DIETZ WINS $10,000 IN BRIDGEPORT STREET STOCK NATIONALS
Bridgeport, NJ – The Bridgeport Motorsports Park offered a full slate of racing on Saturday as the Second Annual Street Stock Nationals highlighted the five division program.
Lernerville Track Champion, Tyler Dietz raced to the victory in the $10,000 to win one hundred lap Street Stock Nationals. Dave Brown raced to the win in the fifty lap F&W Grafix Fall Classic in memory of Bob Schweibinz for the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS). Frank Cozze picked up the win in the Underdog 30 sponsored by Fire Management Control of PA and Rent Equip of Delaware. Joe Garey Jr. made it a clean sweep in the John Blewett Inc. Scrap & Waste Recycling Four Cylinder feature event. The Vintage cars were also on hand as part of the Saturday program.
Two Last Chance Qualifiers were run to complete the starting line up for the Street Stock Nationals. Billy Walker traveled all the way from Alabama to compete in the Street Stock Nationals and was the winner of the first Last Chance Qualifier. Bridgeport regular, Drew Brocklebank picked up the win in the second Last Chance Qualifier.
Chris Murray of the Devil Bowl Speedway in Vermont led the field to the green flag from his pole position start and led the early laps of the race. Murray was also the reason for the first caution after making contact with the wall, sidelining Murray from the event. Tyler Dietz took over at that point with Kyle Daneen racing in second. Jasen Gessaman, a Hagerstown, MD regular, made his way through the top five and took over second on a lap twenty-one restart. Gessaman pursued Dietz, lap after lap. The leader couldn’t afford to make any mistakes because Gessaman was right there to take advantage of any opportunity. Gessaman had a lot of experience in this situation after he pressured Jimmy Blewett throughout the 100 lapper a year ago.
Dietz led the way through halfway followed by Gessaman, John Carpenter, Shane Wolf and Daneen. The caution was thrown at halfway as the cars filed onto the quarter mile track to the attention of the crews. The ten minute clock ran during the break with the field returning to a double file restart at the end of ten minutes.
Dietz went back to work with Gessaman hot on his trail but Wolf came to life and made it a three car race. Carpenter and Jimmy Blewett completed the top five with Ryan Smith looking for his opportunity to get into the top five.
With forty laps to go, Blewett headed to the attention of the Ormsbee crew for tires with left side flats. Blewett’s race came to an end with about twenty laps remaining when the drive shaft went on the No. 19.
Gessaman raced side by side with Dietz on a lap seventy-seven restart and came away with the lead. Gessaman led the way until Dietz was able to regain the spot on a lap eighty restart.
As the laps counted down, several competitors were getting stronger. Ryan Smith raced in the top five while Josh Bassino had his hands full with defending Bridgeport Champion, Tom Wills, Jr. as they battled for sixth. Daneen slowed with mechanical ills on lap ninety-four with Wolf’s mount going up in smoke just moments later. Both drivers were racing within the top five with ten laps remaining.
Dietz raced to the $10,000 payday followed by Gessaman and Smith, both finished in these same positions a year ago. Bussino won the drag race with Wills for fourth while Wills completed the top five. Wills was the first of the Bridgeport competitors to cross the finish line. Three generations of Spider Ensingers competed over the weekend but it was Spider Jr. who finished sixth followed by 2022 Bridgeport Track Champion, Lee Allen, Bailey Tolson, Rich Stinson who qualified through a Last Change Qualifier. Andrew Fitzgerald finished tenth. The top ten completed all one hundred laps.
Dietz was already a fan of longer distance races and of the High Banks of the Bridgeport Motorsports Park. “This track is incredible,” the race winner exclaimed. “This is a one in a life time race.”
Dave Brown picked up the win in the fifty lap F&W Graphix Fall Classic honoring the late Bob Schweibinz. Schweibinz was the grandfather of 2022 MASS Champion, Buddy Schweibinz, It was Bob Schweibinz who introduced his family to racing. When Bob passed away before the start of the season, the driver and crew dedicated this season which included a feature win, the MASS Championship as well as the Tanner Brothers Dairy Store Bridgeport Championship.
Polesitter, Aidan Borden led the first lap but it was all Dave Brown from lap two on as Brown raced ahead of the field and through lapped traffic to capture the fifty lap victory. Brown led the way over Borden, CJ Faison, Tim Iulg and Schweibinz through the first five laps. The running order remained unchanged through the open red with fourteen laps scored. The cars remained on the track with a crew member adding fuel or making wing or shock adjustments. After the three minute break, the field lined up for the double file restart on lap fifteen.
Iulg had a good restart as he moved up to second behind Brown. Borden, Faison and 2022 MASS Rookie of the Year, DJ Tanner completed the top five through the halfway mark. Schweibinz battled with Tanner to climb back into the top five by lap thirty. Josh Bricker was the next driver to break into the top five, dropping Tanner to sixth with twenty laps to go.
Brown caught the back of the field on lap thirty seven but the Aston, PA driver had little trouble making his way through lapped traffic.
With just three laps to go, Dirk Rimrott had his No. 56 go up in smoke and drop moisture around the track. One lap later, Darren Cox ran into trouble going into turn one. Cox relinquished his top ten finish as he was towed back to the pits.
Brown led the field to the checkered followed by Iulg, Schweibinz, Bricker and Tanner. Mark Bitner finished sixth followed by Jeff Paulson, Phil Meisner, Jr. , Dan Leaper and Shelby Kelly.
The fifty lap event created a lot of interest for future races.
Brown credited his dad with the success of this season as well as the Bitner power under the hood of the No. 44.
Iulg finished ahead of Schweibinz in the final race of the season but it wasn’t enough to overcome the ten point deficit. Schweibinz collected the Tanner Brother Dairy Store Bridgeport Championship for 2022.
Frank Cozze raced to the win in the Underdog 30 sponsored by Fire Management Control of PA and Rent Equip of Delaware. It was Cozze’s first win on the High Banks and actually coincided with his big win in Syracuse on this same weekend some years ago.
JR Fulper celebrated his birthday by leading the starting line-up to the green flag. Fulper led the first five laps but it was Cozze who was out in front on lap six. HJ Bunting moved the Blue Hen Racing No. 30 into second on lap eight. Bunting was the fast timer in the timed warm-ups and was able to give Cozze a challenge on the restarts but Cozze was able to pull away when the race returned to green flag racing.
Cozze drove to the checkered for the win followed by Bunting, Richie Pratt, Jr., Rich Rutski and Roger Manning. Cozze was pleased with the wide, smooth track. “I finally get to win something,” Cozze stated, crediting his crew for all of their hardwork throughout the season. Cozze was joined in Victory Lane by his family, including several grandchildren who had the thrill of seeing him win a race.
It was the first Bridgeport start of the season for Rutski and David Hunt. Sammy Martz, Jr. used the event to shake down a new No. 24 Modified.
Joe Garey, Jr. made it a clean sweep in the John Blewett Inc. Scrap & Waste Recyling Four Cylinder feature event. Ken Johnson was the early race leader, falling to the challenge of Eric Deggler. Deggler led until just before halfway when Garey, Jr. took the lead.
Garey, Jr. picked up his second win of the weekend over Rich Page, Tim Jones, Shane Flaherty and Eric Deggler.
GIEL’S AUTOMOTIVE/HARRY U PULL IT STREET STOCK NATIONAL FEATURE (100 LAPS) – 1. Tyler Dietz, 2. Jasen Gessaman, 3. Ryan Smith, 4. Josh Bassino, 5. Tom Wills, Jr., 6. Spider Ensinger, Jr., 7. Lee Allen, 8. Bailey Tolson, 9. Rich Stinson, Jr., 10. Andrew Fitzgerald (all completed 100), 11. Jeff Dirkes, 12. Drew Brocklebank, 13. Kory Henry, 14. Walt Henry, 15. Gary Ronk, 16. Shane Wolf, Jr., 17. Kyle Deneen, 18. Christopher Allen, Jr., 19. John Parker, 20. Jonathan Carpenter, 21. Chris Lane, 22. Jimmy Blewett, 23. Jeramy Doerr, 24. Darren Cox, 25. Chris Stalker, 26. Billy Walker, 27. Shane Miller, 28. Spider Ensinger, 29. Kyle Saylor, 30. Duncan Molesworth, 31. Nick Sandone, III, 32. Chris Murray, 33. Ray Rothfuss, DNQ – Bill Leidtka, Dan Harrison, Rob Partridge, Andrew Joslin, Tim Lauguard, Scott Freed, Vern McLaughlin, Scott Hulmes, Mike Creamer, Spider Ensinger, III, Ray Rothfuss
DELAWARE AUTO EXCHANGE MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES FEATURE SPONSORED BY F&W GRAFIX IN HONOR OF BOB SCHWEIBINZ (50 LAPS) – 1. Dave Brown, 2. Tim Iulg, 3. Buddy Schweibinz, 4. Josh Bricker, 5. D.J. Tanner, Jr., 6. Mark Bitner, 7. Jeff Paulson, 8. Phil Meisner, 9. Dan Leaper, 10. Shelby Kelly, 11. Darren Cox, 12. Dirk Rimrott, 13. C.J. Faison, 14. Rick Stief, 15. Kenny Laureno, 16. Torrey Rose, 17. Cory Cornell, 18. Jon Brennfleck, 19. Ryan Stillwaggon, DQ – Aidan Borden, DNS – Eddie Wagner, Bobby DeVault, Bill Case, Justin Nowlen, Keith Anderson, Logan Diehl, Joe Kay
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONTROL OF PA/RENT EQUIP OF DELAWARE MODIFIED UNDERDOG 30 (30 LAPS)
- Frank Cozze, 2. H.J. Bunting, 3. Richie Pratt, Jr., 4. Rich Rutski, 5. Roger Manning, 6. Anthony Tramontana, 7. Kevin Vaclavicek, 8. J.R. Fulper, 9. Tom Maccherone, 10. Dan Waisempacher, 11. Trent VanVorst, 12. Cole Stangle, 13. David Hunt, 14. Eric Engstrom
JOHN BLEWETT INC SCRAP & WASTE RECYLING FOUR CYLINDER FEATURE (15 LAPS)
- Joe Garey, Jr., 2. Rich Page, 3. Tim Jones, 4. Shane Flaherty, 5. Eric Deggler, 6. Joe Garey, Sr., 7. Mark Stein, Sr., 8. Ed Ford, 9. Daniel Jr., 10. Haley Smith, 11. Butch Helsel, 12. Bobby Johnson, DNS – Shane Flaherty
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