FORESTVILLE — Even though he had a division-leading three feature wins in 2015, the last place Rick Laubach expected to see Friday night was victory lane.
“It’s all self-inflicted, what we’ve been doing to ourselves,” Laubach said of his recent struggles at Big Diamond Speedway. “We’re still doing it right now. That’s why I said we’re lucky to win.”
But he did win Friday’s 25-lap 358 modified feature when race leader Billy Pauch Jr.’s car lost power in the second corner on the final lap.
Laubach’s victory was part of a long, action-packed Schuylkill Mall Night at Big Diamond.
In the roadrunner division, Pottsville’s Jim Kost won the rained-out feature from June 12 by edging Forestville’s Elvin Brennan.
Brennan then was a pivotal player in the regularly scheduled feature. While leading the 20-lap race, he and Andrew Fayash III collided at the top of the frontstretch. Brennan spun, and Fayash came away with the first feature win of his career.
Mertztown’s Josh Weller won the 25-lap United Racing Club 360 sprint feature.
While Weller dominated his feature, Laubach said his car was not as good as Pauch’s No. 15. In a feature that had 10 caution flags, Pauch led from the seventh lap to the 25th.
But as Pauch coasted after the engine quit, Laubach passed him for his fourth win of the season and the 17th of his Big Diamond career.
He considered it a gift.
“We had one of the fastest cars here and we basically screwed it up,” Laubach said. “We know what changes we did, and they’re not the right ones, but you don’t get better if you don’t try.”
Still, starting 11th, Laubach’s car was good enough to take the lead from Pauch on a 14th-lap restart.
Another caution flag followed, and Pauch steered around Laubach in the second turn on the restart. He then led until the final circuit.
Duane Howard was second ahead of Jared Umbenhauer, Ray Swinehart and defending feature winner John Willman. Pauch settled for 14th.
Kost produced a three-race winning streak when he won the make-up roadrunner feature to begin Friday’s program.
Kost took the lead from Chris Holland on the fifth lap and held off Brennan over the final half of the race.
“I got it driving right where I need it. I drove my line and he (Brennan) knew where I was racing all race,” Kost said. “He couldn’t get underneath me enough to get by.”
Tim Fitzpatrick Jr. was third ahead of Kris Ney and Jesse Krasnitsky.
Brennan started the night’s final feature from the pole and led every lap until Fayash, who chased him the entire distance, made his move off the fourth corner.
The cars’ bumpers hooked together and the contact sent Brennan’s car spinning into the frontstretch wall for an 11th-place finish. Fayash got away to cross the finish line to become the seventh different driver with a roadrunner feature win in 2015.
“When we hooked for a second, I thought, ‘Just stay out of the wall and stay in it,’ ” Fayash, of Noxen, said, adding, “Elvin is the hardest person to pass, especially on a dry track.”
Jeremy Becker placed second ahead of Chris Natale, T.J. Fitzpatrick and Krasnitsky.
Weller grabbed the top spot in the second lap of the URC sprints’ feature and never let it go.
But Weller had to withstand a single-file restart with three laps remaining after Tyler Ross’ car flipped out of the track in the fourth corner to bring out a red flag. Ross was unhurt.
“With a racing club like this, there are 10 to 12 guys in the pits every night that can win a race like this,” Weller said, “Tonight, we were one of them and it’s a pretty good feeling.”
New York drivers Justin Barger and Joe Trenca were second and third, respectively. URC points leader Curt Michael was fourth and Robbie Stillwaggon was fifth.
In heat action, Willman, Colt Harris and Kyle Follweiler won modified heats.
Trenca, Barger and Weller won URC heats and Scranton’s Larry Kelleher won the B-main.
Fayash and Brennan won roadrunner heats.
Big Diamond Speedway Friday’s results
Roadrunners (20 laps, makeup from June 13 rainout) —1. Jim Kost, 2. Elvin Brennan, 3. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr., 4. Kris Ney, 5. Jesse Krasnitsky, 6. Shon Elk, 7. Chris Holland, 8. Terry Kramer Jr., 9. Joe Kavanaugh, 10. Chris Natale, 11. T.J. Fitzpatrick, 12. Kermit Jacoby, 13. Andrew Fayash III
358 modifieds (25 laps) —1. Rick Laubach, 2. Duane Howard, 3. Jared Umbenhauer, 4. Ray Swinehart, 5. John Willman, 6. Kyle Follweiler, 7. Kevin Beach Jr., 8. Andy Burkhart, 9. Bobby Gunther Walsh, 10. Scott Albert, 11. Paul Moyer, 12. Shawn Fitzpatrick, 13. Justin Grim, 14. Billy Pauch Jr., 15. Joe Mooney, 16. Dan Hineline, 17. Heath Metzger, 18. Colt Harris, 19. Jim Bobbitt Jr., 20. Steve Young, 21. Craig Von Dohren, 22. Meme DeSantis, 23. Mario Dinatale
United Racing Club sprints (25 laps) —1. Josh Weller, 2. Justin Barger, 3. Joe Trenca, 4. Curt Michael, 5. Robbie Stillwaggon, 6. Jason Clauss, 7. Randy West, 8. Troy Betts, 9. Davie Franek, 10. Jimmy Stitzel, 11. Brad Franks, 12. Scott Lutz, 13. Keith Prutzman, 14. Kevin Albert, 15. Mark Bitner, 16. Art Liedl, 17. Jason Cherry, 18. Tyler Ross, 19. Larry Kelleher, 20. J.R. Berry, 21. Andy Best
Roadrunners (20 laps, June 20 feature) —1. Fayash, 2. Jeremy Becker, 3. Natale, 4. T.J. Fitzpatrick, 5. Krasnitsky, 6. Kramer, 7. Holland, 8. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr., 9. Kost, 10. Elk, 11. Brennan, 12. Ney, 13. Dave Long Jr., 14. Jacoby