VON DOHREN EXECUTES THE POWER MOVE AND COLLECTS SECOND STRAIGHT BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY VICTORY
(Track Press Release by Gary Lileck) Forestville, PA – When fans exited the confines of Big Diamond Raceway this past Friday evening, many were conversing about one particular moment, Craig Von Dohren’s amazing outside lane pass from fourth to first in one single circuit. The current points leader from Boyertown captured his second straight 358 Modified feature win and fourth overall of the season.
July 9, 2010 Video Highlights
Order the complete race night DVD at the GSP Shop or get it at the track!
358 Modifieds Feature Highlights
Sportsman Feature Highlights
Roadrunners Feature Highlights
A good crowd witnessed a fast paced program, which only took about two hours and fifteen minutes to complete. Brad Brightbill of Sinking Springs, the 2008 track champion, grabbed his first Sportsman win of the year. On a wild and crazy last lap, Steve Gromis of Robisonia earned his first ever triumph in the Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner main event.
Big Diamond Raceway returns to action this Sunday July 11 with race number four of the Dan Drobnick Welding Enduro Series. Three divisions will take part in the festivities including: 6/8 Cylinders (100-laps), 4 Cylinders (100-laps), and a Ladies Race. Gates open at 4:00PM and the first event begins at 6:00PM. Grandstand admission to the enduro show is just $7.
After a caution flag wiped out the 25-lap 358 Modified feature’s original start, Dale Hartz placed his machine in front early. Second generation racer Kyle Follweiler shot into the lead on a lap two restart and showed some impressive strength while leading the event. Former Sportsman track champion, Gary Hager, advanced into the runner-up spot ahead of Hartz on lap nine. Von Dohren, who originally started 14th, raced into the fourth position one lap later. The caution lights flashed with twelve laps on the counter, setting up the race’s huge turning point.
While racing strong on the high side, Von Dohren passed Hartz and Hager through the first two corners. Von Dohren remained on the accelerator, drew even with race leader Follweiler, and worked past him as the pair emerged out of the fourth corner. Von Dohren, sitting behind the wheel of the Mike Harvey owned #1c, literally ran away from his competition after taking the lead.
Von Dohren stretched his advantage to a near straightaway lead and captured his 69th career BDR feature win, which is a standing track record. Hager (Stewartsville NJ) moved into second on lap 16 and finished safely in the spot driving the family fielded #44 Modified. Six-time track champion Jeff Strunk (Mohnton) was involved in an opening lap tangle. The resurgent Strunk passed his way back to the front, claiming third on lap 18 with an outside lane pass over Follweiler (Slatington), who finished fourth. April 23rd winner Meme DeSantis (Temple) raced from ninth to fifth in the final standings.
Ricky Yetter (Easton), a winner back on June 11, posted a sixth place finish. Doug Manmiller (Shoemakersville) survived through a wild evening to claim seventh. Third generation racer Billy Pauch Jr. (Frenchtown NJ) followed with John Willman (Birdsboro) and Rick Laubach (Hellertown) in pursuit.
A trio of 10-lap qualifying heats were contested earlier in the evening. Ray Swinehart (Perkiomonville), Yetter, and Strunk each claimed victories.
Kenny Eckert Jr. recently returned to weekly BDR competition aboard the Bill Nadohil owned #520 and Eckert led the opening four circuits of the 20-lap Sportsman feature. Rookie competitor Nick DeSantis passed Eckert on a lap five restart. Meanwhile Brightbill was on the move from his tenth place starting position. The popular second generation racer placed his familiar #19 into the second spot on lap twelve.
Brightbill drew even with N. DeSantis as they scored the 14th circuit. On the next lap, Brightbill secured the spot and withstood a restart with five laps remaining. Brightbill became the fourteenth different winner in the Sportsman class. Thus far there have been no repeat winners in this division. It was Brightbill’s tenth career BDR main event victory.
Mike Mammana (Nazareth) made an impressive charge from 18th to second, claiming the position on lap 18. When the third place car got out of shape in the final pair of corners, N. DeSantis (Temple) crossed the line in third. Second generation racer Mike Lisowski Jr. (Minersville) moved into the top five in the contest’s final stages and scored a fourth place effort. Three-time track champion Craig Whitmoyer (Hamburg) made another traditional sweep through the field from 17th to fifth in the end.
Ray Woodall Jr. (Easton) experienced problems earlier in the evening but rebounded for a sixth place finish while Eckert recorded his finest effort of his brief season with a seventh. Former feature winners Kevin Smith (Lehighton) and Billy Moyer Jr. (Pine Grove) finished eighth and ninth respectively. Former Tobias Slingshot competitor Joey Funk III (Coopersburg) rounded out the top ten.
Three 8-lap qualifiers were held for the Sportsman division with wins going to: N. DeSantis, Andy Fayash Jr. (Mary D), and Shawn Fitzpatrick (Pottsville).
The Roadrunner feature went 16-laps without a stoppage as racing police officer Joe Kavanaugh paced the field from his pole starting position. After 16 scored laps, Jim Kost’s machine rolled over in turn three and landed driver’s side down. Kost, a feature winner on May 28, escaped uninjured.
When green flag racing continued, Kavanaugh found numerous challengers to his number one spot. Kavanaugh, Nate Klinger, and Steve Gromis raced so closely during the remaining moments, as it was anyone’s race to win. On the last lap, Kavanaugh and Klinger made contact in the second corner. Two-time feature winner Ryan Olenick found an open inside lane and made it three wide for the lead. Suddenly Gromis found his way into the war and worked into the top spot as Klinger and Kavanaugh became involved in accidents.
In what might have been the wildest Roadrunner feature finish in track history, Gromis claimed his first career BDR triumph behind the wheel of his #22G Chevy Nova. R. Olenick (Forestville) claimed the points lead with his runner-up finish. Previous week’s winner Elvin Brennan (Forestville) came on strong at the end and finished third. Chip Kennedy (Donaldson) finished a career best of fourth and 2008 co-champion Joey Hendricks (Auburn) rounded out the top five.
May 14 winner Ed Kuperavage (Port Carbon) finished sixth ahead of second year racer Christian Donati (Schuylkill Haven), former drag racer Toby Chase (Bernville), the racing auctioneer Rob Derfler (Pine Grove), and defending champion Kevin Olenick (Forestville). Heat winners were Donati and Kavanaugh.
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY COMPLETE RESULTS – FRIDAY JULY 9, 2010
358 MODIFIED FEATURE (25-LAPS): 1) 1c-Craig Von Dohren, 2) 44-Gary Hager, 3) 41-Jeff Strunk, 4) 42-Kyle Follweiler, 5) 88D-Meme DeSantis, 6) 5-Ricky Yetter, 7) 14M-Doug Manmiller, 8) T102-Billy Pauch Jr., 9) 74W-John Willman, 10) R1-Rick Laubach, 11) 87-Andy Burkhart, 12) J3-Dale Hartz, 13) 44B-Jim Bobbitt Jt., 14) 31-Chris Esposito, 15) CR7-Colt Harris, 16) 24-Scott Miller, 17) 33-Ray Swinehart, 18) 3A-Kevin Albert Jr., 19) 21-Addison Meitzler, 20) 14W-Ryan Watt, 21) 78x-Dave Gerhart, 22) 14D-AJ DeSantis, 23) 34-Mark Behm, 24) 15x-Dan Hineline, 25) 27-Troy Wink, 26) 15-Mandee Pauch. DNQ: 39-Danny Nicholas, 37x-Tommy Scheetz Jr., 357-Ryan Godown.
SPORTSMAN FEATURE (20-LAPS): 1) 19-Brad Brightbill, 2) 71-Mike Mammana, 3) 88D-Nick DeSantis, 4) 15-Mike Lisowski Jr., 5) 99-Craig Whitmoyer, 6) 72-Ray Woodall Jr., 7) 520-Kenny Eckert Jr., 8) 7-Kevin Smith, 9) 17-Billy Moyer Jr., 10) 14J-Joey Funk III, 11) 00-John Kovatch IV, 12) T102-Tim Fitzpatrick, 13) 64-Wayne Witmer, 14) 17x-Kevin Beach, 15) 45x-Andy Fayash Jr., 16) 8JR-Warren Floyd Jr., 17) 04-Steven Hughes, 18) 102-Shawn Fitzpatrick, 19) 93-Ryan Moyer, 20) 5-Jordan Dreher, 21) 17D-Mike Loney, 22) 8H-Doug Hendricks, 23) 19U-Jordan Umbenhauer, 24) 343-Jeremy Hertzog, 25) 29-Sammy Piazza.
WOODEN KEG TAVERN ROADRUNNER FEATURE (20-LAPS): 1) 22G-Steve Gromis, 2) 45-Ryan Olenick, 3) 555-Elvin Brennan, 4) 98K-Chip Kennedy, 5) 11x-Joey Hendricks, 6) 23-Ed Kuperavage, 7) 61s-Christian Donati, 8) 88-Toby Chase, 9) 16D-Rob Derfler, 10) 450-Kevin Olenick, 11) 550-Joe Kavanaugh, 12) 4-Nate Klinger, 13) 105-Joey Brennan, 14) 66K-Marc Berzowski, 15) 126-Jim Kost, 16) 22-Tommy Hablett, 17) CR7-Jordan Quinn, 18) 29B-Ricky Bender.
