MARTZ, BRITT & TANNER TOP SATURDAY NIGHT BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY ACTION

  Wagner Clinches Poker Series Title

     Sam Martz held off the persistent attempts of Jamie Mills in the final laps of the Spirit Auto Centers Big Block Modified Feature event to pick up his second win of the 2015 season in exciting fashion.  Jim Britt was the class of the Stewart Stainless Crate/Sportsman division, picking up his fifth win of the year while Tim Tanner won his second race of the year in the final hand of the Bethman Auto Center/Bruce’s Speed Shop/Thayer Performance Poker Series for the Hilborn TriState Race Saver sprint cars.  

     In what was one of the closest finishes of the season, Martz fought off the late race challenges of Jamie Mills to capture the win in the twenty-five lap Big Block Modified feature event. 

     Ron Roberts took control at the start and led the first sixteen laps of the feature event.  Martz moved into second on the first lap and trailed Roberts by several car lengths.  David Hunt raced in third, followed by Mills and Bob Sarkisian at the half way mark. 

     Mills was on the move, picking off positions one at a time and had just passed Hunt for third spot before the caution waved on lap seventeen.  The field lined up double file for the restart and Martz used the outside line to drive by Roberts to take the lead.  Mills made his way to second with an inside pass by Roberts on the backstretch. 

     With just five laps to go, Mills chased Martz with Hunt, Watt and Roberts trailing.  Tommy Beamer was closing in  Roberts to challenge for a top five position.  Martz ran the middle of the track and Mills made his way around on the bottom until Watt drew a caution with three to go with a flat tire. 

     Martz led the field to the final restart with Mills hot on his heels.  There was a three way race for fifth as Richie Pratt, Jr. was on the move and racing with Roberts and Beamer for position. 

     Mills changed his line on lap twenty-four and moved higher on the track, racing Martz side by side down the backstretch.  Mills threw everything he had at Martz and the Izzi Trucking No. 3, changing lanes again as the leaders raced to the final lap.  But Martz had it covered as he beat Mills to the finish line. by less than six one hundredths of a second.  Hunt finished third with Beamer and Pratt finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

     Melissa Scarpati led the first lap of the twenty lap main event for the Stewart Stainless Crate/Sportsman feature before David Crossman moved into the lead on lap two.  Coming from his tenth place start, Jim Britt moved by Crossman to take the lead on lap four. 

     Current point leader, Pat Wall raced his way into second on lap seven but Britt had already driven to a sizeable lead.   A caution just past half way, erased Britt’s advantage as Wall, Crossman, Gary Hieber, Jr. and Steve Desmelyk raced in the top five.  Wall kept it close for a lap or two before Britt again pulled away from the field. 

     Britt took the win with Wall finishing second.  Hieber followed in third with CJ Jones and Steve Davis rounding out thScoe top five. 

     Karl Freyer and Tim Tanner led the field of TSRS sprint cars to the start of their twenty lap main event with Freyer moving into the lead at the wave of the green.  Freyer led Tanner by several lengths until the leaders caught up to lapped traffic on lap twelve.  Tanner was able to close in on Freyer and chose to go to the outside to get by the slower traffic.  That ended up being the winning move as Tanner went on to capture the win   Freyer had one of his best outings of the season to finish second followed by Adam Carberry, Eddie Wagner and Joe Kay.

     Wagner’s fourth place finish clinched the 2015 Poker Series Championship.  Wagner has two wins at Bridgeport this season, one of which came during an exciting Poker Series event earlier this season. 

SPIRIT AUTO CENTERS BIG BLOCK MODIFIED FEATURE (25 LAPS)

1. Sam Martz, 2. Jamie Mills, 3. David Hunt, 4. Tommy Beamer, 5. Richie Pratt, Jr., 6. Jordan Watson, 7. Ron Roberts, 8. Travis Hill, 9. Bob Sarkisian, 10. Jesse Hill, 11. Jack Swain, 12. Wade Hendrickson, 13. Corey Anderson, 14. Howard O’Neal, 15. Dave Shirk, 16. Scott Irwin, 17. Mike Franz, 18. Jimmy Chester, 19. Ryan Watt, 20. Bucky Kell, 21. John Milozar, Jr., 22. Rick Laubach, 23. Ryan Forte, 24. Tom Macherone

STEWART STAINLESS CRATE SPORTSMAN FEATURE (20  LAPS)

1. Jim Britt, 2. Pat Wall, 3. Gary Hieber, Jr., 4. CJ Jones, 5. Steve Davis, 6. Bob Lilick, 7. Pete Visconti, 8. Matthew Peck, 9. David Crossman, 10. Steve Desmelyk, 11. Dave Damiano, 12. Steve Kemery, 13. Brett Ballard, 14. Ernie Miles, III, 15. Scott Hulmes, 16. Bryan Lilick, 17. Melissa Scarpatim, 18. Chuck Potts, 19. Tom Holding, 20. David Jenkins, 21. Pete Serra, 22. Jeremy Harrington

BETHMAN AUTO CENTER/BRUCE’S SPEED SHOP/THAYER PERFORMANCE POKER SERIES FOR TSRS (20 LAPS)

1. Tim Tanner, 2. Karl Freyer, 3. Adam Carberry, 4. Eddie Wagner, 5. Joe Kay, 6. Rick Steif, 7. Joe Lord, 8. Dave Brown, 9. Keith Anderson, 10. Samantha Lieberman, 11. Mike Haggenbottom, 12. Bryant Davis, 13. Erika Wagner, 14. Scott Frack