The East Coast Legend Series had their next stop on Friday, August 23, at Big Diamond Speedway in Pennsylvania. Devin Friese bested the field to win the feature. Colton Friese and Ryan Walls rounded out the top three.
ADDED: The series has released their race report, which can be read below.
August 23, 2024 (Pottsville, PA)-”If I could quote my old buddy, Scott Bloomquist, ‘When they sent me to the rear of the field, this race was over!” Devin Friese said in Victory Lane after picking up his fourth win in a row and seventh victory of the year at Big Diamond Speedway.
The East Coast Legend Series race got off to an inauspicious start in the first turn of the first lap when contact from Friese’s car sent Vincent Wenrich into the spin cycle. East Coast Series race director Richie Dobson sent Friese to the rear of the field as the caution was displayed to the drivers. Wenrich was relegated to the rear as well. Just prior to the restart, Wenrich gunned his car in turn two, kicked up dust, as he whipped his car in front of Friese bound and determined that Friese would indeed start at the very rear of the field.
While standing in the tech area following the race, Friese had this to say to Richie Dobson: “Richie, I get why you sent me to the rear because of the contact, but I was down against the berm. I had nowhere to go and Vincent just drove down across me and spun himself. But I’m sure he (Vincent) will tell everyone about it on Facebook, that’s what he’s good at,” Friese said.
Wenrich had quite a different take. “F**k Devin Friese….I hate him,” Wenrich said to Dobson and East Coast promoter Mike Donald following the race. “He (Friese) drilled me and he knows it,” Wenrich added. Wenrich also spun late in the race and pulled off late in the going. “Yeah, when he spun me, it tweaked my car…something just gave up in the rear and it spun,” Wenrich explained. “I was done…just done,” Wenrich added.
Oh, by the way, there was a race to be had and Seth Kearchner led the first four laps of the event. It appeared that Kearchner could have been enroute to his first Victory of the year, but he spun in turn four. “I hooked one of those ruts,” Kearchner explained. “I had a choice: Either fight it up the banking to the right and cause a big pile-up, or just spin it down to the infield and make it a one-car incident and give up the win. So, I spun it,” he added.
This allowed Colton Friese to inherit the lead, and boy did he lead it. But to do so, he would be forced to hold off some drivers who were very hungry for a win and looking for a career night. Those drivers included Colton’s brother, Dalton Friese. This also included Justin Wagaman and Ryan Walls. By the way, wily veteran and multi-race winner Scott Houdeshell was also in on the action up front.
At one point, Dalton Friese was nipping at Colton’s heels. Then, Wagaman was challenging; so was Walls. Then, Colton gapped them and started to pull away and managed to hang on to the lead until lap 18. That’s when Devin Friese got by Colton Friese and led the final two laps to go to Victory Lane!
Colton Friese finished second. This made Colton the highest-finishing Semi-Pro, which proved to be a great INEX points night for him as he contends with Quade Schoonover for the National Title. Walls ran great all night and finished third. Dalton Friese, who continues to impress in his rookie season, slipped back a couple spots to take fourth. Wagaman, who won his heat earlier in the evening, took the fifth spot.
Houdeshell took sixth. Kearchner rebounded nicely from his early-race spin to take seventh. Kelby Friese crossed the stripe in eighth as Scott Spidle took ninth. Kirk Martin rounded out the top-10. Kearchner and Wagaman won the night’s heat races.
Special thanks to David H. Martin Excavating, Inc. for the title sponsorship of the Series. The East Coast Series returns to action Sunday, Sept. 1 at Potomac Speedway in Maryland.
Full-field rundown: 1. Devin Friese, 2. Colton Friese, 3. Ryan Walls, 4. Dalton Friese, 5. Justin Wagaman, 6. Scott Houdeshell, 7. Seth Kearchner, 8. Kelby Friese, 9. Scott Spidle, 10. Kirk Martin, 11. Scott Montgomery, 12. Hunter McElroy, 13. Darren Lucas, 14. Dave Benner, 15. Moses Goetz, 16. Andrew Mowen, 17. Tracy Linn, 18. Dustin Burnisky, 19. Ben Burnisky, 20. Colby Miller, 21. Vincent Wenrich DNS: Eric Hurst
Photo credit: track photo
