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By DINO OBERTO
(Forestville, PA 4-4-25) Big Diamond Speedway ushered in the first race of 2025 with the Thaw Brawl that saw a great crowd and full pit area take part in the 53rd season opener at the 3/8-mile dirt oval.
And all but one feature was completed before rain halted the 602 Crate Sportsman main which will now be run at a later date. However, the races that did get in were nothing short of all-out thrilling action.
Mike Gular of Boyertown unloaded a new self-owned car and christened it the best way he could, by winning the 25-lap headline feature with the Quandel Concrete 358 Modifieds.
In the Red White and Blue Autos Inc., Roadrunners event TJ Fitzpatrick of Pottsville held off an onslaught of competitors to garner his first win in four seasons while the Big Creek Concrete Rookie 602 Carte Sportsman saw Reice Wigder from Limerick notch his career first Modified stock car victory.
At the start of the Modified feature Tim Fitzpatrick and Ryan Krachun paced the 24-car field but no sooner did the race commence, third place starter Mike Mahaney quickly took charge and not only was he able to lead but was doing so with authority by keeping a safe enough distance ahead while everyone else jockeyed for positions.
One of the early movers would be Gular who started sixth and made his way up to second by lap nine. However, after settling into that spot, he could not pull in close enough to challenge the strong running Mahaney aside from on restarts. Yet on each of those times Mahaney again proved to be the dominant car.
Things then took a dramatic turn when on a lap 16 Mahaney suddenly slowed and came to a halt after encountering engine woes. Gular would become the benefactor replacing him as the new leader with Krachun now second.
For the remaining nine laps Gular was able to hold his line and keep Krachun at bay. The 2020 Big Diamond Speedway champion crossed the finish line by two car lengths and won here for the first time in two years.
“This is pretty awesome considering four months ago we didn’t have a car, and we built a hell of a team in that time, and I’m really excited now,” said a very happy Gular afterwards.
He also admitted to the fact that Mahaney’s faltering was a blessing for him.
“It was a bad break for him, but we stayed in position to be in second when it happened and we were able to hold on the restarts,” said Gular, who earned $4253 for his night’s work.
“We had some issues too. This is a brand-new car and the brakes weren’t quite right but all in all its badass and I want to thank the guys at DKM Fabrication. We tried something different and changed brands this winter and it started off pretty good.”
The race introduced the new right-side Panhard bar rule, and despite initial apprehension, most drivers, including Gular, adapted well.
“Honestly it wasn’t that much different, maybe a little freer. I don’t know if it was the track that was predominantly bottom or if it was just everyone was trying to figure out the right side (Panhard) deal and that nobody was really up top. But it wasn’t a whole lot different though,” said Gular.
Krachun was solid throughout the race and did what he could to keep close tabs on Gular.
“We had a pretty fast car right out of the box. Mike (Gular) was a little bit faster than us and the track was a little bit tricky to pass on tonight and once he got out front we were just kind of a give and take. He’d pull away and then I’d reel him in a little bit but after all is said and done, I’m happy with the results especially being this is my first time on a right side Panhard bar in about 10 years or so,” noted Krachun.
“Once it gets going the car is super stable and really drivable. You just have to drive it a little bit easier, and you can’t really manhandle it like you could with the left side (Panhard). But I’m happy with where we are at right now, finishing second, we can build off this and come back faster.”
Duane Howard showed very good speed, taking third at the checkers while Ryan Godown and Matt Stangle rounded out the top five.
TJ Fitzpatrick is in the process of bringing out a new Roadrunner car but after his Opening Night performance he may want to reconsider.
In typical fashion the 20-lap feature was a scorcher from start to finish as evident by the six lead changes that took place, the constant back-and forth passing among the lead pack and the daring fourth to first place vaulting by winner Fitzpatrick with two laps remaining.
The action arose from the get-go as Kris Ney and Chuck Fayash began an intense lead swapping duel. With the laps winding down it looked as though Ney would be able to hold for the win despite the blitz he was having to deal with from Fayash.
However, a caution with three laps to go set up the race winning move by Fitzpatrick. Sitting fourth at the time, he rocketed right to the front when the green waved and once there never wavered and going on to take his first win since August of 2021.
“This car is very old and we’re currently working on a new one. Jesse (Krasnitsky) and I went over it from front to back and we found probably at least eight different issues that really plagued us last year and probably the past few years and we were able to get it sorted out and it was really fun to drive. I haven’t had this much fun in this car in about 10 years,” said Fitzpatrick.
“It felt so good to be up there in the mix with guys like Kris (Ney), Alex (Schoffstall) and Chuck (Fayash) who are consistently up front. I always knew I belonged up there but to now to be in the mix and actually making some passes was refreshing.”
Ney held on for the runner-up spot with Seth Reichert, Shofstall and Chris Reichert completing the top five.
In the Rookie 602 Crate Sportsman feature, sophomore driver Reice Widger led for the first time since switching to a Modified from Quarter Midgets and once out front there would be no denying him as he maintained smooth and steady laps en route to his memorable outing.
Making his oval track racing debut, Dawcin Davis took runner-up honors.
358 Modified feature finish (25 laps): 1. Mike Gular, 2. Ryan Krachun, 3. Duane Howard, 4. Ryan Godown, 5. Matt Stangle, 6. Louden Reimert, 7. Mike Lisowski, 8. Logan Watt, 9. Jeff Strunk, 10. Craig Von Dohren, 11. Doug Smith Jr., 12. Alex Yankowski, 13. Anthony Perrego, 14. Tim Fitzpatrick, 15. Jack Butler, 16. Kevin Beach Jr., 17. Brandon Edgar, 18. Kley Smith, 19. Brian Malcom, 20. Mike Mahaney, 21. Jax Yohn, 22. Ryan Watt, 23. Timmy Buckwalter, 24. Ron Haring Jr.
DNQ: Mike Burrows, Brett Kressley, Joel Smith, Billy Pauch Jr., Heath Metzger, Tyler Dippel, Ryan Grim, Corey Renninger, Shawn Fitzpatrick, John Willman, Dylam Swinehart, Ken Eckert Jr., Matt Yoder, Wayne Witmer, Kevin Olenick, Rick Laubach, Craig Whitmoyer, Dan Hineline, Cliff Quinn
Roadrunner feature finish (20 laps): 1. TJ Fitzpatrick, 2. Kris Ney, 3. Seth Reichert, 4. Alex Schoffstall, 5. Chris Reichert, 6. Ryan Murphy, 7. Chuck Fayash, 8. Jim Kost, 9. Elijah Reed, 10. Terry Reed, 11. Jarod Bassininsky, 12. Matt Ney, 13. Eric Buchinski, 14. Andrew Buchinski, 15. Johanthan Trumbo, 16. Joey Brennan
Rookie 602 Crate Sportsman feature finish (15 laps): 1. Reice Widger, 2. Dawcin Davis, 3. Hunter Bowers, 4. Payton Renninger, 5. Dylan Cappel
