WILLMAN ENDS BAD LUCK, WHITMOYER & BERZOWSI WIN BIG -D 6/10/11

News from Big Diamond Speedway - 'Racing in God's Country'
Contacts:Speedway Operators: Fritz & Krista Roehrig - 570.544.5114
Speedway Website: www.bigdiamondspeedway.net
Speedway Address: 50 Big Diamond Road, Box 524, Minersville, PA 17954
Media Contact: Brett Deyo, PR Director - bigdiamondpr@aol.com or 845.728.2781

For Immediate Release/June 11, 2011

Upcoming Events:June 17 (8:15 p.m.) - 358-Modifieds, Sportsman & Roadrunners
Sunday, June 19 (5 p.m.) - Dan Drobnick Welding Enduro for Big Cars, Small Cars & Ladies - 2 p.m. Test & Tune OPEN TO ALL DIVISIONS
Wednesday, June 22 (7:30 p.m.) - BD Motorsports Media presents the 'Anthracite Assault' Race of Champions Modifieds plus RoC Sportsman and XCel 600 Modifieds

The Struggle Ends for John Willman at Big Diamond Speedway, Wins First The Station House 358-Modified Feature of 2011; Craig Whitmoyer (U.S.S. Achey Sportsman) and Marc Berzowski (Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner) Also Visit Victory Lane

MINERSVILLE, PA - The misery is over!

John Willman ended his early season struggles Friday night at Big Diamond Speedway with a $2,000 victory in the 25-lap The Station House 358-Modified feature event. For the Birdsboro, Pa., driver, the win was his first appearance in the top-five at Big Diamond all season in his EZ Release-backed No. 74w.

"This is my Saturday-night car," said Willman, who lost an engine in his Big Diamond car seven days earlier at Big D. "We all needed this. It's been a rough start to the year, both nights."

Craig Whitmoyer won for the second time this season in the U.S.S. Achey Sportsman main, with Brad Brightbill besting Doug Hendricks in the final round of the Shiley Fabrication One-on-One Challenge for Sportsman. Marc Berzowski broke into the Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner winner's circle.

Willman's struggles put him on the pole for the 25-lap 358-Mod event but 'the Racer X' Danny Mazy used the outside line to take command at the outset. Following a third-lap restart, Willman (outside) and Doug Manmiller (inside) split Mazy in a three-wide scramble on the frontstretch to take over first and second positions, respectively.

Manmiller's Shawn Fitzpatrick-owned No. T102 pressured Willman while 12th-starter Rick Laubach and 15th-starting Craig Von Dohren raced through traffic. By lap 11, Laubach's Beer City No. 7 was third wih Von Dohren - a two-time winner this season - up to fourth. Von Dohren and Laubach swapped third spot until CVD prevailed on the 17th lap and set sail after runner-up Manmiller.

Manmiller, using the high line, and low-running Von Dohren raced side-by-side until the final lap, when Von Dohren's self-owned No. 1c surged into the position in turn two. Time ran out before Von Dohren could challenge Willman, who recorded his second career Big D victory. Von Dohren of Boyertown, Pa., Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa., Quakertown, Pa.'s Laubach and 16-year-old Michael Weinert of Tamaqua, Pa., completed the front five. Weinert matched his strongest finish of the season in fifth with the Plant Food Company No. 18.

358-Modified heat winners were Willman, Gary Hager and Glenn Strunk. The Shiley Fabrications Fast Lap Award went to Willman at 17.149 seconds.

American Racer East Coast Modified Cup tire giveaway winners were Weinert and Dale Hartz.

Whitmoyer, of Hamburg, Pa., drove to his division-leading 27th career Sportsman victory in the 20-lap feature. A past speedway champion, Whitmoyer started from fourth in the feature, a result of mechanical issues that have slowed his No. 99 in recent weeks. Whitmoyer overtook Andy Fayash Jr. (Mary-D, Pa.) for the lead on lap three.

Ray Woodall Jr. of Easton, Pa., arrived in second place on lap five after starting fifth and chased Whitmoyer to the finish. Mike Mammana of Nazareth, Pa., placed third (from eighth), followed by a charging Jared Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa., who started 12th and Kevin Beach Jr. of Llewellyn, Pa. Beach nipped Daryl Dissinger at the line for fifth from 14th.

Whitmoyer, Woodall and Mammana won the Sportsman heats. Whitmoyer (18.201 seconds) took the Shiley Fabrication Fast Lap Award.

Brad Brightbill of Sinking Spring, Pa., defeated Doug Hendricks (Orwigsburg, Pa.) to win the Shiley Fabrication Sportsman One-on-One challenge: a series of match races among the top 11 drivers in the point standings present at the speedway. Brightbill earned $250 while Hendricks, who won the first nine rounds, took home $225.

Branchdale, Pa.'s Berzowski drove the Wooden Keg Tavern No. 66k to his fifth career Roadrunner victory in the 20-lap event. Berzowski rocketed into the lead at the start but relinquished the top spot to defending champion Elvin Brennan III on a lap seven restart. Brennan couldn't maintain the lead in his No. 55 and Berzowski reclaimed the top spot on lap nine. Brennan (Forestville, Pa.) matched his season-high second-place finish, followed by Ed Kuperavage (Port Carbon, Pa.), Ryan Olenick (Forestville, Pa.) and Christian Donati (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.).

Roadrunner heat winners were Berzowski and Brennan.

Racing resumes on Friday (June 17) with a full program of The Station House 358-Modifieds (qualifying and 25-lap feature), U.S.S. Achey Sportsman (qualifying and 20-lap feature) and Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunners (qualifying and 20-lap feature). Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7:55 p.m. and the first heat at 8:15 p.m. All Friday shows feature an 8:15 p.m. start time this year. Grandstand admission is $13 (Adults), $10 (Seniors & Military), $5 (Kids 6-12) and FREE for those five years of age and under. Pit admission for members is $25 and $35 for non-members.

On Sunday (June 19), the second round of the Dan Drobnick Welding Enduro Series is set with Big Cars (6/8-Cylinder), Small Cars (4-Cylinder) and Ladies in action at 5 p.m. There will be a point fund paid for Enduro competitors this season. Registration is underway now on the speedway website. A Test and Tune will precede the Enduro at 2 p.m. Grandstand admission is $7 and pit entry is $20.

BD Motorsports Media brings the Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour to Big Diamond Speedway on Wednesday, June 22 with the 'Anthracite Assault' 60-lap event: the first RoC race at Big Diamond since July 2006. Modified stars from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware converge on the Schuylkill County oval, joined by Race of Champions Sportsman (30 laps, $1,200 to the winner) and XCel 600 Modifieds (20 laps). Race time is 7:30 p.m. Complete information is online at www.bdmotorsportsmedia.com.

Big Diamond Speedway is a three-eighths-mile clay oval racing facility located just two miles outside of Minersville, Pa. For further information on the speedway, call 570.544.5114, e-mail bigdiamondpr@aol.com or visit www.bigdiamondspeedway.net. The speedway mailing address is 50 Big Diamond Road P.O. Box 524 Minersville, PA 17954. For GPS purposes, use the following address: 392 Forest Lane Pottsville, PA 17901.

RACE SUMMARY - JUNE 10, 2011

The Station House 358-Modified Feature Finish (25 laps): JOHN WILLMAN, Craig Von Dohren, Doug Manmiller, Rick Laubach, Michael Weinert, Jeff Strunk, Ray Swinehart, Glenn Strunk, A.J. DeSantis, Mike Gular, Sammy Piazza, Gary Wagner Jr., Colt Harris, Dan Mazy, Chris Esposito, Neil Huber, Nathan Klinger, Ron Haring Jr., Gary Hager, Dan Hineline, Kevin Albert Jr., Meme DeSantis, Andy Burkhart, Keith Hoffman, Dan Nicholas.

U.S.S. Achey Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): CRAIG WHITMOYER, Ray Woodall Jr., Mike Mammana, Jared Umbenhauer, Kevin Beach Jr., Daryl Dissinger, Nick DeSantis, Frank Yankowski, Stephen Hughes, Tim Fitzpatrick, Mike Lisowski, Brad Brightbill, Charlie Webber, Kaitie McCardle, Wayne Witmer, Jason James, Kenny Eckert Jr., Corey Renninger, Billy Moyer Jr., Christopher Hertzog, Doug Hendricks, Warren Floyd Jr., Andy Fayash, Josh Hertzog.

Shiley Fabrication Sportsman One-On-One Challenge: BRAD BRIGHTBILL over Doug Hendricks in final round; Hendricks defeated (last to first) Tim Fitzpatrick, Kevin Beach, Jared Umbenhauer, Mike Lisowski, Kenny Eckert Jr., Stephen Hughes, Frank Yankowski, Corey Renninger and Billy Moyer Jr.

Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner Feature Finish (20 laps): MARC BERZOWSKI, Elvin Brennan III, Ed Kuperavage, Ryan Olenick, Christian Donati, Kevin Olenick, Shon Elk, Jared Seigfriend, T.J. Fitzpatruick, Jim Kost, Joe Kavanaugh, Jeremy Becker, Joey Brennan.