News Director 
Story By: BIG DIAMOND SPEEDWAY – MINERSVILLE, PA – It was a battle for the ages on Friday night at Big Diamond Speedway as rivals Craig Von Dohren and Brett Kressley went at it for the last five laps with Von Dohren coming out on top to take the win in the Insigner Performance 358 Modifieds on S A Comunale night. For the Big Diamond Speedway all-time winner Von Dohren the win capped off a great week which saw the Oley, PA driver being inducted into the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame on Wednesday night. Danny Buccafusca held off Brandon Edgar to win the USS Achey Crate 602 Sportsman win. Alex Schoffstall made a late race pass of CJ Ferguson to win the Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner feature. Tyler Bartik was the winner of the 600 Xcell Chassis feature.
Polesitter Corey Renninger would lead lap one of the Insigner Performance 25-lap modified feature. Louden Reimert still looking for that first Big Diamond win would move into 2nd place as the field scored lap three with Scott Albert, Craig Von Dohren and Brett Kressley not far behind in the top five. The first yellow of the race was out on lap five when Ken Eckert Jr slowed on the backstretch. While under yellow second place runner Reimert exited the track and into the pits.
Renninger would lead the way on the restart until a determined Von Dohren powered by to take over the top spot. The race action would be halted on lap six as the red flag was displayed when Albert got sideways in turn two. Kressley with nowhere to go ran into Albert causing him to spin out completely. Points leader Duane Howard was also involved as he was hit from behind by the car of Joel Smith causing to end up facing the wrong way. Meanwhile Shawn Fitzpatrick was making a big move on the outside but caught the right front wheel of Kevin Beach Jr which launched him into the air and into the yuke tires off of the backstretch. Fitzpatrick ended up bouncing back and flipping the No. T102. Thankfully all drivers were okay.
Von Dohren would continue to lead the way on the restart with Kressley getting by the car of Renninger for second as Renninger would slow in turn two to bring out the yellow once again. One more lap would be completed with Von Dohren still out front as Steve Young spun in turn two slowing the field. On the ensuing restart, Kressley would out power Von Dohren on the outside to take over the top spot. Kressley would start to open up his advantage over Von Dohren when the final yellow of the race of the race was thrown on lap ten for a slowing Eddie Strada.
Kressley would maintain his lead on the restart and starting to put some distance between himself and Von Dohren. CVD was hanging tough and never let Kressley get out of his sight as the leader was now approaching the tail end of the field to put cars a lap down. With five to go, Von Dohren was starting to cut into Kressley’s lead as he narrowed the gap to a car length. As leader Kressley came up on the car of Renninger to put him a lap down, Von Dohren jumped to the inside and as the pair came off of turn four it was Von Dohren your new leader. Going through turns one and two, Kressley dove back underneath of Von Dohren and reclaimed the lead. Back to turn three and again Von Dohren took to the low side of Kressley who was stuck behind Renninger. It was Von Dohren on the inside with Kressley putting his car in the middle as the two raced through the turns door to door. Von Dohren mashed the gas and regained the lead coming down the front stretch. Kressley tried to regain the lead going into turn one on the outside but lost the nose of his car allowing Von Dohren to open up a small gap. Von Dohren was slowed on the last lap trying to put Dan Hineline a lap down allowing Kressley one last shot but to no avail as Von Dohren streaked under the checkered flag for his second win of the season. Kressley, Nick Rochinski, Howard, and invader Frank Cozze completed the top five.
“It started (the track) to free up a little bit after being a little locked down,” said Von Dohren in victory lane with announcer Barry Angstadt. “I saw that he wasn’t pulling away, so I just told myself to keep digging here and you just never know so you just keep plugging. The lapped cars worked in my favor tonight. This (No. 30 car) is great, you know our No. 88 car is great as well. We just got our motor back for that car yesterday afternoon and just didn’t have time to put it with everything we had going on plus with the heat, but we will roll the No. 88X out next week and hopefully have the same result for Dave (car owner Dave Dissinger). The hunger is still there, we love racing, and it is a lot of hard work and that weighs on you when you are in a slump, we are okay here just not finishing in first or second.”
Brandon Firestone would jump to the lead from his pole starting position in the 20 lap USS Achey Crate Sportsman feature. Two-time Crate 602 winner Danny Buccafusca would work his way to the lead on lap five after starting in the seventh spot. The yellow was out on lap 13 with points leader Brandon Edgar now in second as Buccafusca continued to lead. Edgar worked over Buccafusca trying to take the lead away, but Buccafusca held tough. Edgar tried one last time going into turn four on the last lap, but Buccafusca holds on to take the win over Edgar. Logan Watt, Daryl Dissinger and Kevin Olenick were your top five finishers.
As always, the Red White and Blue Roadrunners put on a crowd pleasing show once again for the fans. Tod Roth Jr led at the start with CJ Ferguson taking over the top spot on a lap two restart. Ferguson continued to lead the way when a lap 11 yellow slowed the field. Top winner in 2022 Alex Shoffstall was now working his way towards the front and with five to go was starting to pressure Feguson for the lead. Schoffstall worked the inside and finally on lap 18 took over the top spot. Schoffstall would go on to take the win over Ferguson, Roth Jr, Dave Schultz and Glenn Rowan.
The 600 Xcel Chassis modifieds were on the card Friday night with Tyler Bartik leading all twenty laps of the nonstop feature to take the win holding off a late challenge from Richie Hitzler to take the win.
Full results from July 22, 2022
Insigner Performance Modifieds 1. Craig Von Dohren 2. Brett Kressley 3. Nick Rochinski 4. Duane Howard 5. Frank Cozze 6. Scott Albert 7. Shawn Light 8. Steve Young 9. Dan Hineline 10. Corey Renninger 11. Kevin Fitzpatrick 12. Ken Eckert Jr 13. Eddie Strada 14. Joel Smith 15. Kevin Beach Jr 16. Shawn Fitzpatrick 17. Louden Reimert DNS Mike Lisowski
Modified Heat Winners: Brett Kressley & Kevin Beach Jr
Modified Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: Craig Von Dohren ($100), Brett Kressley ($75) & Nick Rochinski ($50)
Modified Top Ten in Points: 1. Duane Howard 1252 1. Brett Kressley 1252 3. Craig Von Dohren 1184 4. Nick Rochinski 1145 5. Louden Reimert 1018 6. Eddie Strada 902 7. Mike Lisowski 759 8. Scott Albert 699 9. Kevin Beach Jr 690 10. Rick Laubach 667
USS Achey, Inc. Crate 602 Sportsman: 1. Danny Buccafusca 2. Brandon Edgar 3. Logan Watt 4. Daryl Dissinger 5. Kevin Olenick 6. Matt Yoder 7. Ryan Higgs 8. Talan Carter 9. Jordan Henn 10. Brandon Firestone 11. Kyle Kania 12. Mike Schneck Jr 13. Kevin Kaplafka 14. Chad Putalavage 15. Nick DeSantis 16. John McGeoy 17. Marc Berzowski 18. Tyler Vidal 19. Tyler James 20. Kaitlyn Bailey 21. Marty Shappell DNS James Costlow
Crate Sportsman 602 Heat Winners: Kevin Kaplafka, Daryl Dissinger & Danny Buccafusca
Crate 602 Penske Shocks Gift Certificate Winners: Danny Buccafusca ($100), Brandon Edgar ($75) & Logan Watt ($50)
Crate Sportsman Points: 1. Brandon Edgar 1796 2. 1659 3. Logan Watt 1509 4. Matt Yoder 1261 5. Kevin Olenick 1256 6. Kyle Kania 1182 7. Talan Carter 1177 8. Mike Shneck Jr 934 9. Daryl Dissinger 913 10. James Costlow 740
Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunners Feature Finish: 1. Alex Schoffstall 2. CJ Ferguson 3. Tod Roth Jr 4. Dave Schultz 5. Glenn Rowan 6. Kyle Wingle 7. Jeff Haag 8. Jim Kost 9. Tonya Lance 10. Damion Dusheck 11. Mike Reichert 12. Samantha Zipp 13. Chuck Fayash DNS Jarod Bassininsky
Roadrunner Points: 1. Alex Schoffstall 2155 2. Mike Reichert 2135 3. Chuck Fayash 1613 4. Jim Kost 1520 5. CJ Ferguson 1447 6. Jarod Bassininsky 1264 7. Andrew Fayash III 1261 8. Tod Roth Jr 1178 9. TJ Fitzpatrick 1131 10. Dave Schultz 1085
600 CC Xcel Chassis Modifieds: 1. Tyler Bartik 2. Richie Hitzler 3. Geoffrey Suttom 4. Korey Inglin 5. Gerry Bressler 6. Kenny Harris III 7. Justin Schraden 8. Tiffiany Hitzler-Mays 9. Ray Gradwell 10. Rob Swavely 11. Ty Hoke 12. Bryce Smith 13. Chris Frabb 14. Christian Smith 15. Doug Newbigging 16. Josh Ohlinger 17. Mark Bessler 18. Jason Gastley 19. Keith Inglin
600 CC Xcel Heat Winners: Richie Hitzler & Tyler Bartik
