FIVE FEATURE WINNERS IN ACTION PACKED NIGHT AT BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK
Bridgeport, NJ – The Bridgeport Motorsports Park presented an action packed Saturday night program that featured the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman, the Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stocks, the Four Cylinder Enduros in addition to both winged and wingless sprints cars courtesy of the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series 305 Winged Sprints and the Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Wingless Sprint Cars. 107 cars filed into the pit area for Saturday night’s action while race fans filed into the grandstands. Plenty of race cars, plenty of fans and plenty of racing action!
The Foley Cat Modifieds had the night off to prepare for the Short Track Super Series event on Tuesday but there was still a large crowd of fans on hand for the Saturday night program. And the racing did not disappoint! Dirt track racing is alive and well at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park!
Steve Kemery came away with the win in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman feature after a two lap shootout to the checkered flag with current point leader, Sammy Martz Jr. Martz drew a starting spot on the front row and ran away from the field as the race went for twenty-three non-stop green flag circuits.
The late race caution closed up the field and erased the lead that Martz had created over the twenty-three lap span. The single file restart with just two laps to go saw Kemery and Martz exchange slide jobs and cross over moves on lap twenty-four. They raced side by side on lap twenty-four and were side by side as they raced out of turn four to the checkered. Kemery won the drag race by a bumper and part of a tire over Martz. It was Kemery’s fifth win of the season at Bridgeport, tying him with Martz as we head into the second half of the season.
Brian Krummel made the trip to Bridgeport on an off night from Orange County and used a late race move down the backstretch to race to a third place finish. Matt Ellery was again in the middle of the top five action, earning a fourth place finish over Ryan HIggs. Joe Toth finished sixth in the Belmont No. 14 followed by Nick DeSantis, Brian Brobst. Ryan Krachun in the Ryan Stangle No. 6 and Eric Kormann in the George Hoffman No. 10.
Kemery represents his sponsors well, thanking everyone in Victory Lane with a special shoutout to Tim Buckwalter’s TSL shocks for the great shock package.
TJ Henry became a repeat winner in the Bridgeport Motorsprots Park Street Stocks, taking the lead from two time feature winner, Jeff Dirkes with five laps to go. Jeramy Doerr’s late race charge saw him take second from Dirkes at the checkered for his best finish of the season. Dirkes finished third followed by point leader, Tom Wills, Jr. and Gary Klimeczak.
A wild finish in the fifteen lap Four Cylinder feature saw Joe Garey, Jr. capture the victory. Scott Dunn dominated the first thirteen laps of the race with Justin Dunn catching the leader with two to go. With the top two cars nose to tail, Brian Barker got out of shape on the homestretch collecting Justin Dunn and bringing out the caution. The field lined up for the restart but the leader’s car did not go on when the green flag waved. Scott Dunn headed to the pits while Garey, Jr. scored the victory over Chris Gall, Joe Garer, Sr., Kyle Hurley and Bobby Johnson.
Kevin Nagy remains the hottest thing in 305 Sprint Car racing as the Bridgeport fans got to see Nagy race to his sixth win of the season and second in as many days. Nagy led every lap of the twenty lap feature event over Josh Bricker, Mike Melair, Aidan Borden and Zach Bealer. Dominic Melair had a great run on the leader but mechanical issues sent Melair to the infield with just five laps to go.
Tim Tanner, Larry McVay, Dale Eggert, Eddie Wagner and Dave Brown rounded out the top ten at the checkered.
The winged sprint cars of MASS get to try it again next weekend as they return to the high banks fo the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
The Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Wingless Sprints wrapped up the show with their feature event. Alex Bright and Mark Bitner led the field to the green with Bright grabbing the early race lead but a quick red would realign the field for a complete restart. A multi-car incident in turn one saw David Swanson take a wild ride in the No 117. All drivers were okay but Swanson’s night ended before lap one could be completed.
Bright raced into the lead with Bitner and Briggs Danner in hot pursuit. Danner secured second on lap two and then set his sights on Bright who was pulling away from the field.
Danner reeled in the Rodota Trucking No. 20 and slid Bright for the lead several times before a three car incident in turn one again brought out the caution.
The restart gave Bright a clear track ahead to defend his lead. The race for third was heating up with Damon Paul, Mark Bitner and Ed Aiken as the laps counted down.
Bright raced to the win for his fifth USAC East Coast victory of the season and his first on the high banks of the Bridgeport Motorsports Park. Danner finished a strong second with Aiken making some late race moves to finish third. Bitner finished fourth with Nash Ely taking fifth in the closing laps for his second top five of the weekend. Paul, Eric Jennings, Mike Thompson, Chris Allen (who rebounded from an earlier incident) and Troy Betts completed the top ten at the finish line.
The Short Track Super Series will make its first appearance on the high banks on Tuesday, July 27th with another full weekend of racing to follow on Saturday.
JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN (25 laps)
1. Steve Kemery, 2. Sammy Martz, Jr., 3. Brian Krummel, 4. Matt Ellery, 5. Ryan Higgs, 6. Joe Toth, 7. Nick DeSantis, 8. Bryan Brobst, 9. Ryan Krachun, 10. Eric Kormann, 11. Ian Humphreys, 12. Tom Sherby, 13. Jim Dallett, 14. Ethan Bill, 15. Will Protinick, 16. Stephen Yankowski, 17. Howie Finch, 18. Brad Cicio, 19. Andy Walko, 20. Billy Chester, 21. Ray Woodall, Jr., 22. Mike Creamer, 23. Scott Hulmes, 24. Pete Serra, 25. Sean Metz, 26. Ryan Godown, Jr., DNQ – Ryan Stangle, Shane Kassekert, Matt Luzi, Greg Nailor, Ethan Young, Bryan Brobst, John Scarpati
BRIDGEPORT STREET STOCLS (15 laps)
1. T.J. Henry, 2. Jeramy Doerr, 3. Jeff Dirkes, 4. Tom Wills, Jr., 5. Gary Klimeczak, 6. Mike Hughes, 7. Ken Moren, 8. Wes Camp, 9. John Parker
USAC RAPID TIRE EAST COAST WINGLESS SPRINTS (20 laps)
1. Alex Bright, 2. Briggs Danner, 3. Ed Aiken, 4. Mark Bitner, 5. Nash Ely, 6. Damon Paul, 7. Eric Jennings, 8. Mike Thompson, 9. Chris Allen, Jr., 10. Troy Betts, 11. Jonathan Swanson, 12. Brian Spencer, 13. Zack Burd, 14. Craig Pellegrini, 15. Mike Myers, 16. Rich Carnathan, 17. Bruce Buckwalter, Jr., 18. Joey Amantea, 19. Billy Ney, 20. Ricky Rutt, 21. David Swanson
MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES (20 laps)
1, Kevin Nagy, 2. Josh Bricker, 3. Mike Melair, 4. Aiden Borden, 5. Zach Bealer, 6. Tim Tanner, 7. Larry McVay, 8. Dale Eggert, 9. Eddie Wagner, 10. Dave Brown, 11. Cody West, 12. Darren Cox, 13. Keith Anderson, 14. Tim Iulg, 15. Rick Steif, 16. Kristina Pratt, 17. George Loux, 18. Dave Bonner, 19. Matthew Swift, 20. Johnny Yanek, 21. Marie McVay, 22. Dom Melair, 23. Rory Janney, 24. Rich Janney, DNQ – Jon Brennfleck, Justin Nowlen, Cory Connere, Zak Vickers
FOUR CYLINDERS (15 laps)
1. Joe Garey, Jr., 2. Chris Gall, 3. Joe Garey, Sr., 4. Kyle Hurley, 5. Bobby Johnson, 6. Jim Tinnes, 7. Scott Dunn, 8. Justin Dunn, 9. Brian Barker