Big Diamond results 2004-09-10

Minersville, PA - Sept. 10, 2004 - Jason Hamilton of Erwinna captured the Hoover Chevrolet / GM Performance Parts Sportsman Modified 50 at Big Diamond Raceway on Friday night. Hamilton's Vanderlely Power Train & Speed Parts/Pipersville Garden Center, Chevy-powered TEO #15 began to show substantial smoke near the mid-point of the event but some how lasted the full distance.

Laudan Seigfried of Friedensburg took the $650 win in the Brickel's Racing Collectibles Limited Late Model 25 while Dave Miller of Pine Grove captured the roadrunner season finale. Veronika Guinther of Salisbury Twp. captured the Modified/Sportsman Powder Puff 12 while Becky Sterner of Schuylkill Haven took the Powder Puff honors in the Roadrunners.

Jason Hamilton took the $2000 win over Kyle Weiss (Hamburg), Tom Brennan (Pottsville), Gene Stravinsky (New Egypt, NJ), Dave Dissinger (Mohrsville), Billy Moyer, Jr. (Pine Grove), Keith Fleming (Milford, NJ), Ryan Moyer (Schuylkill Haven), Tom Miller (Gilbertsville) and Brad Force (Milford, NJ). Heat winners were Luke Wagner (Grantville), Weiss, Brennan and Hamilton while the dual consolations went to Colt Harris (Gordon) and Andy Fayash, Jr. (Mary-D).

"We ran well and won a mid-week race here (in June) but I was leading the Sportsman Rookie points at New Egypt (Speedway) and I wanted to make sure I won that title," shared Hamilton, a micro sprint graduate in his first year in the big cars. "When that was done, we started running weekly here as well. This is really a big win for us."

Rich Rutski (Bridge, NJ), making his first start at Big Diamond, drew the pole starting position for the Hoover Chevrolet 50 but it was Brad Force (Milford, NJ) who took the early lead after the first attempted at a start was wiped out when Adam Huff (Basbury, NJ) had his OO break on the front stretch. Jordan Umbenhauer (Richland) took second on lap two with modified driver Kyle Weiss moving to third in his 21K fitted with a sportsman motor from sportsman regular, Andy Miller. Weiss took second on lap three while Tom Brennan and Jason Hamilton, who started sixth and eighth respectively, joined the top five.

The yellow flew with four laps in for a tangle involving Rob Gibson (Schuylkill Haven) and Colt Harris and on the restart Weiss when around the outside of Force for the lead on lap five. But Hamilton also made a big move on the restart as well, passing Brennan and Umbenhauer for third. One lap later, Hamilton took second and by lap 9 Force fell to fifth as Brennan and Umbenhauer moved up.

The leaders just began lapping cars, catching Lance Hoch (Mertztown) in Troy Moyer's 50 when Gary Wagner (Womelsdorf) began to slow. The leaders overtook Wagner and Hoch and passed the stand before Wagner's 47 came to a stop with a flat tire with 13 laps complete. Keith Fleming took fifth from Force on lap 14 and moved up one more spot when Umbenhauer's 19u began to slow and eventually stopping on lap 20. That moved Dave Dissinger into fifth.

Hamilton now was pressuring Weiss and following a lap 23 yellow for a five car shunt on the front stretch, he powered around Weiss in turn 3 to take charge. Rich Ritski and Ryan Moyer tangled on lap 24 while battling for seventh, causing a yellow and on the restart Fleming and Dissinger got crossed up on that restart moving Gene Stravinsky, Billy Moyer, Jr. and John Cullard (Martinsville, NJ) into fourth through sixth positions.

It was all Hamilton the rest of the way and that was where all the focus was as the 15 began to smoke on lap 27. Hamilton had opened up a comfortable lead when the smoke got heavier from the right side of the car. Had Hamilton been in traffic, he likely would have been black flagged but, with the big lead, the smoke was judged not to be a hazard. Also, ironically, every time on a restart after the yellows that occurred. The smoke would stop and actually not resume until two laps under full power when again he had a comfortable lead.

The events final yellow flew on lap 42 when rookie Colt Harris, who worked his was up to seventh after restarting last on lap 5, had the W9 fail on the back stretch. On the restart Weiss made a run on the outside at Hamilton, but the charge fell short and Hamilton pulled away and the engine of his 15 was able to last to the finish.

Travis Balthaser (Hamburg) took the early lead in the Weikel 25 for Limited Late Models in his #1 and paced the field until Lauden Seigfried, who started sixth, took the lead on lap nine. Seigfried and Balthaser ran one-two the rest of the way as Junior Grebe (Boyertown) attempted the hold off the challenges of Chris Shuey (Orefield) for third. Shuey was unable to get by and his brother Brian Shuey (Hamburg) took fourth from him on lap 14. Brian also was unable to get by Grebe. The yellow flew for only the second time in the event with 23 complete for a spin by Jake Jones. Following the restart, on the final lap, the Shueys and Grebe went three wide with Brian getting third, Chris finished fourth and Grebe held on for fifth. Randy Stoudt (Pottstown) finished sixth trailed by Jason Miller (Germansville), Steve Weikel (Reading), Jones and Ron Kline (Salfordville).

Dave Miller went wire-to-wire in the Roadrunner 15 to win. Dean Ulsh (Auburn) overtook pole sitter Jake Smulley (Phioenix Park) for second on lap 9. Smulley finished third followed by Kevin Beach (Llewellyn) and Derek Bender (Tremont).

Becky Sterner topped Shirley Holland (Pine Grove), Bonnie Schrader (Schuylkill Haven), Tricia Moyer (Schuylkill Haven) and Sara McHugh in the Roadrunner Powder Puff main while Veronika Guinther took the Modified/Sportsman Powder Puff 12 over Kelly Good (Hamburg) and Tracy Wagner (Womelsdorf).

RACE RESULT SUMMARY SHEET - FRIDAY NIGHT, SEPT, 10, 2004

SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS - HOOVER CHEVROLET/GM PERFORMANCE PARTS 50 - 1. 15 Jason Hamilton, Erwinna, PA ($2000); 2. 21K Kyle Weiss, Hamburg, PA; 3. 26 Tom Brennan, Pottsville, PA; 4. 7A Gene Stravinsky, New Egypt, NJ; 5. 69 Dave Dissinger, Mohrsville, PA; 6. 17 Billy Moyer, Jr., Pine Grove, PA; 7. 512 Keith Fleming, Milford, NJ; 8. 93 Ryan Moyer, Schuylkill Haven, PA; 9. 77 Tom Miller, Gilbertsville, PA; 10. 8 Brad Force, Milford, NJ; 11. 81 Rich Rutski; 12. 44 John Cullard; 13. 17R Kevin Nolf; 14. KT3 Cory Renninger; 15. 8Jr. Doug Hendricks: 16. 47 Gary Wagner, Jr.; 17. 50 Lance Hoch; 18. W9 Colt Harris; 19. 3 Luke Wagner; 20. 157 Andy Fayash, Jr.; 21. 59 Jason Kohler; 22. 72 Roy Woodall, Jr.; 23. 221 Rob Gibson; 24. 12V John Deatrich, Jr.; 25. 19U Jordan Umbenhauer; 26. 19 Brad Brightbill; 27. 5 Greg Weiland; 28. OO Adam Huff; 29. 147 Louie Mitchalk. Non-Qualifiers: 97 Dan Guinther, 11 Mike Stankiewicz, 73 Darrell Herman, 976 Don Norris, Jr., 22N Steve Ramsey, B26 John Bush, Jr., 39J Jeff Geake, 25 Ray Diemer, 12E Eric Palmer, 58 Chris Eckert. Lap Leaders: 8 Brad Force, Milford, NJ (1-4): 21k Kyle Weiss, Hamburg, PA (5-23); 15 Jason Hamilton, Erwinna, PA (24-50).

10-Lap Heat Winners: 3 Luke Wagner, Grantville, PA (3:09.118); 21K Kyle Weiss, Hamburg, PA (3:06.900); 26 Tom Brennan, Pottsville, PA (No Time); 15 Jason Hamilton, Erwinna, PA (N/T). 10-Lap Consolation Winners: W9 Colt Harris, Gordon, PA (N/T). 157 Andy Fayash, Mary-D, PA (N/T).

LIMITED LATE MODELS - WEIKEL RACING COLLECTIBLES 25 - 1. 99X Lauden Seigfried, Friedensburg, PA ($650); 2. 1 Travis Balthaser, Hamburg, PA; 3. 5 Chris Shuey, Orefield, PA; 4. 21 Brian Shuey, Hamburg (West Edenburg), PA; 5. 73 Junior Grebe, Boyertown, PA; 6. 22 Randy Stoudt; 7. 44 Jason Miller; 8. 9 Steve Weikel; 9. 43 Jake Jones; 10. 3 Ron Kline; 11. 57 Mike Kellner; 12. 3N Jesse Willman; 13. 11 Dave Sokoloski.

Lap Leaders: Balthaser (1-8), Seigfried (9-20).

NASCAR ROADRUNNERS -15-LAP FEATURE - 1 Dave Miller, Pine Grove, PA; 2. 3 Dean Ulsh, Auburn, PA; 3. 4 Jake Smulley, Phoenix Park, PA; 4. 550 Kevin Beach, Llewellyn, PA; 5. 19W Derek Bender, Tremont, PA; 6. 721 Jason Sherman; 7. 17 Elvin Brennan; 8. 22 Tom Hablett; 9. 35 Ricky Bender; 10. 66 Kevin Holland; 11. 19 Jeremy Bender; 12. 39S Marty Shappell; 13. 77 Barry Schrader; 14. 23 Dave Kamp.

ROADRUNNER POWDER PUFF 12 - 1. 3 Becky Sterner, 2. 66 Shirley Holland, 3. 77 Bonnie Schrader, 4. 22 Tricia Moyer, 5. 550 Sara McHugh, 6. 721 Sunshine Weiss, 7. 19W Amber Kramer, 8. 23 Heather Corby, 9. 35 Suzanne Masarak.

SPORTSMAN POWDER PUFF 12 - 1. 97 Veronica Guinther, 2. KT3 Kelly Good, 3. 47 Tracy Wagner, 4. 22N Becky Gara, 5. Stacey Kohler (Scratched).

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