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By DINO OBERTO
(Minersville, PA 6-13-25) Big Diamond Speedway has, like most area tracks,
struggled to get in an evening of racing due to so many weather-related
issues that have plagued much of the 2025 season.
But despite another Friday with threatening skies, promoters Jake and
Jasmine Smulley pressed on, determined not to cancel again after losing six
races already and by 11:00 pm when the final checkered flag waved, all eight
scheduled features were in the books and without a moment to spare as rain
eventually did start to fall thereafter.
And on Shop 61/Fayash Memorial Night, it would be a night of firsts as four
different drivers in the respective Modified classes all won their first Big
Diamond Speedway features.
Tyler Dippel of Wallkill, NY made a thrilling late race pass to capture top
honors in the Quandel Concrete 358 Modifieds.
The USS Achey Inc., 602 Crate Sportsman ran a pair of features that included
the April 4 rain-postponed Thaw Brawl and with only one lap to go Addison
Meitzler of Kempton went into the lead and on to his first Big Diamond
checkered flag.
In the regularly scheduled Sportsman feature Nick Hamm of Nanticoke was able
to lead all 20 circuits and take a well-earned career first victory and
likewise in the Big Creek Concrete Rookie 602 Crate Sportsman Payton
Renninger from Pottsville graced Victory Lane for her first ever feature
win.
The Red White and Blue Autos Inc. Roadrunners competed in the Crazy 8s,
consisting of four intense eight-lap races. Victors included Matt Ney from
Gordon, Jarod Bassininsky from Schuylkill Haven, and the Fayash’s-Andrew III
from Mary D and Chuck from Tamaqua.
At the start of the 358 Modified main pole sitter Mike Burrows
took command from the get-go and soon had his hands full as two-time
defending champ Brett Kressley as well as Dippel continually applied heavy
pressure on him. Kressley and Dippel were often engaged in close
side-by-side racing while keeping close reach of Burrows.
Unfortunately for Kressley, his night ended unexpectedly when he
pulled off with only four laps remaining. With Dippel now in the runner-up
spot he not only reeled in Burrows but drew even with him through the first
two corners amid just three laps to go. Working the inside lane, Dippel was
able to exert the power needed to put his Rochinski Enterprises No. 20R out
ahead and hold on over the final trips around the 3/8-mile oval and garner
his first win here since an Xcel 600 Modified verdict 10 years ago.
Burrows did an outstanding job of holding the lead before
settling for a well-run second place. Similarly, Doug Smith Jr., had hovered
behind the front runners all race long and took third while Jeff Strunk and
Kevin Beach Jr., rounded out the top five.
It may have taken two-and-a-half months, but the rain postponed
Thaw Brawl for the 602 Crate Sportsman from Opening Night on April 4 finally
got run and it was quite the sizzler as the race ran nonstop.
Pole sitter Dakota Kohler took command from the outset and soon
was having to fend off strong running Teague Miller. With only a few laps
remaining though, Miller got out of line which opened the door for Meitzler.
Upon receiving the white flag, Meitzler was glued to Kohler’s
rear bumper. As the pair entered turn one, he then dove underneath Kohler
and as they sped down the back straight, he had eked his way to the lead and
clung to it just enough as he took the exciting verdict by a mere
.083-seconds.
In the regular 20-lapper Hamm was the pole sitter and wasted
little time in taking charge of the race. Hot on his heels was Trevor Bixler
who was trying every possible angle to get around but despite his ongoing
efforts Hamm never wavered.
Late into the affair Mike Schneck Jr., and Jordon Hemm were able
to maneuver into second and third respectively after Bixler lost a few spots
while negotiating his way through turns three and four. And, although the
much more experienced Scheck and Henn were in hot pursuit, the upstart Hamm
was not to be denied as he handled them perfectly in winning his
career-first victory.
Payton Renninger has been around the sport of auto racing her
entire life, most of that time watching her dad, Corey. But when Big Diamond
introduced the Rookie Sportsman division, she felt that was her opportunity
to follow in her dad’s tire tracks and begin her career.
With no prior experience she made her debut last season,
gradually learning each time she competed. When 2025 rolled around you can
see that her confidence level had gotten better and on Friday night it
reached its peak as she went out and assertively led all 15 laps en route to
her first ever main event triumph.
Dawcin Davis is getting closer to his initial win also, turning
in another steady run after scoring his third runner-up in four starts.
The four Roadrunner Crazy 8s did not disappoint and as expected
each of the short-distance jaunts gave fans plenty of exciting action.
Amazingly in the first feature the lead changed hands four times
with Ney taking the top spot with two laps to go and holding on for his
first win in five years over Alex Schofstall.
Bassininsky was able to stay out-front for all eight laps in the
second main and held off point leader Kris Ney to become the first repeat
winner of the year.
In the third feature Jonathan Trumbo led the first three laps
before A. Fayash III hustled into the top spot and went on the collect his
25th career victory which moved him into a tie with Dave Miller for third on
the all-time Roadrunner winners list.
In the finale the race came down to a family duel between C.
Fayash and his nephew A. Fayash. And a restart with one to go had the race
up for grabs and when it resumed, they both sprinted side-by-side until
reaching midway down the back straight were C. Fayash took the reigns and
held on for his first win of the season.
358 Modified feature finish (25 laps): 1. Tyler Dippel, 2. Michael Burrows,
3. Doug Smith Jr, 4. Jeff Strunk, 5. Kevin Beach Jr., 6. Jack Butler, 7.
Craig Von Dohren, 8. Brandon Edgar, 9. Logan Watt, 10. Rick Laubach, 11.
Louden Reimert, 12. Mike Gular, 13. Jax Yohn, 14. Joel Smith, 15. Ryan Watt,
16. Kevin Olenick, 17. Tim Fitzpatrick, 18. Brett Kressley, 19. Wayne
Witmer, 20. Ron Haring Jr, 21. Timmy Buckwalter, 22. Dan Hineline, 23. Mike
Lisowski, 24. Corey Renninger DNQ: Duane Howard, Cliff Quinn, Heath Metzger,
Ken Eckert Jr, Hunter Metzger DQ: Matt Yoder
4/4 make-up 602 Crate Sportsman feature (20 laps): 1. Addison Meitzler, 2.
Dakota Kohler, 3. Jordan Henn, 4. Brennan Chapman, 5. Kevin Smith, 6. Mike
Schneck Jr., 7. Teague Miller, 8. Richie Hitzler, 9. Trevor Bixler, 10. Troy
Bollinger, 11. Matt Martino, 12. Tyler Vidal, 13. Ed Mrochko, 14. Kevin
Brady, 15. Glenn Rowan, 16. McKenzi Smith, 17. Brandon Firestine, 18. Nick
Hamm DNS: Christopher Buffalino, Troy Conrad
Reg. 602 Crate Sportsman feature finish (20 laps): 1. Hamm, 2. Schneck Jr.,
3. Henn, 4. Bixler, 5. Smith, 6. Nate Horn, 7. Brett Gilmore, 8. Meitzler,
9. Kohler, 10. Mrochko, 12. John McGeoy, 13. Daryl Dissinger, 14. Firestine,
15. Vidal, 16. Smith, 17. Miller, 18. Rowan, 19. Hitzler, 20. Bollinger, 21.
Chapman, 22. Martino DQ: Brady, George Hildebrant
1st Roadrunner feature finish (8 laps): 1. Matt Ney, 2. Alex Schoffstall, 3.
Chuck Fayash, 4. Ryan Murphy, 5. Jim Kost, 6. Joey Brennan, 7. TJ
Fitzpatrick, 8. Terry Kramer, 9. Andrew Fayash III, 10. Jarod Bassininsky,
11. Jesse Krasnitsky, 12. Joe Bassininsky, 13. Kris Ney, 14. Jonathan
Trumbo, 15. Elijah Reed, 16. Seth Reichert, 17. Andrew Buchinski, 18. Eric
Buchinski
2nd Roadrunner feature finish (8 laps): 1. Jarod Bassininsky, 2.
Fitzpatrick, 3. Alex Schoffstall, 4. Andrew Fayash III, 5. Kramer, 6. Kost,
7. Kris Ney, 8. Joe Bassininsky, 9. Chuck Fayash, 10. Krasnitsky, 11. Matt
Ney, 12. Seth Reichert, 13. Reed, 14. Joey Brennan, 15. Andrew Buchinski
DNS: Eric Bushinski, Trumbo DQ: Murphy
3rd Roadrunner feature finish (8 laps): 1. Andrew Fayash III, 2. Kris Ney,
3. Jarod Bassininsky, 4. Fitzpatrick, 5. Murphy, 6. Reichert, 7. Chuck
Fayash, 8. Kost, 9. Reed, 10. Andrew Buchinski, 11. Brennan, 12. Trumbo, 13.
Joe Bassininsky, 14. Kramer, 15. Matt Ney, 16. Schoffstall DNS: Krasnitsky,
Eric Bushinski
4th Roadrunner feature finish (8 laps): 1. Chuck Fayash, 2. Schoffstall, 3.
Andrew Fayash III, 4. Reichert, 5. Ryan Murphy, 6. Kris Ney, 7. Fitzpatrick,
8. Kost, 9. Jarod Bassininsky, 10. Andrew Buchinski, 11. Reed, 12. Trumbo
DNS: Krammer, Krasnitsky, Joe Bassininsky, Eric Bushinski, Matt Ney, Brennan
Rookie 602 Crate Sportsman feature finish (15 laps): 1. Payton Renninger, 2.
Dawcin Davis, 3. Hunter Bowers, 4. Jason Graber, 5. Zach Moyer, 6. Reice
Widger, 7. Dennis Graber, 8. Mason Harakel, 9. Brandon Wessner, 10. Miles
Green, 11. Dylan Cappel
COMING EVENTS:
June 19 @7:15 pm Eastern Storm Amsoil National Sprint Cars $6000-to-win +
358 Modifieds
June 27 @7:15 pm “Double B” Bobby Bowers Memorial Roadrunners Twin
12s/$500-to-win each, 358 Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Rookie 602 Crate
Sportsman
July 4 @7:15 pm Georgie Stevens Memorial 358 Modifieds 40L/$6000-to-win, 602
Crate Sportsman, Full Fender Frenzy $1000-to-win
Big Diamond Speedway beats the rain…eight features completed in
three-and-a-half hours
