With the rainout, there is one slight change to the May 13 date as the No Sweat Service Group street stocks have been added to the card.
The track will swing back into action with the hopes of a better forecast on Tuesday as a large and talented field of modifieds is expected to descend on the coal region oval for the Short Track Super Series Anthracite Assault.
The event is a combined STSS North and South region points race as the top modified drivers in the northeast will tackle the 3/8th-mile coal region oval for a shot at a $5,000 pay day for the 50-lap feature. Tenth place pays $1,000 while it pays $400 to take the green.
Also on the card on Tuesday is the debut of the STSS Open Sportsman as they begin a seven-race battle for the inaugural championship. The 25-lap feature pays $1,000 to win and $125 to start. The Xcel 600 modifieds round out the three-division show with a $1,000-to-win, 20-lap feature.
Tuesday’s show has a special start time of 7: 45 p.m. The pit gates will open at 4 with the grandstands opening at 5. Hot laps begin at 7:15.
Adult grandstand admission is $25 while kids 12-and-under and active Military with ID are free. Pit admission is $35 with no license required.
A rain date of Tuesday, May 17 is in place for this event.
Anthony Perrego, of Walden, N.Y., leads the South Region points while Tommy Meier, of Waldrick, N.J., leads the North Region points.
Perrego won the South Region opener on March 12 at Georgetown (Del.) Speedway while Meier was awarded the win in the Hard Clay Opener at Orange County Fair Speedway (N.Y.) on April 2.
Last year, former track champion Rick Laubach picked up the win over Stewart Friesen and Jeff Strunk. Perrego, who started 24th, finished fourth.
“The competition is good and clean with the STSS,” he said. “It was a good battle once we got to the front and raced with Laubach, Friesen and Strunk last year at Big Diamond.”
The 22-year-old, second-generation driver is in his third year of racing modifieds and his 11th season of racing overall. His father Tommy raced in the modified division and last competed in 2001 in the sportsman division at Orange County.
Perrego noted that he has finished in the top five in all but one race this season. He won the season-opening event at Thunder Mountain (N.Y.) Speedway last Saturday night and he finished sixth in a back-up car in the other South Region event held at Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway last month.
Meier has two wins on the season including last Saturday’s $5,000 big-block special at Orange County.
Three races have produced three different winners; Brett Kressley, Laubach and Doug Manmiller, in theCJ’s Tire & Automotive Services 358 modifieds at Big Diamond. Ryan Godown, of Ringoes, N.J., leads the Big Diamond 358 point standings.
In the U.S.S. Achey sportsman division, Brandon Grosso has won three of the four features.
On May 13 the American Racing Drivers Club midgets will make their first appearance of the season. They'll join the 358 modifieds, Savage 61 roadrunners, No Sweat Service Group street stocks and the vintage cars.
By: Shawn T. Wood