(Minersville, PA 8-29-26) Big Diamond Speedway brings down the curtain on the 2026 season with a big doubleheader weekend this coming Friday September 4 and Sunday September 6.
Friday's program will be the regular points season finale as the BQ Concrete 358 Modifieds, USS Achey Inc. 602 Crate Sportsman and the Red White and Blue Autos Inc. Roadrunners, which will be competing in the Crazy 8s, will take to the 3/8-mile dirt oval with champions to be crowned in each of those divisions, plus the Big Creek Concrete Rookie 602 Crate Sportsman will be in action.
Friday's races, which is part of USS Achey Inc. Night, begin at 7:00 pm. Adult general admission is $20, kids age 10-15 are $10 and nine and under free. Pits open at 5:00 pm and grandstands at 5:30 pm. Hot laps get things underway beginning at 6:45 pm.
The 2026 season then culminates on Sunday with the 46th running of the Jack Rich Inc., Coalcracker 72 for the 358 Modifieds and Coalcracker 25 for the 602 Crate Sportsman plus the Infinite Solutions Keystone Sport Compact Series will be hitting the track.
The Coalcracker is one of the "Must See" races on everyone's yearly calendar. Since its inception in 1979 this event has grown to be one of the premier races for dirt Modifieds in the northeast. Not only will all of the weekly stars be competing but likewise a multitude of top notch invaders will be rolling in for a shot at the hefty payday.
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The Modified winner will pocket $15,000-to-win the 72 lap contest and it's $600 to take the green. The Sportsman race, which always draws great car counts and equally great competition, will cover a 25 lap distance with first place earnings of $1500. Both divisions also have lap bonus money making it even more lucrative.
While there has been a who's who of Modified talent that have won the Coalcracker, no one has been more successful than nine time track champion Duane Howard with an unprecedented seven victories and an incredible class-leading 27 top-5s which includes the most runners-up (7) and thirds (9).
In the 45 running's of the race there has been 25 different winners with eight multiple victors. Along with Howard's seven wins next comes four time winners Craig Von Dohren, Jeff Strunk and Ryan Godown, who is also the defending champion.
Also on the multiple winners list are Charlie Eckert and Doug Hoffman who have claimed three wins each while Kenny Brightbill and Billy Pauch Sr., took the checkers on two occasions.
Coalcracker action gets underway with warm-ups starting at 6:30 pm and racing to follow. Pit admission is $45. Adult general admission is $35, students age 6-12 $15 and kids under six are free. All gates open at 3:00 pm.
Big Diamond Speedway is located at 392 Forest Lane, Pottsville. For up-to-date news and information logon to the official track website at https://bigdspeedway.net/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=big%20diamond%20speedway
