BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK OPENING IS A HUGE SUCCESS
Bridgeport, NJ – It finally happened. After months of construction and preparation The Bridgeport Motorsports Park – The Kingdom of Speed – opened its gates for the delayed 2020 season opener. All three divisions – The Foley Cat Modifieds, South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman and Sunbelt Rental Street Stocks – provided plenty of side by side action, three and four abreast racing with multiple groove racing from the first green flag to the final checkered.
Doug Rose’s plan for a reconfigured, banked speedway that would be smaller than the former 5/8th mile track, received mixed reactions from fans and competitors alike but the doubts were put aside with the great racing action provided by the brand new racing surface on Sunday.
Ryan Godown took the win in the Foley Cat Modifieds, holding off the challenges of Rick Laubach and then Richie Pratt Jr. who chased Godown across the finish line. Godown and Laubach had traded the lead briefly before Godown put his Searock No. 26 out in front for good.
Trailing Godown and Pratt to the checkered were Danny Bouc in the Short Load No. 32, Laubach in the Hermann No 7 and Briggs Danner in his family owned No. 78. Billy Pauch, Jr., Ryan Watt, Craig VonDohren, Ryan Krachun and Davey Sammons completed the top ten at the end of thirty laps.
Steve Kemery picked up the win in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman feature event, starting off the season just as he did last year by winning the opening day race.
Scott Hitchens pressured Kemery throughout the race and actually took the lead just before the halfway mark. Hitchens led lap nine and ten before Kemery regained the top spot. Hitchens went on to finish second behind Kemery with Ryan Anderson finishing third. Sean Metz chose the line around the bottom of the race track and made it work for a fourth place finish ahead of Joe Toth in fifth. Tom Moore, Jr., Ricky Wegner, Jr., Brad Roberts, 2019 Champion, Matt Peck and Johnny Bangs picked up top ten finishes in the season opener.
Rich Stinson, Jr. took advantage of a lap six restart to take the lead from 2019 Champion, Tom Wills, Jr. in the Sunbelt Rentals Street Stock feature event. The top three cars – Stinson, Wills, Jr., and Lee Allen – kept it interesting through the fifteen lap event with Wills and Allen staying within striking range of Stinson. There was an ongoing battle taking place behind the leaders as Vern McLaughlin, Jeff Dirkes and Mike Hughes, Jr. battled for the fourth spot. McLaughlin won the position, taking fourth over Hughes who finished fifth. Dirkes, Tom Wills, Sr., Mick Search, Justin Nowlen and Nick Sandone III finished sixth through tenth.
Action returns to the Kingdom of speed on Sunday, July 5th for the All American 40 – a forty lap feature event for the Foley Cat Modifieds. The United Racing Club 360 Sprint Cars will be the first sprint cars to compete on the new track and will join the four division show that will also feature the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman and Sunbelt Rental Street Stocks. Grandstand seating will be limited to tickets sold prior to the event to maintain limits set by the governor. Pit gates will open at 3pm with the grandstand gates opening at 5pm, warm-ups at 6pm and the first green flag of the night at 7pm.
Foley Cat Modifieds (30 laps) -1, Ryan Godown, 2. Richie Pratt, Jr., 3. Danny Bouc, 4. Rick Laubach, 5. Briggs Danner, 6. Billy Pauch, Jr., 7. Ryan Watt, 8. Craig VonDohren, 9. Ryan Krachun, 10. Davey Sammons, 11. Cale Ross, 12. Dillon Steuer, 13. Brett Ballard, 14. Jack Swain, 15. Jeff Strunk, 16. Wade Hendrickson, 17. Jimmy Horton, 18. Matt Stangle, 19. Dominick Buffalino, 20. Steve Davis, 21. Stan Frankenfield, 22. Billy Pauch, Sr. 23. Willie Osmun, 24. Rich Rutski
South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman (20 laps) – 1. Steve Kemery, 2. Scott Hitchens, 3. Ryan Anderson, 4. Sean Metz, 5. Joe Toth, 6. Tom Moore, Jr., 7. Ricky Wegner, Jr., 8. Brad Roberts, 9. Matt Peck, 10. Johnny Bangs, 11. Dan Fleming, 12. Ryan Higgs, 13. Ryan Heim, 14. Ryan Godown, Jr., 15. Chris Jenkins, 16. Jim Gallagher, Jr., 17. David Jenkins, 18. Tom Errico, Jr., 19. Jonathan Swift, 20. Bobby Holzwarth, 21. Mason Magee, 22. Wayner Weaver, 23. Michael White, 24. Steve Lyle
Sunbelt Rentals Street Stocks (15 laps) – 1. Rich Stinson, Jr., 2. Tom Wills, Jr., 3. Lee Allen, 4. Vern McLaughlin, 5. Mike Hughes, Jr., 6. Jeff Dirkes, 7. Tom Wills, Sr., 8. Mick Search, 9. Justin Nowlen, 10. Nick Sandone, III, 11. Doug Debray, 12. Mike Creamer, 13. Drew Brocklebank, 14. Chris Felber, 15. Ken Moran, 16. John Parker, 17. Brian Ludwig, 18. Johnny Bush, 19. Paul Donahue (DNS)
