Gular Claims Second Win of Season at Big Diamond

A strong field of 28 modifieds showed up at Big Diamond to compete for $3,000 to win on another beautiful night for racing in Pennsylvania’s Coal country.  A great card of racing with modifieds, Sportsman and 602 Crates with 73 entries on the grounds for the 3 headline classes.

Mike Gular dominated the 25 lap feature with a strong forward run from the 12^th position on the starting grid and took the lead on lap 17 with a fantastic crossover move on the back straightaway to take the lead right into the Big Diamond victory lane for his 2^nd win of the season.

Ray Swinehart led the modified 25 lap feature for the first 7 laps until a flat tire retired him to the back of the field giving the lead to Kevin Beach who was quickly overtaken by a hard charging Jared Umbenhauer.   Mike Gular moved into 2^nd place and on lap 17 did a perfect crossover move coming out of turn 2 for the lead which he quickly extended to a 2 second margin until 2 late cautions for flat tires.  Gular choose the high side for the late restarts and he easily charged away from Umbenhauer and the field for his second Big Diamond win of the season.

In victory lane Gular noted “This is a different car from our first win of the season.  My guys have been working hard in the shop every night and that’s why we are here in victory lane.  I choose the top on the late restarts because I felt the car struggled on the bottom and I knew Jared races clean.  I’ll be back here as long as there racing here.  If Big Diamond extended the season I would race here until January.”

The modified top 10 was rounded out with Jared Umbenhauer in 2nd, Craig Von Dohren, Billy Pauch Jr, Brett Kressley, Alex Yankowski, Louden Reimert, Rick Laubach, Kris Graver and Kevin Beach in 10th.

Heat race winners were Kevin Graver, Duane Howard, and Jorden Henn.  Cory Merkle won the consolation event.

The sportsman feature saw the season long battle between Brandon Edgar and Brad Brightbill go to Edgar tonight.  Edgar took the lead on lap 4 which he stretched to 6 seconds by lap 13 as Brightbill moved into 2^nd place from his 9^th place starting position.  Edgar held Brightbill at bay until lap 18 when Brightbill used the outside to make a strong challenge for the win on the final 2 laps.  Edgar was able to hold off Brightbill with a final margin of victory of .155 and get his second midnight trip into victory lane this season.

The sportsman top 5 was rounded out by Brad Brightbill, Chuck Eckert, Tim Fitzpatrick and Matt Clay.

The nightcap was a unique and extended crate 20 lap feature with two separate 30 minute delays.  First the lights went out in turn 3 for about a 30 minute delay before the feature could start.  On lap 5 a 4 car tangle resulted in another 30 minute delay to separate the 2 cars.  Once racing resumed Sammy Martz overtook Joe Toth for the lead on lap 6 and pulled away to nearly a 1.5 second lead.  On lap 16 Toth moved to the high side but overshot the cushion extending Martz’s lead.  Toth reorganized and on lap 18 made the same move in turn 1 & 2 and pulled to Martz’s door handle but couldn’t make it stick.  On his last chance at lap 19; Toth stuck it and hit the cushion perfectly and pulling away from Martz on the back straightway for the hard fought marathon feature win.

The 602 crate top 5 was rounded out by Sammy Martz, Jonathan Swift, Ryan Conrad and Kevin Brady.

Big Diamond Modified 25 lap Feature Results – 8/14/20:

1. Mike Gular, 2. Jared Umbenhauer, 3. Craig Von Dohren, 4. Billy Pauch Jr, 5. Brett Kressley, 6. Alex Yankowski, 7. Louden Reimert, 8. Rick Laubach, 9. Kris Graver, 10. Kevin Beach Jr, 11. Dillon Steuer,      12. Cory Merkel, 13. Kevin Graver Jr, 14. Jeff Strunk, 15. Frank Yankowski, 16. Duane Howard, 17. Dan Hineline, 18. Alan Barker, 19. Doug Hendricks, 20. Shawn Fitzpatrick, 21. Matt Stangle, 22. Ray Swinehart, 23. Jordan Henn, and 24. Craig Whitmoyer.

Did Not Qualify – Shawn Light, Scott Albert, Andy Burkhart and Jim Bobbitt.

Modifed Pit Notes

Some big drama in the early heat races.  On the first lap of his heat race Craig Von Dohren was in traffic and made heavy head on contact with a yuke tire causing front end damage and a red flag.  After being cleared by Emergency staff Von Dohren was able to drive the car back to the pits.  A second red flag was thrown for an incident in the grandstands and by time the green flag came back out Von Dohren was repaired and ready to go back to racing.  Von Dohren came from tail of the field and finished 2^nd in his heat race earning a handicapped position.  From there CVD did what CVD does consistently from week to week and posted a 3^rd place finish in the feature from the 11^th starting position.

Jared Umbenhauer’s 2^nd place finish was his strongest outing since his opening day win.  After destroying the 1H entry a few weeks after his win the team has built a new car and quickly started compiling top 10 & 5 finishes with a 7^th and 2^nd in the past 2 weeks.  There was only one car looking stronger than Umbenhauer’s 1H entry this week and that was the 2A of winner Mike Gular. 

No matter where Matt Stangle goes these days the 6 entry is running strong and with the front runners.  Stangle was on a strong 3^rd place run again tonight when a flat tire took the 6 team to the back of the field.   Earlier in the week Stangle had a top 10 run going in the Short Track Super Series race in Delaware when a right rear flat retired Stangle for the night.  Matt Stangle already has one big diamond win this season and is looking to join the ranks of Alex Yankowksi and Mike Gular with two big diamond wins this season.

Alex Yankowski had a tire explode on the last lap of his heat race sending him to last in the heat race and an 8^th place starting position in the consolation but he was able to qualify for the feature in the 22^nd starting position.  Yankowski worked his way through the field to a 6^th place finish to add another top 10 finish to his two wins in the last 2 weeks.

Dillion Steuer arrived at Big Diamond the first time this year in the Zubi 17Z.  Steuer started last in the consolation and qualified for the feature in the 24^th starting position.  In the feature Steuer had an early flat tire but still came home with an 11^th place finish in his first diamond outing and his 2^nd outing in the 17z small block entry.    

Mike Gular’s 2^nd win of the season has vaulted him into the points lead over Craig Von Dohren and Jeff Strunk. 

Jeff Strunk came into the night with the points lead and was so close staying on top.  Strunk was running 4^th when a last lap flat tire caused him to drop 10 places to 14^th which dropped him to 3^rd in the season long point standing with the 15x entry.

Duane Howard was one lap away from a top 5 finish when he had to pull off on the lap 23 restart falling to a 16^th place finish.   As Howard slowed to pull off into the pits there was contact between Dan Hineline and Doug Hendricks who nearly went over but did a great job keeping the 80 sunny side up.

Kevin Beach had his first top 10 outing of the year in what has been a disappointing season with several missed weeks due to mechanical issues and some more bad luck this year.  Beach is hoping this is the beginning of consistent top 10 and top 5 finishes for the 17x entry and to finish the season with a flurry of strong outings.

Racing action continues at Big Diamond Speed with the Prelude to the Coalcracker on Friday August 21 featuring $4,000 to win in modified and a full program of racing starting at 7:45.