CRAIG VON DOHREN USES EXTRA-DISTANCE TO WIN THIRD 358-MODIFIED FEATURE OF 2010 AT BIG DIAMOND AND EARNS $3,000
(Track Press Release by Brett Deyo) FORESTVILLE, PA – Friday night’s extra-distance 35-lap 358-Modified feature at Big Diamond Raceway played into the hands of red-hot Craig Von Dohren.
The Boyertown, Pa., driver moved forward from 13th starting position to win the Ken’s Tire-sponsored event for a $3,000 payday. For Von Dohren, it was his third Big Diamond win of the season with Mike Harvey’s No. 1c and 10th overall triumph of 2010. Von Dohren passed Kevin Albert Jr. on lap 27 for the lead and drove away to win before a large holiday weekend crowd.
July 2, 2010 Video Highlights
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358 Modifieds Feature Highlights
Sportsman Feature Highlights
Roadrunners Feature Highlights
Rookie John Kovach IV of Nesquehoning, Pa., earned his first career victory in the 20-lap Sportsman feature, leading the entire distance while Elvin Brennan III of Pottsville, Pa., became the first three-time winner of the season in the 20-lap Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner 20-lap main.
Ken’s Tire (Cressona, Pa., Frackville, Pa., and Pottsville, Pa.) presented an appearance of the Firestone-sponsored Big Foot Monster Truck, one of the most recognizable monster trucks in the United States. The Big Foot truck was displayed in the grandstand area and took part in a brief on-track exhibition.
For much of the 358-Modified event, 23-year-old Kevin Albert Jr. was the star of the show. Albert, of Lebanon, Pa., started fourth with his family-owned No. 3A and took the lead on lap two. While Albert led, 11th-starter Doug Manmiller, 13th-starter Von Dohren and a returning Duane Howard, who started 15th, worked toward the front.
Howard’s effort ended when the Oley, Pa., driver spun off the backstretch with a right-rear flat tire on lap 17.
At the point, Manmiller was second and Von Dohren sat fifth. Following a red-flag situation on lap 21, Billy Pauch Jr. and Von Dohren worked to the inside of Manmiller.
Von Dohren cleared Pauch for second on the 23rd lap and chased Albert for four circuits before working to the inside for the lead. Von Dohren drove to his 68th career 358-Modified win at Big Diamond. Albert was a career-best second, followed by Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa., who passed Pauch for third on lap 28. Pauch (Frenchtown, N.J.) and John Willman (Birdsboro, Pa.) completed the front five.
Jeff Strunk (Bechtelsville, Pa.) was sixth, followed by Rick Laubach (Hellertown, Pa.), Ryan Watt (Boyertown, Pa.), Gary Hager (Stewartsville, N.J.) and Tommy Scheetz III (Boyertown, Pa.).
Kovach IV started from the pole in the Sportsman 20-lap event and survived numerous caution flags to lead from start to finish. Kovach became the division’s 13th different winner in 13 events run this season.
Jared Umbenhauer (Richland, Pa.), who started 10th, ran second for much of the event’s second half, staving off the advances of Opening Night victor Tim Fitzpatrick (Branchdale, Pa.) who finished third. Defending track champion Kevin Beach Jr. (Llewellyn, Pa.) moved from 14th to place fourth and New Jersey invader Pat Wall (New Egypt, N.J.) was fifth from 25th starting position.
Brennan started the Roadrunner event deep in the field, 13th, and marched toward the front. Brennan surpassed race-long leader Chip Kennedy following a ninth-lap restart, then fought off the late advances of Tom Hablett (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.), including a restart on lap 18, to post the victory. It was Brennan’s 13th career Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner win at Big D.
Hablett took over the points lead with his runner-up effort. Kevin Olenick (Forestville, Pa.) was third, followed by his brother Ryan Olenick (Forestville, Pa.) recovering from involvement in a lap-nine incident. Kennedy (Donaldson, Pa.) completed the front five.
Racing resumes at Big Diamond next Friday July 9 at 7:45 p.m. with 358-Modifieds, Sportsman and Roadrunners in competition.
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY – JULY 2, 2010 – KEN’S TIRE NIGHT RACE SUMMARY
358-Modified Feature Finish (35 LAPS): 1) 1C- CRAIG VON DOHREN 2) 3A – Kevin Albert Jr. 3) 14M – Doug Manmiller 4) T102 – Billy Pauch Jr. 5) 74W – John Willman 6) 41 – Jeff Strunk 7) R1 – Rick Laubach 8) 14W – Ryan Watt 9) 44 – Gary Hager 10) 37X – Tommy Scheetz III 11) 14D – A.J. DeSantis 12) 5 – Ricky Yetter 13) 21 – Addison Meitzler 14) 27 – Troy Wink 15) 33 – Ray Swinehart 16) CR7 – Colt Harris 17) 24 – Scott Miller 18) J3 – Dale Hartz 19) 4 – Duane Howard 20) 42 – Kyle Follweiler 21) 39 – Danny Nicholas 22) 15X Dan Hineline 23) 47 – Gary Wagner Jr. 24) 88D – Meme DeSantis 25) 34 – Mark Behm
Did Not Qualify: 18 – Michael Weinert, 357 – Ryan Godown, X – Dan Mazy, 44B – Jim Bobbitt Jr.
HEAT WINNERS: Follweiler, Howard, Harris. CONSI WINNER: Hager
Sportsman Feature Finish (20 LAPS): 1) 00 – JOHN KOVACH IV 2) 19U – Jared Umbenhauer 3) T102 – Tim Fitzpatrick 4) 17X – Kevin Beach Jr. 5) 5W – Pat Wall 6) 19 – Brad Brightbill 7) 99 – Craig Whitmoyer 8) 17 – Billy Moyer Jr. 9) 15 – Mike Lisowski Jr. 10) 5 – Jordan Dreher 11) 520 – Ken Eckert Jr. 12) 73 – Jason James 14) 8JR – Warren Floyd 15) 04 – Steven Hughes 16) 88D – Nick DeSantis 17) 64 – Wayne Witmer 18) 102 – Shawn Fitzpatrick 19) 17D – Mike Loney 20) 767 – Walter Larson 21) 8H – Doug Hendricks 22) 7 – Kevin Smith 23) USA1 – Bob Lineman Jr. 24) 71 – Mike Mammana 25) 72 – Ray Woodall Jr. 26) 29 – Sammy Piazza 27) 429 – Bill Shire
Did Not Start: 343 – Jeremy Hertzog
HEAT WINNERS: Fayash, Piazza, Dreher.
Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner Feature Finish (20 LAPS): 1) 555 – ELVIN BRENNAN III 2) 22 – Tom Hablett 3) 450 – Kevin Olenick 4) 45 – Ryan Olenick 5) 98K – Chip Kennedy 6) 97 – Jeremy Becker 7) 126 – Jim Kost 8) 88 – Toby Chase 9) 61S Christian Donati 10) 22G – Steve Gromis 11) 550 – Joe Kavanaugh 12) 11X – Joe Hendricks 13) CR7 – Jordan Quinn 14) 4 – Nate Klinger 15) 6 – Dylan Quinn 16) 66K – Marc Berozwski 17) 29B – Ricky Bender 18) 6D – Butch Helsel III 19) 17 – Tyler Vidal 20) 102 – T.J. Fitzpatrick.
HEAT WINNERS: Berzowski, Kavanaugh.
