It was a long night but the packed grandstands attending the Jack Rich, Inc Coalcracker 72 at Big Diamond Speedway were witness to one of the most exciting Coalcracker 72 races in many years as Billy Pauch Jr overcame 20 years of frustration to win his first Coalcracker 72 race. The big win was worth $15,000 to Pauch Jr and the Breitenstein Motorsports team. Matt Peck was the winner of the 25-lap 602 Crate Sportsman feature to take home the $1,500 check and 2024 Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner champion Andrew Fayash III put an exclamation on his season winning the Roadrunner main event.
A huge field of 53 Quandel Concrete Modifieds signed in for the Jack Rich, Inc Coalcracker 72. The field was paired down to only 24 starters for the feature race after a total of six heats and three consolations were run. By virtue of the draw, it was Brett Kressley and Timmy Buckwalter starting on the front row with Kressley immediately taking the lead at the drop of Warren Alston’s green flag as Buckwalter trailed. Billy Pauch Jr took third away from Tim Fitzpatrick and settled in behind the front running duo. The first yellow of the race was put out for a slowing Alex Yankowski who slowed with a right rear flat. Yankowski headed to the pits and returned. Second place running Buckwalter slowed to a stop while under yellow requiring a push to the pits ending his race.
The restart saw Pauch Jr get a good run down low to pull ahead of Kressley, but Kressley charged back around the outside in turns one and two to stay in front. Defending Coalcracker 72 winner Reimert and four-time Coalcracker winner Jeff Strunk were on the move early on and were now fourth and sixth. Top ten runner Brandon Edgar slowed on lap nine to bring out the yellow. Kressley continued to lead on the restart with Reimert moving past Tyler Dippel for third and Strunk following suit and into fourth from his twelfth starting spot. Fitzpatrick brought out the next yellow on lap 12 when he slowed the No. T102. Kressley again led the way as the field returned to racing with Strunk moving past Reimert for third. Invader Danny Creeden, who started 18th was flying through the field and was now up to sixth as lap 15 was scored. 15th place starter Anthony Perrego was also making some quick moves towards the front and was 8th after 22 laps.
Disaster struck as third and fourth place running cars of Strunk and Reimert as smoke billowed from under the hood of the No. 357 with Reimert getting caught up in the fluid and spinning into the turn three wall with 25 laps complete. Running order after 25 laps saw Kressley leading Pauch Jr, Dippel, Creeden, Godown, Perrego, Mike Gular, Matt Stangle, Duane Howard and Paulie Hartwig III. It was all Kressley again on the restart as Pauch and Dippel trailed. Creeden continued his run to the front as Creeden zipped by Dippel and into third. Lap 31 saw Perrego move by Godown and into the top five and start to work on Dippel for fourth. As the field took the crossed flags, Kressley had opened up an almost two second lead over runner up Pauch. Hartwig slowed to a stop on lap 38 to slow the action just as the leaders were catching the tail end of the field.
Kressley picked the inside on the restart and Pauch took advantage of having the outside lane to get a great launch and take the lead away from Kressley. Perrego and Creeden were now in a tussle for third with Perrego winning out on lap 40. Perrego wasn’t stopping there as was all over the No. 19K of Kressley for second and made the move on the outside to secure the runner up spot with 44 laps in the book. Pauch had opened up a safe lead but now Perrego was starting to run down the leader as the field completed lap 50. With 50 laps scored, it was Pauch leading Perrego, Kressley, Creeden, Dippel, a hard charging Howard, Gular, Godown, Laubach and Stangle. Perrego caught Pauch on lap 52 and zipped around the outside of Pauch on lap 53 to become the new leader. A slowing Frank Cozze brought the yellow on lap 52 bunching the field back up again.
The restart saw cars get together in turn one with third place running Kressley in the middle suffering a right rear flat sending him to the pits. Perrego was able to maintain his lead on the restart over Pauch, Creeden, Dippel and Howard. Perrego slowly pulled away from the second place running Pauch as Howard was now up to fourth getting past Dippel on lap 58. Dippel’s great run came to an end on lap 65 when the No. 20R slowed with a flat tire to bring out a yellow, giving Pauch another shot at Perrego who was simply cruising out front. The restart was short lived as Perrego jumped on the gas too soon to negate the start. The second attempt was better and Perrego was able to get on the throttle quickly and stay in front as Pauch tried the outside but to no avail. Howard continued his assault to the front after starting 20th and was now into third getting past Creeden and moving in on the leaders. Unlike after the last restart, Pauch was able to keep pace with Perrego trying his hardest to find some bite on the outside as Howard marched in on the leaders.
Von Dohren bicycled the No. 30 in turn one coming to a stop bringing out the yellow with only five laps to go. Pauch was able to make the outside work on this restart and stormed ahead of Perrego as they exited turn two. Pauch and Perrego were battling switching lanes as they raced hard for the lead. With the white flag waving, Pauch had finally opened a one car length advantage and looked to have the race in as he exited turn four only to see the yellow flag waving instead of checkered flag as fourth place running Creeden slowed with a right rear flat setting up a one lap shootout. What a lap it was as Pauch chose the inside leaving the outside line to Perrego in a dash for $15,000. It was a clean start as Pauch and Perrego raced side by side down the frontstretch heading into turn one, Perrego looked to have the advantage going into the turn as he pinched Pauch down but Pauch wasn’t letting this get away easily as he went into the turn hard with the two leaders making contact and moving up the track allowing Howard to get into the mix for the win. Perrego, Pauch and Howard raced off turn two three abreast with Perrego up high, Pauch in the middle and Howard down low. Pauch got a great bit coming off the turn to launch ahead as they raced down the backstretch. Pauch was able to stay in front to take the biggest win of his career with Howard inching ahead of Perrego to take second place. Mike Gular and Louden Reimert completed the top five.
“Man, I have been trying for this since 2003, I don’t even know where to start,” said the jubilant Pauch in Red White and Blue Autos victory lane with announcer Dino Oberto. “I wish it didn’t go like that, I went into (turn) one there, he tried to chop, I tried to protect and we kind of locked. It’s so tough on the last lap when you are racing for $15,000. Anthony is one of the best and I’m sure he will crowd me down the road for one. I have been trying for this one here for twenty years now and I can’t believe we got this one tonight. It’s been a rollercoaster week; we ran second twice and won the last two nights. It got dicey down here in (turns) one and two but that’s the last lap for $15,000 and I’ve lost this race so many times I wanted to win this one bad.”
The 25-lap Coalcracker 25 for the Uss Achey, Inc 602 Crate Sportsman feature saw Teague Miller grab the lead away from polesitter Brandon Firestone to lead lap one. Caution slowed the start on lap three as Xavier Sprague and Mike Butler got together. Miller remained in front on the restart with Matt Peck now up to second after getting by Miller. The yellow was out again on lap four as Jared Labagh spun in turn one. This restart saw Peck out drag Miller to turn one and become the new leader. A multicar accident on the backstretch brought out the yellow again on lap eight. This restart saw Miller give Peck all he could handle but Peck ultimately was able to pull away. Sprague again brought out the caution on lap 11 to bunch up the field once again. Another multicar crash coming out of turn four negated the restart. Racing resumed with Peck and Miller going at it for the lead as yet another yellow slowed the battle upfront on lap 12.
Peck and Miller went at it again on the restart with Peck finally able to pull ahead as the field took the halfway flags. Peck pulled away to a safe advantage as Miller, Kevin Olenick and Jordan Henn all battled hard for second. With two laps to go, Olenick was finally able to get past Miller for second, but it was too late to challenge Peck who streaked to his second Coalcracker 602 Crate Sportsman victory, this one worth $1,5000. Kevin Olenick finished second followed by 602 Crate Sportsman rookie driver Teage Miller in third, 2024 Uss Achey, Inc 602 Crate Sportsman champion Jordan Henn was fourth with Brandon Firestine finishing fifth.
The final Red White and Blue Autos Roadrunner feature saw 2024 champion Andrew Fayash III take the lead at the drop of the green and lead all twenty laps enroute to the $500 victory over Joe Bassininsky, Terry Kramer, Jarrod Bassininsky and Chuck Fayash.