Jeff Strunk Roars To Race of Champions South Triumph At Big D
MINERSVILLE, PA – Jeff Strunk’s No. 88 appeared dominant from all angles but one: inside the cockpit.
Driving a car he later said “didn’t feel that good,” Strunk dominated Tuesday night’s Race of Champions Dirt Modified Tour South region lid-lifter at Big Diamond Raceway. The Bethel, PA., star pocketed $4,000 for his win in the 75-lap “School’s Out Special.” It was his first trip to Victory Lane at the Schuylkill County oval since May 11, 2001.
“Honestly, the car didn’t feel that dominant,” admitted Strunk, a four-time Big Diamond small-block Modified champion. “But that’s the thing about this place, when the track gets slick, you have to go slower to be faster.”
At the wheel Chad Sinon’s Morrison big-block-powered Teo-Pro BPG Racing No. 88, Strunk was clearly the class of the field. The 36-year-old started the main seventh and carefully picked his way through traffic.
“I was taking it easy early on,” Strunk said. “There was no big hurry in coming up through – I knew those guys (the front row) would take off.”
Brian Weaver outgunned polesitter Jimmy Horton on the start and set a torrid pace in the event’s first third, driving Randy Decker’s Decker Logging No. 9R Bicknell. Weaver and Kevin Hirthler checked out, while Strunk inched forward. Strunk took third on lap seven and began to chip away at the lead pair.
With Weaver and Hirthler encountering slower traffic by lap 10, Strunk’s job was easier. He slid by Hirthler on lap 13 as the Green Lane, PA., driver was attempting to lap Ryan Bartlett. But Strunk didn’t immediately gain on Weaver as the Southern Tier standout maintained a five car-length advantage while darting through the back-markers.
“I could see I was gaining on those two when I wanted to, so I wasn’t worried,” Strunk stated. “I watched in the heat and he (Weaver) wasn’t that good on the restarts. I was pretty confident I could get him if we had a caution.”
Strunk’s prophecy came to be on lap 23 when Kenny Brightbill spun on the backstretch, necessitating a yellow. When the green dropped, Strunk launched off the outside groove and beat Weaver into turn one.
“The way they do the restarts here, out of (turn) four almost on the straightaway you have to go,” Strunk explained. “I was a little better there. I just wanted to get far enough in front of him to run a clean line through one and two.”
Weaver’s fine ride started to go sour by the halfway point. Difficulty in lapped traffic allowed Jimmy Horton and eighth-starter Rick Laubach to slide into second and third, respectively, on lap 40.
Laubach hounded Horton until diving low in traffic on lap 53, then switching grooves to power around the slower machines in Dieter Schmidt’s No. 5. Horton fought back on the inside for two circuits, but Laubach retained second up high.
By that time, Strunk was on the opposite side of the three-eighths-mile oval.
“I didn’t know I had that much of a lead,” Strunk said. “That’s the thing, without having the two-way radios, you don’t know. I had to run hard (through lapped traffic) because I just didn’t know if anyone was there.”
The race’s second and final caution flew on lap 70 for North Country driver Ryan Bartlett, who stalled and pulled off the backstretch.
Five lapped cars separated the leaders on the single-file restart and Strunk cruised to the victory unchallenged.
The win marked his first-ever big-block Mod win at Big Diamond, and his breakthrough win in a big-block since making the switch to Bobby Hearn’s Teo-Pro cars.
“I’ve known Andy (Harpell, RoC promoter) for a long time, back when Alex (Friesen) was still around,” Strunk said. “He’s a great guy. I’m glad I could win one of the first on this Tour. Heck, it’s always cool to win one of these extra-distance races!”
As impressive as Strunk’s victory was, it shouldn’t overshadow the Herculean performance of runner-up Rick Laubach. The “Quaker Shaker” wrestled the Simonek Performance-powered Teo-Pro 5 car for the final 65 laps with no power steering.
“I’m telling you, I think we had the car to win if we had power steering,” offered Laubach, 32, of Quakertown, PA.
“I really didn’t want to push it,” Laubach said. “Horton was loose off. When he left the bottom open, I shot in there (for second on lap 53). That was the deal - if I had the chance, I’d go for a position. I couldn’t press the issue. I couldn’t set the car in the turns like I wanted to. I’d ride the brake, let it push and turn the car down.
“I could see Strunk (at the end). That’s what killed me.”
Veteran Meme DeSantis of Temple, Pa., finished third in Rick Clay’s Gechter and Trout big-block powered No. 88C Bicknell. It was the second outing for DeSantis in the car.
“We’ve had a miserable year, so I’m happy with this,” uttered the 49-year-old DeSantis, whose podium run was actually his best ’05 finish.
“I broke the brake shut-off valve right at the beginning and I ran the whole race with three-wheel brakes,” DeSantis said. “I panicked after the heat so I set it that way, then I couldn’t correct it.
“I could get around the bottom okay, but I couldn’t go up top.”
Ray Swinehart of Bechtelsville, Pa., rallied to fourth after starting 26th in Jeff Ebersole’s No. 72. Swinehart’s own car was eliminated earlier in the night with mechanical problems. Swinehart never sat in the Ebersole Excavating Bicknell until he strapped in for the feature, but he wasted little time and blasted into the top ten by lap 22.
Defending Big D champ Doug Hoffman of Allentown, Pa., was fifth in the Dennis “Moose” Eisenhard No. 77. He earned the $500 small-block bonus. Weaver and Mitch Gibbs were the final two cars on the lead lap at the finish.
Heat winners for the 36 Modified entrants were Mike Gular, Kevin Hirthler, Meme DeSantis and Mitch Gibbs. Barry Davis and Bobby Trapper were consolation victors.
Tom Hablett started third in the roadrunner 15 and ran second from lap 1 through lap 8 when he caught leader Kirby Schlappich and the lapper car of Pete Gettis at the same time. Hablett took charge as Schlappich hesitated and that was all she wrote. Joe Hendrick took second from Jason Sherman on lap 12. But his 11X was disqualified in a post race inspection, returning the position to Sherman. Dave Schultz finished third hile fourh went to Eric D, Pinkerton when Schlappich’s 1 was disqualified. Tory Jenkins was also rewarded as he finished fifth in his first night in Roadrunner action.
This Friday night, June 10, at Big Diamond Raceway is Dodge Night. A full NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series card will be on tap featuring the Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Roadrunners. Additionally the SPEED Channel’s reporter Bob Dillner, who has asphalt racing experience, will make his dirt track debut at Big Diamond in Jason Neidlinger’s “SPEED 1”. Should his television schedule permit, Bob also plans to be on hand to meet and greet the Big Diamond fans. Bob will be in town covering the Pocono NASCAR Nextel Cup event and word is a film crew may also make the trip to record the Big Diamond event. Hot laps start at 7:40 PM and the first modified heat goes green at 8 o’clock.
For information on Big Diamond Raceway contact the speedway office at (570) 544-6434 or drop in on the track’s official internet site at www.bigdiamondraceway.com.
BIG D ROC NOTES: The two-division show was in the books by 9:45 p.m. on a work night….
Bobby Varin, the winner of both RoC Dirt Mod North events contested in ’05, was a retiree on lap 13 while running fifth. The Sharon Springs, N.Y., driver reported a broken axle on the Magsarus No. 93…. RoC Tour regular Jerry Higbie Jr. headed pitside with engine problems on the 10th circuit….
Polesitter Jimmy Horton ran amongst the top three with Rick Grosso’s No. 42 until encountering an unpleasant experience: hot power steering fluid spraying on him. Horton pulled to the infield on lap 50 and promptly climbed from the car…. Mitch Gibbs was a late arrival after suffering a flat tire on his hauler en route to the track…. The field offered an interesting mix of big-block veterans, talented PA Dual-Trackers and capable short-track racers….
RACE RESULTS - BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY, Minersville, PA - June 7, 2005
RACE OF CHAMPIONS DIRT BIG BLOCK MODIFIED SOUTH REGION OPENER
SCHOOL’S OUT 75-LAP FEATURE, $4000 TO WIN
1. 88 Jeff Strunk/Bethel, PA (Started 7th)
2. 5 Rick Laubach/Quakertown, PA (8th)
3. 88C Meme DeSantis/Temple, PA (10th)
4. 72 Ray Swinehart/Bechtelsville, PA (26th *)
5. 77 Doug Hoffman/Allentown, PA (16th) – 1st Small Block
6. 9R Brian Weaver/Windsor, NY (2nd)
7. 22G Mitch Gibbs/North Norwich, NY (7th)
8. 4B JR Crouse/Nazareth, PA -1 (15th)
9. 117 Kevin Hirthler/Green Lane, PA -1 lap (3rd)
10. 53 Mike Gular/Harleysville, PA -1 lap (12th)
11. T102 Shawn Fitzparick/Pottsville, PA -1 lap (27th *)
12. 19 Kenny Brightbill/Sinking Spring, PA -1 lap (14th)
13. 19K Paul Kinney/Oneida, NY -1 lap (23rd)
14. 24 Chris Shultz/Holmes, NY -1 lap (17th)
15. 42 Ed Strada/South Canaan, PA -1 lap (6th)
16. 29 Chris Ostrowsky/Conklin, NY – DNF (25th**)
17. 50 Ryan Bartlett/Adams, NY – DNF (28th***)
18. 42H Jim Horton/Neshanic Station, NJ – DNF (1st)
19. 66 Bob Trapper/Scranton, PA – DNF (22nd)
20. DR1 Craig Von Dohren/Barto, PA – DNF (9th)
21. 9D Barry Davis/Accord, NY – DNF (21st)
22. 8 Rich Scagliotta/Bound Brook, NJ – DNF (13th)
23. 15 Billy Pauch Jr./Frenchtown, NJ – DNF (18th)
24. 93 Bobby Varin/Sharon Springs, NY – DNF (5th)
25. 97 Jerry Higbie Jr./Slate Hill, NY – DNF (20th)
26. 14W Ryan Watt/Perkiomenville, PA – DNF (24th)
27. OO Doug Manmiller/Wyomissing, PA – DNF (11th)
28. 6SR Keith Hoffman/Whitehall, PA - DNF (19th)
NON-QUALIFIERS ADDED TO THE FEATURE LINE-UP
* - Swinehart & Fitzpatrick added as highest 2 drivers in Big Diamond NASCAR Modified points on non-qualifiers list
** – Ostrowsky added as guaranteed starter from Five Mile Point
*** - Bartlett, North Tour Driver buy in
OTHER NON QUALIFIERS: 83B Josh Biever, 72 Jeff Ebersole (33 Swinehart drove 72 as guaranteed starter), 11D Travis Balthaser, 71s Sam Schaeffer, 2H Kenny Hatt, 42s Jeff Sechrist, 16 Jason Hamilton, 51 Mike Colsten.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: 42H Jimmy Horton started on pole. 9R Brian Weaver (1-23), 88 Jeff Strunk (24-75). [No cautions between laps 25 and 50 so all 75 were green flag laps.]
CAUTIONS: 2. Lap 24: 19 Brightbill spin, inside, backstretch; Lap 70: 50 Bartlett off backstretch.
HEAT WINNERS: 53 Mike Gular; 117 Kevin Hirthler; 88C Meme DeSantis; 22G Mitch Gibbs.
CONSOLATION WINNERS: 9D Barry Davis; 66 Bob Trapper.
Heat 1: 53, DR1, OO, 8, 24, 9D, 2H, 83B, 42s.
Heat 2: 117, 42H, 42, 19, 15, 72, 14W, 11D, 16.
Heat 3: 88C, 88, 9R, B, 6SR, 29, T102, 19K, 71S.
Heat 4: 2G, 93, 5, 77, 97, 66, 50, 33, 51.
Consi 1: 9D, 19K, 29, 83B, T02, 71S., 42s.
Consi 2: 66, 14W, 11D, 50, 72, 33, 16, 51.
ROADRUNNERS - 15-LAP FEATURE - $100 TO WIN
1. 22 Tom Hablett, Schuylkill Haven, PA; 2. 721 Jason Sherman, Williamstown, PA; 3. 5 Dave Schultz, Llewellyn, PA; 4. 37 Eric D. Pinkerton, Tower City, PA; 5. 22X Tory Jenkins, Schuylkill Haven, PA; 6. 712 Jeremy Becker; 7. 7T7 Andy Fayash; 8. 7 Steve Fessler; 9. 8 Pete Getti; 10. 20 Corey Sechrist; 11. 1 Charlie Eckert, Jr.; 12. BIG1 Josh Generelli; 13. 8S Butch Solt. 14. 11X Joe Hendricks (DQ); 15. 11 Kirby Schlppich (DQ).
HEAT 1: 11 Kirby Schlappich, 22, 5, 20, 7T7, 8S, 37, Big1.
HEAT 2: 721 Jason Sherman, 11X, 22X, 712, 1, 8, 7..