YANKOWSKI GOES BACK-TO-BACK WITH THRILLING FINISH
Bridgeport, NJ – The Bridgeport Motorsports Park has earned a reputation for the exciting racing that has taken place on the high banks of the 4/10th mile track. Saturday night’s action raised that reputation to a whole new level as both the Foley Cat Modified feature and South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman features were decided by late race battles in action sponsored by Ice Less.
A little more than a week ago, seventeen year old Alex Yankowski won his first race of the 2021 season at Bridgeport. On Saturday night, Yankowski picked up his second win in a race that saw Yankowksi and Matt Stangle in a drag race to the checkered flag.
Polesitter, Ronnie Roberts led the first lap. Billy Osmun III had the No. 81 on a rail around the top of the track as he sailed into the lead on lap two and led the way for fourteen laps.
Matt Stangle had the Danny’s Pizza Pizazz No. 51 in second before the fifth lap could be scored. He then began to reel in Osmun who had a sizeable lead after several green flag laps of racing. Osmun raced to the crossed flags as the leader but it was Stangle who was out in front on the next circuit. Stangle then wasted no time in putting some distance between him and the rest of the field.
Yankowski raced forward from his twelfth place start and took over second with less than ten laps remaining. Little by little, lap by lap, Yankowski was closing in on Stangle as the leader raced through lapped traffic. With just two laps to go, Mike Franz drew a caution when his No. 2 came up lame and Franz was unable to get off the track. That set-up a single file restart with green, white and checkered to go.
Yankowski challenged for the lead. Slide jobs and crossover moves saw Stangle battle back but Yankowski had the advantage at the white flag. Yankowski led the way but Stangle made a move to the inside and pulled up even with Yankowski as the two drivers raced to the finish line. Yankowksi had the advantage at the finish line by the slimmest of margins – just 6/100ths of a second.
Osmun trailed Yankowski and Stangle to the checkered for his best finish of the season. Ryan Krachun and Neal Williams rounded out the top five. Tommy Beamer finished sixth after running in the top five for most of the race. Ryan Godown raced his way back to seventh after his trip to the pits. Joseph Watson finished eighth ahead of Sam Martz and Ryan Watt, Seven of the top ten have at least one Bridgeport feature win to their credit.
The racing in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman feature was second to none. If you could tear your eyes away from the battle for the lead, there was three wide racing for third right behind the leaders.
Matt Ellery, a first year driver in this division, led the first three laps before Travis Hill put the Cogdill No. 98 out in front for lap four. Ellery was back in front for lap five followed by Hill and Eric Kormann in the Hoffman No. 10. Steve Kemery and Ryan Godown, Jr. raced into the top five before lap ten was scored.
Kemery was forced to pit for a tire change just after halfway. Ellery led Hill, Kormann, Rookie champion, Ethan Bill and Godown with ten laps to go.
On every restart, there was two and three wide racing for the lead as Kormann would move in on Ellery and Hill. Then another three or four wide race for fourth behind the leaders.
Wayne Weaver flew into third just before a lap seventeen caution and made it three wide for the lead when the green flag waved for the restart.
Hill raced into the lead on lap twenty-one and led the field to the checkered. Ellery finished second for another outstanding outing. Weaver took third over Kormann and Godown. Howie Finch finished sixth followed by point leader, Sammy Martz, jr., Kemery who raced his way back to an eighth place finish, Jim Dallett and Ryan Higgs.
Tom Wills, Jr. added to his lead in the points by winning his sixth Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stock feature event and his third win in a row.
John Parker led the first two laps before Wills raced into the lead on lap three. Mike Hughes battled with Jeramy Doerr and Jeff Dirkes throughout the fifteen lap event and even took a shot at the lead with just a few laps remaining.
Wills raced to the win over Hughes, Doerr, Dirkes and Parker.
Sprint car action comes to the high banks this Wednesday in a Winged and Wingless event with United Racing Club and USAC East Coast Wingless Sprint cars. Action begins at 6:15 with warm-ups. Then on Saturday night, for the first time ever on the high banks, the ULMA Super Late Models appear with the Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Street Stocks, 4 & 8 Cylinder Enduros and a Saturday Matinee for the All Star Slingshots.
if you want action – then Bridgeport Motorsports Park is where you want to be!
FOLEY CAT MODIFIEDS (30 laps)
1. Alex Yankowski, 2. Matt Stangle, 3. Billy Osmun, III, 4. Ryan Krachun, 5. Neal Williams, 6. Tommy Beamer, 7. Ryan Godown, 8. Joseph Watson, 9. Sam Martz, Sr., 10. Ryan Watt, 11. Billy Pauch, Sr., 12. Clay Butler, 13. Billy Lasko, 14. Ron Roberts, 15. Troy Ale, 16. W.B. James, 17. Mike Franz, 18. Joe Toth, 19. J.R. Fulper, 20. Dominick Buffalino, 21. Jim Gallagher, Jr., 22. Kevin Vaclavicek
SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN (25 laps)
1. Travis Hill, 2. Matt Ellery, 3. Wayne Weaver, 4. Eric Kormann, 5. Ryan Godown, Jr., 6. Howie Finch, 7. Sammy Martz, Jr., 8. Steve Kemery, 9. Jim Dallett, 10. Ryan Higgs, 11. Ethan Bill, 12. Billy Chester, 13. Will Protinick, 14. Zach Steffey, 15. Ryan Stangle, 16. Aaron Weaver, 17. Tom Sherby, 18. Ethan Young, 19. Scott Hulmes, 20. Andy Walko, 21. Pete Serra, DNS – Sean Metz
BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORT PARK STREET STOCKS (15 laps)
1. Tom Wills, Jr., 2. Mike Hughes, 3. Jeramy Doerr, 4. Jeff Dirkes, 5. John Parker, 6. Gary Klimeczak, 7. Terry Chaney, 8. Ken Moren, 9. Ron Dirkes, 10. Nick Sandone, III.