HOFFMAN TOPS MANMILLER IN BATTLE OF DOUGS AT BIG DIAMOND;
DISSINGER & ALLAR TAKE FIRST WINS IN SPORTSMAN & ROADRUNNERS
Minersville, Pa – June 18 – Doug Hoffman of Allentown, PA captured his sixth win of the season at Big Diamond Raceway on Friday’s HOT TAMALES Night in NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Modified action with a late pass of Doug Manmiller (Wyomissing).
Dave Dissinger of Mohrsville, PA took his first win of the season and his 13th career win in the NASCAR Dodge ShorTrack Sportsman 20-lap feature to tie Craig Whitmoyer (Hamburg) for the career win lead in the Sportsman at Big Diamond. Mike Allar of Orwigsburg, PA wasn’t sure but thought his last lap pass was for second but actually took his first career win in Roadrunner action.
Doug Hoffman piloted Dennis Eisenhard’s B&I Auto Supply/Heritage Ford-Kia/ West Side Wood Products TEO 77 to his sixth win of the year to solidify his lead in both the Big Diamond Raceway NASCAR point standings and the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Northeast Regional point standings. Doug Manmiller ran second trailed by Kyle Weiss (Hamburg), Kevin Hartnett (Perkasie) in his own #15H, Keith Hoffman (Whitehall), Craig Von Dohren (Oley), Billy Pauch (Frenchtown, NJ), Ray Swinehart (Bechtelsville), Rick Laubach (Richlandtown) and Rick Schaffer (Woxall). Heat winners were Hartnett, Doug Hoffman and Von Dohren while Dale Hartz (Hamburg) nipped John Durling (Reading) in the consolation.
“Big Daddy” Dave Dissinger piloted his own Team Turf/Oak Hill Farms/Yaslunis Lawn Mowers Fireball #69 to his first Sportsman win of the 2004 racing campaign over Gary Wagner, Jr. (Womelsdorf), Ryan Moyer (Schuylkill Haven), Brad Brightbill (Sinking Spring), Greg Weiland (Port Carbon), Jordan Umbenhauer (Richland), Andy Fayash, Jr. (Mary-D), Tom Brennan (Pottsville), Doug Hendricks (Auburn), and John Deatrich, Jr. (Palo Alto). Freddie Fisher (Reading), Umbenhauer and Ebby Ridge (Milford, NJ) took the sportsman heat wins and Brad Force (Milford, NJ) was the winner of the consolation.
The roadrunners once again provided some of the most exciting racing of the season with the racing PA State Police officer Mike Allar of Orwigsburg making a last lap pass with the Heritage Ford/Farber Technologies ‘Big1’ to take his first career feature win over Elvin Brennan (Forestville), and Kevin Holland (Pine Grove), Butch Solt (Lehighton) and Kevin Beach (Llewellyn). Holland crossed the finish line half a car length ahead of Allar but was assessed a two position penalty in the finishing order for passing too early on the race’s lap 11 restart. Allar’s teammate, Tom Hablett of Schuylkill Haven took his first career heat win.
Tim Fitzpatrick (Branchdale) got the jump on the initial restart to take the lead from pole sitter Randy Mohn (Jonestown) in the Modified 25-lapper. Kevin Hartnett quickly moved his own 15H into second on lap two and pressured the leader until lap 8 when he used an outside move to take the lead coming off turn two. Kyle Weiss also got by Fitzpatrick on lap 8, coming from his seventh starting spot, to begin pressuring Hartnett. The yellow flew on lap 12 when Craig Von Dohren (Oley) and Keith Brightbill (Mohnton) tangled while battling for eleventh. Hartnett continued to lead until lap 14 when Weiss moved his Brickel’s Racing Collectibles/Weaknecht Archery #21K to the inside and edged in front in turn three.
Just behind Doug Manmiller, who started tenth in the Classic Harley Davidson/GMI First Mechanical #00, was charging through the field and he overtook Weiss with an outside pass down the backstretch on lap 16. But there was still another driver, Doug Hoffman, charging up after starting back in 15th. Hoffman took second on lap 17 and got outside of Manmiller on a lap 17 restart to take the lead on lap 18. Manmiller stayed with in two car lengths of Hoffman but was unable to mount any sort of charge on the leader.
Rookie, second generation driver Ebby Ridge took the early lead in the Sportsman Modified 20-lap main event with Freddie Fisher in hot pursuit. Fisher charged under Ridge in turn three of lap one but slid out, enabling Ridge to dive back under him and into the lead. Fisher came back to move by Ridge on the front stretch as they completed lap three in nearly a dead heat. Fisher surged in front with the Hoover Chevrolet/ Wachovia Securities #95 but Dave Dissinger, who started seventh, took second on lap four. Dissinger looked like he finally found the mechanical combination and some racing luck as he dove under Fisher off turn two on lap 8 to surge to the point down the backstretch.
Fisher refused to give up and was give it all he had to challenge Dissinger again when he lost the handle and spun in turn four on lap 12. This moved Ryan Moyer to second but he was unable to seriously challenge Dissinger. Gary Wagner, with a seriously battered car due to damage received when he bounced through the Fisher spin, showed a wrinkled body did not hurt the performance as he charged to second on lap 14. Wagner also got within a few car lengths of Dissinger but was unable to challenge.
The roadrunner field has only been about a third the size of the Modified or Sportsman field s but the excitement and competitiveness make up for the difference in numbers. Tom Hablett took the early 15-lap feature lead but had a pack of five or six cars battling three and four wide behind him for top five positions. Elvin Brennan edged to the lead on lap 4 but Hablett when right back on top on lap 5.Butch Solt took second and ran side-by-side with Hablett for three straight laps starting on lap seven but Hablett again edged away. Brennan was back to take second on lap 11. Dean Ulsh (Auburn) lost a wheel on lap 12 in traffic down the backstretch but miraculously no one else was involved.
On the restart Kevin Holland got too good a jump as he passed too early, enabling him to move from fifth to second by the completion of lap 12. But most of the attention was on the leader as Hablett was overtaken by Brennan and then bobbled trying to regain the lead only to be passed by five other cars. Holland, who was destined for two spots penalty for his restart miscue, charged by Brennan on lap 13. Mike Allar, who had an off-track excursion early in the race that dropped him to a distant last spot, now had charged back through the field and was on Brennan’s tail. On the final lap, Allar was able to overtake Brennan which turned out to be the winning move of the event as Holland was dropped to third in the final finishing order.
Josh Merkel of Wernersville, PA was the Junior Fan of the Week and he selected Doug Manmiller as the driver he wished to be photographed and interviewed with during intermission. Also Dennis Eubanks was the Honorary Starter for the Modified feature.
This Tuesday night, June 22, a special Open Practice Night at Big Diamond starting at 7:15 opens a fast and furious two weeks of racing at Big Diamond. Teams from any and all racing divisions are welcome to take advantage of the opportunity to get plenty of track time on the fast, banked, 3/8th-mile oval. No membership is required and anyone meeting insurance age requirements will be admitted to the pits for $20. Fans wishing to observe the practice will be admitted free to the spectator stands for the event.
On Friday, June 25 at 8 PM, a full three-division NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series card is on the card including the Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Roadrunners. Then next Tuesday night, June 29, Big Diamond Raceway hosts the 2004 edition of Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Speedweek at 7:30. The sprints will be joined by an open Sportsman stock program that will feature the weekly NASCAR Sportsman Modifieds against the regions best invaders. There will also be a special incentive for the non-members that could earn then NASCAR licenses for the remainder of the season.
Friday night, July 2, will see the 358 Sprint cars on the 8 PM racing card along with the NASCAR Modifieds and Roadrunners. The two week racing four pack wraps-up with still another big event, the annual Georgie Stevenson Memorial on Sunday evening, July 4, culminating with NASCAR Modified Twin-20s, NASCAR Sportsman Modified Twin-15s and Roadrunner Twin-12’s.
For more information on Big Diamond Raceway check out the internet and the track’s official website, www.bigdiamondraceway.com or call the speedway office at (570) 544-6434.
COMPLETE RESULT SUMMARY – JUNE 18, 2004
NASCAR DODGE WEEKLY SERIES MODIFIED 25-LAP FEATURE: 1. 77 Doug Hoffman, 2. OO Doug Manmiller, 3. 21K Kyle Weiss, 4. 15H Kevin Hartnett, 5. 1 Keith Hoffman, 6. 70D Craig Von Dohren, 7. 114 Billy Pauch, 8. 33 Ray Swinehart, 9. 14 Rick Laubach, 10. 73 Rick Schaffer, 11. 15X Billy Pauch, Jr., 12. 102 Shawn Fitzpatrick, 13. 505 Randy Mohn, 14. 3X Ron Mawson, Jr., 15. 901 Bruce Williams, 16. 5 Paul Kline, 17. VR1 Tim Fitzpatrick, 18. 11 Keith Brightbill, 19. 88X Roy Wiest, 20. 221 Ryan Beltz, 21. 83B Josh Biever, 22. Sq1 Bobby Gunther Walsh, 23. 21T Jason Andrews, 24. 178 John Durling, 25. 15 Dale Hartz, 26. 24H Justin Andrews, 27. 42 Jeff Sechrist, 28. 64W John Willman. Non-Qualifiers: 87 Andy Burkhart, 7x Tommy Sheetz, Jr., 6 Dale Roth.
Heat 1: 15H K. Hartnett, 73 R. Schaffer, 1 K. Hoffman, 33 R. Swinehart, 505 R. Mohn, 83B J. Biever, 221 R. Beltz, 178 J. Durling, 3x R. Mawson, 6 D. Roth, 42 J. Sechrist. No Time…. Heat 2: 77 D. Hoffman, 102 S. Fitzpatrick, 21K K. Weiss, 114 B. Pauch, 11 K. Brightbill, 21T Ja. Andrews, 14 R. Laubach, Sq1 B. G. Walsh, 7x T. Sheetz…. N/T…. Heat 3: 70D C. Von Dohren, 15X B. Pauch, Jr., VR1 T. Fitzpatrick, OO D. Manmiller, 5 P. Kline, 901 B. Williams, 24H Ju. Andrews, 64W J. Willman, 15 D. Hartz, 88X R. Wiest, 87 A, Burkhart. N/T…. Consolation: 15 Hartz, 178 Durling, 42 Sechrist, 64W Willman, 88x Wiest, 3x Mawson, Sq1 Walsh, 7x Sheetz, 87 Burkhart, 6 Roth.
NASCAR DODGE SHORTRACK SERIES SPORTSMAN MODIFIED 20-LAP FEATURE: 1. 69 Dave Dissinger, 2. 47 Gary Wagner, Jr., 3. 93 Ryan Moyer, 4. 19X Brad Brightbill, 5. 5 Greg Weiland, 6. 19U Jordan Umbenhauer, 7. 157 Andy Fayash, Jr., 8. 26 Tom Brennan, 9. 8Jr. Doug Hendricks, 10. 12V John Deatrich, Jr., 11. 8 Brad Force, 12. 3 Luke Wagner, 13. 147 Louie Mitchalk, 14. 17 Billy Moyer, Jr., 15. 95 Freddie Fisher, 16. 4 Jesse Sterling, 17. 64 Andy Miller, 18. 39B Bobby Reese, 19. 72 Ray Woodall, Jr., 20. 35 Ebby Ridge, 21. 515 Larry Lippencott, 22. 00 Mario Dinatale, 23. 926 Darren Dreher, 24. 17T Ryan Grim, 25. KT3 Cory Renninger.
Heat 1: 95 F. Fisher, 93 R. Moyer, 17 B. Moyer, 4 J. Sterling, 5 G. Weiland, 157 A. Fayash, 59 J. Kohler, 17T R. Grim, KT3 C. Renninger. 10-lap Time: 3:15.060…. Heat 2: 19U J. Umbenhauer, 515 L. Lippencott, T, Brennan, 926 D. Dreher, 64 A. Miller, 00 M. Dinatale, 8 B. Force, 8JR D. Hendricks, 147 L. Mitchalk. N/T…. Heat 3: e5 E. Ridge, 46 G. Wagner, 3 L. Wagner, 19 B. Brightbill, 69 D. Dissinger, 12V J. Deatrich, 72 R. Woodall, 23B S. Zimmerman, 39B B. Reese, 76Jr Steve Svanda. N/T…. Consolation: 8 Force, 72 Woodall, 8JR Hendricks, 17T Grim, 39B Reese, 147 Mitchalk, KT3 renninger, 23B Zimmerman, 59 Kohler, 76Jr Svanda. N/T.
NASCAR ROADRUNNER 15-LAP FEATURE: 1. Big1 Mike Allar, 2. 555 Elvin Brennan, 3. 66 Kevin Holland, 4. 39S Butch Solt, 5. 17 Kevin Beach, 39 Robbie Pyle, 7. 22 Tom Hablett, 8. 19W Derek Bender, 9. 3 Dean Ulsh, 10. 117 Marty Shappell, 11. 35 Jason Purcell, 12. 4 Jake Smulley.
Heat: 22, 117, 66, 19w, 555, 3, 39s, 17, Big1, 4. DNF: 39, 25. N/T.