By Steve Williams
Steve Buckwalter made the short 14 hour tow from Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL to Big Diamond Raceway Sunday evening worthwhile, by picking up the first of two 20 lap ARDC Midget features.
In the nightcap a patient, Ryan Smith got by Trevor Kobylarz, late in the race, to pick up his 4th Midget win of the season.
Buckwalter who was leading the POWRi/USAC Gold Crown Midget Nationals when he had engine problems, made the long tow back East to start third in the first 20 lap feature that was a makeup race from March 28th, when rain ended the program after qualifying.
By the first lap, Buckwalter had pulled into the lead over Frank Polimeda and Dusty Heistand. Buckwalter started to stretch out his lead when on lap six Dave Shirk flipped his number 16, bringing out a red flag. Eric Heydenreich, Carey Becker and Alex Bright were all involved in the accident and not able to continue.
By the ninth lap, Drew Heistand who came into the race sitting third in points was on the move as he got by his brother Dusty for third spot and set sail for Polimeda who was running second.
By lap 14 Heistand was able to get by Polimeda but a spin by Steve Lenig brought out the yellow and Heistand was put back behind Polimeda.
On the restart, Heistand was again able to pass Polimeda and this time brought his brother Dusty along into third.
On the 16th a double flip in turn three again brought out the red. PJ Gargiulo got things started when he turned his Midget over. Gargiulo was then hit by another car that was unable to stop and flipped again. Meanwhile Jimmy Cammock also tumbled his car. Other cars involved where, Brett Arndt, Billy Pauch Jr. and Chris Zrinski.
Buckwalter had no problem holding onto the lead, only being slowed by the final caution of the race on lap 18. Buckwalter picked up his 10th ARDC Midget win of the season by 2.1 seconds over Polimeda who made a slick last lap, last turn pass for the runner-up spot over Drew Heistand. Dusty Heistand finished in fourth , while Ryan Smith who came into the evenings race running a close second in points finished fifth.
The beginning of the second feature saw another, two car flip in the second turn. This time it was Steve Bull and Mark Gilmore, who was making his first ever Midget start, getting upside down. Also involved were, Eric Heydenreich, Jimmy Cammock, Bruce Buckwalter Jr and Brett Arndt.
On the restart, Trevor Kobylarz took the lead over his teammate, Carey Becker. Kobylarz and Becker were joined by Steve Lenig, Alex Bright and Tracy Readinger as the top five ran under a blanket.
The race was slowed on lap six when Australian drive Brad Cox spun in the first turn. On the ensuing restart, Becker tried to pass Kobylarz on the high side and spun in the first turn. Miraculously the entire field was able to avoid any contact.
Kobylarz was able to hold off rookie Alex Bright by holding his racer on the inside rail, while behind the two youngsters eighth starting Ryan Smith was waging war with Steve Buckwalter and Billy Pauch Jr.
Lap 14 proved to be a big problem as first Carey Becker spun again and Nick Wean followed suit on the restart. The second lap 14 restart didn’t go any better as Brad Cox bailed into the first turn and flipped, collecting PJ Gargiulo along with him.
The restart lineup had Kobylarz on the point, followed by Smith who had made a low side pass on Alex Bright, for second. Smith stalked his prey and when Kobylarz caught a rut that washed the front of his car, high, Smith was able to get a nose under the 49 of Kobylarz. The two crossed the start finish line side by side with Smith on the inside. A line he held going into the first turn to take the lead.
Smith was able to pull into a comfortable lead, leaving Kobylarz, Alex Bright Steve Buckwalter and Steve Lenig to duke it out behind him.
Smith’s margin of victory or Kobylarz was 3 seconds. Rounding out the top five were Bright, Buckwalter and Lenig.
Heat races were won by Steve Buckwalter, Tim Buckwalter and Tracy Readinger. Nick Wean won the B-Main.
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY October 3, 2010 ARDC MIDGETS MAKEUP 20 LAP FEATURE RAINED OUT 3-28-10
1)0 Steve Buckwalter, 2) 44 Frank Polimeda, 3) 12 Drew Heistand 4) 6 Dusty Heistand, 5) 34 Ryan Smith, 6) 52 Tim Buckwalter, 7) 75 Ryan Watt, 8) 2T Tracy Readinger, 9) 78 Stephanie Stevens, 10) 9 Steve Lenig, 11) 17 Donnie Hoffman, 12) 19 Steve Drevicki, 13) 54 Billy Pauch Jr., 14) 51 PJ Gargiulo, 15) 46 Brett Arndt, 16) 84 Jimmy Cammock, 17) 25 Chris Zrinski, 18) 49 Trevor Kobylarz, 19) 11 Eric Heydenreich, 20) 20 Carey Becker, 21) 16 Dave Shirk, 22) 77 Alex Bright
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY October 3, 2010 ARDC MIDGETS 20 LAP FEATURE (31 Entries)
1) 34 Ryan Smith, 2) 49 Trevor Kobylarz, 3) 77 Alex Bright, 4) 0 Steve Buckwalter, 5) 9 Steve Lenig, 6) 12 Drew Heistand, 7) 52 Tim Buckwalter, 8) 6 Dusty Heistand, 9) 44 Frank Polimeda, 10) 75 Ryan Watt, 11) 11 Eric Heydenreich, 12) 4 Shane Penny, 13) 46 Brett Arndt, 14) 99 Scott Zipp, 15) 54 Billy Pauch Jr., 16) 84 Jimmy Cammock, 17) 7 Shawn Jackson, 18) 17 Donnie Hoffman, 19) 78 Nick Wean, 20) 51 PJ Gargiulo, 21) 94 Brad Cox, 22) 20 Carey Becker, 23) 2T Tracy Readinger, 24) 10 Mark Gilmore, 25) 83 Bruce Buckwalter Jr., 26) 01 Steve Bull DNQ 53 Randy Reid, 19 Steve Drevicki, 25 Chris Zrinski, 17 Donnie Hoffman, 16 Dave Shirk
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Grandview TOTH
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Susquehanna Speedway Park
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Susquehanna Speedway Park (Rain Date)
PAST RESULTS
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Big Diamond Raceway
RAIN
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Susquehanna Speedway Park
Billy Pauch Jr
Candy Bowl Makeup
Steve Buckwalter
Friday, April 30, 2010
Williams Grove Speedway
Steve Buckwalter
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Big Diamond Raceway
RAIN
March 28th Makeup
RAIN
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Williams Grove Speedway
RAIN
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Grandview Speedway
Billy Pauch Jr
Friday, May 28, 2010
Penn Can Speedway
Steve Buckwalter
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Grandview Speedway TOTH w/ USAC
Steve Buckwalter
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Lincoln Speedway w/USAC
Eric Heydenreich
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Susquehanna Speedway
Steve Buckwalter
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Bridgeport Speedway (1/4 mile)
Ryan Smith
Friday, July 02, 2010
Central Pennsylvania Speedway
Steve Buckwalter
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Georgetown Speedway
POSTPONED
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Williams Grove Speedway
Bruce Buckwalter Jr.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
May 8th Makeup
Ryan Smith
Friday, July 16, 2010
Accord Speedway
RAIN
Friday, July 30, 2010
Clinton County Speedway
Completion TBA
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Mercer Raceway
Steve Buckwalter
Friday, August 06, 2010
Dixieland Speedway
Steve Buckwalter
Friday August 13, 2010
Accord Speedway
Tim Buckwalter
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
New Egypt Speedway
Steve Buckwalter
Friday, September 3, 2010
Clinton County Raceway
Postponed
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Bridgeport Speedway (1/4 mile)
Ryan Smith
Saturday September 25, 2010
New Egypt Speedway
Drew Heistand
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Big Diamond Raceway (3-28 Makeup)
Steve Buckwalter
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Big Diamond Raceway
Ryan Smith
UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS
CAR #
DRIVER
TOTAL POINTS
1
0
STEVE
BUCKWALTER
2178
2
34
RYAN
SMITH
2119
3
12
DREW
HEISTAND
2109
4
11
ERIC
HEYDENREICH
1718
5
77
ALEX
BRIGHT
1624
6
46
BRETT
ARNDT
1618
7
52
TIM
BUCKWALTER
1525
8
83
BRUCE
BUCKWALTER JR
1503
9
51
PJ
GARGIULO
1474
10
44
FRANK
POLIMEDA
1460
11
78
NICK
WEAN
1390
12
6
DUSTY
HEISTAND