|
UPCOMING EVENTS:Sunday July 13, 5:00PM – Nutty Buddy Enduro Series Race #3. Four Cylinder Enduro (100-laps), Six/Eight Cylinder Enduro (100-laps). Test and tune for any and all divisions will follow enduros.Friday July 18, 7:45PM – 358 Modifieds, URC Sprint-cars.Sunday July 20, 6:00PM – Wink Motorsports & Brinckman Coins Night. Limited Late Models, Sportsman, Roadrunners.Friday July 25, 7:45PM – 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Roadrunners, Big Foot Monster Truck Appearance. \
DESANTIS, BRIGHTBILL, AND HENDRICKS EACH DRIVE TO HARD EARNED VICTORIES FRIDAY AT BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY…By Gary Lileck Forestville, PA – July 11, 2008 – Three historic dirt track racing names visited victory lane Friday evening at Big Diamond Raceway.
Accomplished veteran racer, Meme DeSantis of Temple PA powered to his second 358 Modified main event win of the season. DeSantis, who enjoyed much early career success at the famed Reading (PA) Fairgrounds among other speedways, joined the BDR win list in 1995 and has been a victory lane contender since that time. Friday’s triumph was his nineteenth career BDR win.
Brad Brightbill of Sinking Springs PA continued his red hot 2008 season by winning the 20-lap Sportsman feature, his third victory of the season. Brightbill’s father Kenny was the 1991 BDR Modified track champion and sixteen-time feature winner.
Joe Hendricks of Auburn PA graced victory circle for the third time this season. Hendricks won the 15-lap Roadrunner feature. Joe’s grandfather Drick “The Outlaw” Hendricks won the first ever Sportsman-Modified stockcar race held at Big Diamond back in 1972. As a matter of fact, J. Hendricks carries the same color/number scheme (black #11x) utilized by his grandfather.
Dan Hineline jumped into the early race 358 Modified feature lead. The event’s first caution waved when Sean Merkel and Gary Hager slowed in the fourth turn after racing three wide. On the ensuing restart, a four car collision occurred in the fourth corner, involving four-time feature winner Duane Howard. Just after the caution, cars tangled in turn one and Craig Von Dohren’s machine suffered a broken shock.
After another pair of yellow flags, Hineline continued to lead with ’07 Sportsman champion Craig Whitmoyer driving into second. Whitmoyer passed Hineline for the lead on lap five. While racing sixth, Ryan Godown spun in turns one and two of lap six, bringing out the caution. Doug Manmiller stopped to avoid the spinning Godown.
Racing would follow a green pattern for a while as Whitmoyer remained in charge. DeSantis (originally started twelfth) immediately worked into the runner-up position. On lap eight, Billy Pauch Jr. (started thirteenth) settled into the third spot, followed by defending track champion Jeff Strunk (from fourteenth) and Hineline. Howard, who restarted from twentieth after the lap two caution, scampered past Hineline for fifth on lap ten.
DeSantis stayed within reasonable distance of Whitmoyer for several laps, while Pauch, Strunk, and Howard raced closely for position. Godown had also climbed back into the top ten, however, experienced left rear tire problems and was involved in a lap sixteen accident with Corey Sechrist and Hineline.
Whitmoyer led the field to a restart green over DeSantis and Pauch. Howard passed Strunk for fourth on lap eighteen. With five laps remaining, DeSantis glanced to the inside of Whitmoyer in turns three and four. On lap twenty-two, DeSantis switched to the outside and raced even with Whitmoyer down the backstretch. DeSantis grabbed the race lead with just three circuits remaining.
DeSantis placed a comfortable margin between himself and Whitmoyer and followed up his April 18 triumph with another win behind the wheel of his self-owned #88D Teo. Whitmoyer (Hamburg) enjoyed his finest 358 Modified outing of the season with a runner-up finish. Howard (Oley) passed Pauch Jr. (Frenchtown NJ) on the event’s final lap to finish third. Strunk (Mohnton) rounded out the top five.
Sixteenth starter Rick Laubach (Quakertown) ended up sixth. May 23 winner John Willman (Birdsboro) finished seventh ahead of twenty-second place starter Troy Wink (Mohrsville). Manmiller (Shoemakersville) and Colt Harris (Mahanoy City) each restarted from the rear and climbed back to ninth and tenth respectively.
Three ten-lap qualifying heats were held earlier in the evening. Duane Howard won his qualifier on the final lap. Whitmoyer and Hineline were other heat race winners. Manmiller won the consolation.
Teenager Chris James Jr. was the early show Sportsman feature star. James, driving the ONE-car, led through a few early race cautions. Brad Brightbill started twelfth and quickly drove to the front. Brightbill advanced into the front five on lap seven and climbed into the runner-up spot on lap thirteen.
James and Brightbill waged war for the lead with five laps remaining. Brightbill, on the inside groove, nipped James at the line to take command of the race. A caution flag regrouped the field with four laps remaining. Brightbill continued to show the way under green flag conditions.
Brightbill, who grabbed previous wins on April 25 and June 13, cruised to his sixth career BDR Sportsman victory. James (Mohrsville) matched his season high finish of second. Kevin Beach (Llewellyn) ran within the front five through most of the contest and ended up third. Two-time feature winner Tom Brennan (Pottsville) finished fourth and twenty-fourth place starter Mike Loney (Taylor) made the long haul to fifth.
Billy Moyer Jr. (Pine Grove) just edged Josh Biever (Orwigsburg) at the finish to grab sixth. Rounding out the top ten were ’06 champion Gary Wagner (Womelsdorf), rookie competitor Kevin Smith (Lehighton), and points leader Kyle Weiss (Hamburg).
Incidentally, five-time feature winner Earl Paules, was involved in a pair of accidents and forced to retire from the event. His machine received right rear damage in a lap two crash. Paules cruised back into the top ten, however, his night ended on a lap ten crash.
Qualifying heat winners were Brightbill, Paules, and James. Mike Mammana won the consolation.
First year racer, Hunter James, led the opening two circuits of the Roadrunner A-Main. Hendricks, who started eighth, moved into the top spot on lap three. Tenth starter Kody Sites quickly followed Hendricks into the runner-up position. Sites, a third generation racer, blasted into the lead on a lap five restart.
On a lap seven restart, Hendricks retook possession of the race lead from Sites. The red flag was thrown with eleven laps complete for Bud Vidal’s machine. On the restart, Hendricks and Sites remained in close formation. Sites trailed Hendricks on the final lap and looked for a passing lane.
Hendricks held on to grab his sixth career Roadrunner win. Sites (Hamburg) finished second and Elvin Brennan (Pottsville) followed in third. Jeremy Becker (Pottsville) experienced problems in his heat race and started last (twenty-first) in the feature. Becker advanced into fourth on lap fourteen. Marc Berzowski (Branchdale), making only his third ’08 appearance, rounded out the front finishing five.
Points leader Kevin Olenick (Forestville) beat previous week’s winner Tom Hablett (Schuylkill Haven) to the line, finishing sixth. Opening day winner Kevin Holland (Pine Grove) grabbed eighth over his son Chris Holland (Pine Grove). James (Mohrsville) finished tenth.
The evening’s sponsor Kauffman’s BBQ Chicken presented a special challenge race for the Roadrunners. Kody Sites won three match races including the final one, earning him the overall victory and $140. Heat winners were Ricky Bender and Kevin Olenick.
The Nutty Buddy Enduro Series (100-lap 6/8 cylinder enduro, 100-lap 4 cylinder enduro) will hold their third event of the season on Sunday July 13. Racing starts at 5:00PM. Adult General Admission is just $5. After the completion of Sunday’s racing, test and tune sessions will be held for any and all divisions. Admission to the pits is $15 per person.
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY COMPLETE RESULTS – JULY 11, 2008 358 MODIFIED FEATURE (25-LAPS): 1) #88D-Meme DeSantis, 2) #99-Craig Whitmoyer, 3) #4-Duane Howard, 4) #8-Billy Pauch Jr., 5) #126-Jeff Strunk, 6) #14-Rick Laubach, 7) #11-John Willman, 8) #27-Troy Wink, 9) #00-Doug Manmiller, 10) #CR7-Colt Harris, 11) #117-Kevin Hirthler, 12) #11D-Mark Forte Jr., 13) #178-Dale Hartz, 14) #333-Kevin Albert Jr., 15) #42-Corey Sechrist, 16) #SQ1-Bobby Gunther-Walsh, 17) #15X-Dan Hineline, 18) #R1-Ryan Godown, 19) #T102-Shawn Fitzpatrick, 20) #81-Terry Meitzler, 21) #6-Ryan Watt, 22) #1c-Craig Von Dohren, 23) #44H-Gary Hager, 24) #118-Sean Merkel. DNQ: Kenny Eckert Jr., Neil Huber, Greg Weiland, Tom Keesey. SPORTSMAN FEATURE (20-LAPS): 1) #19B-Brad Brightbill, 2) #ONE-Chris James Jr., 3) #6JR-Kevin Beach, 4) #26-Tom Brennan, 5) #723-Mike Loney, 6) #17-Billy Moyer Jr., 7) #46-Josh Biever, 8) #33JR-Gary Wagner, 9) #7s-Kevin Smith, 10) #164-Kyle Weiss, 11) #14D-AJ DeSantis, 12) #35-Ebby Ridge, 13) #45X-Andy Fayash Jr., 14) #3-Corey Renninger, 15) #7-Kevin Brady, 16) #47-Jack Amundsen, 17) #15-Mike Lisowski, 18) #33JY-Steve Yankowski Jr., 19) #R14-Rick Raisner, 20) #4-Earl Paules, 21) #19-Jordan Umbenhauer, 22) #28-Lenny Hoffert Jr., 23) #61-Patrick Cozze, 24) #71-Mike Mammana. DNQ: Mike Loney, Jordan Dreher, Rich Stankiewicz, Earl Mace.
ROADRUNNER FEATURE (15-LAPS): 1) #11x-Joe Hendricks, 2) #95K-Kody Sites, 3) #555-Elvin Brennan, 4) #97-Jeremy Becker, 5) #66K-Marc Berzowski, 6) #450-Kevin Olenick, 7) #22-Tom Hablett, 8) #66-Kevin Holland, 9) #8c-Chris Holland, 10) #TWO-Hunter James, 11) #CR7-Butch Lesher, 12) #8-Davey Nester, 13) #88-Toby Chase, 14) #48-Byrd Klinger, 15) #29B-Ricky Bender, 16) #101-Gary Renninger, 17) #17-Bud Vidal, 18) #909-Neil Bressler, 19) #777-Brian Close, 20) #72-Mark Paine, 21) Joe Brennan. |
|
