RPW Column: Frank Yankowski Ready For Bounce Back Season At Big Diamond Speedway In 2020
RPW Column By: BRAD KEITSOCK / RPW – THROOP, PA – The 2019 racing season is one that Throop Pa’s Frank Yankowski wants to put as far behind him as possible.
As the saying goes, “it was just one of those years” and everything that could go wrong seemed to do so for Yankowski.
Yankowski explained, “Hopefully we can have a better year this year than last year. Truthfully is was just one of those years. We had things break on the race car that normally just don’t break. We could never just get a good rhythm going. It was just frustrating.”
Yankowski had a brief stint in the sportsman division at Minersville Pa’s Big Diamond Speedway in the mid 2000’s. A hiatus from the speedway for a few years followed and then a late season return in 2017 in the headline 358 modified division at speedway has seen Yankowski become a Friday night track regular since.
In 2018 50-year-old Yankowski, was flat out fast at the Big Diamond Speedway. Coming oh so close twice to parking his #127 modified in the speedways victory lane only to be denied late in both those races. A strong 5th place in the season long points battle awaited Yankowski when the racing season concluded.
Yankowski is looking to get back to racing up front once again once the 2020 season gets the green flag on Friday night April 10th.
And Yankowski is hoping a big change to their racing program is going to be the final piece they need to reach the ultimate goal of victory this season, as Yankowski will now be strapped into a brand new Hig Fab chassis race car on Friday nights instead of the Teo Pro cars he’s raced previously.
“Nothing against Teo at all, in fact we still have Teo cars in our shop, but I got to work with Jerry (Higbie) and checking out his Hig Fab cars last year a little bit and I just want to try something different this year. I think the Hig Fab cars will be a good fit for me” commented Yankowski.
The switch over to running only gasoline in 2020 at the Big Diamond Speedway has been a topic of conversation on the local racing scene.
Yankowski’s thoughts, “I’m good with the switch over to all gas this year, but I really don’t think you’ll see a difference in the racing.”
To say Yankowski is looking forward to the 2020 racing season is an understatement.
“My new Hig Fab race car will be ready and my Murray racing engine with be all freshened up and ready to go once April gets here. The new surface Big Diamond put on the track really started to get good at the end of the year last year and I’m just looking forward to getting back out there.” commented Yankowski.
“I have to thank my cousin Steve (Yankowski) who owns our racing operation, along with Fire Management of Pa, Davis Powder Coating, La Familia at Red Maples Golf Course for making this all happen for me, without them and I wouldn’t be racing.” explains Yankowski.
Keep an eye out for Frank Yankowski and his Hig Fab #127 modified. As you just might be seeing them in the Big Diamond Speedway headlines this racing season.
