FORESTVILLE — The race was shaping up as a duel between current track champion Rick Laubach and former track champ Craig Von Dohren.
Suddenly, a nasty late-race crash took out the leaders.
When the smoke cleared, Erick Rudolph was the man standing in Victory Lane after the 358 modified feature that opened the season Sunday at chilly Big Diamond Speedway.
“I’d seen the red flag waving. The sun was in the spot where I couldn’t see what happened,” Rudolph said.
That setting sun may have played a role in the big crash that turned Rudolph from a near-certain third-place finisher into a driver $3,500 richer after his 30-lap win.
The Ransomville, New York, driver was joined in Victory Lane by fellow feature winners Brett Kressley in sportsmen, Terry Kramer Jr. in roadrunners and Jasen Geesaman in street stocks.
None of them may have been more surprised than Rudolph, who started 12th in the 358 modified feature.
“We were hovering around sixth, fifth for a while, made some moves at the end of the race. It looked like we were going to finish third, which I was content with,” he said. “Then the top two got involved in an accident. I guess it was right place, right time.”
With three laps remaining, contact with another car sent Andy Burkhart’s car into the outside wall along the frontstretch. He rebounded into traffic, where he was struck
first by Justin Grim. While Grim’s car was flipping end over end, Burkhart’s No. 16 was hit by Jim Bobbitt Jr.’s No. 96 and then by the race leader, Laubach.
Von Dohren, who followed closely, could not avoid Laubach’s spin, sending both cars into the outer wall at the pit entrance.
While the affected drivers were unhurt, Rudolph waited out the long delay and then led the final three laps to hold off Billy Pauch Jr. by .399 seconds. Jeff Strunk was third in the 54-minute event and was followed by Frank Cozze and Colt Harris.
Rudolph’s teammate, Randy Chrysler, led the first 22 laps, but then was spun out by Stewart Friesen as each tried to pass a lapped car.
Track officials sent Friesen to the rear, from where he withdrew.
The incident also put Laubach into the lead, where he stayed until he crashed.
Friesen, Laubach and Meme DeSantis won heat races.
In other action, Kressley turned a last-minute decision into victory in the 20-lap sportsman feature.
After passing fellow heat winner Tim Fitzpatrick for the lead on the 12th lap, Kressley admitted he wasn’t planning to compete.
“I had the car ready, and I’ve been tied up all winter,” the Orefield driver said after winning $1,000. “I had the itch to go racing.”
Mike Lisowski placed second ahead of Doug Hendricks, Fitzpatrick and defending track champion Wayne Witmer.
Kramer passed Jim Kost for the roadrunner feature lead on the 13th lap. The Phoenix Park driver then held off fellow heat winner Chris Holland to win the non-stop, 20-lap feature.
“I ran what I knew could catch him (Kost),” Kramer said of his path around the oval, adding, “He slipped up and I got underneath him. It’s nice to win one.”
Kost took third ahead of Devin Trexler and Kris Ney.
Geesaman, of Lebanon, spent more time in Victory Lane than he envisioned. After the ceremony, his street stock would not start and it had to be towed back to his pit area.
“The last five or eight laps, it was starting to miss,” he said. “I shut it off there (in Victory Lane) and no more fire.”
Starting from the pole for the 20-lap race, he won the division’s first feature at Big Diamond since 2013. Heat winner Rich Bossinger was second and Jimmy Combs was third.
Big Diamond will host its Money in the Mountains program, featuring a 40-lap feature for open modifieds, at 8:15 p.m. Friday. The sportsmen and roadrunners will also compete.
Big Diamond Speedway Sunday’s results
358 modifieds (30 laps) — 1. Erick Rudolph ($3,500), 2. Billy Pauch Jr., 3. Jeff Strunk, 4. Frank Cozze, 5. Colt Harris, 6. Ryan Watt, 7. Meme DeSantis, 8. Danny Bouc, 9. Kevin Beach Jr., 10. Kyle Borror, 11. Shawn Fitzpatrick, 12. Jimmy Reppert, 13. Ray Swinehart, 14. Rick Laubach, 15. Craig Von Dohren, 16. Andy Burkhart, 17. Justin Grim, 18. Jimmy Bobbitt Jr., 19. Heath Metzger, 20. John Willman, 21. Stewart Friesen, 22. Randy Chrysler, 23. Duane Howard, 24. Mike Butler, 25. Steve Searock IV. DNS — Paul Moyer.
Sportsmen (20 laps) — 1. Brett Kressley ($1,000), 2. Mike Lisowski, 3. Doug Hendricks, 4. Tim Fitzpatrick, 5. Wayne Witmer, 6. Mike Butler, 7. Charles Webber, 8. J.R. Fulper, 9. Mike Glass, 10. Charles Fayash III, 11. Glenn Rowan, 12. Daryl Dissinger, 13. Steve Desmelyk, 14. Paul Houseknecht, 15. Matt Stangle, 16. Jack Butler, 17. Mike Mammana, 18. Harry Landis, 19. A.J. Gerhart, 20. Matt Clay, 21. Jeff Sechrist, 22. Shawn Light. DNS — Rob Light, Kevin Brady.
Roadrunners (20 laps) — 1. Terry Kramer Jr. ($300), 2. Chris Holland, 3. Jim Kost, 4. Devin Trexler, 5. Kris Ney, 6. Andrew Fayash III, 7. Shon Elk, 8. Kermit Jacoby, 9. T.J. Fitzpatrick, 10. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr., 11. Jesse Krasnitsky, 12. Jared Seigfried, 13. Joe Kavanaugh, 14. Chris Natale, 15. Bruce Ditzler. DNS — Dan Shaner.
Street stocks (20 laps) — 1. Jasen Geesaman ($500), 2. Rich Bossinger, 3. Jimmy Combs, 4. Tyler Stump, 5. Jim Somers, 6. Dave Kamp, 7. Jeremy Becker, 8. Bobby Kupp, 9. Chris Derr, 10. Marc Berzowski.