Modified Race Cars

With new car, Strunk takes 358-modified at Big D

FORESTVILLE - Jeff Strunk brought Norm Hansell's Troyer No. 357 to Big Diamond Speedway on Friday night for a change of pace. The Bechtelsville, driver left with his first win of the season.

Strunk broke into Victory Lane with a dominant effort in the 25-lap The Station House 358-modified event at the Schuylkill County oval after leaving the team's Bicknell car, which has been used so far this season at Big Diamond, in the shop. He earned $2,000 for his efforts. Paul Kline (U.S.S. Achey sportsman), Joe Fanelli (XCel 600 modifieds) and Ryan Olenick (Wooden Keg Tavern roadrunner) also picked up victories with a large crowd assembled at Big D.

"We've been struggling here with the Bicknell car," said Strunk, who had won at four other venues already in 2011, but not Big Diamond prior to Friday. "We wanted to try something different here and it worked for us."

Strunk rolled off the starting grid from 11th position in the main event driving the Hansell Motorsports Morrison-powered race car. Second-generation driver Andy Burkhart led from the outset, starting on the pole with his No. 87. Burkhart was in command of the field during the early portions of the event. A rugged set of restarts on Laps 6 and 7 spelled disaster for championship contenders Rick Laubach and Craig Von Dohren, along with returning seven-time track champion Duane Howard. Laubach and Howard went to the pits, done for the night, while Von Dohren restarted from the rear of the field.

Strunk's key moment of the race came on a Lap 7 restart, when he darted from sixth to third in Turn 2. He charged into second on the 10th lap and spent two circuits chasing Burkhart before completing an inside pass in Turn 2 and drove off to his 42nd-career Big D victory, third on the all-time win list.

Burkhart of Reading notched a Big Diamond career-best runner-up effort aboard the Burkhart Bros. Performance No. 87. Three-time champion Keith Hoffman of Whitehall completed a final lap pass of Billy Pauch Jr. to finish third. Pauch Jr., of Frenchtown, N.J., was fourth and Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville was fifth. Manmiller was driving the Josh Biever No. 46 at Big Diamond for the first time this season. Von Dohren (Boyertown) took over the point lead with a 10th-place finish.

Reading's Kline won for the third time this season in the 20-lap sportsman headliner. Kline started sixth aboard his Kline Motorsports No. 14, climbed to the runner-up position on the second lap and passed front-row starter Frank Yankowski (Dickson City) on a Lap 7 restart. Mike Mammana of Nazareth arrived in second place on Lap 11 and chased Kline to the finish. Yankowski, Kevin Beach Jr. of Llewellyn and 16th-starter Brad Brightbill of Sinking Springs completed the front five.

American Modified Series Bandit Race Cars 30 tonight at Florence ...

American Modified Series Bandit Race Cars 30 tonight at Florence Speedway June 25

Glasgow, KY-June 18, 2011- The American Modified Series returns to action by closing out the month of June with the baddest racers in America without front fenders making their first-ever appearance at the historic Florence Speedway in Union, KY on Saturday evening June 25 for the Bandit Race Cars 30, paying $1,500 to the winner.

On Saturday June 25 at Florence Speedway in Union, KY, the American Modified Series will present a full program of practice, A-B group time trials, qualifying heats, B-Mains, and the 30 lap, $1,500 to win Bandit Race Cars 30 A-Main event. Other divisions in competition at Florence Speedway on June 25 will be the track’s Super Late Model division racing for $2,000 to win and Pure Stocks.

Activities for the June 25 event at Florence Speedway will see the pit area open at 4:00 p.m., while the general admission area opens at 6:00 p.m. The driver’s meeting will be at 6:15 p.m., with practice set for 6:30 p.m., followed by time trials at 7:00 p.m., with green flag racing at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for the June 25 Florence Speedway event will see general admission ticket prices be $16, with children ages 6 to 11 admitted at $2, and a pit pass will be $31.

The A-Main purse for the June 25 Bandit Race Cars 30 event at Florence Speedway is as follows: 1st- $1,500, 2nd- $750, 3rd- $600, 4th- $550, 5th- $500, 6th- $450, 7th- $400, 8th- $350, 9th- $325, 10th- $300, 11th- $275, 12th- $250, 13th- $230, 14th- $220, 15th through 22nd- $200 to start. This will be the tour’s first ever visit to Florence Speedway.

Florence Speedway is a ½ mile high-banked clay oval promoted by Jerry, Mona, and Josh King. Florence Speedway is located at 12234 US 42 just past Walton, KY by exiting at KY exit 180 from I-75 and then proceeding nine west on US 42. For more information about Florence Speedway, visit the track’s webpage at www.florencespeedway.com or phone the track at (859) 485-7591 on raceday.

The American Modified Series last competed on June 4 at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY and Joey Kramer of Hanover, IN would win that event on the tour that features some of America’s toughest racers without front fenders. Kramer is also the current series points, holding a 15 marker advantage over defending series champion John Demoss of Bloomington, IN. The remainder of the top five in tour points are Bryan Barber of Greensburg, KY, Michael England of Glasgow, KY, and Elliott Despain of Campbellsville, KY. The AMS event that was scheduled for June 18 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, KY has been tentatively rescheduled for Saturday August 20.

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