Ryan Godown (358s); Brandon Grosso (sportsman) Wraps Up the Division Yitles
Story By: SHAWN WOOD / BIG DIAMOND SPEEDWAY MEDIA
Photos By: GEORGE STEIGERWALT / RACERSGUIDE.COM
MINERSVILLE, PA. – August 28, 2016-It wasn’t the season that defending CJ’s Tire & Automotive Services 358 modified champion was hoping for, but Billy Pauch, Jr., will take a win heading into the Coalcracker 72 in a little over a week.
It was the the first win of the season for the New Jersey modified chauffer as it was a big night for Garden State drivers as Ryan Godown, of Ringoes, N.J., and Brandon Grosso, of Montgomery, N.J., took home the 358 and sportsman division titles respectively.
Also on Friday night Kory Sites picked up the win in the Savage 61 roadrunners.
Next up at Big Diamond is the Coalcracker Weekend starting on Friday, Sept. 2 and wrapping up with the $10,000 to win Coalcracker 72 on Sept. 4.
For Godown it was his first track title at Big Diamond and his decision to compete weekly at the track in 2016 rather than run special races and big money shows had a lot to do with promoter Jake Smulley.
“That was a hammer-down, exciting race and it was a little never racking in traffic, and to go three- and four-wide coming out of the corner, you couldn’t ask for better racing,” he said. “Jake puts a lot of effort into the track and we come from 12th every week and I think it’s more exciting than any other track that’s around. The track is consistent here every week and it’s fun and at the end of the night, it makes you go home with a smile.”
“We hurt our good motor in the Prelude to the Coalcracker and Dave Zubikowski (Ryan Watt’s car owner) stepped up and loaned us a motor,” Godown continued. “If it wasn’t for that, I wasn’t sure what we were going to do. We just don’t have any more motors in the stable. Without Dave, we wouldn’t be here tonight.”
Justin Grim led the early stages of the 358 modified feature as the first caution would not fly until lap 13 when Ray Swinehart slowed on the track.
Pauch Jr., would move into the runner-up spot on lap 8 after battling with Shawn Fitzpatrick and then he began to close in on race leader Grim.
Following a couple of tries to get lap 13 back underway, Pauch, Jr., raced to the inside of Grim on the low side of Turn 1 to take the lead.
Bobby Gunter Walsh brought out the yellow a lap latter and that set up a lap 14 restart which saw a five-wide battle in Turn 2 for third place.
While Puach, Jr., was starting to pull away, the two championship contenders were in a lock-step battle early in the race as Godown and Craig VonDohren battled there way through the field.
Rick Laubach, who started eighth, closed in on Pauch, Jr., over the final few laps as the pair was dealing with lapped traffic.
At the line, Pauch, Jr., held off Laubach for the win with Godown, third, VonDohren, fourth and Fitzpartick, fifth.
Sixth through 10th were Ryan Watt, Brett Kressley, Duane Howard, Grim and Gary Hager.
Heats for the 358 modifieds were won by Swinehart, Fitzpatrick and Grim.
I didn’t know how close Rick (Laubach) was to me so I just paced myself through lapped traffic,” Pauch, Jr., said. “We didn’t have our best year here and we ran into motor problems but we have a stout piece now and I think we’re running good when we come to big race here.”
The U.S.S. Achey sportsman 20-lap feature would go non-stop in a time of 6 minutes and 33 seconds.
Billy Moyer, Jr., took the lead at the start of the race as Light, last week’s feature winner, moved into second on the opening lap and then ran down Moyer as he took the lead on lap 7 as the pair raced into Turn 3.
Once in the lead, Light would pull away to a full straightaway lead by lap 17 as he went on to score his fifth win of the season and fourth win in the last eight sportsman features held at the track.
Rookie Skylar Sheriff would battle with Moyer for the runner-up spot on lap 10 and after securing second, he remained there through to the finish of the 20-lap feature.
Points leader Grosso moved into fifth on lap 13 and moved up to third a few laps later, where he finished for the night and capture his first track title with Moyer and Wayne Witmer rounding out the top five.
Sixth through 10th were Mike Lisowski, Craig Whitmoyer, Ryan Shupp, Chuck Fayash and Tim Fitzpatrick, Sr.
Heats for the sportsman were won by Light and Moyer.
“The lapped cars make you nervous as you come up on somebody and you don’t know if they are going to go high or low,” Light said. “I was upset with how the car worked last week when we won, but I think I have it back to where I want it now.”
For Gross, who came close to winning the track title last year, a good start was a key to the title run.
“We had a good season and having those wins in the beginning of the season definitely helped us out,” he said.
Grosso won three of the first four sportsman features to begin the 2016 title campagin.
A last-lap caution set up a one-lap dash to the checkers in the 20-lap roadrunner feature as Kody Sites held off Andy Fayash III for the win.
Sites, who would take the lead on a lap 10 restart was the third different leader of the race to the point which featured a four-wide battle for position in Turn 2 on lap 2 of the feature.
Sites, who started 11th, took the lead on the backstretch as he was battling with Shon Elk who was one of the three early race leaders.
In the closing laps, Fayash III ran down Sites who had opened a good-size lead by lap 13, but on the final restart, Sites chose to start on the outside and the move paid off as he held off Fayash for the win.
“I just wanted to keep the car on the top side on the final restart as I know that’s Andy’s favorite lane,” Sites said.
Elk would hold on for third with Chris Holland and Mike Richert rounding out the top five.
Sixth through 10th were Devin Trexler, Jim Kost, Steve Gromis, Kris Ney and Terry Kramer.
Heats for the roadrunners were won by Holland and Sites.
In the Kim’s Kreations Powder Puff races; Kim Glass won the roadrunner feature while Taylor Albert won the modified/sportsman feature.
This Friday, Sept. 2, it’s the start of the Coalcracker Weekend on Leindecker Race Engines Night as the sportsman take center stage with a 40 lapper paying $1,600 to win and $160 to take the green. Also on the card will be the final points race for the roadrunners and No Sweat Service Group street stocks. In addition, there will be the non-winners modified race, vintage cars and an Enduro Dash 60.
The non-winners modified race on Sept. 2 will be for drivers who have raced four or more time this season in the modified division but did not win a feature. The winner gets a starting spot in the Coalcracker 72. No other positions will get paid.
The gates will open on Friday, Sept. 2, at 5:30 with warm ups at 7:45 and racing at 8:15. General admission is $13, seniors, $11 and kids 12-and-under along with active military with a valid ID are free.
On Sunday, Sept. 4, it’s the prestigious Jack Rich Inc., Coalcracker 72 paying $10,000 to win the 358 modified feature. Tenth place in the Coalcracker pays $1,000 and it’s $500 to take the green.The start time for Sept. 4 is 7:45 p.m. The roadrunners, 600 modifieds and fireworks will round out the night of racing on Sept. 4.
Gates for the Coalcracker will open at 4 with warm ups at 7:15 and racing at 7:45. General admission is $27; Kids 6-11 are $10 while kids under 6 are free along with active military with a valid ID.
The rain date for the Coalcracker, if needed, is Monday, Sept. 5.
For the latest information, be sure to like the Big Diamond Speedway facebook page; www.facebook.com/Bigdiamondspeedway and on Twitter, @BigDSpdwy
Big Diamond Speedway
CJ’s Tire & Automotive Center 358 modified feature (25 laps): 1. Billy Pauch Jr., 2. Rick Laubach, 3. Ryan Godown, 4. Craig VonDohren, 5. Shawn Fitzpatrick, 6. Ryan Watt, 7. Brett Kressley, 8. Duane Howard, 9. Justin Grim, 10. Gary Hager, 11. Scott Albert, 12. Andy Burkhart, 13. Kevin Beach Jr., 14. Colt Harris, 15. Heath Metzger, 16. Bobby Gunther Walsh, 17. Jim Bobbitt Jr., 18. Jay Aten. DNF: Jason Rivers, Ryan Grim, Tommy Sheetz, Ray Swinehart, Ron Haring Jr., Dan Hineline. DNS: Cliff Quinn. Heats winners: Swinehart, Fitzpatrick, J. Grim.
2016 358 modified track champion: Ryan Godown.
U.S.S. Achey sportsman feature (20 laps): 1. Shawn Light, 2. Skylar Sheriff, 3. Brandon Grosso, 4. Billy Moyer Jr., 5. Wayne Witmer, 6. Mike Lisowski, 7. Craig Whitmoyer, 8. Ryan Shupp, 9. Chuck Fayash, 10.Tim Fitzpatrick Sr., 11. Ray Woodall Jr., 12. Matt Clay, 13. Greg Cole, 14. Rich Emel, 15. Ed Mrochko. DNF: Todd Huffman, Jared Umbenhauer. Heats winners: Light, Moyer Jr. Non-stop feature time, 6 minutes, 33 seconds.
2016 sportsman track champion: Brandon Grosso.
Savage 61 roadrunner feature (20 laps): 1. Kody Sites, 2. Andy Fayash III, 3. Shon Elk, 4. Chris Holland, 5. Mike Reichert, 6. Devin Trexler, 7. Jim Kost, 8. Steve Gromis, 9. Kris Ney, 10. Terry Kramer, 12. Shawn Mulhall. DNF: Nate Hill, Dave Long Jr, Kyle Wingle, Fred Everly. DNS: Andrew Buchinski, Jon Schlauch, Chris Eckert, Dan Nagle.
Kim’s Creations Powder Puff
Roadrunner feature: 1. Kim Glass, 2. Tracy Spesak, 3. Pam Holland, 4. Bridget Dougherty, 5. Alex Trexler, 6. Amy Brown.
Modified/Sportsman feature: 1. Taylor Albert, 2. Jaime Clay, 3. Lori Mrochko.
Big Diamond Speedway Points August 26, 2016
CJ’s Tire & Automotive Services 358 modifieds
Final
1. Ryan Godown 3,687
2. Craig VonDohren 3,465
3. Rick Laubach 3,302
4. Duane Howard 3,287
5. Jeff Strunk 2,988
6. Ryan Watt 2,927
7. Kevin Beach Jr. 2,758
8. Ryan Grim 2,638
9. Brett Kressley 2,625
10. Shawn Fitzpatrick 2,318
U.S.S. Achey Sportsman
Final
1. Brandon Grosso 3,713
2. Ray Woodall Jr 3,508
3. Wayne Witmer 3,411
4. Mike Lisowski 3,390
5. Tim Fitzpatrick 3,276
6. Shawn Light 3,076
7. Chuck Fayash 3,044
8. Skylar Sheriff 2,958
9. Doug Hendricks 2,765
10. Matt Clay 2,749
Savage 61 roadrunners
1. Andrew Fayash III 5,292
2. Steve Gromis 4,797
3. Jim Kost 4,727
4. Kris Ney 4,473
5. Terry Kramer 4,026
6. Kody Sites 3,664
7. Kyle Wingle 3,433
8. Devin Trexler 3,422
9. Nate Hill 3,330
10. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr 3,226
No Sweat Service Group Street Stocks
1. Eric Tripp 2,004
2. Rich Bossinger 1,806
3. Jeremy Becker 1,789
4. Bobby Kupp 1,757
5. Chris Derr 1,755
6. Leroy Long 1,718
7. Tyler Stump 1,654
8. Jasen Geesaman 1,627
9. Mike Radocha 1,383
10. Elvin Brennan III 1,370
