DUANE HOWARD IS VICTORIOUS IN BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY’S COALCRACKER 100 AFTER A DOMINATING PERFORMANCE

(Track Press Release by Gary Lileck) Forestville, PA – Duane Howard simply dominated Sunday’s 30th presentation of the Pioneer Pole Buildings Coalcracker 100 at Big Diamond Raceway. It was Howard’s sixth career Coalcracker victory at the speedway, joining triumphs from 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, and 2008.

Coalcracker Weekend Video Highlights

Order the complete race weekend DVD-set at the GSP Shop or get it at the track!

358 Modified Coalcracker 100 Feature Highlights

Craig Von Dohren/Billy Pauch Altercations

Sportsman Coalcracker 50 Feature Highlights

Roadrunner Coalcracker 25 Feature Highlights

Tom Brennan Sportsman Consolation Race Flip

Despite running a selected schedule at Big Diamond this season, Howard still managed to enjoy much success. The Oley PA resident captured four Small Block Modified triumphs and a pair of Big Block event victories along the way. His win on Sunday was the 67th of his BDR career, but most importantly was worth a crisp $10,000 paycheck.

Howard led 99 of the event’s 100 laps, including a lap 25 $300 bonus (courtesy of Chris Budihas Photography/Racerboy Marketing), and a $1000 half-way bonus (presented by PPB). Howard started third and took the top spot on lap two from inside pole sitter John Willman.

Since the event’s early moments, Howard extended his lead from the field on each restart. He survived one minor scare on a lap 33 green flag when second place Rick Laubach and Howard made contact. Other than that restart, it was smooth sailing for the six-time BDR track champion.

The victory on Sunday is the second for Howard and his car owner Chad Sinon in recent Coalcracker history. They were also victorious as a team in another dominant effort back in 2008. Howard is the only six-time winner of the classic Labor Day Weekend showdown.

After the half-way fuel stop (which actually took place on lap 42), drivers were given a pair of laps to change tires in the pit area if they wished to do so. Since attrition had taken its toll and only eleven cars remained at lap 42, several cars headed pit side. Jeff Strunk chose to pit and his decision paid off in the end.

Strunk, driving the Gagliardo #41, worked his way through the top five and claimed the runner-up spot on lap 96. The Bechteslville PA based racer (who originally started 16th) drove to a hard earned second place finish, which was worth $5000.

Third generation racer Billy Pauch Jr. qualified via the consi and started from 21st. Pauch Jr. avoided several accidents and impressively worked his way into the runner-up spot on lap 43. The Frenchtown NJ driver settled for third in the end, sitting behind the wheel of Shawn Fitzpatrick’s #T102.

His father, Billy Pauch Sr., was involved in a pair of incidents, including a wild frontstretch crash. Pauch Sr., a former two-time Coalcracker winner, drove his #1 to a fourth place finish in the end. Ray Swinehart of Perkiomenville started 22nd and patiently worked his way to a fifth place finish driving his self-owned #33.

Qualifying heat races for the 44 cars on hand were won by: Rick Laubach, Mike Gular (who was racing third in the A-Main until dropping out on lap 94), Craig Von Dohren (who was involved in two feature accidents and exited his car to show displeasure with another competitor on lap 32), Duane Howard, and Ryan Watt. Consi winners were Billy Pauch Jr. and Ray Swinehart.

Mike Loney waited nearly one year to capture a Sportsman feature victory at Big Diamond Raceway. The Taylor PA based racer won the Pioneer Pole Buildings Coalcracker 50 this past Friday night and earned the $2000 paycheck. In an interesting statistic, Loney was the winner of last season’s Coalcracker race on Sept. 4, 2009.

Ricky Bender enjoyed many top ten finishes this season, but was unable to grab a feature win. The moment of truth arrived for the Joliett based racer as he emerged victorious in the Roadrunner Coalcracker 25. Although Bender is a 15-time career feature winner at the Selinsgrove (PA) Speedway, this was his very first BDR triumph.

Birdsboro’s John Willman finished a BDR career best of third in 358 Modified track points this year. Willman capped off his brilliant ’10 campaign with an impressive score in the 15-lap Penske Racing Shocks non-winners race. Willman collected $250, a set of racing shocks, and a guaranteed starting position in Sunday’s upcoming Coalcracker 100 race.

PIONEER POLE BUILDINGS COALCRACKER WEEKEND RESULTS

358 MODIFIED COALCRACKER FEATURE (100-LAPS): 1) 4-Duane Howard, 2) 41-Jeff Strunk, 3) T102-Billy Pauch Jr., 4) 1-Billy Pauch Sr., 5) 33-Ray Swinehart, 6) 36-Keith Hoffman, 7) 15-Jason Hamilton, 8) 42-Kyle Follweiler. DNF: 9) 53-Mike Gular, 10) 5-Ricky Yetter, 11) 14W-Ryan Watt, 12) R1-Rick Laubach, 13) 74W-John Willman, 14) 81-Terry Meitzler, 15) 44-Gary Hager, 16) 14M-Doug Manmiller, 17) 517-Larry Solomon, 18) 14D-AJ DeSantis, 19) 107-Danny Hieber, 20) 1c-Craig Von Dohren, 21) 29-Sammy Piazza, 22) 11-Brad Brightbill, 23) 3A-Kevin Albert Jr., 24) 118-Sean Merkel, 25) 357-Ryan Godown, 26) 64-Colt Harris, 27) 37x-Tommy Scheetz, 28) 78-Neil Huber, 29) 14-Jimmy Horton, 30) 71-David Van Horn, 31) J3-Dale Hartz.

Did Not Qualify: 15x-Dan Hineline, 41c-Glenn Strunk, 18-Michael Weinert, 27-Corey Sechrist, 102-Shawn Fitzpatrick, 13z-Dave Calaman, 66-Jason Rivers, 35-Chris Gambler, 19-Tom Umbenhauer, X-Danny Mazy, 88D-Meme DeSantis, 2A-Mike Mammana, 87-Andy Burkhart

SPORTSMAN COALCRACKER FEATURE (50-LAPS): 1) 17D-Mike Loney, 2) 29-Sammy Piazza, 3) 72-Ray Woodall Jr., 4) 3-Erik Holmgren, 5) 14J-Joey Funk III, 6) 97-Dave Dissinger, 7) 04-Steven Hughes, 8) 5-Jordan Dreher, 9) 49-Jack Hartnett, 10) T102-Tim Fitzpatrick, 11) 45x-Andy Fayash Jr., 12) 520-Kenny Eckert Jr., 13) 19-Brad Brightbill, 14) 71-Mike Mammana, 15) J3-Dale Hartz, 16) 99-Craig Whitmoyer, 17) 3H-Marc Herman, 18) 88D-Nick DeSantis, 19) 43M-Joe Masiado, 20) 64-Wayne Witmer, 21) JR1-Rocco Infante, 22) M5-Greg Weiland, 23) 8-Brad Force, 24) 19U-Jared Umbenhauer, 25) 8H-Doug Hendricks, 26) 15-Mike Lisowski Jr., 27) 17x-Kevin Beach.

DID NOT QUALIFY: 32-Kevin Reese, 611-Justin Grim, 8JR-Warren Floyd Jr., X-John Reese, 0-Kevin Brady, 26-Tom Brennan, 429-Bill Shire, 14z-Brad Szulewski, 343-Jeff Hertzog, 93-Ryan Moyer.

WOODEN KEG TAVERN ROADRUNNERS COALCRACKER FEATURE (25-LAPS): 1) 29B-Ricky Bender, 2) 23-Ed Kuperavage, 3) 66K-Marc Berzowski, 4) 6-Dylan Quinn, 5) 22G-Steve Gromis, 6) 97-Jeremy Becker, 7) 550-Joe Kavanaugh, 8) 61s-Christian Donati, 9) CR7-Jordan Quinn, 10) 126-Jim Kost, 11) 555-Elvin Brennan, 12) 101-Kody Sites, 13) 22-Tom Hablett, 14) 17-Bud Vidal, 15) 4-Nate Klinger, 16) 2E-Tom Ditzler, 17) 00-Glenn Rowan, 18) TWO-Hunter James, 19) 16D-Rob Derfler.

358 MODIFIEDS PENSKE RACING SHOCKS NON-WINNERS RACE (15-LAPS): 1) 74W-John Willman, 2) 42-Kyle Follweiler, 3) 27-Troy Wink, 4) 44-Gary Hager, 5) 118-Sean Merkel, 6) 18-Michael Weinert, 7) CR7-Colt Harris, 8) 112-Eric Kocher, 9) X-Danny Mazy, 10) 78-Neil Huber.