For Immediate Release
Big Diamond PR 8/12/23
Track Promoters – Jake and Jasmine Smulley
Track Website – www.bigdspeedway.net
In front of a huge crowd last night at Big Diamond Speedway, Freddie Rahmer Jr dominated the 410-sprint car feature, joining his father Fred Rahmer as a winner at Big Diamond. The Quandel Concrete Modifieds feature saw Duane Howard getting back to victory lane for the first time since May 19th with a late race pass of Louden Reimert. Danny Buccafusca continued his summer hot streak winning the USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman feature. Rounding out the night of winners was Chuck Fayash winning the Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner feature.
The night’s 410-sprint car feature got off to a rough start with cars getting together coming for Nicole Flood’s green flag resulting in multiple sprints going over and bringing out the red flag. All drivers were okay, but the crash eliminated pre-race favorites Mark Smith and Ryan Smith. After a lengthy cleanup along with some track repairs, the race got underway with Mike Thompson jumping out to the lead and opening up a huge advantage over Hayden Miller. Thompson stretched his lead to over four seconds as Freddie Rahmer was methodically making his way to the front from his sixth starting spot and taking over the runner-up spot from Miller on lap 10.
The yellow was out on lap 11 as a car went off the backstretch. This was the break Rahmer needed as he was turning the fastest laps of the race. The race went back to green with Thompson setting the pace with Rahmer applying the pressure. Rahmer made his move off of the fourth turn to get underneath Thompson as the two raced side by side as they crossed the start/finish line. Going into turn one Rahmer slid Thompson and was now the new leader. Once in front, Rahmer pulled out to a huge lead and was cruising towards the win when the red flag was out for the car of Steve Kisamore who lost a wheel in turn one causing the car to go over. Kisamore was okay.
It was back to racing with eight laps remaining and it was no stopping Rahmer on this night as he once again opened a commanding lead to win his first ever feature at Big Diamond Speedway joining his Sprint Car Hall of Famer father Fred Rahmer in the record books at the speedway. Rahmer, who had set a track record earlier in the evening was the winner over Tyler Ross, Mike Thompson, Reese Nowatarski and Devin Adams.
“It was a nice paying race, and the track was definitely fast all-night,” said a happy driver in victory lane. “It didn’t get as wide as it normally would after watching videos. We were just fortunate to get a good pill draw and get up through there in the feature from fifth. It’s pretty cool winning here with some sponsors right down the road. Glad we got to race here, good crowd and good turnout and hopefully a decent show for the guys. I wasn’t around but I think this was the first track my dad raced a modified at and I think a sprint car too, he had a lot of success at it so that is pretty cool.”
Wayne Witmer and Ken Eckert Jr led the field to the green flag with Witmer getting the advantage and leading lap one over Eckert. Louden Reimert was on a mission from his 10th starting spot and was rocketing through the field. Reimert went by Corey Renninger for third and two laps later was by Eckert for second. It didn’t take long for Reimert to catch leader Witmer and scored the leader on lap nine. While Reimert was leading the field. At halfway point it was Reimert leading over Witmer, Eckert, Renninger and Doug Smith Jr the top five.
Reimert continued to lead the way as Duane Howard, Jeff Strunk and Brett Kressley were making their way towards the front with Howard getting by Smith to enter the top five right past the halfway flags. Howard and Strunk continued to make moves with both drivers getting by Renninger putting them fourth and fifth. Eckert would bring out the yellow on lap 19 spinning on the backstretch, also stopping on the track was Nick Rochinski with a broken front end.
The restart saw Reimert shoot to the lead with Howard getting by Witmer for second as Strunk took advantage of the opening to move into third. Points leader Kressley thrust himself into the battle for second, third and fourth when disaster struck for the No. 19K as he slowed and coasted to a stop on the frontstretch on lap 22 requiring the caution flag to be put out. Reimert and Howard lined up side by side on the restart with Reimert choosing the inside line. The green was back out as Reimert fired first and led the field into turn one. Howard was on the charge on the outside and got a tremendous bite through the middle of turns one and two to power the No. 15G by Reimert as they exited turn two. Howard was now the new leader and opened up a five-car advantage over Reimert. Howard streaked under the checkered flag to win his third race of the season over Reimert, Strunk, Gular and Smith Jr.
“It took a restart, but there was a lot of going on in the pack,” said Howard after climbing out of his car in victory lane. “The track was so fast; you can’t give an inch and you have to use some iron to get through the pack. Tonight was a little rough. Glad the restart came out; we could catch the No. 16 on entry but lose him coming off. It usually works out with the sprints that you have good racing but tonight was really bitey all night. There was a lot of grip out there so you had to calculate when you wanted to dive under someone and if you let off the gas for anything at all, you ended up going backwards. Louden (Reimert) got to the front really quick, and he has a quick car week in and week out and it takes all the breaks to get a feature win here.”
It took multiple attempts to get the USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman feature underway as multiple wrecks slowed the start. One of those opening night tangles involved points leader Logan Watt who was towed off and down for the night. One the race got started, Daryl Dissinger led from his pole starting spot as eighth place starter Brendan Edgar was flying through the field. Edgar was already up to second when the yellow came out on lap 4. Edgar would take the lead on the restart and proceed to open up a big lead. Ninth place starter Danny Buccafusca was flying around the outside and entered the top three as the field approached halfway.
Edgar was way out in front when disaster strikes for the leader as he tangles with a lapped car after taking the crossed flags and ends up going for a spin to bring out a yellow. Buccafusca would take the lead on the restart with Jordan Henn now challenging for the top spot. Buccafusca and Henn would run nose to tail but it was Buccafusca taking home the victory over Henn, Nick Desantis, Kevin Olenick & Kyle Kania.
The Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner feature was a wild and woolly affair with drivers going to the front, then having problems and going back to the front. At the end of the 20 lap feature it was points leader Chuck Fayash once again in victory lane adding to his lead in the championship standings. After Fayash, it was Jesse Krasnitky, Tonya Lance, CJ Ferguson and Eric Buchinski the top five.
Full Results from Friday, August 11, 2023
Quandel Concrete 358 Modifieds: 1. Duane Howard 2. Louden Reimert 3. Jeff Strunk 4. Mike Gular 5. Doug Smith Jr 6. Corey Renninger 7. Mike Lisowski 8. Rick Laubach 9. Ryan Watt 10. Aleia Geisler 11. Dave Dissinger 12. Scott Albert 13. Ken Eckert Jr 14. Kevin Beach Jr 15. Bryan Rhoads 16. Heath Metzger 17. Brett Kressley 18. Wayne Witmer 19. Nick Rochinski 20. Craig Von Dohren 21. Dave Shirk 22. Bobby Trapper Jr 23. Matt Yoder 24. Tim Fitzgerald DNS Cliff Quinn
Modified Heat Winners: Corey Renninger, Aleia Geisler & Ken Eckert Jr
Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: Duane Howard ($100), Louden Reimert ($75) & Jeff Strunk ($50)
Quandel Concrete Modified Point Standings: 1. Brett Kressley 1797 2. Mike Gular 1737 3. Jeff Strunk 1706 4. Louden Reimert 1681 5. Duane Howard 1556 6. Rick Laubach 1463 7. Mike Lisowski 1444 8. Ryan Watt 1432 9. Craig Von Dohren 1374 10. Nick Rochinski 1346
410 Sprint Cars: 1. Freddie Rahmer 2. Tyler Ross 3. Mike Thompson 4. Reese Nowatarski 5. Devin Adams 6. Dylan Norris 7. Chris Frank 8. Steve Kisamore 9. Hayden Miller 10. Ryan Newton 11. Devin Gundrum 12. TJ Greve 13. Jacob Balliet 14. Mark Smith 15. Ryan Smith 16. Mike Rabold 17. Joe Timmins 18. Kassidy Kreitz DNS Cory Haas
DirtTrackDigest.TV $100 Sprint Heat Winners: Mark Smith, Ryan Newton & Freddie Rahmer
USS Achey Inc. Crate 602 Sportsman: 1. Danny Buccafusca 2. Jordan Henn 3. Nick Desantis 4. Kevin Olenick 5. Kyle Kania 6. Brady Shea 7. Brandon Edgar 8. Matt Martino 9. Brennan Chapman 10. Mia Guy 11. Bryce Bashore 12. Glenn Rowan 13. Troy Conrad 14. Craig Cuneo 15. McKenzi Smith 16. Daryl Dissinger 17. Tyler Vidal 18. Nick Arment 19. Xavier Sprague 20. Logan Watt 21. Kevin Brady 22. Dirk Rimrott DNS Logan Starr & Chad Putt
Crate 602 Sportsman Heat Winners: Matt Martino, Kevin Olenick & Logan Watt
Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: Danny Buccafusca ($100), Jordan Henn ($75) & Nick Desantis ($50)
USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman Point Standings: 1. Jordan Henn 1828 2. Danny Buccafusca 1784 3. Logan Watt 1723 4. Kevin Olenick 1612 5. Brandon Edgar 1386 6. Nick Desantis 1228 7. Xavier Sprague 1153 7. Mike Loney 1153 9. Matt Yoder 1090 10. Mike Schneck Jr 1085
Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunners: 1. Chuck Fayash 2. Jesse Krasnitsky 3. Tonya Lance 4. CJ Ferguson 5. Eric Buchinski 6. Thomas Hablett 7. Kris Ney 8. Joe Bassininsky 9. Jarod Bassininsky DNS Josh Harris & Alex Scoffstall
Roadrunner Heat Winners: Kris Ney & Thomas Haslett
Red White and Blue Roadrunner Point Standings: 1. Chuck Fayash 2965 2. Kris Ney 2822 3. CJ Ferguson 2693 4. Alex Schoffstall 2526 5. Jim Kost 2133
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