Category: News

​The only thing hotter than the weather is the racing action at the Bridgeport Speedway as the Spirit Auto Center Big Blocks, South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman and Sunbelt Rental Outlaw Stocks returned to Saturday night action on thelightning fast 5/8th mile speedway on First Responders Night.

Billy Pauch raced to his fifth win of the 2019 season in the twenty-five lap Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modifieds in a race that saw five different leaders and too many lead changes to count!  On lap nine, it was Pauch who drew the caution with a left rear flat.  He made a trip to the pits and returned to start at the rear of the field, breaking into the top five with just ten laps to go.

Bob Sarkisian and Ron Roberts lead the starting line-up to the green flag with Sarkisian taking the lead.  Sarkisian led the first six laps before Richie Pratt, Jr. raced by on lap seven in the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz No. 51.  Pratt led a pair of laps before Brett Ballard took to the outside on the backstretch to race into the lead for laps nine and ten.  On a lap eleven restart, it was Pratt who took to the outside to take the lead.

There was plenty of action happening behind the leader as Ballard. Ryan Watt and Neal Williams battled for position.

Pratt took the five to go sign from starter, Ken Golden, Jr. with Watt, Williams and Pauch trailing.

Then things got really interesting as Pauch raced into third on lap twenty-one.  Watt challenged Pratt for the lead and led the way to complete lap twenty-two.  It was a three car battle for the lead the next time around with Pauch taking over on lap twenty-three.  Pauch was able to pull away from the field, leaving Pratt and Watt to race for second.  Pauch took the checkered followed by Watt, Pratt, Williams and Ballard.  Jim Britt finished sixth with Roger Manning, Matt Stangle, Travis Hill in the Michael No. 51M and Sam Martz completing the top ten at the end of twenty-five laps.

Former Rookie Champion, Matt Peck raced to his second win of the season but first on the 5/8th mile track in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman competition.

Peck led all twenty laps and spent most of them deflecting the challenges of a very persistent Wayne Weaver who ran in second.  Jim Gallagher, Jr. battled back to finish third after a back and forth battle with Sammy Martz, Jr. who was sidelined with mechanical issues on the final lap of the race.  Current point leader, Eric Kormann raced to a fourth place finish with Travis Hill rounding out the top five.  Ernie Miles III finished a season best sixth followed by David Hartman, Andrew Belmont, Bobby Bracall and Brett Belmont.

Justin Moench came away with the win in the final DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature event to capture the 2019 Rookie Championship.  Scott Maher finished second in the eight lap feature event but it was Kathy Buzby who finished second in the Rookie points.

Rookie graduation took place behind the grandstands before the start of the Saturday night competition.

Tom Wills, Jr. picked up his fourth win of the season in the Sunbelt RentalOutlaw Stocks, taking the lead with an outside pass by Brian Ludwig on a lap seven restart.

Andrew Joslin led the first four laps before Ludwig took over on lap five in a race that saw numerous caution flags during the fifteen lap event.

Wills led the way to the checkered flag with Ludwig finishing second.  Lee Allen rebounded from several incidents to finish third  followed by Joslin and John Parker to round out the top five.

Bridgeport action returns next Saturday for Bike Night on the 5/8th with the Big Block Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks and Vintage cars with racing getting underway at 7pm.

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​The Bridgeport Speedway’s fourth annual Pack the House Night was a huge success as fans filed through the gates from four o’clock until well after the start of the night’s racing action.  Fans enjoyed the free musicial entertainment, camera and autograph day, the many food concessions and the Bandit Bus before the start of the night’s events.

Fans were treated to a night of racing action among six different divisions.  The South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman, Sunbelt Rentals Outlaw Stocks and the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS) raced on the lightning fast 5/8th mile track while the Ace Overhead Door 600 Micro Sprints, the JS Weld-Rite/Mongoose Chassis 270 Micro Sprints and Slingshots raced on the Spirit Speedway quarter mile track.  There was also a hot lap session for the Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modifieds held on the 5/8th mile track.

The South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman opened the night of racing with their twenty lap feature event.  Polesitter, Eric Kormann led the first eleven laps around the 5/8th mile track before Steve Kemery drove into contention from his tenth place start.  Kemery caught up to the leader and then made his pass for the lead with a move to inside off turn three on lap twelve.  Kemery then drove away from the competition to claim his third victory of the 2019 season.

Kormann finished a strong second followed by Jim Gallagher, Jr.in third.  Matt Peck added a fourth to his collections of top fives this season with last week’s feature winner, Tom Sherby rounding out the top five.  Travis Hill finished sixth followed by Tommy Errico, David Crossman, Howard Huepfel and Bobby Bracall completed the top ten in the running order at the checkered flag.

Tom Wills, Jr. turned his 2019 season around with his third win of the season in the Sunbelt Rentals Outlaw Stocks.

Polesitter, Nick Sandone led the first lap as the field raced three wide behind the leader for the runner-up position.  Andrew Joslin won that battle and then took the lead as he raced Sandone off of turn two on the second lap.  Wills, Jr. drove through the pack, taking the lead as he raced Joslin to the start finish line on lap three.

Wills, Jr. pulled away from the competition as Lee Allen took over second followed by Mike Creamer, Gary Klimeczak and Brian Ludwig through lap five.

Creamer raced by Allen on a lap eleven restart to take over second while Klimeczak and Ludwig continued the battle for fourth right down to the checkered flag.

Wills, Jr. took the win over Creamer and Allen with Ludwig edging out Klimeczak at the finish line.

Ricky DiEva, a former Big Block Modified competitor at the Bridgeport Speedway, moved into full time competition with the MASS 305 sprint cars this season and picked up his first victory in front of a packed house on Saturday night.  DiEva led from the wave of the green flag to the finish to capture the victory over Andy Best who has already won a MASS event earlier this season.

This was the third race for the MASS Sprint Cars at Bridgeport this season but the first on the 5/8th mile track.

DiEva led Best to the finish with Rick Stief finishing third.  Eddie Wagner, who has played an integral role in DiEva’s sprint car experience, finished fourth with Jason Dunn taking fifth.  Larry McVay finished sixth followed by Tom Carberry, Joe Kay, Tyler Brehm and Scott Frack.

Bridgeport invader, Jacob Hendershot debuted a new car and immediately put the No. 27 into Victory Lane in its maiden voyage in the JS Weld-Rite/Mongoose Chassis 270 Micro Sprint feature.

Pole sitter, Johnny Trendler led the first two times around the Spirit Speedway quarter mile.  Hendershot, who started third in the twenty lap feature raced into the lead on lap three and never looked back.  Three time feature winner, Alex Swift finished second followed by Brandon Shipley who recovered from an earlier incident, restarted at the rear of the field and drove back to a third place finish.  Kyle Weiss finished fourth with Glenn Macomber taking fifth.  Tom Landwher, Shea Wills, Ross Holler, John West and Ken Andreas completed the top ten at the end of twenty laps.

2017 Track Champion, Matt Smith, drove to his third win of the season in the Ace Overhead Door 600 Micro Sprint Feature.

Polesitter, Jon Keller led the first five circuits around the quarter mile before Smith made his way to the front from his eighth place start.  Gary Bozowski quickly raced into second on the first lap and held off any challengers to cross the finish line behind Smith for second.  Luke Thomas finished third with PJ Williams in fourth and Jon Keller finishing fifth.

Brandon Pavel, Lee Nardelli, Richie Keller, Travis Hill and Mike Thompson who won the consolation event, completed the top ten in the running order.

Ryan Davey took the lead on the first lap of the Slingshot feature to earn his second win of the season at the Spirit Speedway.  Dave McCullough trailed the leader to the finish with Ryan Harris finishing third.  Dave Morrell finished fourth with Tomas Mowery rounding out the top five.

It was a beautiful June night for racing.  It was a full night of racing action – the first for many in attendance.  The Pack the House night continues at the Bridgeport Speedway.

There will be three nights of racing this weekend as the Spirit Auto Center quarter mile runs a regular show on Friday night with 270 & 600 Micro Sprints and Slingshots.  The 270s will be featured in Twin 15 lap feature events. Racing gets underway at 8pm.  The action moves to Bridgeport’s 5/8th mile track on Saturday night for Quarter Midget Night with the Big Block Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks and Rookies with racing getting underway at 7pm.

Then on Sunday, it’s Poker Series time on the Spirit quarter mile for the 270 & 600 Micro Sprints, Slingshots and Xcel 600 Modifieds.  Racing starts on Sunday at 6:30pm.

 

 

 

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY

PACK THE HOUSE NIGHT

Saturday, June 22, 2019

SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOOR 602 CRATE SPORTSMAN feature (20 laps) –

1. Steve Kemery, 2. Eric Kormann, 3. Jim Gallagher, Jr., 4. Matt Peck, 5. Tom Sherby, 6. Travis Hill, 7. Tommy Errico, 8. David Crossman, 9. Howard Huepfel, 10. Bobby Bracall, 11. Rich Wegner, Jr., 13. Darren Cox, 14. David Hartman, 15. Roger Gaskill, 16. Ernie Miles, Jr., 17. Tom Holding, 18. Brett Belmont, 19. Matthew Luzi, 20. Wayne Weaver, 21. John Micek, 22. Jonathan Swift, DNS – Steve Bartos

SUNBELT RENTALS OUTLAW STOCK feature (15 laps) –

1. Tom Wills, Jr., 2. Mike Creamer, 3. Lee Allen, 4. Brian Ludwig, 5. Gary Klimeczak, 6. Justin Nowlen, 7. Terry Sammons, 8. Ken Moren, 9. Keith McKinley, 10. Nick Sandone, III, 11. Andrew Joslin, 12. Paul Donahue

DELAWARE AUTO EXCHANGE MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES feature (25 laps) –

1. Ricky DiEva, 2. Andy Best, 3. Rick Stief, 4. Eddie Wagner, 5. Jason Dunn, 6. Larry McVay, 7. Tom Carberry, 8. Joe Kay, 9. Tyler Brehm, 10. Scott Frack, 11. Bryant Davis, 12. Dave Brown, 13. Stephen Voorhees, 14. Josh Brinker, 15. Logan Diehl, 16. Tim Tanner, Jr., 17. Dave Bonner, 18. Dan Leaper, 19. Randy Wilbert, 20. Jon Haegele, 21. Charles Stone, 22. Keith Andersen, 23. Marie McVay

SPIRIT AUTO CENTER SPEEDWAY

ACE OVERHEAD DOORS 600CC MICRO SPRINT feature (20 laps) –

1. Matt Smith, 2. Gary Bozowski, 3. Luke Thomas, 4. P.J. Williams, 5. Jon Keller, 6. Brandon Pavel, 7. Lee Nardelli, 8. Richie Keller, 9. Travis Hill, 10. Mike Thompson, 11. Geordon Marrero, 12. Joey Amantea, 13. Jermain Godshall, 14. Mark Landwher, 15. Tyler Lindsay, 16. Aiden Borden, 17. Jim Tippin, 18. Alex Funari, 19. Billy Calvert, 20. Ed Barber III, 21. Nick Havens, 22. Fred Heinly, 23. Joe Dopke, 24. Dave Nelson, 25. Matt Davis, DNS – B.J. Antonio, DNQ – Phil Meisner, Dave Damaio, Rebecca LaMothe, Bobby Scherff, Adrianna Dellaponti, Cory Hunsberger, Kristi Hicks, Andrew Hannula

 

J.S. WELD-RITE/MONGOOSE CHASSIS 270CC MICRO SPRINT feature (20 laps) –

1. Jacob Hendershot, 2. Alex Swift, 3. Brandon Shipley, 4. Kyle Weiss, 5. Glenn Macomber, 6. Tom Landwher, 7. Shea Wills, 8. Ross Holler, 9. Jon West, 10. Ken Andreas, 11. Junior Ramer, 12. Pat Bealer, 13. R.J. Witcraft, 14. Ryan Wozunk, 15. Connor Sheffield, 16. Corey Andersen, 17. Johnny Trendler, 18. Nick Walton, 19. John Wagner, Jr., 20. Zach Berghof, 21. Mark Landwher, 22. Sarah Napora, DNS – Scott Phillip, Jayson Conover

SLINGSHOT feature (20 laps) –

1. Ryan Davey, 2. Dave McCullough, 3. Ryan Harris, 4. Dave Morrell, 5. Tomas Mowery, 7, Shawn Mowery, 8. Rich Afflerback, 9. Ashley Therien

Upcoming events

Saturday, June 29 – Quarter Midget Night – Big Block Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks & Rookies, Racing at 7pm

Saturday July 6 – FANATIC NIGHT – Big Block Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks & Rookies, racing at 7pm

Saturday, July 13 – FIRST RESPONDERS NIGHT – Big Block Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks & Rookie  Grqanduation racing at 7pm

Saturday, July 20 – BIKE NIGHT – Big Block Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks & VINTAGE,, racing at 7pm

Saturday, 27 – DRIVER APPRECIATION NIGHT – Big Block Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman & Outlaw Stocks, racing at 7pm

 

This coming Saturday – June 22 – the Bridgeport Speedway will present their Pack the House Night.  Race fans will get to see racing in eight different divisions on two of Bridgeport’s tracks and admission to the grandstand is FREE!

Racing action moves back to the lightning fast Bridgeport 5/8th mile track for the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman, the Sunbelt Rentals Outlaw Stocks, the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS) and the DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookies.  The Spirit Speedway quarter mile will feature the JS Weld-Rite/Mongoose Chassis  270 Micro Sprints, the Ace Overhead Door Company 600 Micro Sprints, Slingshots and 8 Cylinder Enduros.  There is something for everyone on Saturday night!

This is the night to bring all of those neighbors or friends or relatives out to the Bridgeport Speedway.  If you have been telling anyone about the great racing and fun that you have at the Bridgeport Speedway – now is the time to bring them to the track to see for themselves what you have been talking about.

Pack the House Night also gives the Friday night fans of Spirit Speedway the chance to see what happens at Bridgeport on a Saturday night and it gives the Saturday night Bridgeport Speedway fans the chance to see what the is happening at the Spirit quarter mile on a Friday night.

Come early and enjoy all that the Bridgeport Speedway has to offer.  Live music!  A Bounce House and a wooden Monster truck for the kids to play on.  Great food from the Bridgeport concession stands.  Take a ride on the Bandit Bus with the Bridgeport mascot to view the action behind the scenes in the pit area.  Take home a t-shirt or sweatshirt as a souvenir from the Bridgeport Speedway   And don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Bridgeport Bullet – the official program of the Bridgeport Speedway – so you will be able to follow the night’s action!

Grandstands open at 4pm with Camera and Autograph Day taking place from 4 – 5pm.  Racing gets underway at 6pm.

​It was a full night of racing at the Design for Visions/Sunglass Central 3/8th mile track at the Bridgeport Speedway as the Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modifieds ran two feature events in addition to a full show of 602 Crate Sportsman, Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS) 305 Sprint Cars, DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookies, Garden State Vintage and 8 Cylinder Enduros.

The Big Blocks did double duty on Saturday night to make up their feature event that was rained out on Saturday, May 11th.  Todd Neiheiser led the field to the green flag and took command for the first lap but Billy Pauch was on the move, racing to the inside of Neiheiser on lap two to take the lead.  Neiheiser raced in second until a lap seven restart when Jim Britt took over the spot.  Neal Williams moved up to third one lap later as Richie Pratt, Jr., Ryan Watt and Neiheiser race three wide for fourth.

As Pauch left a blazing trail as he pulled away from the field, Pratt caught Williams at half way and the two raced side by side until Pratt took over third.  After the three wide battle earlier, Watt lost several positions but was back knocking on the door as he raced Ryan Anderson to take over fifth on lap eighteen.

Pratt tracked down Britt in the final laps and completed a last lap pass to take over second.  Pauch raced to his third win of the season followed by Pratt, Britt, Watt and Williams.  Anderson, Matt Stangle, Roger Manning, Johnny Guarino and Todd Neiheiser completed the top ten run down at the finish.

Kyle Borror led the line-up to the green flag in the second twenty-five lap feature event, leading the way through the first six laps.  When the Pratt No. 28 overheated during a lap seven caution, Borror gave up the lead to head to the pits, putting Ryan Anderson out in front of Billy Lasko, Watt, Stangle and Pauch for the lap seven restart.

Watt tried outside and inside but Anderson was able to block his every move until Watt went to the inside of turn three on lap eight.  Watt edged ahead of Anderson as they crossed the line to complete lap eight as Pauch moved up to third.  Pauch quickly moved up to second and began to close the gap on Watt.

With Pauch on the bottom and Watt running the higher line, the laps began to count down.  Lapped traffic would become a factor in the final laps as Pauch closed in on Watt.  The leaders split a lapped car on the final lap with Watt winning the drag race to the checkered flag for his first win on the Design for Vision/Sunglass Central 3/8th mile track.  Pauch finished second followed by Williams,  Stangle and Scottie Ambruster.  Tom Beamer, Britt, Neiheiser, Bob Sarkisian and Manning ran sixth through tenth in the second feature event.

After six top three finishes so far this season, Jim Gallagher, Jr. raced to his first win of the season in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman Feature event.  Gallagher led every lap of the twenty lap contest after his wife drew the pole for his starting position.  Eric Kormann was Gallagher’s closest rival to finish second followed by Brad Roberts, Wayne Weaver and Matt Peck.  Bobby Bracall finished in sixth after battling throughout the race with Rich Wegner, Jr. who finished seventh.  Joe Nappi, David Hartman and Scott Hulmes completed the top ten at the checkered.

Scott Maher, Jr. picked up his second win over Justin Moench in the DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature event.

Andy Best drove the Faison No. 2 to victory in the Delaware Auto Exchange MASS feature event.  Rick Stief led the first lap before Kevin Darling took over on lap two.  Darling was the race leader through lap eight when the race was red flagged when Tim Tanner took a wild ride at the end of the homestretch.  Tanner escaped serious injury but the No. 18 was heavily damaged.  Darling headed to the pits prior to the restart.

Best, who was challenging for the lead before the race was stopped, led the field back to the green and raced to his first win of the season over Rick Stief, Jason Dunn, Dominic Melair and Ricky DiEva.  Larry McVay, Logan Diehl, Eddie Wagner, Tom Carberry and Joe Kay trailed the leaders to the finish line at the end of twenty laps.

Lee Allen picked up his first 8 Cylinder Enduro win on the Design for Vision/Sunglass Central 3/8th mile, taking the lead for lap ten.  Derek Jones trailed Allen to the finish followed by Jason Duvall.

The Garden State Vintage put on a ten lap exhibition with drivers Rob Rindgen, Dave Deerson, Paul Ielmini, Whitey Miller, Connie Joyner and Richard Caramella and Stan Hawk.

 

​He already has won more races at Bridgeport than any other driver – one hundred and twenty-eight to be exact!

On Sunday, Jimmy Horton added another chapter to Bridgeport’s history when he picked up the win in the All American 40 event for the Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modifieds on a night of racing sponsored by Arbor Material Handlers.  Arbor Material Handlers is an end-to-end warehouse solutions provider offering Raymond forklifts, warehouse layout and design, telematics, labor management and more to businesses throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Horton became one of the elite drivers to have won a race on all three Bridgeport tracks – the 5/8th, the Spirit Speedway quarter mile and now on the Design for Vision/Sunglass Central 3/8th mile.

Ryan Krachun led the first five laps of feature event before Billy Pauch used a run on the outside to take the lead on a lap six restart.  Horton had moved up to third from his tenth place start when the caution waved for the first time on lap ten.  Pauch would draw the second lap ten caution when he slowed on the track.  After a quick trip to the pits, Pauch returned to the rear of the field but then exited the track before completing another lap.  It was Horton who led the way on the next restart and then drove away from the field, stretching his lead to nearly half of a lap when he took the checkered flag at the end of forty laps.

Krachun had a strong outing to finish second with Wade Hendrickson taking third after starting fourteenth with the Pat Michael owned No. 51m.  Billy Pauch, Jr. finished fourth with a late race pass by fifth place finisher, Scott Ambruster.

Danny Bouc, Brett Kressley, Richie Pratt, Jr., Dominick Buffalino and Jim Britt rounded out the top ten.

Eric Kormann raced to his second win in eight days in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman feature event.  After drawing the pole, Kormann led everyone of the twenty laps, holding off a determined Jim Gallagher, Jr. who added another top three finish to his record.  Wayne Weaver challenged Gallagher on several occasions but had to settle for third followed by Brad Roberts and Tom Princiotta.

Matt Peck, Steve Kemery, Steve Davis, Rich Wegner, Jr. and Tom Moore, Jr. rounded out the top ten.

Joe Biasi picked up his second win of the weekend as he led the USAC East Coast Wingless Sprint Cars to the checkered flag.

Chandler Leiby raced within striking distance of Biasi throughout the twenty five lap main event but was never able to mount a challenge for the lead.  Tim Buckwalter finished third over Eddie Strada and point leader, Steve Drevicki.

The 8 Cylinder Enduro competitors made their first appearance on the Design for Vision/Sunglass Central 3/8 mile track and found it to their liking.  Scott Riggleman led every one of the twenty-five laps for the win over Lee Allen whose late race challenge gave him a second place finish over Derek Jones.

Bridgeport, NJ – Starting this Sunday for the ‘All American 40’ Poker Series race, the following rule has been adjusted in the ‘Modified’ division. Any ‘Spec-Headed’ 358 engines will be allowed to use their spoiler in the traditional manner i.e. 50″ facing the correct direction. All other rules regarding the ‘specs’, ‘open’ 358s, and Big Blocks will remain the same. Teams can a copy of the updated rules on the track’s website www.bpspeedway.com

This Sunday, action resumes on the 3/8 for the 2nd leg of the 2019 Poker Series brought to you by Arbor Material. Spirit Auto Center Big Blocks, South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate/Sportsman, and the USAC East Coast Wingless 360 sprint cars will be on tap this holiday weekend. Pit Gates open at 4pm while grandstands open at 5pm.