Big Diamond Speedway hosted its 45th Georgie Stevenson Memorial on July 4th. The annual race, established in 1980, honors 12-year-old Georgie Stevenson, a devoted fan and fundraising advocate who passed away from cancer in 1979, but his memory lives on through this yearly event.
The evening of racing was sponsored by B & H Landscaping of Pottsville with twin-20 lap features for the Quandel Concrete 358 Modifieds, a 20-lap main with the USS Achey 602 Crate Sportsman and for the second time this season the Red White and Blue Autos Inc., Roadrunners contested in the Full Fender Franzy 25-lapper that pitted cars from Big Diamond, BAPS Motor Speedway and Selinsgrove Speedway.
In the first Modified feature Brett Kressley came from 12th on the grid and within six laps was racing inside the top-5.
Over the first seven laps Joel Smith, Corey Renninger and then Jack Bulter took turns at the lead. Once Butler had established the way, he had Smith behind him with Kressley now third and it wasn’t long afterwards that the two-time defending champ advanced yet again as he disposed of Smith on a subsequent lap eight restart.
That same restart approach would enable Kressley to take the lead following a reset of the field with nine circuits in the books. Using the outside lane as his main route, he shot past Bulter as they resumed the action and from the 10th tour to the checkers there was no denying Kressley’s authority as he raced to his second straight win of the season.
“We had a little bit of luck with the cautions that helped us pick off cars. You were able to roll the top or the bottom and go wherever,” said Kressley, who collected $2000 in scoring his 15th Big Diamond Modified win.
“I have the thank the track, all the fans and my crew and everybody who makes it all happen.”
While Kressley was comfortably sitting in first, Jeff Strunk and Bulter were engaging in a torrid side-by-side battle. With six laps to go Strunk finally shook free of Butler and drove to a season-best second.
Likewise, Butler turned in his top performance to date, running in the front three all race long that included a stint at in the lead before settling for a solid third. Rounding out the top five were Tyler Dippel and Timmy Buckwalter.
An inversion of the top six positions resulted in point leader Louden Reimert starting on pole for the second 20-lapper, with Buckwalter alongside. Once racing began, Reimert quickly demonstrated that he would be a formidable contender as he would stay in front throughout the distance and was able to maintain a safe enough gap from his pursuers for most of the contest.
“It was good although it’s always kind of stressful starting form the pole, at least with me because if you don’t win from there then you know you messed up,” said Reimert, who like Kressley is not a two-time winner this season and also collected $2000.
“Tonight, the track was a bit trickly and we changed some things to keep up with it and it paid off. The car was good, and it actually wasn’t the same one we planned to run tonight. We had some engine problems in our heat race, and this is our Grandview car and right now I feel we have a pretty good baseline setup and we can show up at both tracks we race weekly with confidence and know that with just a little bit of tweaking the cars are good.”
In the concluding laps Dippel was starting to reel in Reimert as he was turning the fastest laps of the race but by then time had run out how that may have played out and he would have to be content for runner-up.
Buckwalter never fell below third while Duane Howard hustled around Strunk late in the going to round out the top five.
The 602 Crate Sportsman feature got off to a harrowing start when Trevor Bixler summersaulted several times before coming to stop on the back straight. And, while other cars were trying to avoid the mayhem, Brennan Chapman wasn’t as lucky, and he too took a tumble.
EMS personal were immediately on the scene. Chapman was okay and actually returned to the race while Bixler was shaken up and as a precaution, was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill S. in Pottsville where he had additional observations done. Thankfully he was cleared and able to return home, albeit very sore.
Once all was restored to race, pole sitter Troy Bollinger jumped into the early lead with Glenn Rowan in close pursuit.
On a lap three restart Kevin Smith swooped past Rowan and then set his sights on Bollinger. But, as those two were battling side-by-side and entering turn 3, they got slightly loose and with some quick maneuvering Roman darted to the outside of both and came off the corner as the new leader.
Running first turned into a stressful affair for Rowan as he contended in some intense side-by-side action with Smith before the No. 7 bowed out with a mechanical woe. Next it was Bollinger and then more two-wide sparring with the likes of Mike Schneck Jr.
And, if that wasn’t enough point leader Jordon Henn, Matt Martino and Gavy Krupp were now in the mix.
Following a lap 10 restart Henn and Schneck made contact that thwarted their night. That put Martino and Krupp behind Rowan. Krupp then removed Martino for second on lap 12 and three laps later would take advantage of a lap 15 restart to grab the lead away from Rowan where he would hold on for his first Big Diamond Speedway win.
It was impressive by all accounts too as it he started the race from 18th spot. Xavier Sprague was making his first feature of the season and drove to a well-earned third. Rowan came home fourth with Ryan Graver completing the top five after starting 21st.
The Full Fender Frenzy for the Roadrunners was the second one held this year and although there was an remarkable 26 cars on hand, the results would be the same as when the first race was run in April as Kody Sites yet again proved to be above and beyond against the stout competition.
There was a tradeoff for the lead over the first half of the race between Joe Bassininsky and Jake Jones. But by lap 13 ninth starting Sites was now second and on an ensuing restart of the same tour he powered into the top spot and never looked back as he made it back-to-back wins in as many starts and not to mention the cool $1000 for his efforts that went along with it.
Jones bested Andrew Fayash III for second with Gordie Marshall and Bassininsky fourth and fifth respectively.