FORESTVILLE - Tim Buckwalter had every reason to stay with the American Racing Drivers Club midget tour.
After all, he was the 2010 ARDC Rookie of the Year and added to that status by taking the 2012 drivers' championship.
However, Buckwalter decided to race a 358 modified in 2013 instead, a decision that paid a dividend Friday night that some of the most experienced regional drivers in the division coveted.
Taking the lead from polesitter Duane Howard with an outside pass in the second turn on the ninth lap, Buckwalter held off Howard over the remaining distance to win the 30-lap Prelude to the Coalcracker feature and its $4,000 prize at Big Diamond Speedway.
"Wow is all I can say," the Douglassville driver said. "Wow."
Of course, Buckwalter said more, and his next statement seemed to convince himself that he truly had achieved something with his first-ever victory in a 358 modified.
"I've been racing for about 16 years and I don't think anything feels like this," he said. "You know, if you look in the modified book, Howard is the best at every track, and to go around him on the top on a restart is just incredible. I knew if I could get him, I'd be able to hold him off."
The very idea the pass would work surprised him, though, when he took the high road on the eighth lap before a caution flag waved.
"By mistake, I went into (turn) one on the top. I never had luck all year entering into one on the top. I always end up hanging and getting passed," he said. "But I went in there and the thing really rolled over and dug, lugged the motor down, so the next time, I'm like, 'We're running in there.' "
On the restart after the four-car spin that slowed the action, Buckwalter tried the move.
"Man, it just stuck, and I got next to him (Howard) and it was game over," he said. "Once I got into clear sailing, I could run where I wanted to run."
Howard finished second by 88 hundredths of a second. Doug Manmiller was third ahead of Rick Laubach and Billy Pauch Sr.
In other action, Branchdale's Marc Berzowski notched his roadrunner-leading ninth feature win of the season in a caution-filled race trimmed to 14 laps because of the time limit.
"I was shot. Honest to God, I was praying for that next caution," Berzowski said after the power steering in his No. 66K Chevrolet Monte Carlo failed early in the 20-lap feature.
However, Berzowski used the outside line to pass defending feature winner Shon Elk one lap before a three-car crash, which involved Elk, ended the race.
"I passed Elk there many times before, and I knew I could get him again," said Berzowski, who also won his heat race. "I gave it all it got, and it stuck."
Kyle Killian took second place, while Terry Kramer Jr. placed third ahead of Devin Trexler and Jim Kost.
Compared to the first two features of the night, the Tri-State RaceSaver 305 Sprints' 20-lap feature seemed like a heat race.
Completing the distance non-stop in 5 minutes, 51.13 seconds, Bensalem's Adam Carberry passed his cousin Tommy Carberry Jr. for the lead on the third lap and claimed his first-ever feature triumph.
Adam Carberry, driving only his second season in the only class he has ever competed, deftly maneuvered through heavy lapped traffic in his No. 47 in the race's latter stages.
"The way the track ended up being, it (the best path) was definitely around the bottom," said the son of longtime sprint car driver Ken Carberry, adding, "My dad has raced for 20 years, so even though I won, I'm sure he'll tell me 20 things I did wrong.
"There's always stuff to learn, but I'm happy to get a win."
Jeff Schall placed third ahead of Mike Haggenbottom and Davey Brown Jr.
Big Diamond Speedway will host the Jack Rich Memorial Weekend this week. Following a Friday night program of 358 modifieds, sportsmen and roadrunners, the track will conduct its Coalcracker 72, which pays $10,000 to the feature winner of the 358 modifieds, on Sunday night. That program includes the roadrunners and a fireworks display.
Both programs will begin at 8:15 p.m.
Big Diamond Speedway
358 Modifieds
Feature (Prelude to the Coalcracker, 30 laps) - 1. Tim Buckwalter ($4,000). 2. Duane Howard, 3. Doug Manmiller, 4. Rick Laubach, 5. Billy Pauch Sr., 6. Meme DeSantis, 7. Craig Von Dohren, 8. Richie Pratt Jr., 9. Kevin Smith, 10. Frank Cozze, 11. Kyle Borror, 12. Kevin Albert Jr., 13. Ricky Yetter, 14. Jared Umbenhauer, 15. Kyle Weiss, 16. Andy Burkhart, 17. Dale Hartz, 18. Nick DeSantis, 19. Justin Grim, 20. Jeff Strunk, 21. John Willman, 22. Terry Meitzler, 23. Mike Nicholas, 24. Dan Hineline, 25. Danny Nicholas, 26. Billy Pauch Jr.
Heat winners - Craig Von Dohren, Duane Howard, Terry Meitzler, Richie Pratt Jr.
Consolation winners -Nick DeSantis, John Willman
Roadrunners
Feature (20 laps) - 1. Marc Berzowski, 2. Kyle Killian, 3. Terry Kramer Jr., 4. Devin Trexler, 5. Jim Kost, 6. Chip Kennedy, 7. Neil Bressler, 8. T.J. Fitzpatrick, 9. Joe Kavanaugh, 10. Ricky Bender, 11. Andrew Fayash III, 12. Bill Wingle Jr., 13. Tim Spesak, 14. Bruce Ditzler, 15. Tom Hablett, 16. Shon Elk, 17. Jeremy Becker, 18. Chris Holland, 19. Kris Ney, 20. Jesse Krasnitsky, 21. Jon Schlauch, (DNS) Dave Long Jr.
Heat winners - Tom Hablett, Marc Berzowski
TSRS 305 Sprints
Feature (20 laps, top 5) - 1. Adam Mayberry, 2. Tom Mayberry, 3. Jeff Schall, 4. Mike Haggenbottom, 5. Davey Brown Jr.
Heat winners - Erika Palmai, David Martin, Tyler Reeser