FORESTVILLE -Llewellyn's Kevin Beach captured the first sportsman feature victory of the 2014 season at Big Diamond Speedway when he won the 20-lap race Sunday afternoon.
Notching his first triumph of the season after he had placed second in New Egypt Speedway's season-opening program in March, Beach led the final 16 laps of the race to earn the $600 first-place purse.
Beach was joined in victory lane by Pottsville's Jeremy Becker, who broke Tom Hablett's two-race winning streak in the 20-lap roadrunner feature.
In the sportsman feature, Doug Hendricks had the pole and the race lead for the first four laps. A four-car accident involving Shawn Light, Doug Snyder, A.J. Gerhart and Charles Fayash slowed the field on the first lap. Josh Hertzog's car then spun on the second tour of the 3/8-mile oval, but Hendricks kept the top spot until Beach passed both runner-up Tim Fitzpatrick and Hendricks on the fifth lap.
From there, Beach held command to the finish.
Fitzpatrick and Beach took qualifying heats.
In the roadrunner feature, Becker grabbed the lead from the outside pole and led every lap to earn the $300 purse. Joey Brennan claimed second spot while Jim Kost was third after Hablett spun while racing there on the 15th lap.
Hablett won the lone heat for the roadrunners.
The track will return to action at 8:15 p.m. Friday with a program of 358 modifieds, 358 late models, roadrunners and 600cc modifieds. The gates will open at 5 p.m.
Big Diamond Speedway
Sunday's results
Sportsmen (20 laps) - 1. Kevin Beach ($600), 2. Tim Fitzpatrick, 3, Doug Hendricks, 4. Clay Butler, 5. Mike Glass, 6. A.J. Gerhart, 7. Wayne Witmer, 8. Shawn Light, 9. J.R. Fulper, 10. Doug Snyder, 11. Charles Fayash, 12. Rob Reigel, 13. Todd Huffman, 14. Billy Moyer Jr., 15. Josh Hertzog. DNS - Jeremy Hertzog, Harry Landis, Chad Putalavage
Roadrunners (20 laps) - 1. Jeremy Becker, 2. Joey Brennan, 3. Jim Kost, 4. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr., 5. Shon Elk, 6. Kris Ney, 7. Bruce Ditzler, 8. Tom Hablett, 9. Jesse Krasnitsky, 10. John Whyne