Rick Laubach back in victory lane at Big Diamond, Buccafusca makes it 3 in a row in the 602 Crates
Track Promoters – Jake and Jasmine Smulley
Track – www.bigdspeedway.net
Rick Laubach back in victory lane at Big Diamond, Buccafusca makes it 3 in a row in the 602 Crates
Battling the weather forecast all day long and with other tracks in PA canceling their shows, Big Diamond promoters Jake and Jasmine Smulley bucked the trend and decided to go for it and were rewarded with a fantastic night of racing on Dave Kamp Memorial Night.
After having a rough go of it for most of the season, the “Quaker Shaker” Rick Laubach found himself back in the Red White and Blue Autos victory lane with a dominating performance in the Insigner Performance Modified division. The always hyped-up Danny Buccafusca made it look easy as he rocketed his way to his fourth USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman win. Mike Reichert rebounded after having a couple of bad weeks to win the Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner feature with Travis McClelland finding victory lane in the Central PA Legends race.
Ken Eckert Jr and Kevin Beach Jr led the Insigner Performance Modified field to the green flag with Eckert getting the early lead over Beach. Shawn Light would bring out the first yellow of the race when he found himself in trouble on lap two. On the restart, three-time winner this season Duane Howard slowed with a right front flat tire and headed to the pits. The No. 15G crew managed to change the tire and get Howard out just as the field was going back to green. Beach would take over the lead on the restart.
Eleventh place starting Rick Laubach was starting to make his presence known as he was making quick work of the field moving past Eckert for third on lap five. Laubach had the No. 20 Shaker Motorsports modified on rails this night and when lap nine was scored found himself into the second. It only took Laubach three more laps to get past Beach and into the lead.
While Laubach was putting a good distance between himself and now second place Reimert, 10th place starting Craig Von Dohren and 12th place starting Jeff Strunk were working their way towards the front. Howard who joined the field at least a half a track behind the field was on a mission and worked his way back into the top ten when the final yellow of the night was thrown for a slowing Ryan Watt on lap 20. Laubach was the leader with Reimert, Beach, Von Dohren and Strunk the top five as the field looked to go back to racing with five to go.
Laubach wasted no time at the drop of the green to keep the lead as Von Dohren was now looking to the outside of Reimert for second. Von Dohren moved by Reimert and into second with four laps to go setting his sights on Laubach. Von Dohren was sailing it in on the outside and gaining ground on Laubach. With CVD on the outside, Laubach moved his line up to block Von Dohren’s path and by doing so was able to give himself a little cushion over Von Dohren. Laubach sailed under starter Jeff Merkel’s double checkered flags for the big $4,000 win. Von Dohren was second with Reimert, Strunk and Howard after an amazing drive through field rounding out the top five.
“We missed a couple of weeks in the beginning of the season, so we decided to do some other specials and make mini vacations out of them but when we get a chance we come here,” said a smiling Laubach in victory lane with track announcer Dino Oberto. “We know we have to start behind everybody, and it will be a hard job for us but we have a good think going this year. The first person I want to thank is Jaason Leindecker, last year we got a win, but we struggled, and it wasn’t easy. We started eleventh tonight behind all of the big dogs here but this motor runs and it show. I have a lot of new sponsors this year in Armada Buildings, Auger Manufacturing, Searock Landscaping along with myself and my wife. The track was better than I thought it would be and it had an inside and an outside and that is all you can ask for. I thought before the race the track would be dry, but I guess all that moisture came back up and it made for some good racing. We started from eleventh and I knew from warmups the car had that feel to it and I told my crew that we have something here and we did.”
Talan Carter would rocket his way from his fourth place starting spot to lead lap one in the 20-lap USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman feature. The early laps of the of the feature would be plagued by a series of yellows. Carter would continue to hold the lead through all of the cautions with points leader Brandon Edgar now moving into second place. Eleventh place starter Danny Buccafusca was making moves through the field quickly and found himself into the fourth. After the series of yellows, the field would go single file for the next restart. Carter would lead on the restart as Edgar was now being challenged for second by Buccafusca. Buccafusca would get by Edgar at the halfway mark for second now setting his sights on leader Carter. The final yellow of the race would come out with ten laps to go.
Buccafusca would work his way past Carter for the lead through turns one and two on the restart. One lap later Edgar got past Carter for second but was no match for Buccafusca on this night. Buccafusca pulled away to win his fourth feature of the season over and take home the $1,500 first place prize. Edgar, Carter, Kyle Kania and Matt Yoder were your top five.
The Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner was once again a barnburner with twist and turns abound. Jarrod Bassininsky would take the lead on lap one with CJ Ferguson right on his bumper. The pair of Bassininsky and Ferguson would swap the lead until Bassininsky asserted himself on lap nine. While the two leaders went at it, Mike Reichert was charging towards the front with Alex Schoffstall, Andrew Fayash III and Chuck Fayash right with him. Reichert went by Bassininsky for second on lap 17 setting his sights on the leader Ferguson. The race changed dramatically on lap 18 when leader Ferguson suddenly broke and stopped in turn three. Schoffstall with nowhere to go hit the stopped car of Ferguson and spun out. Ferguson’s bad luck was Reichert’s good luck as he inherited the lead and held off Fayash III on the last lap for the win. Chuck Fayash was third with Jim Kost and Terry Kramer the top five.
The Central PA Legends feature race was a close one with Travis McClelland and Seth Kearchner battling hard throughout the 20-lap race. McClelland would prevail with Justice Calabro getting by Kearchner on the last lap for second. Seth Kearchner, Lincoln Kearchner and Robert Stough completed the top five.
Full results from August 5th, 2022
Insigner Performance Modifieds 1. Rick Laubach 2. Craig Von Dohren 3. Louden Reimert 4. Jeff Strunk 5. Duane Howard 6. Kevin Beach Jr 7. Nick Rochinski 8. Brett Kressley 9. Mike Lisowski 10. Ken Eckert Jr 11. Scott Albert 12. Billy Lasko 13. Cliff Quinn 14. Ryan Watt 15. Kevin Fitzpatrick 16. Shawn Light 17. Dan Hineline 18. Bryan Rhoads 19. Eddie Strada 20. Heath Metzger DNS Corey Renninger
Modified Heat Winners: Brett Kressley, Ken Eckert Jr & Kevin Beach Jr
Modified Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: Rick Laubach ($100), Craig Von Dohren ($75) & Louden Reimert ($50)
Modified Top Ten in Points: 1. Duane Howard 1402 2. Brett Kressley 1382 3. Craig Von Dohren 1372 4. Nick Rochinski 1275 5. Louden Reimert 1193 6. Eddie Strada 967 7. Rick Laubach 875 8. Mike Lisowski 874 9. Kevin Beach Jr 840 10. Scott Albert 797
USS Achey, Inc. Crate 602 Sportsman: 1. Danny Buccafusca 2. Brandon Edgar 3. Talan Carter 4. Kyle Kania 5. Matt Yoder 6. Logan Watt 7. Mike Schneck Jr 8. Daryl Dissinger 9. Steve Lyle 10. Xavier Sprague 11. Eric Kocher 12. Chad Putalavage 13. Kaitlyn Bailey 14. Jordan Henn 15. Skylar Sheriff 16. Kevin Brady 17. Danica Getz 18. Brandon Oleski 19. Tyler Vidal 20. Kevin Olenick 21. Kris Ney 22. Tyler James 23. Kevin Kaplafka
Crate Sportsman 602 Heat Winners: Logan Watt, Talan Carter & Daryl Dissinger
Crate 602 Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: Danny Buccafusca ($100), Brandon Edgar ($75) & Talan Carter ($50)
Crate Sportsman Points: 1. Brandon Edgar 1991 2. Danny Buccafusca 1869 3. Logan Watt 1659 4. Matt Yoder 1409 5. Talan Carter 1357 6. Kyle Kania 1347 7. Kevin Olenick 1309 8. Mike Schneck Jr 1064 9. Daryl Dissinger 1043 10. James Costlow 740
Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunners Feature Finish: 1. Mike Reichert 2. Andrew Fayash III 3. Chuck Fayash 4. Jim Kost 5. Terry Kramer 6. Glenn Rowan 7. Kyle Wingle 8. Tod Roth Jr 9. Tonya Lance 10. Dave Daubert 11. Damion Dusheck 12. Jarod Bassininsky 13. CJ Ferguson 14. Alex Schoffstall 15. Dave Schultz
Roadrunner Heat Winners: CJ Ferguson & Jarod Bassininsky
Roadrunner Points: 1. Mike Reichert 2350 2. Alex Schoffstall 2240 3. Chuck Fayash 1781 4. Jim Kost 1685 5. CJ Ferguson 1547 6. Andrew Fayash III 1447 7. Jarod Bassininsky 1369 8. Tod Roth Jr 1292 T9. Tonya Lance and Dave Schultz 1157
Central PA Legends: 1. Travis McClelland 2. Justice Calabro 3. Seth Kearchner 4. Lincoln Kearchner 5. Robert Stough 6. Rick Hartwig 7. Logan Carbaugh 8. Colton Freese 9. Richie Dobson Jr 10. Brady Arndt 11. Cory Phillips 12. Eric Hurst 13. Ron Little Jr 14. Scott Musselman 15. Zach Baxter 16. Caleb Masse 17. Devin Friese 18. Vince Wenrich 19. Hunter McElroy 20. Scott Spidle
Central PA Legends Heat Winners: Rick Hartwig & Devin Friese
