RECORDS FALL WHEN PA POSSE COMES TO BRIDGEPORT

Bridgeport, NJ – Did you hear the noise?

If you were in the area of the Bridgeport Motorsports Park on Wednesday evening, then you most certainly heard the noise! It was the sound of records being broken by the PA Posse 410 Sprint Cars on Specialty Rigging Night at the Bridgeport Speedway.

The “Concrete Kid”, Anthony Macri set the one lap record on the high banks of the Bridgeport Speedway during last year’s Invasion of the PA Posse event. That record was 13.581 seconds around the four tenth mile speedway. But that record fell on Wednesday night – not once – but repeatedly throughout the evening.

The driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Ally Chevy Camaro was in the first group of timed hot laps and he promptly set fast time with his time of 13.092 – shaving about a half second off the previous record. Alex Bowman’s fast time only lasted until the second group of cars hit the clocks. Fourteen other drivers beat the original record but it was Brent Marks of Myerstown, PA who surpassed all other competitors and established the new one lap record of 12.705.

Kyle Reinhardt was the winner of the Dash in his Capitol Renegade No. 91, earning him the pole position for the thirty lap main event. When the green flag waved, it was Marks who charged into the lead from the outside pole and then drove away from the stellar field.

Marks set a torrid pace as he flawlessly raced through traffic as the green flag laps were scored. Justin Peck, the 22 year old driver from Monrovia, IN raced by Reinhardt to take over second. With ten laps on the books when Justin Peck made contact with the car driven by the “Outback Outlaw”, Linton Jeffries between turns three and four. Jeffries was done for the night but Peck’s crew made fast work of doing what they could to repair a right rear shock and change a tire, sending Peck back out to rejoin at the rear of the field.

Marks continued to pace the field with Macri, Reinhardt, Freddie Rahmer, Jr. and Bowman making up the top five through halfway. Briggs Danner of Allentown, PA raced just outside the top five and battled with Ryan Smith throughout the race. It was Danner’s first ever race in a 410 winged sprint car.

As the laps counted down, everyone’s eyes were on Peck’s yellow No. 13 as he raced through the pack and into the top five.
Marks took the five to go sign followed by Macri, Reinhardt, Rahmer and Peck. Christopher Bell had the Swindoll Speed Lab No. 39 challenging for position late in the race as he ran just outside the top five.

With just one lap to go, Marks slowed on the track. The closing rate was so significant that Macri tagged Marks’ No. 19, spun, did a 360 and never stopped. Marks was out of fuel and his quest for the win fell one lap short. Macri thought, at first, that it was the checkered flag and so Marks backed out of the throttle.

Macri led the field to the restart for the final lap. Macri scored the win followed by Peck who took over second in the final lap. Reinhardt finished third followed by Bell and Rahmer. Ryan Smith finished sixth after some late race passes followed by Parker Price Miller, Briggs Danner, Bowman and Marks.

The was Macri’s third in less than a week and there’s no doubt he likes the high banks of the Bridgeport Speedway. “It’s really a fun track,” Macri commented after collecting the $7,500 winner’s share of the purse. Macri had a pair of podium finishes in 410 events at Bridgeport last season as well as a win in the United Racing Club season finale behind the Christopher Dyson No. 20. Macri plans to race the remaining 410 shows at Bridgeport – including the World of Outlaw show on May 17th. Macri related that the lapped traffic was a little trickier than usual during the thirty lap feature event.
Peck’s run from the back was certainly a crowd pleaser. “I think I ran about the last ten laps without a right rear shock,” the speedster stated. Peck talked about the contact between himself and Jeffries. “I ran up on him so fast – I just misjudged it. I was really able to move around and Cowboy up!” Peck is also expected to return for the World of Outlaws show next month.

Kyle Reinhardt was disappointed with his third place run after starting on the pole but the driver admitted to struggling the first half of the race. “I don’t know if it was the full load of fuel or what,” Reinhardt explained but he did feel that they were a third place car.

The Precision Hydraulics & Oil 602 Sportsman competed in a twenty-five lap feature event and it was Joe Toth in the Belmont’s Garage No. 14 who took home the $2,000 paycheck. Brandon Edgar was the early race leader until Toth came through to challenge. Toth was the race leader after five laps.

Edgar was still pressuring Toth when the caution waved with five laps to go. James Hill got turned around between turns one and two. The field was realigned for a single file restart. Toth not only executed a great restart but was then able to pull away from Edgar by several car lengths.

Toth took the win over Edgar, Craig Whitmoyer, Joseph Brown and Sammy Martz, Jr. who took the spot from for the top five in the final laps. Travis Hill finished sixth with Steve Kemery, Brian Papiez, Steve Davis and Matt Ellery rounding out the top ten.

Action returns to the high banks on Saturday for Modifieds, 602 Sportsman, Street Stocks and 4 cylinder Enduro cars.

Invasion of the PA POSSE 410 SPRINT CARS (30 laps): 1. Anthony Macri, 2. Kyle Reinhardt, 3. Justin Peck, 4. Christopher Bell, 5. Freddie Rahmer, 6. Ryan Smith, 7. Parker Price Miller, 8. Briggs Danner, 9. Alex Bowman, 10. Brent Marks, 11. Tyler Ross, 12. Austin Bishop, 13. Justin Whitall, 14. Dave Brown, 15. Jo Kata, 16. Ricky Dieva, 17. Lucas Wolfe, 18. Chad Trout, 19. Danny Dietrich, 20. Mark Bitner, 21. Lynton Jeffrey, 22. John Brennfleck, 23. Chase Dietz, 24. Davie Franek

PRECISION HYDRAULIC & OIL 602 SPORTSMAN (25 laps): 1. Joe Toth, 2. Brandon Edgar, 3. Craig Whitmoyer, 4. Joe Brown, 5. Sammy Martz Jr., 6. Travis Hill, 7. Steve Kemery, 8. Brian Paipaz, 9. Steve Davis, 10. Matt Ellery, 11. Ryan Godown Jr., 12. Howie Finch, 13. Eric Kormann, 14. James Hill, 15. Brian Rodgers, 16. Tom Sherby, 17. Brad Brightbill, 18. Jon Swift, 19. Ryan Simmons

PA POSSE 410 SPRINT CARS DASH: 1. Kyle Reinhardt, 2. Brent Marks, 3. Justin Peck, 4. Alex Bowman, 5. Anthony Macri, 6. Freddie Rahmer