358 Modifieds 72-laps/$15,000-to-win, 602 Crate Modifieds 25 laps/$1500-to-win, Roadrunners 20 laps/$500-to-win
April 3, 2026 @7:15 pm 54th Annual Season Opener 358 Modifieds $4054-to-win, 602 Crate Sportsman $1054-to-win, Roadrunners $454-to-win, Rookie 602 Crate Sportsman
Logan Watt cruises to 358 Modified victory at Big Diamond Speedway; Louden Reimert comes from last to third and earns division championship
By DINO OBERTO
(Minersville, Pa. 8-29-25) Friday night was Championship Night at Big Diamond Speedway as division titles were on the line and with close point battles determining the outcome of the Quandel Concrete 358 Modifieds, USS Achey Inc., 602 Crate Sportsman and Red White and Blue Autos Inc., Roadrunners, the stage was set for a very thrilling evening of dirt track racing at the Schuylkill County oval.
And while championship hopefuls were contending for respective class crowns, the rest of the fields racing just as hard to gain a feature win.
Of the three divisions on hand arguably the Modified feature had the most drama in terms of the title decision as the top three in the standings, Louden Reimert, Jeff Strunk and Duane Howard, began the evening separated by just 31 points.
Logan Watt of Boyertown authored a stirring performance in winning his first feature of the season in the 358 Modifieds and in what turned out to be an electrifying fight to the finish, Reimert captured one of the closest title battles in track history, eking out a one-point edge over Howard and 12 ahead of Strunk in earning his career first championship.
After taking the lead on a lap one restart, Watt quickly established his dominance, increasing his gap over second place running Howard from 4 seconds at mid-race to nearly 6 seconds with five laps remaining. His only real worry was when he came upon the tail end of the field and had to negotiate traffic, but even than there was no slowing his rousing performance.
“Everyone on the crew was all hands on tonight and I can’t thank them enough. The car was really good and we were all debating on what to do after the heat and we had different perspectives and I was giving them feedback and they were telling me what the car was doing and for them guys to see things differently it helps out a lot and throughout the whole night we just made little changes,” said Watt.
“I then just had to watch the track because I figured with it slicking up, I could slow roll the bottom real nice and then I knew I had a shot.”
As Watt maintained his commanding lead en route to victory, the three title contenders were closely following each other in positions two, three and four, making the championship results battle uncertain until the very end.
Howard and Strunk were racing second and third by lap six. Meanwhile Reimert began the feature with the most pressure. After falling out of his heat, he then started the main in 20th and last but despite that setback never gave up hope as he clawed his way forward and by lap 16 had marched up to fourth.
“Something happened in front of me in our heat and I checked up and I barely got into the car in ahead of me and it just blew my right front shock tower right off,” said Reimert.
“We thrashed but we also took our time and made sure, and we had a little bit of time to spare but it definitely wasn’t the way I wanted to start the night off.”
In the closing laps Howard had a lock on second place which, given Strunk was keeping a spot up on Reimert, would have been enough to win his 10th track title.
However, Reimert persisted in an intense battle with Strunk and with one lap to go they were deadlocked. Making a last-ditch effort, he went inside of Strunk and upon exiting the final two corners they raced neck and neck to the finish with Reimert nipping him at the line for third place, which would also be the deciding factor in garnering enough points to claim the championship.
“I knew it was going to come down to the wire and as the race went on. I kind of lost hope there at the start but you can never put your head down and give up and the whole race I just tried to do what I could, and it came down to the last lap and we got it done,” said an elated Reimert afterwards.
“It’s so cool to add my name to the list of champions and winners here and that list goes on and on and to just be a spec on it is really cool and an honor,” he continued.
“I couldn’t do any of this without any of my crew and all of the great sponsors on my car and every one of them is a part of getting this done. I really have to thank my car owner Doug Flurer and Annie, his wife, and I wouldn’t be here racing if not for them.”
Brandon Edgar rounded out the top five, which was his best effort to date.
Brennan Chapman of Minersville earned his first career win in the 602 Crate Sportsman main, making him the 10th different winner and extending the season’s streak without a repeat victor.
Meanwhile Jordon Henn’s ninth place tally was enough to beat Mike Schenck Jr., to earn his third consecutive class crown.
Chapman started the race in fourth and by lap four was engrossed in a sizzling duel with Daryl Dissinger for second spot and not long after Nate Brinker was mixing it up with them. While that trio locked horns Kevin Brady was maintaining a slim lead.
A restart at the halfway point would see Chapman make his decisive race winning move when he was able to slip underneath Brady for the lead. An ensuing restart on the same lap would also aid Brinker in advancing to second.
But never wavering from his lead, Champman held his position over Brinker and raced to the popular verdict.
Scottie Heilman, who was making his first start of the year, drove to a respectable third while Brady and Matt Martino rounded out the top five.
In the Roadrunners feature Jarod Bassininsky of Schuylkill Haven took the lead at the outset and then had to withhold Alex Schofftall from lap eight to the finish and in the process picked up his third win of 2025.
For Schoffstall, he was not only trying to win the race but the championship as well. Coming into the night he sat a mere 7-points behind Chuck Fayash. But, with his runner-up finish and Fayash coming home fourth, it was enough to move past him in the final standings and collect his third division title in five years.