BUNTING BESTS BRIDGEPORT MODIFIED FIELD
Bridgeport, NJ – HJ Bunting and his Eugene Mills owned Blue Hen Racing No. 30 opened the 2023 season with a feature win in the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modifieds at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
On Saturday night, Mills returned to the Champion Brands Victory Lane to collect his second win of the season and become just the fourth driver to earn more than one win so far this season. It was Weaknecht Archery Night at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
Brian Papiez raced to his third win in a row in the Precision Hydraulic & Oil 602 Sportsman. Tom Wills, Jr. clinched his fourth Izzy Trucking & Rigging Street Stock Championship along with his seventh win of the season in a very convincing fashion. Brian Spencer raced to his second Church’s Auto Parts North East Wingless Sprint (NEWS) win on the High Banks and captured the season championship as well. In Tipico Four Cylinder competition, Tim Jones raced to his second win of the season as well as the Four Cylinder title at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
Mike Franz grabbed the lead at the start of the thirty lap Modified main event but there was a quick caution on lap two when Rick Laubach and Sammy Martz, Jr. got together in turn two. Both drivers restarted from the rear. Franz raced to the outside of W. B. James to take the lead on the restart with Sean Metz running in second. The heavy hitters were on the way as point leader, Jordan Watson, worked the bottom of the track and a hard charging Matt Stangle raced the outside to make their way into the top five. Franz led Metz, Bunting, Stangle, James and Jordan Watson through lap five.
Bunting took over second on lap six with Stangle moving up to third. One lap later, Bunting raced to the inside of Franz in turn three and came away with the lead with Stangle advancing to second. On a lap nine restart, Stangle went to the bottom while Jordan Watson ran the outside to take over second. Bunting led Jordan Watson, Stangle , Billy Osmun III and Neal Williams through lap ten.
Osmun took over second on a lap thirteen restart but Ryan Krachun became the new runner-up one lap later.
Bunting led Krachun, Osmun, Stangle and Duane Howard at halfway with Jordan Watson and Williams racing just outside the top five.
Jordan Watson moved back into the top five by lap twenty and the running order remained Bunting, Krachun, Osmun, Stangle and Watson with five laps to go.
Krachun’s race came to an end with a driveline issue with two laps to go.
Bunting raced to the win followed by Osmun, Stangle, Watson and Howard. Williams finished sixth followed by Cale Ross, Sam Martz, Sr., Rick Laubach and Sean Metz.”
“This is my kind of track,” Bunting exclaimed. “Give me a cushion and watch!”
F & L Doors heat races were won by Franz, W.B. James and Sammy Martz, Jr. who again ran into difficulties during the feature event.
Robert Tete led the first ten laps of the Precision Hydraulic & Oil 602 Sportsman feature while Brian Papiez raced his way to the front from his fourteenth place start. Tete led lap ten over David Jenkins, Papiez, Matt Peck and Ethan Bill but it was Papiez who was out in front one lap later.
Several cars got out of shape on the backstretch at halfway. Ethan Young got caught up in the melee and flipped. No one was injured but Young’s race was over for the night.
With Papiez out in front, the race was behind the leader as Hill, Peckl and Bill raced for position. With just two laps to go, Bill used a slide job to overtake Hill but Hill returned the favor one lap later to regain the position.
Papiez raced to his third win in a row over Hill, Bill, Peck and Wayne Weaver. Stephen Yankowski, Luke Bunting, Howie Finch, Billy Chester and Kris Lilick completed the top ten at the checkered.
After a tough start to the season, the No. 37 team has beefed up their attention to detail and have the results to show for it!
Hoffman Discount Part heat races were won by David Jenkins, Billy Chester and Matt Peck.
Tom Wills, Jr. was one step closer to the 2023 Street Stock Championship with this seventh win of the season.
Jeramy Doerr was the race leader for the first two laps until Wills, Jr. came through on lap three to take the lead by racing to the inside of Doerr on the backstretch.
Wills was able to pull away from any potential challengers. Doerr finished second with Duncan Molesworth finishing third over Spider Ensinger and Nick Sandone.
The DTM Powersports heat race was won by Terry Chaney after a three wide race to the checkered flag.
Brian Spencer raced to his second NEWS win of the season on the High Banks and earned the Bridgeport championship for the North East Wingless Sprints.
Eric Jennings looked like he was on the way to his fourth win but lapped traffic closed up the field and Spencer took the lead for lap ten. Shea Wills also found his way by Jennings to finish second followed by Thomas Radavoy and Stan Ploski III.
The victory also gave Spencer the 2023 NEWS Championship at Bridgeport.
The Liberty Kenworth heat race was won by Shea Wills.
Tim Jones dominated the Tipico Sportbook 4 Cylinder feature event on his way to his first Bridgeport Championship. Joe Garey, Sr. finished second followed by Lee Allen, John Parker and defending 4 Cylinder Champion, Ed Ford.
The Victory Fuel heat race was won by Lee Allen.
DANNY’S PIZZA PIZZAZZ MODIFIEDS FEATURE (30 LAPS)
- H.J. Bunting, 2. Billy Osmun, III, 3. Matt Stangle, 4. Jordan Watson, 5. Duane Howard, 6. Neal Williams, 7. Cale Ross, 8. Sam Martz, Sr., 9. Rick Laubach, 10. Sean Metz, 11. Joseph Watson, 12. W.B. James, 13. Mike Franz, 14. Ron Roberts, 15. Ryan Krachun, 16. Bruce Gsell, 17. Stan Frankenfield, 18. Ryan Riddle, 19. Blaine Bracelin, 20. Sammy Martz, Jr., 21. Anthony Tramontana, 22. Frank Cozze, DNS – Jim Gallagher, Jr.
PRECISION HYDRAULIC & OIL 602 SPORTSMAN FEATURE (25 LAPS)
- Brian Papiez, 2. Travis Hill, 3. Ethan Bill, 4. Matt Peck, 5. Wayne Weaver, 6. Stephen Yankowski, 7. Luke Bunting, 8. Billy Chester, 9. Howie Finch, 10. Kris Lilick, 11. Jax Yohn, 12. Thomas Prychka, 13. Brian Rogers, 14. Justin Newhard, 15. David Hartman, 16. David Jenkins, 17. Shane Kassekert, 18. Robert Tete, 19. Pete Serra, 20. Ethan Young, 21. Dirk Rimrott, 22. Scott Hulmes
IZZY TRUCKING & RIGGING STREET STOCKS FEATURE (15 LAPS)
- Tom Wills, Jr., 2. Jeramy Doerr, 3. Duncan Molesworth, 4. Spider Ensinger, Sr., 5. Nick Sandone, III, 6. Kevin Heckman, 7. Scott Freed, 8. Ken Moren, 9. Drew Brocklebank, DQ – Terry Chaney, DNS – Jeff Dirkes, Mike Hughes
CHURCH’S AUTO PARTS NORTHEAST WINGLESS SPRINTS FEATURE (20 LAPS)
- Brian Spencer, 2. Shea Wills, 3. Eric Jennings, 4. Thomas Radavoy, 5. Stan Ploski, III, 6. Tim Hamnen, 7. Walt Fletcher, 8. Joe Byer, 9. Eric Miller, DNS – Lee Nardelli
TIPICO SPORTSBOOK FOUR CYLINDERS FEATURE (12 LAPS)
- Tim Jones, 2. Joe Garey, Sr., 3. Lee Allen, 4. John Parker, 5. Ed Ford, 6. Eric Degler, DNS – Bobby Johnson
Thank you to everyone that makes the Kingdom of Speed Possible…..
VP Fuels
Liberty Kenworth
Church’s Auto Parts
Premio Sausage
Precision Hydraulic & Oil
Millville Glass & Door
Design For Vision
Rodota Trucking & Excavating
Scrappy’s Auto Service
Hyper Racing
Izzi Trucking & Rigging
Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz
Vahlco Wheels
Ellery’s Pub & Grill
Ice Less llc.
Hoffman Discount Parts
JPA Masonry
Weaknecht Archery
Spirit Auto Center
Foley Caterpillar
Hisko Lowboy
Lineman Racing
Cenco Oil
Bob Hilbert Sportswear
Cassidy Painting
TW Metals
Hessert Chevrolet
Triple R Truck Parts
John Blewett Scrap & Waste Recycling
Pioneer Pole Buildings
F&L Doors – FLDoors.com
EZ Work Trucks
J&S Electrical
Melton Industries
Pro Tek Roofing
Johns Manville
Beacon Building Products
KOA Camp Grounds
@Victory Fuel
@Tipico Sportsbook
@Champion Brands
DTM Kawasaki
Amwell Auto Body
Williams Napa
Prime Design Landscaping