Despite pre-race rain clouds, JRL Emergency Services Night proceeded without a hitch Friday at Big Diamond Speedway, where veteran Duane Howard of Oley captured his first BQ Concrete 358 Modified feature win of the season.
Howard, a nine-time track champion, started fourth and took the lead from Alan Rudalavage on lap three. He never looked back, navigating a tacky, two-groove surface to win the nonstop 25-lap event.
“We had struggled a little bit here in the first few races and tonight we brought a different car, and we never changed a thing on it all night,” Howard said. “The rain earlier made the track a little bit tackier than we are used to, but you could move around and get by lappers.”
The victory is Howard’s 94th at the speedway, placing him second on the track’s all-time win list. Louden Reimert finished second, while Kevin Olenick claimed third. Tim Buckwalter finished fourth, marking his fourth top-five finish in five races and securing the current points lead. Dom Buffalino rounded out the top five.
Limited Late Models Returning to the 3/8-mile oval for the first time in four seasons, the Limited Late Models delivered a high-speed thriller. George Dixon Jr. of Shirleysburg took the lead on lap four and successfully fended off persistent pressure from Andrew Yoder to secure the win. The division showcased extreme speed throughout the night, with 15 cars breaking the previous track record. Lane Snook set the new mark at 15.337 seconds and finished third in the feature.
Roadrunners The Roadrunner feature ended with a 10-year dry spell being broken and an act of sportsmanship in Victory Lane. Jesse Krasnitsky of Minersville was credited with the win following a chaotic 20-lap race.
Early leaders Alex Schoffstall and Joey Brennan were eliminated following a collision on lap 10. In a final-lap shootout, Jim Kost, TJ Fitzpatrick, and Krasnitsky battled three-wide. Contact in the final turns sent Kost spinning as Fitzpatrick crossed the line inches ahead of Krasnitsky. However, Fitzpatrick conceded the win to Krasnitsky in Victory Lane, stating his teammate had the better car and deserved the trophy.
Xcel 600 Modifieds Tyler Bartik of Schnecksville led every lap from the pole to win the division’s lone appearance of the season. Dylan Cordier finished second and set a new Xcel track record during heat races with a time of 16.925 seconds.
Big Diamond Speedway Results
Friday, May 8, 2026
358 MODIFIEDS Feature (25 Laps): 1. Duane Howard, 2. Louden Reimert, 3. Kevin Olenick, 4. Tim Buckwalter, 5. Dom Buffalino, 6. Mike Lisowski, 7. Alan Rudalavage, 8. Logan Watt, 9. Rick Laubach, 10. Heath Metzger, 11. Brandon Edgar, 12. Mike Burrows, 13. Cody Manmiller, 14. Jax Yohn, 15. Tim Fitzpatrick, 16. Wayne Witmer, 17. Aleia Geisler, 18. Corey Renninger, 19. Cliff Quinn, 20. Mark Gaugler, 21. Hunter Metzger, 22. Joel Smith.
LIMITED LATE MODELS Feature (20 Laps): 1. George Dixon Jr., 2. Andrew Yoder, 3. Lane Snook, 4. Travis Horan, 5. Lucas Adams, 6. Zach Kauffman, 7. Travis Mease, 8. Colton Freise, 9. Jake Moser, 10. Tommy Slanker, 11. Jennifer Lesher, 12. Frankie Gordon, 13. Cody Lear, 14. Wayne Pfeil, 15. Trent Merkel, 16. TJ Bowman, 17. Cole Slanker, 18. JR Toner, 19. Jacob Burdette.
ROADRUNNERS Feature (20 Laps): 1. Jesse Krasnitsky, 2. TJ Fitzpatrick, 3. Mike Reichert, 4. Andrew Buchinski, 5. CJ Ferguson, 6. Tod Roth Jr., 7. Jim Kost, 8. Johnathan Trumbo, 9. Alex Schoffstall, 10. Joey Brennan, 11. Brian Johnson.
XCEL 600 MODIFIEDS Feature (20 Laps): 1. Tyler Bartik, 2. Dylan Cordier, 3. Doug Newbigging, 4. Griffin Hendershot, 5. Ed Hollenbach, 6. John Hall, 7. Brandon Shearer, 8. Mark Bressler, 9. Doug Fry Sr., 10. Vincent Wanrich, 11. Richie Hitzler, 12. Tyler Franina, 13. Gage Landis, 14. Tiffany Hitzler.
Article/results submitted by Dino Oberto
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