URC NEWS

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. 5, 2011

Upcoming Events:Sunday, Sept. 11 (6 p.m.) - Remaining 72 laps of 31st Coalcracker 100 plus Roadrunner 20 - Rain Checks & Wristbands Will Be Honored
Sunday, Sept. 11 (start time to follow Coalcracker completion) - Enduro Nationals - 139 laps, $2,000 to the winner (with 50 cars)

Rain Postpones Final 72 Laps of 31st Coalcracker 100 Until Sunday, Sept. 11; Former Race Winner Ryan Godown Leads When Racing Resumes

MINERSVILLE, PA - Despite the efforts of Big Diamond Speedway to press through Sunday night's program quickly, Mother Nature had other ideas.

Heavy rain moved over the Schuylkill County clay oval on the 28th lap of the 31st annual Coalcracker 100 for The Station House 358-Modifieds. The precipitation forced the postponement of the race's final 72 laps - and the accompanying 20-lap feature for the Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunners - until next Sunday, Sept. 11. Gates open at 4 p.m. next Sunday with racing at 6 p.m. Rain checks and wristbands from Sunday will be honored. The Coalcracker 100 winner earns $10,000.

Ryan Godown of Ringoes, N.J., who won the Coalcracker 100 in 2009, was the leader when the rain arrived. Godown started from the pole via the post-qualifying redraw and led the opening 14 laps. Godown's Johnny Rea-owned No. R1 briefly relinquished the top spot to Billy Pauch Jr. following a 14th-lap restart and regained the top spot two circuits later.

2011 Big Diamond Speedway champion Jeff Strunk of Bechtelsville, Pa., started 13th and burst into second on lap 27 driving the Norm Hansell-owned No. 357. Strunk will start alongside Godown when the race resumes. Pauch Jr. of Frenchtown, N.J., sits third, followed by six-time and defending Coalcracker winner Duane Howard of Oley, Pa., up from eighth, and ninth-starter Mike Gular of Green Lane, Pa.

Just outside the front five, Craig Von Dohren (Boyertown, Pa.) had driven from 20th to run sixth and Doug Manmiller (Shoemakersville, Pa.) was seventh from 22nd position after qualifying through a consolation.

A field of 40 358-Modifieds attempted to qualify for the 30-car Coalcracker 100 starting field. Heat winners were Tommy Sheetz III (Boyertown, Pa.), Rick Laubach (Quakertown, Pa.), Richie Pratt Jr. (Woodbury Heights, N.J.) and Pauch Jr. Manmiller and Gary Wagner Jr. (Womelsdorf, Pa.) split the consolations.

Winners during Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner qualifying were Ed Kuperavage (Port Carbon, Pa.) and Elvin Brennan III (Forestville, Pa.).

The first Enduro Nationals, 139 laps paying $2,000 to the winner, will follow the conclusion of the Coalcracker 100 next Sunday. Once the Coalcracker 100-lapper and Roadrunner events are completed, the pits and grandstands will be cleared for the Enduro event. Grandstand general admission for the Enduro Nationals is $10 and pit admission is $25 (no license required).

Pre-registration will be $100/per car (if 50 cars do not register it will revert to a regular Enduro and Big Diamond management will refund half the registration cost). All cars are welcome with home track rules applying.

All cars must have a four-point cage with three door bars on driver's side, DOT street tires only (no studded tires), a fire extinguisher, fire suit and dirt-track racing approved helmet, racing seat, approved racing belts, no bars extending further forward than the upper control arm and stock OEM engine parts. For further Enduro information, contact Jake Smulley via e-mail: smulleyracing@gmail.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.

The Station House 358-Modified Coalcracker 100 Running Order (AFTER 28 LAPS): Ryan Godown, Jeff Strunk, Billy Pauch Jr., Duane Howard, Mike Gular, Craig Von Dohren, Doug Manmiller, Kevin Albert Jr., Ryan Watt, Tommy Sheetz III, Brad Missimer, Meme DeSantis, Jimmy Horton, John Willman, Richie Pratt Jr., Craig Whitmoyer, Andy Burkhart, Sammy Piazza, Michael Weinert, Colt Harris, Danny Nicholas, Glenn Strunk, Terry Meitzler, Jordan Umbenhauer, Dan Hineline, Dale Hartz, Rick Laubach (-1), Gary Wagner Jr. (-1), Dan Weisempacher (-1), Corey Sechrist (-15), Wade Hendrickson (-15).

Did Not Qualify: Jim Bobbitt Jr., Nathan Klinger, Mike Mammana, Jeff Hertzog, Jared Umbenhauer, Matt Hafer, Keith Hoffman, Corey Sechrist.

Wooden Keg Tavern Roadrunner Feature Starting Lineup (20 laps): T.J. Fitzpatrick, Jim Kost, Jeremy Becker, Glenn Rowan, Elvin Brennan III, Ed Kuperavage, Tom Hablett, Marc Berzowski, Masher Ditzler, Greg Weiland, Jared Siegfried, Connor Horan, Jason Brown, Gary Predmore.