BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY, MEMORIAL DAY SPECTACULAR, HUGE SUCCESS
YODER, WATSON AND ALLEN WIN BRIDGEPORT TRIPLE 40S
The Bridgeport Motorsports Park hosted a special Memorial Day weekend event featuring
forty lap feature events for the the SY Murray Spec Engines Super Late Models, Danny’s Pizza Pizzaz Modifieds and the Victory Fuel Wingless Sprints.
SY Murray Spec Engines was the weekend sponsor on the High Banks. With the long overdue cooperation from Mother Nature, Bridgeport Motorsports Park was the active all weekend long with three days of racing.
Austin Berry started out the day by setting fast time for the Super Late Models, turning a lap of 15.460 seconds. Chris Spotts Welding rewarded Berry with the Fast Time award. Andrew Yoder turned in the second fastest lap while Sean Merkel had the third fastest time, earning each driver the pole in their respective qualifiers. Berry and Yoder picked up the wins in their races while Rick Eckert beat Merkel to the checkered in the third heat.
Jason Covert started the forty lap race from the pole and dominated the lead throughout the first thirty-five laps. All the action took place behind the leader for most of the race.
Yoder, who started fourth at the green, fell back several positions and found himself back in eighth at the start leaving Eckert, Merkel, Seth Zacharias and Bryan Bernheisel battling it out behind the leader. Bernheisel took over second from Eckert. Dillon Cecce took over second about fifteen laps into the race but Bernheisel was back to second at the crossed flags. Cecce fought his way back to second until the race reached the ten to go mark at which time it was Yoder who ran second to Covert.
The race’s one and only caution came with just four laps to go when Colby Frye got turned around in turn two. The field was reset in single file formation for the restart.
Yoder immediately went to work on Covert. “The outside was actually the fastest but when he (Covert) left the bottom open…” Yoder saw his opportunity. Yoder raced to the inside of Covert and came away with the lead as the field headed to the stripe.
It was Yoder for the win followed by Covert, Cecce, Bernheisel and Eckert. Sixth went to Seth Zacharias followed by Danny Snyder, Sean Merkel, Taylor Farling and Jacob Piper.
The Super Late Models loved racing on the High Banks and were very pleased with their first appearance.
Joseph Watson overcame a dismal start to the 2024 season with his flag to flag win in the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modified 40 lap event. “The racing gods must have been looking out for us,” Watson stated. After being involved in a wreck during the second race of the season, Watson and the Auto Gallery No. 21w was forced to take a few weeks to rebuild. Every Saturday night race on the schedule was rained out during that time with Sunday’s event marking Watson’s return to the High Banks.
Matt Stangle raced in second for most of the forty laps until Billy Pauch Jr. and the Pony No. 1 got by in the final laps. Stangle finished third followed by Brian Papiez who finished fourth with the Modified No. 37. Michael Storms finished fifth in his first ever appearance at Bridgeport.
HJ Bunting finished sixth followed by Sammy Martz, Jr., Neal Williams, Danny Bouc and Alex Yankowski.
The final forty lap feature event saw Chris Allen, Jr. race to his second win of the weekend in the Victory Fuel Wingless Sprints.
Larry Drake led the way through lap sixteen until Allen made his way up to the leader to challenge for the position. Allen took the lead on lap seventeen and drove away from the field.
Connor Gross moved up to second followed by Rich Mellor until defending champion, Brian Spencer raced into the top five and began to pick off positions. Spencer got by Mellor and then took on Gross with less than ten laps to go.
By the time Spencer reached second, Allen was well out in front. He was able to cut into Allen’s lead but was never within striking distance.
It was Allen for the win over Spencer, Gross, Mellor and Swanson. Dan Learper finished sixth. Both Gross and Leaper are in their first season of competition with the wingless sprints. Larry Drake finished seventh followed by Thomas Radivoy, Joe Kata and David Swanson.
The holiday crowd saw a great show and got to enjoy the great racing along with the great weather.
DANNY’S PIZZA PIZZAZZ MODIFIED FEATURE (40 LAPS)
1. Joseph Watson, 2. Billy Pauch Jr., 3. Matt Stangle, 4. Brian Papiez, 5. Michael Storms, 6. HJ Bunting, 7. Sammy Martz Jr., 8. Neal Williams, 9. Danny Bouc, 10. Alex Yankowski, 11. Jordan Watson, 12. Billy Osmun, 13. Cale Ross, 14. Ryan Krachun, 15. Cole Stangle, 16. JR Fulper, 17. Sam Martz, Sr., 18. Rick Laubach, 19. Mike Franz, 20. Wade Hendrickson, 21. WB James, 22. Duane Howard, 23. Jim Gallagher, Jr., 24. Dillon Steuer, 25. Paul Mancini, 26. Stan Frankenfield, DNS – Roger Manning, DNQ – Dominick Buffalino, Anthony Tramontana
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE (40 LAPS)
1. Andrew Yoder, 2. Jason Covert, 3. Dylan Cecce, 4. Brian Bernheisel, 5. Rick Eckert,
6. Seth Zacharias, 7. Danny Snyder, 8. Sean Merkel, 9. Taylor Farling, 10. Jacob Piper,
11. AJ Miller, 12. Coleby Frye, 13. Chad Myers, 14. Wayne Pfeil, 15. Al Cheney, 16. Travis Mease, 17. Joey Hoffer, 18. Austin Berry, 19. Shaun Jones, 20. Larry Baer
VICTORY FUELS WINGLESS SPRINT FEATURE (40 LAPS)
1. Chris Allen Jr., 2. Brian Spencer, 3. Connor Gross, 4. Rich Mellor, 5. Jonathan Swanson, 6. Dan Leaper, 7. Larry Drake, 8. Thomas Radivoy, 9. Joe Kata, 10. David Swanson, 11. Shea Wills, 12. Dan Malley, 13. Stan Ploski, 14. Tim Hannan, 15. Heidi Hedin, 16. Frank Lorenzi, 17. Matt Peck, 18. Al Cheney