BRIDGEPORT DRIVERS HONOR JOEY KAY WITH SUNDAY COMPETITION
BRIDGEPORT DRIVERS HONOR JOEY KAY WITH SUNDAY COMPETITION
Wagner & Weaver Pick Up First Wins of the Season
The Bridgeport Motorsports Park presented a six division show on Sunday this weekend. Race results saw some new winners in addition to several repeat winners making the trip to the Champion Brands Victory Lane sponsored by John W Kay Electric.
Weaver has recorded many wins at Bridgeport – mostly on the old 5/8th mile track. His first win on the High Banks came in 2022 in a late season non-winners event. Last season, Weaver earned a win in the Topless event for the 602 Sportsman. Sunday’s win was his first win in regular competition.
The ageless veteran, Wayne Weaver, raced to his first win of the season on the High Banks, leading every lap from the green to the checkered with a red hot Ethan Bill just a few car lengths behind the leader.
Weaver took the lead on the start with Bill racing from his eighth place start and into the top five almost immediately. Ethan Young raced in second for the first handful of laps with Jax Yohn taking over the spot until Bill raced into second on lap fourteen. Matt Peck raced from deep in the pack to take over third on lap fifteen.
Weaver raced to the win ahead of Bill, Peck, Yohn and Young who recorded his best finish of his young career, racing within the top five throughout the twenty-five lap event. Joe Toth finished sixth followed by Billy Chester, Michael Beckett, Thomas Prychka and Brian Rogers.
Ashley Therien snapped Michael Beckett’s win streak in the DA’a Auto Body & Repair Rookies, taking her first win of the season. Beckett finished second after several challenges for the lead. Kenny Ott finished third with RJ Witcraft finishing fourth.
Eddie Wagner raced to the flag-to-flag win in the DCB’s Plumbing & Heating Mid Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS). The MASS teams spent the day honoring Joey Kay whose life was lost a week earlier in a tragic traffic accident. Everyone knew Kay, not only as a competitor but as a friend. Joey Kay was just one of those people who never met anyone who wasn’t a friend.
Kay was honored during opening ceremonies. Friend, Brian Carber put Kay’s No. 12 wing on his No. 8c sprint car for Sunday’s race. Stickers honoring Kay were sold throughout the day and the MASS drivers went through the grandstands to take a collection for Kay’s wife, Rachel and the Kay family. Carber paced the field before the start of the feature and then the pole was left open as Wagner took the field to the green.
Wagner was on a mission, leading the way over Ryan Stillwaggon, Bob DeVault, Jon Brennfleck and Larry McVay. Tim Iulg raced the Ale No. 19A into the top five before halfway and wasted no time moving into second as defending MASS Champion, Buddy Schweibinz took over third. As Wagner caught the back of the field, Iulg and Schweibinz cut into his lead. Iulg was pressuring for the lead when the caution waved with just a few laps remaining.
Wagner had a clear track on the restart and raced to the victory over Iulg, Schweibinz, Dave Brown and Stillwaggon. Brian Carber finished sixth followed by Dan Leaper who scored his best finish to date. Hard Charger, Jared Kreider finished eighth after advancing fourteen positions followed by Brennfleck and Troy Betts.
Chris Allen, Jr. raced to his third consecutive Victory Fuel Wingless Sprint win on the High Banks, bringing his season win total to five.
Larry Drake led the first three laps before sprint rookie, Matt Peck took the lead on lap four. Peck led a pair of laps before Allen took the lead. Mike Thompson raced through the field to run second, taking the position from defending champion, Brian Spencer late in the race.
Allen took the win over Thompson and Spencer with David Swanson and Dan Leaper completing the top five. It was season bests for both Swanson and Leaper. Jonathan Swanson finished sixth followed by Rich Mellor, Shea Wills, Matt Peck and Larry Drake.
TJ Henry made his first appearance of the season and went right into the lead in the John W Kay Electric Street Stock feature. As Henry headed to the stripe to complete lap ten, a tire went down on the No. 57. Lee Allen led the field to the restart with a lot of pressure from Mike Hughes. Allen and Hughes scored lap thirteen side by side. Hughes pulled ahead on lap fourteen and scored his second win of the season. Allen finished second followed by Nick Sandone III, Jeff Dirkes and Tracey Appleby.
Eric Degler made it two wins in a row as he capture the win in the Four Cylinder competition. Former champion, Ed Ford finished second followed by Joe Garey, Sr., John Parker and Colin Gale.
Richie Pratt, Sr. led the way in the Vintage Cars in the sheetmetal class with Ted Grieves taking the coupe division.
ICE LESS LLC 602 SPORTSMAN FEATURE (25 LAPS)
1. Wayne Weaver, 2. Ethan Bill, 3. Matt Peck, 4. Jax Yohn, 5. Ethan Young, 6. Joe Toth, 7. Billy Chester, 8. Michael Beckett, 9. Thomas Prychka, 10. Brian Rogers, 11. Dave Damiano, 12. Shane Kassekert, 13. Scott Hulmes, 14. Robert Tete, 15. Brian Papiez, 16. Ashley Therien, 17. R. J. Witcraft, 18. T. J. Mayberry, DNS – Kenny Ott
D.A.’S AUTO BODY & REPAIR ROOKIE FEATURE (8 LAPS)
1. Ashley Therien, 2. Michael Beckett, 3. Kenny Ott, 4. R. J. Witcraft
DCB’S PLUMBING & HEATING MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES FEATURE (25 LAPS)
1. Eddie Wagner, 2. Tim Iulg, 3. Buddy Schweibinz, 4. Dave Brown, 5. Ryan Stillwaggon, 6. Brian Carber, 7. Dan Leaper, 8. Jared Kreider, 9. Jon Brennfleck, 10. Troy Betts,11. Phil Meisner, 12. Mark Bitner, 13. Danny Buccafusca, 14. Rick Stief, 15. Kevin Nagy, 16. Cody West, 17. D. J. Tanner Jr., 18. Bobby DeVault, 19. Tim Tanner, 20. Larry McVay, 21. Jeff Paulson, 22. Kenny Laureno, 23. Len Vermerlen, 24. Justin Nowlen, 25. Aiden Borden, DNS – Keith Anderson
VICTORY FUELS WINGLESS SPRINT FEATURE (20 LAPS)
1. Christopher Allen, Jr., 2. Mike Thompson, 3. Brian Spencer, 4. David Swanson, 5. Dan Leaper, 6. Jonathan Swanson, 7. Rich Mellor, 8. Shea Wills, 9. Matt Peck, 10. Larry Drake,
11. Stan Ploski, III, 12. Tim Hannen, 13. Kurt Sodano, 14. Frank Lorenzi
JOHN W KAY ELECTRIC STREET STOCKS FEATURE (15 LAPS)
1. Mike Hughes, 2. Lee Allen, 3. Nick Sandone, III, 4. Jeff Dirkes, 5. Tracey Appleby, 6. T. J. Henry
FOUR CYLINDER FEATURE (15 LAPS)
1. Eric Degler, 2. Ed Ford, 3. Joe Garey, Sr., 4. John Parker, 5. Colin Gale, 6. Mark Stein, Sr., 7. Roger Kumnerer, 8. Rob Weil, 9. Lee Allen
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