Category: News

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Rick Laubach claimed his 51st Big Block Modified victory in the BRB Contractors sponsored tripleheader at the Bridgeport Speedway while Steve Kemery picked up his second win of the season in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate/Sportman main event.  Josh Weller did everything that he could to defend his title in the Capitol Renegade United Racing Club season opener, picking up the win – his first of the season.

It was a welcome relief for Laubach,  to be standing in Victory Lane, after a winless 2018 season.  “Everything just worked out right for us today,” Laubach related.  “We definitely had an angel looking out for us,” Laubach stated, referring to Lori Herman, along with husband, Gary owned the No. 7 that Laubach pilots at Bridgeport.  Lori lost her hard fought battle to cancer last year.

Laubach drew the pole for the start of the twenty-five lap main event for the Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modiifeds but he had Bridgeport’s All Time Feature Winner, Jimmy Horton, starting alongside.  Laubach quickly moved in front at the wave of the green .  Horton held down second for the first ten laps until Brandon Grosso made the pass for the runner-up spot on a lap eleven restart.

Grosso was able to close in on Laubach to offer a challenge but was never able to capitalize on the opportunity.

Laubach raced to the win, his first Bridgeport victory since July of 2017.  Grosso tooksecond over Horton.  Jeff Strunk held off the advance of Ryan Watt to take fourth.  Dave Hunt, Brian Papiez, Dave Shirk, Richie Pratt, Jr. and Ron Roberts rounded out the top ten.

The win paid Laubach $3,000 including the bonus offered by BRB Contractors for this event.

For the fourth time in the last five races, Steve Kemery raced to the win in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate/Sportsman, picking up the extra bonus paid by Precision Hydraulic.

For eighteen laps, it appeared as Joe Toth was on his way to his first Bridgeport victory.  Toth led until a red flag was needed at the end of eighteen laps when Kevin Belmont and Ernie Miles III tangled in turn two with Miles getting upside down.  Both drivers escaped injury.

When the filed lined up for a single file restart with two laps to go, Toth lost fuel pressure.  Kemery was able to take the lead while Toth’s No. 9 flatered before slowing on the backstretch and then coming to a complete stop, bringing out another caution.

Kemery took the win over Jim Gallagher, Jr., Matt Peck, Wayne Weaver and John Micek.  Rich Wenger, Chris Jenkins, John Cavallaro, Kevin Borden and Justin Lilick completed the top ten at the checkered flag.

Josh Weller put together twenty-five perfect laps in the first step in defending his title with the United Racing Club.

Steve Buckwalter, driving the Bob Lilick owned No. 7, was the only driver to offer a challenge to Weller but Buckwalter was forced to pit for a flat tire during the race’s final laps.

Chad Layton took over second but was never able to get close enough to Weller to mount a challenge.

Weller led Layton, Jason Shultz, Curt Michale and Lucas Wolfe to the finish line.  Shultz ran in the top five during the entire event while Michael made a late race charge to take over fourth.  Troy Betts finished sixth ahead of Austin Bishop and Tyler Ross.  Steve Buckwalter rallied to ninth place finish after his tire change with Davie Franek finishing tenth.

The Bridgeport Speedway will remain idle until Saturday, May 4th for the first regular Saturday night event of the season and the start of the 2019 point season.

 

The Bridgeport Speedway will see action this Sunday with a triple header show sponsored by BRB Contractors of King of Prussia, PA.  This event will  feature the Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modifieds, the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman and the season opener for the winged warriors of the Capitol Renegade United Racing Club (URC) .  This will be the only event at Bridgeport for the month of April before the speedway returns for weekly Saturday night racing on May 5th.

The Spirit Auto Center Big Blocks will receive a purse increase for this Sunday’s BRB Contractor’s sponsored event.  The Modifieds will now race for $3,000 during their 25-lap feature event.  Many of the drivers that participated in the ‘Doug Hoffman Memorial’ are expected to return for this special Sunday matinee program.  Meanwhile, the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman will also race for a little extra cash on Sunday.  The drivers of the 602 class will be gunning for cool $1,000 to win courtesy of Precision Hydraulic.  All non-qualifiers in the 602 Crates will also receive $50 tow money for their efforts on Sunday.

Bob Lilick is the owner/operator of BRB Contractors and has been involved in auto racing for many years, fielding multiple cars in different divisions of racing for his sons.  BRB Contractors is an industrial, commercial and residential demolition, excavation and paving company and has been in business for over seventeen years.  Contact BRB Contractors for all of your construction needs by calling (610) 275-0768.

Josh Weller, of Mertztown, PA, captured his first championship for the 2018 racing season when he captured three victories throughout the season.  Weller has rebuilt his No. 63 for the new season and is looking to defend his title as the 2019 season gets underway.  And the season opener couldn’t be at a better place than the Bridgeport Speedway where Weller has several victories in recent seasons!

He will have plenty of competition though as drivers like Curt Michael, Ryan Quackenbush, Eddie Strada, Troy Betts, Adam Carberry, Chris Allen Jr. and others also have their eye on the prize.

Bridgeport fans will have the added bonus of seeing reigning Big Block Modified Champion, Ryan Watt, strap into the Tim Hogue owned No. 39 to compete with URC.  Watt will be doing double duty on Sunday as he also fields his Ron Roberts Racing No. 14w in the Modified ranks.

Billy Pauch picked up the sixty-third Bridgeport victory in the 60 Over-Doug Hoffman Memorial Race to open the 2019 Bridgeport season while Steve Kemery was the first winner of the year in the 602 Crate Sportsman ranks.

Pit gates will open at 1:30 while fans may enter the grandstands starting at 3pm.  Racing gets underway at 5pm.

Come early and take advantage of all that the Bridgeport Speedway has to offer.  Enjoy the free musical entertainment or ride the Bandit Bus to get a look behind the scenes as you ride through the pit area.   Enjoy the many delectable delights that the refreshment stands have to offer.  And don’t forget to pick up the latest copy of the Bridgeport Bullet – the official program of the Bridgeport Speedway.  There’s all sorts of new Bridgeport Speedway souvenirs from decals to hats and shirts.

We are Bridgeport – the only track in New Jersey to offer Big Block Modifieds;  we are comitted to maintaining a safe, fun, family atmosphere, creating life-lasting memories of excitement.

Bridgeport, NJ – Bridgeport has adjusted their newly revamped headline division rules effective immediately.  The ‘open’ 358 small blocks, who were given the opportunity to run sail panels over the winter, will now run standard ‘window’ body rules.  All of the other rule changes in regards to the ‘open’ 358s, spec 358s, and Big Blocks will stay in place and closely monitored in the future races.

“Our main objective was to slow the Big Blocks down a bit with cost of engines, tires, ect and I think we’ve accomplished that goal,” offered track owner Brian Ramey.  “However, after Saturday’s event and dozens of phone calls with concern of equality, it seems that we gave a little too much advantage to the ‘open’ small blocks.  We are a Big Block track, that is just trying to open the door for some teams to come that may not have a Big Block yet still be competitive,” Ramey added.

Another rule has been adjusted that can be found in the ‘track rules’.  There was an incident regarding lapped cars on a restart towards the end of the race.  “We followed the rulebook on this one I can guarantee you,” Ramey pointed out.  The previous rule had all lapped cars remaining in place until 5 laps or less to go.  The new rule will be with 10 laps or less to go all lapped cars will drop to the back of field a lap down.  “The problem wasn’t the lapped cars not wanting to be there or the other lead lap cars passing them, it was the lapped cars were trying to go around the leader and get their lap back which isn’t allowed.  If a driver wants to surrender their position on the track, they need to fall to the back of the pack and will be placed a lap down.”

For rule updates you can visit the track’s official website at www.bpspeedway.com.  The next event will be on Sunday, April 14 when the URC Sprint Car Tour invades the 5/8 joining the Spirit Auto Center Big Blocks and South Jersey Overhead Door Crate/Sportsman.

Click here for Revised 2019 Rules & Regulations 

Click here for Revised 2019 Big Block Modified Rules 

 

 

 

What a great way to open the 2019 Bridgeport Speedway season!!  The weather was great – warm and sunny – on the last Saturday of March.  There were a lot of fans, a lot of race cars and a lot of great racing throughout the 60 Over – Doug Hoffman Memorial Race.  It was an event that Hoffman would have been proud of!

At the end of forty-four laps, it was Billy Pauch who dominated the field to pick up his first win of the season in the Spirit Auto Center sponsored Modifieds.

A day race in late March said dry, slick track to Pauch who came to race with his K&A Excavating sponsored No. 1 Small Block Modified.  Davey Sammons took the lead from polesitter, Matt Stangle on the start and led the first nine times around before Pauch challenged as the leaders raced to the line for lap ten.

Pauch won the spot and never looked back.  He had nearly a straight away lead on the field when Rick Laubach came to a stop on the homestretch with thirty-five laps on the books.  Two restarts later, it was still Pauch way out in front to take the win over Sammons who had his best Bridgeport outing to date.  Jimmy Horton, Bridgeport’s All Time Feature Win Leader, finished a strong third followed by Craig VonDohren and Duane Howard.

What a great tribute to Doug Hoffman whose 92 Bridgeport wins have him second on the All Time Feature Winners List.  Horton,  with his 128 wins and first on the All Time Feature Winners List, was in the thick of the action all day.  Pauch who had 62 wins going into yesterday and is third on the list.   Rick Laubach’s 45 wins and fifth on the list, ran in the top five for

the first half of the race.  Duane Howard, who’s 42 wins have him sixth on the All Time Feature Winner’s List, finished fifth after running as high as third during the main event.

Billy Pauch, Jr., Brandon Grosso, Michael Maresca, Richie Pratt, Jr. and Matt Stangle rounded out the top ten at the checkered.

Steve Kemery picked up where he left off at the end of the 2018 season by taking the win in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman feature.  The win was Kemery’s third win in his last four races at Bridgeport.

 Kemery raced to the inside of leader, Steve Davis on lap nine to take the lead after several challenges on the outside did not move Kemery into the lead.  Craig Whitmoyer raced from his seventh place start to finish second.   2017 DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie Champion, Jim Gallagher raced home in third followed by Davis and Eric Kormann who was behind the wheel of a Jeff Brown owned No. 9.

2018 Rookie Champion, Sammy Martz, Jr. finished sixth followed by Travis Hill, Ryan Simmons, Wayne Weaver and Michael White.

Rich Stinson, Jr. repeated his opening day performance of a year ago to pick up the first win in the Sunbelt Rentals Outlaw Stocks.  Lee Allen led the first two laps before Tom Wills, Jr. raced to the outside to take the lead on lap three.  One lap later, Wills slowed and headed to the pits with mechanical ills as Stinson took over the lead and led the way to the checkered flag at the end of fifteen laps.  Jon Meyer won a hard fought battle with Brian Ludwig to take second.  Ludwig took third followed by Allen and Gary Klimeczak at the finish.

Pauch, Kemery and Stinson each earned a Ace for the first hand in the 2019 Poker Series.  Drivers finishing first through thirteenth receive a playing card from an Ace through a deuce for this year’s series.

Saturday Hand 1 of the  2019 Poker Series

602 Crates $1,000 to win 20 Laps, $100 to Start

Big Blocks ’60over Special-Doug Hoffman Memorial’ $4,400 to win 44 Laps

Schedule of Events:

12:00 p.m. – Pit gates open

12:15 p.m. – Safety Inspection begins

2:00 p.m. – Grandstand gates open

2:15 p.m. – Draw Opens

2:30 p.m. – Driver’s Meeting

2:50 p.m. – Call Drivers for Hot laps

3:00 p.m. – Track gates CLOSED

3:15 p.m. – Hot laps

• Outlaw Stock Cars
• 602 Crates
•   Big Block Modifieds

3:45 p.m. – Track Prep for heats

3:55 p.m. – Welcome/Invocation/National Anthem

4:00 p.m. – Racing begins

• Outlaw Stock Car Heats – 6 laps each
• Crate/Sportsman Heats – 8 laps each
• Big Block Modified Heats – 8 laps each **Driver Introductions**

• Outlaw Stock Car Feature – 15 laps
• Big Block Modified Consolation – 8 laps
• Crate/Sportsman Consolation – 8 laps

• Intermission/Track Prep

• Big Block Modified Feature–44 laps (Stage & Draw Behind Grandstands)
• Crate/Sportsman Feature – 20 laps

Michael and Doug’s plans to go racing did not receive a warm welcome from their dad who reluctantly allowed them to keep the car in an old chicken coop on the farm.  But, when the elder Hoffman saw that this race car kept his sons’ interest and had them at home working on the car every night, he decided maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.  

It wasn’t long before Doug started to win races.  In just his third season of competition, Doug won the Dorney Park track championship.  The Hoffmans decided to move their racing onto the area dirt tracks the following year.  

Hoffman’s first dirt car was a former Frank Cozze Olsen chassis.  A trip to Olsen’s shop resulted in a long list of items that was needed for the race car.  That list was posted on the Hoffman family refrigerator – just like a Christmas list – where family and friends could select what piece they would purchase. 

Doug’s early dirt car racing wasn’t very successful.  After several wrecks, it was Budd Olsen who convinced Hoffman to come to Bridgeport.  Olsen maintained that it was good track to learn on.  Bridgeport’s 5/8th mile track was big and wide and gave a driver plenty of room to race.  And as they say – the rest is history.  By 1982, Hoffman’s career was really taking off.  Hoffman was winning races and attracting sponsors to support his racing efforts. 

Doug Hoffman earned 482 victories during his career while racing at around forty tracks in nine different states and two Canadian provinces.  Twenty-five times he was a track or series champion.  Hoffman won four Bridgeport titles and collected ninety-two Bridgeport feature wins – second only to Jimmy Horton. 

It was at Doug’s urging that led Keith from behind the scenes to behind the wheel, taking a second car out on a few occasions and then competing with the Rookies at Flemington during the 1990 season.

When both Doug and Keith were racing, they tried not to race against each other – at least not on a regular basis.

In 2001, Doug was the track champion at both East Windsor and Bridgeport.  Keith won the track titles at both Big Diamond and New Egypt.

Doug Hoffman had a second racing career as a promoter.  He took on the challenges of the Bridgeport Speedway for the 2012 season and breathed life back into the Logan Township racing facility.  The Poker Series was started by Hoffman during his years promoting the Mahoning Valley Speedway.  He introduced the Poker Series at Bridgeport and it was well received.  2019 will mark the eighth year of Bridgeport’s Poker Series with Hoffman’s Memorial Race being the first hand in the 2019 series.

The 60 Over – Doug Hoffman Memorial Race always attracts a stout field of cars to the Bridgeport opener.

To date, Ryan Watt is the only driver who has repeated in this event.  Bobby Varin picked up the win in 2013 in the Atlas Trucking No. 66.  Watt’s first win came one year later with Ryan Godown picking up the win in 2015 behind the wheel of Bill Hewlett’s No. 901.  Dominick Buffalino put Pat Michael’s No. 51M in the Winner’s Circle in 2016 while Stewart Friesen collected the victory one year later.  Watt’s second 60 Over victory came last season.

Pit gates will open at noon on Saturday with the grandstand gates opening at 2pm.  Warm-ups will begin at 3 with racing getting underway at 4pm.  Grandstand admission will be $25 with children ages 10-15 at $10.  Children under ten years of age are admitted free.  Admission to the pits will be $35,

Come early and take advantage of all that the Bridgeport Speedway has to offer.  Free musical entertainment.  Ride the Bandit Bus to get a look behind the scenes as you ride through the pit area.  Enjoy the many delectable delights that the refreshment stands have to offer.  And don’t forget to pick up the latest in Bridgeport Speedway swag – new shirts will be available for the season opener.  You will want to add a copy of the official Bridgeport Speedway program – the Bridgeport Bullet – a welcome addition to any race fan’s collection.

We are Bridgeport – the only track in New Jersey to offer Big Block Modifieds;  we are committed to maintaininga safe, fun, family atmosphere creating life-lasting memories of excitement.