Von Dohren dominates modified feature at Big Diamond, James Costlow Crates and Andrew Fayash victorious in Roadrunners
Track Promoters – Jake and Jasmine Smulley
Track – www.bigdspeedway.net
Von Dohren dominates modified feature at Big Diamond, James Costlow Crates and Andrew Fayash victorious in Roadrunners
Taking full advantage of an upfront starting spot, the Big Diamond career wins leader Craig Von Dohren dominated the 25-lap Insigner Performance modified feature to win on Tony’s Meat Market night. On the other side of the spectrum, James Costlow won his first career feature race by taking the checkers in the 20-lap USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman feature. Andrew Fayash III continued his winning way in the Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner main event winning in exciting fashion over Mike Reichert. Korey Inglin was the winner of the XCEL 600 feature.
Due to a blown motor on opening night in the Dave Dissinger owned No. 88x, Craig Von Dohren returned to Big Diamond for the second week in a row driving the Bueche owned No. 30. With not making the feature on opening night, Von Dohren knew he would be starting towards the front and was prepared to take full advantage.
Cliff Quin and Von Dohren brought the field to the start with Quinn grabbing the lead at the drop of the green. After one lap was completed, the yellow was displayed for the spinning car of Joel Smith on the backstretch. On the restart Quinn led the way but the yellow was out once again for the spinning car of Billy Lasko. On the following restart, Von Dohren was able keep pace with Quinn down the front and edged in front of Quinn going into turn one. Once in front, Von Dohren started to pull away from the rest of the field. While Von Dohren was setting a torrid pace out front, the battle behind raged on as teams were vying for top five spots. Eddie Strada who started ninth and Brett Kressley from eighth battled hard for the runnerup spot.
Von Dohren was not going to be denied on this night as he opened up close to a half a track lead over the second place running Strada. Von Dohren would streak under starter Jeff Merkel’s checkered flag to win his track leading 101st career win. Strada would finish second over Kressley with a hard charging Duane Howard all the way from 14th to finish fourth. Ryan Watt rounded out the top five.
“We got a hole shot there, we were supposed to win this thing tonight starting up front,” said a happy Von Dohren after the race. “We’ll take it, we had a rough night two weeks ago and this is the benefit of that bad night. I had no idea (how far he was out front), I knew Ryan (Watt) was back there and you just don’t know who’s coming. Someone might find a different groove, Brett (Kressley), Jeff (Strunk) and Duane (Howard) are all back there so you just go as fast as you can and try to get there first.”
The USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman feature saw yet another first-time winner in victory lane with James Costlow winning the 20-lap main event. Jonathan Swift and Costlow would lead the 24-car field to the green flag, but the race came to a screeching halt with multiple cars tangling right in front of the starters stand including last weeks winner Brendan Edgar. Back to racing and Swift leads but the caution is out again after one lap with three cars getting together in turn one. Swift continues to lead the way on the restart with Costlow and Craig Whitmoyer on his bumper. After a couple laps of racing, the red flag was put out for a hard crash on the backstretch involving Kyle Kania and Doug Smith with both cars going up and over. Thankfully both drivers were okay but the same could not be said for the racecars.
Once racing resumed, Costlow was able to beat Swift to the punch and take the lead with Whitmoyer to second. Lap five and the yellow was out again with due to a multi car tangle in turn four. At this point the race director made the call to go to a single file restart due to the multiple stoppages. Costlow continued to lead the way with Whitmoyer and Swift waging a hard battle for second. Whitmoyer and Swift made contact with Whitmoyer coming out on the short end falling back multiple spots. Costlow would go on to take his career first win over a hard charging Whitmoyer who fought his way back to second. Swift would end up in third with Kevin Olenick and Matt Yoder the top five.
“This feels great, I knew we were going to win at some point this season,” said an estatic Costlow in victory land for the first time ever. “I sure didn’t expect it to be so early on. Johnathan put up a tough front so big props to him, it was really hard to get around him. The car just drove well, I did make some mistakes that got in my head, but I ended up coming out on top and that is all that matters. I did have a rookie win last year at Thunder Mountain, but this is my first big boy win, and it feels great.”
In what was the easily the most exciting race of the night, Andrew Fayash III won his second Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner feature of the season with a last lap, last corner pass of Mike Reichert to steal the win. Jim Kost took the lead at the drop of the green with Mike Reichert taking over after one lap. Lap nine finds the seventh-place starter Fayash III battling with Reichert for the top spot. Last week’s winner Alex Schoffstall decides to join the fun upfront as he throws his helmet into the battle. Fayash III takes the lead, but Reichert takes it right back as the three leaders battle hard and clean for the top spot. Disaster almost strikes for the leaders when a lapped car spins out directly in front of them in between turns three and four, but they all manage to avoid the spinning car. Back to racing and Reichert leads the way and opened up a 2-3 car advantage over Fayash III. Fayash III has a fantastic last lap and pulls right up on Reicher through turns one and two. Fayash III enters turn three in the middle groove and then ducks under Reichert coming out of turn four to take his second win of the season over Reichert and Schoffstall.
The XCEL 600 modifieds made their season debut at Big Diamond with Korey Inglin taking the win. Ritchie Hitzler took the lead at start with Tyler Bartlik quickly moving up to second after starting sixth. The early half of the race was plagued with yellows. Bartlik would take the lead on lap five with Inglin also getting by Hitzler for second. Inglin would take the race lead on a lap ten restart and go on to take the win over Hitzler, Geoffrey Sutton, Tyler Bartik and Kenny Harris III
Full results from April 29, 2022
Insigner Performance Modifieds: 1. Craig Von Dohren 2. Eddie Strada 3. Brett Kressleu 4. Duane Howard 5. Ryan Watt 6. Nick Rochinski 7. Louden Reimert 8. Jeff Strunk 9. Kevin Beach Jr 10. Dominick Buffalino 11. Cliff Quinn 12. Billy Lasko 13. Scott Albert 14. Mike Lisowski 15. Tim Fitzpatrick 16. Heath Metzger 17. Wayne Witmer 18. Ken Eckert Jr. 19. Doug Snyder 20. Corey Renninger 21. Joel Smith Did Not Start – Ryan Krachun
Modified Heat Winners: Corey Renninger & Craig Von Dohren
Modified Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: Craig Von Dohren ($100), Eddie Strada ($75) & Brett Kressley ($50)
Modified Top Ten in Points: 1. Louden Reimert 353 2. Jeff Strunk 338 3. Duane Howard 337 4. Eddie Strada 335 5. Brett Kressley 294 6. Nick Rochinski 291 7. Craig Von Dohren 250 8. Mike Lisowski 9. Kevin Beach Jr 195 9. Alex Yankowski 195
Savage 61 Crate 602 Sportsman: 1. James Costlow 2. Craig Whitmoyer 3. Kevin Olenick 4. Matt Yoder 5. Jonathan Swift 6. Logan Watt 7. Brandon Edgar 8. Daryl Dissinger 9. John McGeoy 10. Ryan Conrad 11. Chad Putalavage 12. Brandon Firestine 13. Kevin Kaplafka 14. Gunnar Pio 15. Steve Lyle 16. Anthony Raisner 17. Kyle Kania 18. Doug Smith Jr 19. Danny Buccafusca 20. Tim Vidal 21. Brandon Oleski 22. Dave Shirk 23. Tyler Peet 24. Xavier Sprague
Did Not Qualify: Mia Guy, Kaitlyn Bailey, Talan Carter, Layne Berzowski, Ed Mrochko, Mark Gaugler & Joe Ciambrone.
Crate Sportsman 602 Heat Winners: Jonathan Swift, James Costlow & Brandon Firestine
Crate Sportsman 602 Consi Winners: Xavier Sprague
Crate 602 Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: James Costlow ($100), Craig Whitmoyer ($75) & Kevin Olenick ($50)
Crate Sportsman Top Ten in Points: 1. Matt Yoder 393 2. Brandon Edgar 383 3. Logan Watt 333 4. Danny Buccafusca 331 5. Ryan Conrad 328 6. Kyle Kania 319 7. Talan Carter 313 8. Steve Lyle 300 9. Kevin Olenick 298 10. James Costlow 296
Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunners: 1. Andrew Fayash III 2. Mike Reichert 3. Alex Schoffstall 4. TJ Fitzpatrick 5. Jaron Bassininsky 6. CJ Ferguson 7. Damion Dusheck 8. Jim Kost 9. Chuck Fayash 10. Joe Bassininsky 11. Austin Schultz 12. Dave Schultz 13. Tod Roth Jr Did Not Start – Tonya Lance
Roadrunner Heat Winners: Mike Reichert & Alex Schoffstall\
XCEL 600 Modifieds: 1. Korey Inglin 2. Richie Hitzler 3. Geoffrey Sutton 4. Tyler Bartik 5. Kenny Harris III 6. Justin Schraden 7. Christian Donati 8. Bryce Smith 9. Ray Gradwell 10. Kyle Donati 11. Tiffany Hitzler-Mays 12. Doug Newbigging 13. Jarrod Myers 14. Mark Bressler 15. Christian Smith 16. Steve Sterner 17. Hunter Diehl
XCEL 600 Modifieds Heat Winners: Ray Gradwell & Justin Schraden
Roadrunner Top Ten in Points: 1. Andrew Fayash III 613 2. Mike Reichert 575 3. Alex Schoffstall 500 4. Chuck Fayash 422 5. Jarod Bassininsky 368 6. Jim Kost 353 7. CJ Ferguson 323 8. Austin Schultz 301 9. TJ Fitzpatrick 281 10. Glenn Rowan 256
