|
CRAIG VON DOHREN CONTINUES UNDEFEATED AUGUST AT BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY…By Gary Lileck Forestville, PA – August 8, 2008 – Craig Von Dohren of Oley PA earned over $4500 by virtue of his victories in Friday’s second annual Chad Miller Memorial at Big Diamond Raceway. Von Dohren stormed to his second straight 358 Modified feature win, worth $3500 and capped off the evening with a $1000 Cash Dash triumph.
This special race is dedicated in memory of Chad Miller. Chad was a crew member on the Glenn Hyneman #126 racing team. Sadly, Chad lost his life in an automobile accident last summer. This event is presented in his honor with extra cash donated from various sponsors and friends.
Kyle Weiss of Hamburg captured his first 20-lap Sportsman feature victory, worth a crisp $1000. Joe Hendricks of Auburn checked in for win number five of the Roadrunner season.
Dan Hineline started from the pole position and led the 29-car starting field to the opening green flag. Hineline, making his second start in the Dinatale #11D, led the event’s opening eleven laps. Von Dohren started tenth and worked into the runner-up spot by the eighth lap.
After nine laps had been scored, Von Dohren passed Hineline for the apparent race lead, however, the caution flag waved before the circuit was scored. Hineline remained the event leader for a few more tours, with Von Dohren applying the pressure. Von Dohren dropped to the inside lane and passed Hineline at the line to complete lap twelve.
Eighth starter Rick Laubach moved into second on lap fourteen. Laubach’s luck ran sour, however, as his machine slowed with sixteen laps on the scoreboard. Von Dohren continued to pace the field on the ensuing restart with two-time feature winner Meme DeSantis (started nineteenth) watching from second.
Inside the ten-to-go marker, DeSantis gained some ground on Von Dohren. The race leader made no mistakes though, and Von Dohren put some space between himself and DeSantis as the extra distance 30-lap main event drew to a close.
Von Dohren followed up his August 1 triumph with another victory behind the wheel of Mike Harvey’s #1c. It was Craig’s 63rd career Big Diamond win, which ranks first on the all-time winner’s list.
DeSantis (Temple) continued his impressive ’08 season with a runner-up finish in his self-owned #88D. Current points leader Jeff Strunk (Mohnton) started twelfth and worked to third. Ray Swinehart (Bechtelsville), who was involved in a big crash on lap five, grabbed the fourth position on lap 26 and remained there at the finish. Billy Pauch Sr. (Frenchtown NJ) made his third start of the year and rounded out the top five after starting from fifteenth.
Ryan Watt (Boyertown) finished sixth ahead of Mike Nicholas (Lebanon), Doug Manmiller (Shoemakersville), Kevin Hirthler (Boyertown), and Tom Umbenhauer (Richland). Manmiller had pitted early in the race, and Hirthler likewise drove back into the top ten after being involved in the big lap five crash that sent many competitors pit side.
The 10-lap Penske Shocks Cash Dash featured the fastest ten cars in the A-main. Von Dohren started third and grabbed the race lead in turns one and two of the opening lap sweeping past pole sitter Kevin Hirthler and Dan Hineline. Von Dohren completed the sweep with a victory in the dash over Watt, Strunk, Pauch Sr., and Colt Harris.
Qualifying heat winners were: Colt Harris (Mahanoy City), Dan Hineline (Lake Ariel), Craig Whitmoyer (Hamburg) and Nicholas. Ryan Grim (Laurys Station) won the consolation.
Kevin Brady led the 24-car Sportsman field to their opening green flag. Brady, who had suffered through a couple of tough breaks this season, was turning his season around with a fine effort. Kyle Weiss started fourteenth and moved into third on lap seven. He executed a two-car sweep into the lead on lap nine.
After being involved in a feature crash last week, Weiss quickly rebounded with a dominating performance. He pulled to a comfortable advantage over his competition by race’s end. Although it was Kyle’s first win of the season it was the 26th overall win of his BDR career. Weiss has earned victories in 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Roadrunners.
Earl Paules (Palmerton) entertained the crowd with his traditional through the pack charge on the outside groove. Paules started fifteenth and worked to second on lap 19. Daryl Dissinger (Harrisburg), returning to weekly competition this year after several seasons away, finished third. Rookie Kevin Smith (Lehighton) continues his impressive year with a fourth, and Kevin Beach (Llewllyn) rounded out the top five.
Brad Brightbill (Sinking Springs) finished sixth and remains the points leader by 80 markers over Weiss. Mike Loney (Taylor) won the $500 Felty Farms/Mystic Screen Printing 10-lap Cash Dash and finished seventh in the A-Main. Veteran racer Rich Stankiewicz (Reading) finished eighth ahead of Josh Biever (Orwigsburg) and Billy Moyer Jr. (Pine Grove).
Sportsman heat race winners were: Moyer, Stankiewicz, and Smith. Bob Lineman Jr. (Doylestown) won the consolation.
Sophomore racer Danny Mazy jumped into the early race 15-lap Roadrunner feature lead. Mazy, known as ‘Racer X’ to the fans, kept a talented array of competitors in his rear view for numerous laps. Jeremy Becker, who started sixth, passed Mazy via the inside groove of lap seven to become the new race leader.
Previous week’s winner Kody Sites moved into third. Mazy and Sites were involved in a lap eight caution, and each had to restart from the rear. This occurrence placed Joe Hendricks into the runner-up spot behind race leader Becker. Hendricks placed his car on the bottom and passed Becker for the lead on lap twelve.
Hendricks continued his solid ’08 with his fifth win of the season behind the wheel of car #11x. Becker (Pottsville) has been getting stronger in every outing and finished a healthy second. Current point standings leader Kevin Olenick (Forestville) finished third ahead of Marc Berzowski (Branchdale) and Ryan Olenick (Forestville).
The 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, and Roadrunners return for a three-division appearance this Friday August 15. As an added attraction, the 358 Modifieds are competing in the third annual Pepsi Challenge. This has become a popular event, which showcases the top point standings drivers in one-on-one match races. Gates open at 5:00PM, and racing going green at 7:45PM.
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY RESULTS – CHAD MILLER MEMORIAL–FRIDAY AUGUST 8, 2008 358 MODIFIEDS
First Heat (8-laps): 1) Colt Harris, 2) Craig Von Dohren, 3) Duane Howard, 4) Shawn Fitzpatrick, 5) Ray Swinehart.Second Heat (8-laps): 1) Mike Nicholas, 2) Sean Merkel, 3) Billy Pauch Sr., 4) Doug Manmiller, 5) Dale Hartz.Third Heat (8-laps): 1) Dan Hineline, 2) Rick Laubach, 3) Kevin Hirthler, 4) Danny Hieber, 5) Meme DeSantis.Fourth Heat (8-laps): 1) Craig Whitmoyer, 2) Jeff Strunk, 3) Ryan Watt, 4) Ryan Godown, 5) Tom Umbenhauer.Consolation (10-laps): 1) Ryan Grim, 2) Jordan Umbenhauer, 3) Troy Wink, 4) John Willman, 5) Greg Weiland, 6) Kurt Spotts, 7) Kevin Albert Jr., 8) Bobby Gunther-Walsh, 9) Neil Huber. Did Not Qualify: Corey Sechrist, Gary Hager. FEATURE (30-LAPS): 1) #1c-Craig Von Dohren, 2) #88D-Meme DeSantis, 3) #126-Jeff Strunk, 4) #33-Ray Swinehart, 5) #8-Billy Pauch Sr., 6) #6-Ryan Watt, 7) #3-Mike Nicholas, 8) #00-Doug Manmiller, 9) #117-Kevin Hirthler, 10) #19-Tom Umbenhauer, 11) #7-Colt Harris, 12) #27-Troy Wink, 13) #11D-Dan Hineline, 14) #19J-Jordan Umbenhauer, 15) #17-Ryan Grim, 16) #70-Kurt Spotts, 17) #333-Kevin Albert Jr., 18) #1450-Greg Weiland, 19) #14-Rick Laubach, 20) #178-Dale Hartz, 21) #11-John Willman, 22) #99-Craig Whitmoyer, 23) #SQ1-Bobby Gunther-Walsh, 24) #4-Duane Howard, 25) #107-Danny Hieber, 26) #X1-Neil Huber, 27) #118-Sean Merkel, 28) #T102-Shawn Fitzpatrick, 29) #R1-Ryan Godown. SPORTSMAN First Heat (10-laps): 1) Billy Moyer Jr., 2) Mike Loney, 3) Earl Paules, 4) Daryl Dissinger, 5) Josh Biever, 6) Chris James Jr.Second Heat (10-laps): 1) Rich Stankiewicz, 2) Kevin Brady, 3) Jack Amundsen, 4) Jonathan Kumernitsky, 5) Tim Fitzpatrick, 6) Brad Brightbill.Third Heat (10-laps): 1) Kevin Smith, 2) Kyle Weiss, 3) Pete Phillips Jr., 4) Kevin Beach, 5) Lenny Hoffert Jr., 6) Roy Wiest.Consolation (10-laps): 1) Bob Lineman Jr., 2) AJ DeSantis, 3) Corey Renninger, 4) Tom Brennan, 5) Gary Wagner, 6) Jordan Dreher. Did Not Qualify: Mike Lisowski, Shane Moser, Brad Force, Patrick Cozze, Bill Nahodil. FEATURE (20-LAPS): 1) #21K-Kyle Weiss, 2) #4-Earl Paules, 3) #x5-Daryl Dissinger, 4) #7s-Kevin Smith, 5) #6JR-Kevin Beach, 6) #19B-Brad Brightbill, 7) #723-Mike Loney, 8) #2-Rich Stankiewicz, 9) #46-Josh Biever, 10) #17-Billy Moyer Jr., 11) #33JR-Gary Wagner, 12) #36-Jonathan Kumernitsky, 13) #27-Pete Phillips Jr., 14) #T102-Tim Fitzpatrick, 15) #47-Jack Amundsen, 16) #ONE-Chris James Jr., 17) #3-Corey Rennninger, 18) #0-Kevin Brady, 19) #5D-Jordan Dreher, 20) #28-Lenny Hoffert Jr., 21) #123-Roy Wiest, 22) #USA1-Bob Lineman Jr., 23) #26-Tom Brennan, 24) #14D-AJ DeSantis. ROADRUNNERS First Heat (6-laps): 1) Kody Sites, 2) Joe Hendricks, 3) Danny Mazy, 4) Ryan Olenick, 5) Jeremy Becker, 6) Jim Kost, 7) Gary Willard Jr., 8) Bud Vidal, 9) Davey Nester, 10) Byrd Klinger, 11) Jeff Werner.Second Heat (6-laps): 1) Brian Close, 2) Marc Berzowski, 3) Neil Bressler, 4) Kevin Olenick, 5) Tom Hablett, 6) Gary Renninger, 7) Toby Chase, 8) Joe Brennan, 9) Butch Lesher, 10) Hunter James. FEATURE (15-LAPS): 1) #11x-Joe Hendricks, 2) #97-Jeremy Becker, 3) #450-Kevin Olenick, 4) #66K-Marc Berzowski, 5) #45-Kevin Olenick, 6) #22-Tom Hablett, 7) #555-Jim Kost, 8) #TWO-Hunter James, 9) #101-Gary Renninger, 10) #909-Neil Bressler, 11) #95K-Kody Sites, 12) #8-Davey Nester, 13) #X-Danny Mazy, 14) #2-Gary Willard Jr., 15) #88-Toby Chase, 16) #48-Byrd Klinger, 17) #17-Bud Vidal, 18) #55-Jeff Werner, 19) #105-Joe Brennan, 20) #777-Brian Close, 21) #7-Butch Lesher. |
|
