Column By: TOM WENNER / RPW – MINERSVILLE, PA – Duane Howard is the defending Point Champion at the Big Diamond Speedway and Friday night showed why his nickname is the “Diamond Cutter”.
Howard has an incredible ability to Diamond the inside lane at Big Diamond like no other racer. On Friday Night with $10k on the line for the coveted Fritz Roehrig Memorial, Howard qualified in the redraw and started P7 working his way to the front of pack before cutting past a strong Timmy Buckwalter for lead on lap 42.
Once Duane slipped past Buckwalter he withstood restarts on lap 43 and lap 48 while driving away from his competitors to score an impressive 90th career win. The Butch Getz Race Team is starting off the ’23 race season on a hot streak by winning the Lincoln Speedway Ice Breaker, following up with the BAPS Speedway Opener for Modifieds and now scoring the coveted Fritz Roehrig Memorial Money in Mountains event.
Howard has won Big Diamond Speedway championships in ’22, 2018, 2009, 2006, 1999, 1998, 1993, 1992, and 1990 , A 9X Champion with an impressive 33 years of successful racing at the Big Diamond Speedway in Minersville, PA.
Jack Butler and Craig Von Dohren led the 24 car Money in the Mountains field to the green flag.
Jack Butler quickly cruised to the early lead in the race with Timmy Buckwalter racing to 2nd from his 3rd starting spot at the drop of the green. Louden Reimert moved into 3rd from his 4th starting spot while Craig Von Dohren slid back to 4th at the start and Ken Eckert Jr. was 5th. On Lap 2 danger was averted in turn 3 as the Keystone Racing 126 of Jeff Strunk was sideways and almost collected, but Strunk brought it under control and continued after losing several spots.
The yellow lights were flashing on lap 3 for the 119 of Doug Smith Jr. who stopped in Turn 3.
The field was collected and restacked with Jack Butler your race leader while Timmy Buckwalter, Louden Reimert, Craig Von Dohren, Duane Howard were the Top 5 with 3 down.
Butler was showing some early speed as he is not a Big Diamond regular having only raced at the Minersville, PA speedway 5 times in ’22 with 4th being his best effort.
On the restart Butler sped away with the lead again, while Buckwalter, Reimert and now Duane Howard moving past Von Dohren for 4th are within striking distance.
At the 5 down mark Butler is controlling the pace out front with Buckwalter, Reimert, Howard and Von Dohren your Top 5.
On lap 8 Brett Kressley with the Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales 19k was making his presence known by slipping past Dillon Steuer for 6th from his 10th starting spot.
At the 10 down mark of the event Jack Butler remained the big man at the point. Buckwalter, Reimert, Howard and Von Dohren are the Top 5. Kressley, Steuer, Jared Umbenhauer and Jeff Strunk are next 4 in the running order. Mike Lisowski and Shawn Light pulled off the track on lap 10.
On lap 13 caution lights were flashing for Ryan Grim was behind the wheel of the Aleia Geisler owned 44 Spec 358 Modified, Grim won heat race #3 and spun in turns 1 & 2. There was moisture on the track from his spin that caused Rick Laubach in the Beacon Building Products 20 and Ken Eckert Jr. to get collected. Laubach pitted for service and returned. Eckert Jr. joined the tail of the field. Grim used the business end of the wrecker to exit the speedway.
The field was restacked and back racing with Jack Butler out front followed by Buckwalter, Reimert, Howard and now Brett Kressley moving into 5th, Von Dohren, Steuer, Umbenhauer, and Strunk.
On lap 15 the yellow lights were flashing for caution for debris that was quickly removed from the speedway. Ken Eckert Jr. and Kevin Beach exited the speedway. Rick Laubach made another exit and return to the speedway. The Laubach Shaker Motorsports 20 crew was working very hard on Friday Night.
On the restart Jack Butler motored out front once again with Timmy Buckwalter controlling 2nd, Duane Howard slipped past Louden Reimert for 2nd, Brett Kressley 4th, Craig Von Dohren 5th, Billy Pauch Jr. 6th, Dillon Steuer 7th. Billy Pauch Jr. was on the move going from P16 at the start to 6th.
On the lap 15 restart Louden Reimert slipped past Brett Kressley for 4th. Kressley was back to 5th.
On lap 17 disaster struck race leader Jack Butler as the #5 broke heading into turn 1. The caution lights were flashing again for a stopped Butler. Timmy Buckwalter inherits the race lead with Duane Howard moving to 2nd, Louden Reimert 3rd, Brett Kressley 4th, Craig Von Dohren 5th, Jeff Strunk 6th, Billy Pauch Jr. 7th, Dillon Steuer 8th, and Nick Rochinski the Top 9.
We head back to green and Timmy Buckwalter blasts to the race lead. Buckwalter was standing hard on the gas. Howard, Reimert, Kressley, and CVD chasing.
With 20 down Buckwalter is controlling the race lead now.
The yellow lights were flashing on lap 24 as Nick Rochinski sustained a Left Rear Flat Tire. Timmy Buckwalter remains your race leader with Howard, Kressley, Reimert and Jeff Strunk the Top 5. “The Edge” Eddie Strada after winning Consolation Race #1 is 10th from 21st. We head back to racing as the field is starting to show signs of attrition.
Lap 30 it is Timmy Buckwalter out front as Duane is settled into 2nd and waiting for his coveted inside lane to open up. Kressley, Strunk now 4th, and Louden Reimert are the Top 5.
On Lap 32 the caution lights are flashing as Mike Gular smacks a turn 4 yuke tire and is stopped. Anthony Perrego making a rare Big Diamond Speedway start in the Four Star Racing 4* is collected. Both Gular and Perrego were just outside of the Top 10. Perrego retired to the pits, Gular visited Eddie Strada and both drivers exchanged Christmas Cards on the track before Mike Gular exited the speedway for the night.
The restart was set with Timmy Buckwalter at the point, Duane Howard, Brett Kressley, Jeff Strunk, Louden Reimert, Dillon Steuer, Craig Von Dohren, Jared Umbenhauer, Eddie Strada, and Dylan Swinehart in the Don Grebe 74. Eddie Strada 21st to 9th. Anthony Perrego and Mike Gular returned to action after visiting the pits.
We go back to green flag racing with Buckwalter controlling the pace at the front. Howard, Jeff Strunk moved past Kressley for 3rd, Reimert to 4th and Kressley back to 5th now.
On lap 35 the caution lights were flashing for Craig Von Dohren who slowed and pulled to the infield with the Dissinger 88x while Billy Pauch Jr. was stopped in turn and had to be towed off. The new running order is now Timmy Buckwalter at the point, Duane Howard 2nd, Jeff Strunk 3rd, Louden Reimert 4th, Jared Umbenhauer 5th, Dillon Steuer 6th, Dylan Swinehart 7th, Brett Kressley 8th, Eddie Strada 9th, and Nick Rochinski 10th from the rear.
We head back to racing again on lap 35 with 15 to go. Buckwalter remains in race control. Howard, Reimert, Steuer and Strunk are the Top 5.
At the 10 to go, Lap 40 mark it is all Timmy Buckwalter out front with Howard, Reimert, Steuer, and Strunk the Top 5.
On Lap 42 the caution lights are flashing for Dylan Swinehart in the Sutton/Grebe Carol’s Auto Glass 74 who stopped in Turns 1 & 2. Swinehart had driven from P13 into the top 10 and was running very well. The field was restacked for an 8 lap dash to the checkered flag with the running order now Buckwalter, Howard, Reimert, Steuer, Strunk, Strada, Umbenhauer, Kressley, Rochinski and Laubach. Eddie Strada going 21st to 6th.
On the lap 42 restart Duane Howard made his move for the race lead by passing Timmy Buckwalter. Buckwalter slides to 2nd with Reimert, Steuer, Strada now the Top 5.
On Lap 43 the caution is displayed for a slowing Jared Umbenhauer in the Carriage House Bicknell 19. Umbenhauer exited the speedway. The new running order is race leader Duane Howard, Timmy Buckwalter in 2nd, Louden Reimert in 3rd, Dillon Steuer 4th, Eddie Strada 5th, Jeff Strunk 6th, Brett Kressley 7th, Rick Laubach 8th, Bobby Trapper 9th, and Nick Rochinski 10th.
The field heads back to green flag racing with 7 to go as Defending ’22 champ Duane Howard in the Getz Motorsports Bicknell 15g has new control of the pace out front. Timmy Buckwalter is doing everything in his power to race around Howard for the lead. Steuer, Strunk, Strada and Kressley are right there.
On lap 45 Jeff Strunk is pushed off the backstretch over the lip, Strunk stays in the gas and powers back on the track in turn 3 after losing a few spots. What an amazing feat of driving by the former champ.
On Lap 46 with 4 to go, Duane Howard is starting to pull away from Buckwalter. Reimert, Steuer and Kressley are now the top 5.
On Lap 48 the caution lights were displayed again for Brett Kressley who had heavy smoke coming from the Northern Valley Erectors 19k heading into turns 1 & 2. Kressley spun off the backstretch with steam and smoke coming from his race car. This is the 2nd week in a row that mechanical failure took out the 19k while Brett was running in the Top 5 with 2 to go. Brett was done for the event and had to be removed on the business end of the wrecker.
This setup a green, white and checker for the Money in the Mountains $10k to win event. A 2 lap dash for the big money. Duane Howard is your leader, former champ Timmy Buckwalter in 2nd, Louden Reimert 3rd, Dillon Steuer 4th, Eddie Strada 5th, Jeff Strunk 6th, Nick Rochinski 7th, Alex Yankowski 8th, Anthony Perrego 9th, and Bobby Trapper 10th.
After a called back restart – The field hit the green flag and Duane Howard raced uncontested to the win, Timmy Buckwalter 2nd, Louden Reimert 3rd, Dillon Steuer 4th, Eddie Strada 5th from 21st, Alex Yankowski 6th, Nick Rochinski 7th, Anthony Perrego 8th, Jeff Strunk 9th, and Mike Gular 10th.