Weller Sails To URC Win On Schuylkill Mall Mall Night of Wings At Big Diamond Speedway

MINERSVILLE, PA. -- Josh Weller and Mark Smith put on a spirited battle for the lead in the United Racing Company 25-lap sprint car feature on the Schuylkill Mall Night of Wings at Big Diamond Speedway as Weller would go on to score his first URC win of the year in the lone stop for URC to coal country this year.

Other winners on Night of Wings were Kody Sites (Savage 61 roadrunners); Ryan Grimm (CJ's Tire & Automotive Services 358 modifieds) and Lee Allen won the Enduro Dash 60.

The track wraps up the month of June this Friday with Jasen's Automotive Night with the Street Stock Summer Shootout 30. The street stock feature pays $1,081 to win with an open draw for heats and a redraw for the feature. Big Diamond drivers will receive 50 show-up points. Big Diamond and Susquehanna rules apply (no strut cars). There will also be a cash dash for $200 to win. The 358 modifieds, sportsman and roadrunners round out the four-division show. General admission is $15; Seniors $13; and kids 12-and-under and along with active Military with a valid ID are free.

In the 25-lap URC feature, points leader Davie Franek wrestled the lead from pole sitter Curt Michael on the start as the pair would catch lapped traffic on lap 5 of the event.

A lap later, Mark Smith moved into the lead passing Franek on the outside of the backstretch but the move would be erased as the caution came out.

Smith would inherit the lead on the restart as Josh Weller, who started fifth moved passed Franek for the runner-up spot as the pair raced off Turn 2.

From there, Weller would close in on Smith and take the lead on a lap 9 restart only to have Smith retake the lead a few laps later.

Weller would then use lapped traffic to his advantage while running second to pass Smith back for the lead on lap 15.

A caution on lap 21 allowed Smith to have one more shot at Weller. Smith was able to get along side Weller in Turn 3 following the restart, but he could not make the pass stick as Weller went on to win with Smith second, Michael, third while Franek and Robbie Stillwaggon rounded out the top five.

Sixth through 10th were Davey Sammons, Adam Crabtree, Jason Claus, Art Leidel and Mike Walter II. Heats for the 20 URC sprint cars were won by Michael and Franek.

“This win feels pretty good right now,” Weller said. “Running with Mark Smith is one of the hardest things to do, he’s one of the best guys around here right now and to beat him is something we’ve wanted to do all year.”

In the 358 modified 25-lap feature, Ryan Grim would take the lead on lap 6 as on the restart, Ryan Watt and Brett Kressley got tangled with each other as they battled for the lead in Turn 2 resulting in both car spinning.

The accident allowed Grim and Craig VonDohren to take over the front row as it was VonDohren who would take the lead on the ensuing restart only to see that pass negated when a multi-car tangle occured in Turn 3 on the restart.

This gave Grim another shot at VonDohren and he made it work as he took the lead going into Turn 1.

Grim would build up nearly a straightaway lead on over VonDohren by lap 15.

“That’s impressive because last week we were absolutely horrible, we missed something bad and that’s definitely a plus,” Grim said. “I thought that I saw somebody there for a while but I was just hoping that I didn’t get too tight and push too much and that they would catch me.”

VonDohren would settle for second with Rick Laubach, Jeff Strunk and Billy Pauch, Jr., rounding out the top five.

Sixth through 10th were Ryan Godown, Gary Hager, Duane Howard, Doug Manmiller and Ryan Watt.

Heats for the 28 358 modifieds were won by VonDohren, Kressley and Hartz.

Four different drivers would take turns leading an action-packed 20-lap roadrunner feature before Kody Sites drove under T.J. Fitzpatrick as they came off Turn 4 on lap 13 to go on and score his third win of the season.

"I had a run coming off of Turn 4 and I stuck my nose there and I was able to get the lead and stay out front,” Sites said. “If you could have gotten to the top side of the track, anyone could have one that race.”

Fitzpatrick lead the early stages of the race which feature three-wide racing through the turns before Andy Fayash III took the point on lap 9 only to have Fitzpatrick retake the lead on a lap 10 restart.

Sites, who started seventh, moved into the runner-up spot on lap 10 after he had battled with Fayash and Rich Ney. Sites had to hold off Fayash; who got by Ney for second after they battled side-by-side for several laps late in the race.

A caution on lap 19 set up a one-lap dash to the checkers as Sites held on for the win with Fayash coming home second while Ney was third with T.J. Fitzpatrick, fourth and Tim Fitzpatrick, fifth.

Sixth through 10th were Steve Gromis, Terry Kramer, Tim Spesak, Nate Hill and Shawn Mulhall. Heats for the 19 roadrunners were won by Ney and Sites.

For the second consecutive Enduro Dash 60, Lee Allen had the dominating car and went on to capture the win.

One week from Friday it's the B&H Landscaping George-Georgie Stevenson Memorial as the 358 modified will race 30 laps for $4,000 to win with $300 to take the green and the Mark’s Service Center Cash Dash. The sportsman features pays $1,000 to win while the roadrunners, 600 Modifieds and a great firework show at intermission to round out the night.

For more information, be sure to like the Big Diamond Speedway Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/bigdiamondspeedway and follow the track on Twitter, @BigDSpeed.

ResultsJune 17, 2016
Schuylkill Mall Night of Wings
URC sprint car feature (25 laps): 1. Josh Weller, 2. Mark Smith, 3. Curt Michael, 4. Davie Franek, 5. Robbie Stillwagon, 6. Davey Sammons, 7. Adam Carberry, 8. Jason Clauss, 9. Art Liedl, 10. Mike Walter, 11. Brett Michalski, 12. Eric Tomecek, 13. Jonathan Swanson, 14. Jason Cherry. DNF: Troy Betts, Mark Sasso, Justin Whitall, Ed Aiken, Keith Prutzman, Jimmy Stitzel. Heat winners: Franek, Michael

CJ’s Tire and Automotive Services 358 modified feature (25 laps): 1. Ryan Grim, 2. Craig VonDohren, 3. Rick Laubach, 4. Jeff Strunk, 5. Billy Pauch Jr., 6. Ryan Godown, 7. Gary Hager, 8. Duane Howard, 9. Doug Manmiller, 10. Ryan Watt, 11. Kevin Beach Jr., 12. Mike Lisowski, 13. Brett Kressley, 14. Bobby Trapper, 15. Gary Wagner, 16. Scott Albert, 17. Jim Bobbitt, 18. Paul Moyer, 19. Kent Reinert. DNF: Dale Hartz, Patrick Gold, Shawn Fitzpatrick, Heath Metzger, Justin Grim, Jay Aten. DNQ: John Willman, Bobby Gunther Walsh. DQ: Andy Burkhart. Heat winners: VonDohren, Kressley, Hartz.
Savage 61 roadrunner (20 laps): 1. Kody Sites, 2. Andrew Fayash III, 3. Kris Ney, 4. T.J. Fitzpatrick, 5. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr., 6. Steve Gromis, 7. Terry Kramer, 8. Tim Spesak, 9. Nate Hill, 10. Shawn Mulhall, 11. Jim Kost, 12. Bruce Ditzler, 13. Dave Long Jr., 14. Dustin Wolfgang, 15. Andrew Buchinski. DNF: Shon Elk, Jeremy Becker, Dan Nagle. DNS: Jesse Krasnitsky. Heat winners: Ney, Sites.
Enduro 60: Lee Allen

Unofficial PointsAs of June 17
358 modifieds
1. Ryan Godown 1660
2. Jeff Strunk 1588
3. Rick Laubach 1518
4. Ryan Grim 1460
5. Duane Howard 1455
6. Craig VonDohren 1396
7. Ryan Watt 1324
8. Billy Pauch Jr. 1284
9. Ray Swinehart 1154
10. Kevin Beach Jr. 1136

Roadrunners1. Tim Fitzpatrick 2071
2. Ray Woodall Jr. 2025
3. Brandon Grosso 2004
4. Wayne Witmer 1771
5. Doug Hendricks 1724
6. Mike Lisowski 1666
7. Chuck Fayash 1664
8. Matt Clay 1617
9. Ray Woodall Sr. 1586
10. Ed Mrochko 1544

Roadrunners1. Andrew Fayash III 2173
2. Kody Sites 2157
3. Terry Kramer 2005
4. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr. 1980
5. Jim Kost 1859
6. Steve Gromis 1844
7. T.J. Fitzpatrick 1841
8. Kris Ney 1770
9. Tim Spesak 1641
10. Chuck Eckert 1428