BIG DIAMOND CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT RESULTS & TITLE WINNERS

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/Sept. 3, 2011

Upcoming Events:Sunday, Sept. 4 (8:15 p.m.) - 31st annual Coalcracker 100 for 358-Modifieds ($10,000 to win) plus Roadrunner 20
Sunday, Sept. 11 (5 p.m.) - Enduro Nationals - 139 laps, $2,000 to the winner (with 50 cars)

Glenn Strunk (358-Mod), Mike Mammana (Sportsman), Ed Kuperavage (Roadrunner) & Cody Coons (XCel 600) Earn Big Diamond Victories - Champions Are Jeff Strunk (358), Steven Hughes (Sportsman) & Ryan Olenick (Roadrunner)

MINERSVILLE, PA - On a memorable night for the Strunk brothers, Glenn Strunk drove to Victory Lane Friday at Big Diamond Speedway in The Station House 358-Modified feature, while Jeff Strunk earned his seventh career track championship in the speedway's headline division.

For Glenn Strunk, the $2,000 victory was his second of the season and first since April 29 driving the Vince Gagliardo Sr.-owned No. 41. Jeff Strunk, meanwhile, is Big Diamond's 358-Modified champion after an absence of two seasons, last notching a title in 2008 while driving for Glenn Hyneman. Strunk earned longtime car owner Norm Hansell his first-ever championship.

Steven Hughes, who entered the feature 102 points back in second, was the come-from-behind champ in the U.S.S. Achey Sportsman division, while Mike Mammana raced to his fourth victory of the year in a time-shortened 11-lap feature.

Ryan Olenick joined his brother Kevin as a champ in the Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunners, while Ed Kuperavage powered to his third checkered of 2011 and first since June in the 20-lap main event.

Cody Coons became the third different winner in three appearances for Doug Borger's visiting XCel 600 Modifieds in the 20-lap feature.

Bechtelsville, Pa.'s Glenn Strunk started the 25-lap The Station House 358-Modified main event from fifth position. He put the No. 41 Teo-Pro car into second place at lap three, trailing outside pole starter Dale Hartz of Hamburg, Pa. Hartz used the outside lane to maintain the lead, repelling Glenn Strunk's repeated inside advances. Ultimately, Glenn Strunk surged off the lower groove to assume the race lead at halfway. Meanwhile, all eyes were on the two primary championship contenders Jeff Strunk and Rick Laubach.

From 15th starting spot, Quakertown, Pa.'s Laubach executed a determined charge toward the front driving the Beer City No. 7 fielded by Gary and Lori Herrmann and Bert Jones. Laubach raced into third place behind Glenn Strunk and Keith Hoffman (who had taken over second on lap 15) with eight laps remaining. Jeff Strunk, meanwhile, was hovering outside the top five.

The race's final caution flew on lap 18 for Duane Howard, whose BPG Racing No. 4 came to rest at the outside of turn four with front suspension damage.

Glenn Strunk drove away from Whitehall, Pa.'s Hoffman for the victory, the fifth of his career at Big D. Hoffman earned his 10th top-five finish of the season in second. Laubach crossed the stripe third, followed by Billy Pauch Jr. of Frenchtown, N.J., and Ray Swinehart of Perkiomenville, Pa.

Swinehart, however, was disqualified in post-race tech inspection for a serious engine infraction (big bore-short stroke) and was disqualified. He lost all points accrued for the 2011 season.

The DQ moved Craig Von Dohren of Boyertown, Pa., who spun in turn three after contact on lap seven, to fifth and Jeff Strunk to sixth, with the final advantage 15 points over Laubach.

358-Modified heat winners were John Willman (Birdsboro, Pa.), Jeff Strunk and Dale Hartz. Michael Weinert (Tamaqua, Pa.) annexed the consolation. Glenn Strunk was the Shiley Fabrications Fast Lap Award winner at 17.435 seconds.

Nazareth, Pa.'s Mammana, who opened the Sportsman season with a victory on April 17, capped the year in Victory Lane with the Wonderful Pistachios No. 71. Mammana started 14th and avoided a number of wild skirmishes in the opening laps of the feature event. He capitalized on the race's final caution on lap nine to overtake race-long leader Jordan Dreher for the lead and was out front as the race's time limit expired on lap 11.

Mammana's car showed the effects of the race's early laps, with a significantly bent left-front shock. Mammana won for the seventh time in his career at Diamond.

Dreher, of Lake Wynonah, Pa., settled for second, followed by 15th-starter Craig Whitmoyer of Hamburg, Pa., Daryl Dissinger of Harrisburg, Pa., and rookie Charlie Weber of Pottsville, Pa. (his first career top-five finish).

Hughes, a second-generation driver from Riegelsville, Pa., won his first career title in unlikely fashion. Jared Umbenhauer held a commanding 102-point lead entering the feature. However, Umbenhauer was knocked out of the race in a hard opening-lap crash in turn two. Hughes survived two spins (one off the backstretch, another in turn three) to finish ninth. Umbenhauer was scored 20th. Hughes' advantage was just eight points.

Sportsman heat winners were Whitmoyer, Dissinger and Weber. The Shiley Fabrications Fast Lap Award went to Mammana at 18.313 seconds.

After an ailing engine took away a potential victory seven days earlier, Port Carbon, Pa.'s Kuperavage recovered with a 20-lap Roadrunner triumph on Friday. Kuperavage took command moments after a restart on lap one and thwarted the advances of Jeremy Becker during the final four laps for win No. 3 of 2011 and the fifth of his career. Becker, of Pottsville, Pa., was second followed by Jim Kost of Blackheath, Pa., Tom Hablett of Schuylkill Haven, Pa., and Elvin Brennan III of Forestville, Pa.

Nursing a damaged car from a heat-race incident, Forestville, Pa.'s Ryan Olenick finished seventh and took the title by a margin of 180 points. Ryan's brother, Kevin Olenick, was previously a Big Diamond Roadrunner champion in '08 and '09.

The Roadrunner heat victory went to Kuperavage.

Jim Thorpe, Pa., driver Coons started third, burst into the lead on the opening lap and only relinquished the top spot momentarily after a restart on lap 11 en route to victory in the 20-lap XCel 600 Modified event. Nazareth, Pa.'s Aaron Bowers, who briefly surged ahead of Coons on the 11th circuit, settled for second. Ryan Higgs (Nazareth, Pa.), July 26 Big Diamond winner Nick Mady (Milford, Pa.) and Paul DeRuyter completed the front five.

Winning the XCel 600 Modified heats were DeRuyter, Bowes and Coons.

The 31st running of the Coalcracker 100 for 358-Modifieds is set for Sunday (Sept. 4). The 358-Mod event pays $10,000 to the winner and $300 to take the green flag. Roadrunners join the 358-Mods with a 20-lap feature plus qualifying. Gates open at 5 p.m. on Sunday with hot laps at 7:55 p.m. and racing at 8:15 p.m. Grandstand admission is $25 for Adults, $22 for Seniors/Military with ID, $8 for Kids 6-12 and those five and under are FREE.

Pit admission is $35 (no license required). All cars must be registered. Pre-registration is $25 and race-day registration is $50.

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.

BIG DIAMOND SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT RACE SUMMARY - SEPT. 2, 2011

The Station House 358-Modified Feature Finish (25 laps): GLENN STRUNK, Keith Hoffman, Rick Laubach, Billy Pauch Jr., Craig Von Dohren, Jeff Strunk, John Willman, Dale Hartz, Ryan Watt, Mike Gular, Michael Weinert, Jon Kellner Sr., Andy Burkhart, Kevin Albert Jr., Sammy Piazza, Danny Nicholas, Nathan Klinger, Colt Harris, Jim Bobbitt, Brad Missimer, Gary Wagner Jr., Duane Howard, Tommy Scheetz III, Dan Hineline, Meme DeSantis.

Disqualified: Ray Swinehart (fifth), engine infraction, loses all points for season

Did Not Qualify: Corey Sechrist, Kevin Kuser, Ron Haring Jr., Steve Young, Tim Fitzpatrick

2011 358-Modified Champion: JEFF STRUNK

U.S.S. Achey Sportsman Feature Finish (11 laps): MIKE MAMMANA, Jordan Dreher, Craig Whitmoyer, Daryl Dissinger, Charles Weber, Frank Yankowski, Corey Renninger, Tim Fitzpatrick, Steven Hughes, Kevin Beach Jr., Steve Searock IV, Warren Floyd Jr., Andy Fayash Jr, Shawn Light, Wayne Witmer, Mike Lisowski, Blaine Sadler, Josh Hertzog, Kaitie McCardle, Jared Umbenhauer, Heath Metzger, Chris Hertzog, Shawn Horning.

2011 Sportsman Champion: STEVEN HUGHES

Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner Feature Finish (20 laps): ED KUPERAVAGE, Jeremy Becker, Jim Kost, Tom Hablett, Elvin Brennan III, Glenn Rowan, Ryan Olenick, T.J. Fitzpatrick, Marc Berzowski, Bobby Ditzler, Jon Schlauch, Ray Frantz, David Long.

Did Not Start: Jared Seigfried

2011 Roadrunner Champion: RYAN OLENICK

XCel 600 Modified Feature Finish (20 laps): CODY COONS, Aaron Bowes, Ryan Higgs, Nicholas Mady, Paul DeRuyter, Kevin Gruber, Joe Fanelli, Pasco Tomaino, Rod Adams, Alec Bartholomew, Jon Horn, Mike Austin, Mark Howanitz, Arielle Roldan, Michael Burrows, Josh Reeder, Richie Hitzler, Hank Smith, Ryan Mohr, Sean Weiss.

Did Not Start: Jeromy Guistwite, Cory Coons, George Loux, Mike Fry.