FRIESEN IS CROWNED AS THE “KING OF THE BIG BLOCKS” IN DIRTcar BRIDGEPORT EVENT
Bridgeport, NJ – Stewart Friesen continued his dominance in Northeast Modified competition as he picked up his seventeenth victory of the 2020 season in the King of the Big Blocks Super DIRTcar event at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park on Wednesday night.
Thirty-three drivers competed in timed hot laps and qualifying races to determine the twenty-eight car starting line-up for the 100 lap main event. This race marked the longest race held to date on the new 4/10th mile surface and the first since the DIRTcars last appeared at Bridgeport in 2017.
Larry Wight battled his Gypsum team mate, Billy Decker for the early race lead with Ryan Godown, Chris Hile and Mike Mahaney trailing. Decker took the lead from Wight on the twentieth circuit but Decker’s lead would be short-lived as he headed to the pits for new rubber on lap twenty-five. Wight went back to the point for several laps until Friesen would drive by to take the lead. Wight continued in second until Billy Pauch, Jr. took over the runner-up spot behind the wheel of his dad’s K&A Excavating No. 1.
Friesen quickly pulled away from the field on every restart. Friesen led Pauch, Jr. , Godown, Tim Fuller and Chris Hile through the crossed flags. Wight’s race came to an end a few laps later with mechanical failure.
While much of the field battled tire issues, Friesen continued to log laps as the race leader, with a comfortable margin between the Halmar No. 44 and its nearest competitor. That changed when Matt Sheppard drove into second on a lap seventy-two restart.
Sheppard closed the gap on Friesen and began to look inside and outside for options. Friesen had tried to preserve his tires throughout the race but he knew that he was losing grip when the car started to skate. Sheppard made the pass for the lead on lap eighty-eight with a move to the outside when Friesen tried to protect his lead on the lower line. Sheppard’s lead was short lived as less than two laps later, the No. 9S slowed and headed to the pits, putting Friesen back out in front.
Billy Decker was able to put some pressure on Friesen in the closing laps until Jimmy Phelps closed in on Decker. Decker noted that Friesen’s ultimate success came as a result of his ability to be smooth throughout the race.
Andy Bachetti was the driver on the move in the closing laps as he raced into fourth with a late race pass by Mike Maresca.
Friesen took the win and promptly dedicated his victory to Danny Serrano, Bridgeport’s General Manager who passed away in March after playing a key role in owner, Doug Rose’s vision of a new Bridgeport. “I don’t know what happened but Danny Serrano was looking out for me tonight,” Friesen declared from Victory Lane. “This one’s for Danny,” Friesen asserted. “He would be proud of this!”
The new Bridgeport 4/10th mile surface received rave reviews from the competitors who traveled from near and far to compete in the first Super DIRTcar race of the 2020 season. Many of the drivers had been watching footage from previous events on the new surface. “It’s pretty cool,” the race’s runner-up, Billy Decker stated. “We’ve been watching the highlights . There’s a lot of slicing and dicing.” Decker’s Gypsum team mate, Larry Wight interjected, “For the first year, I think they are doing a great job with the track.”
Friesen picked up the win followed by Billy Decker, Jimmy Phelps, Andy Bachetti and Mike Maresca. The pride of Australia, Peter Britten finished sixth followed by Tim Fuller, Billy Dunn, Mike Mahaney and 2019 Super DIRTcar Champion, Mat Williamson.
KING OF THE BIG BLOCKS SUPER DIRTCAR 100 LAP FEATURE EVENT
- Stewart Friesen, 2. Billy Decker, 3. Jimmy Phelps, 4. Andy Bachetti, 5. Michael Maresca, 6. Peter Britten, 7. Tim Fuller, 8. Billy Dunn. 9, Mike Mahaney, 10. Mat Williamson, 11. Demterious Drellos, `12. Jessey Mueller, 13. Dave Marcuccilli, 14. Chris Hile, 15. Jack Lehner, 16. Brandon Grosso, 17. Ryan Watt, 18. Tyler Dippel, 19. Marcus Dinkins, 20. Erick Rudolph, 21. Billy Pauch, Jr., 22. Matt Sheppard, 23. Ryan Godown, 24. Rick Laubach, 25. Larry Wight, 26. Neal Williams, 27. Chad Phelps, 28. Ryan Krachun