Monthly Archives: July 2014

     Alex Bright picked up his third win of the 2014 season when he won the twenty-five lap American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) feature event at the Big Diamond Speedway on Friday night.  Bright and Steve Buckwalter now both have three wins to date.  Current ARDC point leader, Steven Drevicki has a pair of wins to his credit.

This was ARDC’s first race at Big Diamond since the 2012 season and ironically, Alex Bright was the winner of that race as well.  Bright has added many accomplishments to his credentials within the last year – including a win in the Magic Man 34 in Australia last November and a fourth place finish in the renowned Chili Bowl in January of this year.  Bright drives the Lightcap Electric #77 owned by his grandfather, Joe Hemler.  He has won two of the last three ARDC events.

The top six qualifiers in the two heat races drew for their starting positions in the feature event.  Bright shared the front row with Bethlehem, PA hot shoe, Kyle Lick.  It was Bright who grabbed the lead on the start as Lick, Brett Arndt, ARDC newcomer, Tyler Brehm and Trevor Kobylarz raced in the top five at the start of the race.  Kobylarz was on the move as he raced his way to third on lap two.

Bright started to pull away from the field but his efforts were negated when Bruce Buckwalter, Jr. drew a caution with just three laps on the books.  On the restart, Kobylarz challenged Lick for second but it was 2013 ARDC Rookie of the Year, Tony DiMattia who was on the move, taking over 4th on lap five.  Unfortunately, DiMattia was the reason for the red flag one lap later as he went for a wild ride in turn four.   DiMattia was uninjured.  Brett Arndt and Brian Gilmore headed to the pits when the yellow lights came back on.

With Bright out in front, Kobylarz again challenged Lick for second.  Lick fought off the advances as they headed through turns one and two but Kobylarz made it stick when he raced down the inside groove on the backstretch.  Lick fought back but Kobylarz held the position.

The race for fourth was heating up as  the race approached the half way mark.  Nick Wean raced Ryan Greth for the spot as Brenden Bright and Steven Drevicki were closing in.  At the crossed flag, Bright led Kobylarz, Lick, Wean and Brenden Bright.

As Bright negotiated his way around some of the slower cars, the battle was on for third.  Lick, Wean and Brenden Bright raced side by side and wheel to wheel for the last ten laps of the race.  Inside, outside and down the middle, these three cars raced under a blanket for the third spot.  Wean won the position in the final laps.

With the checkered waving, Bright took his third win of the season followed Kobylarz, Wean, Lick and Brenden Bright.  Greth, Drevicki, Bruce Buckwalter Jr. who rallied back from the lap four caution, PJ Gargiulo and Tyler Brehm.

Gargiulo and Drevicki won the qualifying heats.

ARDC heads to Potomac, MD and Winchester, VA for action this Friday and Saturday.

FEATURE FINISH (25 LAPS)
1. Alex Bright 2. Trevor Kobylarz 3. Nick Wean 4. Kyle Lick 5. Brenden Bright 6. Ryan Greth 7. Steven Drevicki  8. Bruce Buckwalter, Jr. 9. PJ Gargiulo 10. Tyler Brehm 11. Clayton Glassman 12. Austin Burke 13. Tommy Kunsman 14. Brett Wanner 15. Tony DiMattia 16. Brett Arndt 17. Brian Gilmore   DNS – Eric Heydenreich, Tim Buckwalter

     2010 ARDC Champion, Steve Buckwalter set a blistering pace on his way to his second consecutive win in American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) action on the high banks of the Grandview Speedway.  It was Buckwalter’s third win of the season and 47th ARDC victory of his career – moving Steve Buckwalter up to fifth behind Ray Bull in ARDC win totals.

Current ARDC point leader, Steven Drevicki and Alex Bright led the field of wingless midgets to the green flag with Bright using the outside line to take the lead on lap one.  Bright ran and hid from the field as he extended his lead lap after lap.  Bright was already reeling in the back of the field by lap eight as Drevicki, Brenden Bright, Tim Buckwalter and Ryan Watt raced in the top five.

But disaster would strike for the young Collegeville, PA driver on lap eleven.  Bright was preparing to negotiate his way through lapped traffic when contact was made between the Lightcap Electric #77 and the car driven by Eric Heydenreich.  Bright took a wild ride in turn two before coming to rest on the inside of the track.  Bright exited the car uninjured but his bid for his third ARDC win of the season ended with ten laps complete.

Drevicki took the lead on the restart as Brenden Bright and Tim Buckwalter battled for second in front of Watt.  Tim Buckwalter took over second when the pair raced through turn three.  Steve Buckwalter slid into third before the half way mark.  After a two lap battle with Tim Buckwalter, Steve Buckwalter moved up to second.  The caution waved for Tyler Brehm who sat on the infield just off of turn four with just eleven laps remaining.

Drevicki now had Steve Buckwalter on his back bumper for the single file restart.  Drevicki and Buckwalter swapped the lead back and forth but Buckwalter took the lead for good on lap seventeen as the pair headed down the backstretch.

Steve Buckwalter had the lead to himself as Tim Buckwalter closed in on Drevicki in the final laps.

When the checkered flag waved, it was Steve Buckwalter for the win.  Drevicki held off Tim Buckwalter’s challenges to finish second.  Brenden Bright followed in fourth.  Kyle Lick made a late race charge to crack the top five as he crossed the finish line in fifth at the end of twenty-five laps.

     ARDC action shifts to the Big Diamond Speedway this Friday night.

ARDC MIDGET FEATURE RESULTS (25 LAPS) 1. Steve Buckwalter 2. Steven Drevicki 3. Tim Buckwalter 4. Brenden Bright 5. Kyle Lick 6. Nick Wean 7. Trevor Kobylarz 8. Brett Arndt 9. PJ Gargiulo 10. Bruce Buckwalter, Jr. 11. Tony DiMattia 12. Tommy Kunsman Jr. 13. Austin Burke 14. Clayton Glassman 15. Brian Gilmore 16. Greg Fitzpatrick 17. Ryan Watt 18. Tyler Brehm 19. Alex Bright 20. Eric Heydenreich 21. Brett Wanner

     Gargiulo and John Barnett will take part in a pre-race meet & greet beginning at 5pm at the speedway grandstand entrance.

     If side by side and three wide is your type of racing, than ARDC is for you!