunk, a 39-year-old from Mohnton, is one of the most accomplished 358-
Modified drivers in the Northeast. He’ll drive a Lazer Chassis car fielded by veteran dirt
Late Model driver and car builder Jim Bernheisel.
“I’m real excited to give it a shot,” said Strunk, who drives for well-known Keystone State car owner Glenn Hyneman in the familiar No. 126 Modified on a regular basis.
“I’m just glad for the opportunity to try Late Model racing at a track I know pretty well. There’s a lot of guys around here that can drive a race car, so I’m thankful that Jim (Bernheisel) feels like I can do a good job.”
A four-time and defending 358-Modified track champion at Big Diamond, Strunk made his one-and-only career dirt Late Model start in a 2002 event at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, where 358 Late Models are a support class to the headlining small block mods.
In a sport driven by fuel, most area race tracks are feeling the bite from rising gas prices. Yet Big Diamond has continued to draw great crowds at all their shows.
“Our crowds have been fine. We give away a whole lot of stuff throughout the night from Sheetz gas cards to care baskets for kids and adults to t-shirts. We have so many businesses giving us things to handout. Anything we can give to the fans is great and the fans have been great with us,” said Biever.
Another fan appealing item is the efficiency of the show.
“Our goal each week is to be done by 10-10:30 or 11 o’clock at the latest. We’re trying to do things like that. It’s a tough deal sometimes but it seems to be working,” noted Biever.
Bringing marquee touring groups to the area is another key factor for the ongoing success at the 3/8-mile oval and the WoO LMS has the makings of still another grand slam.
“I would like it to continue on. We’ve done that now with USAC. I’d like to see it (WoO LMS) grow into something we have every year. If it’s something that isn’t going to work then we won’t keep doing it. It has to be economically efficient for everybody in order to make it work,” added Biever.
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