FORESTVILLE — After chasing the points leader for the entire season, Pine Grove’s Chris Holland finished the quest Friday night at Big Diamond Speedway.
With a third-place finish in the 25-lap roadrunner feature, Holland caught and passed Terry Kramer Jr. to win his first roadrunner points title.
Holland was one of three drivers who earned championships Friday. The other were Orwigsburg’s Doug Hendricks in sportsmen and Lebanon’s Rich Bossinger in street stocks.
Also, Bobby Gunther Walsh earned a guaranteed starting spot in tonight’s season-ending Jack Rich Inc. Memorial Coal Cracker 72 for 358 modifieds by winning Friday’s non-winners race.
Holland trailed Kramer by 29 points entering Friday’s program. Holland then won his heat and drew a front-row starting spot.
He used that to stay among the top three in the entire race while Kramer finished seventh to finish 12 points behind Holland.
Tremont’s Tim Fitzpatrick Jr. won the feature for his fourth win of the season Andrew Fayash III took second. Jim Kost was fourth and Shon Elk was fifth.
Devin Trexler won the other heat race.
In the Coal Cracker 40 for sportsmen, Orefield’s Brett Kressley won the race for his fifth victory of the season.
The 2012 champion, Hendricks secured his second points championship by finishing fourth behind Kressley, runner-up Mike Mammana and Brad Brightbill. Last year’s points champion, Wayne Witmer, placed fifth.
Hendricks had taken the points lead for the first time this season one week earlier.
Witmer, Charles Fayash and Tim Fitzpatrick won the heats.
Another driver who secured the points lead late in the season, Bossinger won the street stock track title, an honor last awarded in 2013. He held a large enough lead to win the title despite dropping out of Friday’s feature.
Auburn’s Jeff Haag won the feature over Jasen Geesaman, Bobby Kupp, Matt Wilson and Trexler.
Bossinger won the heat race.
Walsh, of Allentown, won the 20-lap 358 modified non-winners race of four cars. He inherited a front-row starting spot when race leader Shawn Fitzpatrick pitted during a caution period.
Walsh edged Paul Moyer for the win. Mario Dinatale was third ahead of Fitzpatrick.
The Jack Rich Inc. Memorial Coal Cracker 72 will be a 72-lap feature paying $10,000 to the winner. Today’s 8:15 p.m. program includes roadrunners, 600cc modifieds and a fireworks display at intermission.
General admission costs $27 per person, while senior citizens pay $25 and children ages 6-12 pay $5. Active military personnel with identification and children ages 5 and under are admitted free.
Big Diamond Speedway Friday’s results
358 modifieds (Non-winners’ race, 20 laps) — 1. Bobby Gunther Walsh, 2. Paul Moyer, 3. Mario Dinatale, 4. Shawn Fitzpatrick
Sportsmen (Coal Cracker 40, 40 laps) — 1. Brett Kressley ($1,200), 2. Mike Mammana, 3. Brad Brightbill, 4. Doug Hendricks, 5. Wayne Witmer, 6. Craig Whitmoyer, 7. Kris Lilick, 8. Charles Fayash, 9. Tim Fitzpatrick, 10. Mike Glass, 11. Steve Searock IV, 12. Daryl Dissinger, 13. Ray Woodall Jr., 14. Glenn Rowan, 15. Ed Mrochko, 16. J.R. Fulper, 17. Steve Desmelyk, 18. Billy Wingle Jr., 19. Matt Clay, 20. Josh Hertzog, 21. Brad Szulewicz, 22. Kevin Beach Jr., 23. Rob Light, 24. Richard Emel
Roadrunners (20 laps) — 1. Tim Fitzpatrick Jr., 2. Andrew Fayash III, 3. Chris Holland, 4. Jim Kost, 5. Shon Elk, 6. Kris Ney, 7. Terry Kramer Jr., 8. T.J. Kennedy, 9. Devin Trexler, 10. Jon Schlauch, 11. Shawn Mulhall, 12. Dave Long Jr., 13. Andrew Buchinski, 14. Kevin Holland, 15. Tim Spesak, 16. Kyle Wingle, 17. Chris Reichert. DNS — Mark Antonelli
Street stocks (20 laps) — 1. Jeff Haag, 2. Jasen Geesaman, 3. Bobby Kupp, 4. Matt Wilson, 5. Devin Trexler, 6. Noah Jensen, 7. Sam Jensen, 8. Chris Derr, 9. Jeremy Becker, 10. Jim Somers Jr., 11. Rich Bossinger.