GODOWN, HILL & DIRKES RACE TO VICTORIES WITH JUST ONE RACE LEFT IN 2021 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bridgeport, NJ – Ryan Godown, Travis Hill and Jeff Dirkes raced to victories on Saturday night at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park with just one more Saturday night event remaining in the 2021 Championships. Champions will be crowned next Saturday night when the Foley Cat Modifieds, South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman and Bridgeport Street Stocks race in their final point race of the season.
Ryan Godown raced to his seventh win after leading just the final four laps of the thirty lap feature event. Frank Cozze had the Dave Renaldo owned No. 401 out in front since lap ten and maintained his lead after the race’s final caution just past halfway. As Cozze and Godown raced to the line to complete lap twenty-six, Cozze came up on a lapped car that caused Cozze to change his line and it allowed Godown to take the lead. “He (Cozze) had some smoke tonight,” Godown stated after the checkered, “then he lost some momentum there.” “I knew he (Godown) was there,” Cozze explained. “I could hear him on and off. They were giving the move over flag and I just expected the lapped car to respond to it. I hit it right the one lap and then missed it the next. That’s all it took.”
Less than four laps from a win, it was nevertheless, a good night for the Cozze/Renaldo team with their best run of the season.
Dominick Buffalino and Sam Martz spent most of the race racing each other for third with Billy Pauch adding an additional element on several occasions. Buffalino crossed the line in third followed by Martz and Pauch. Alex Yankowski finished sixth followed by Neal Williams, Billy Osmun III, Matt Stangle and Ryan Watt. Both Stangle and Watt raced from deep in the field for top ten finishes.
Travis Hill started out the season by winning the Underdog 20 – a race that he was eligible for because he was winless during the 2020 season. That won’t be the case this year as Hill raced to his second Saturday night victory with point leader, Sammy Martz, Jr. and defending champion, Steve Kemery racing just behind the winner.
Joe Toth And Wayne Weaver led the field to the start and traded the lead back and forth until Hill raced from his seventh place start and into the lead on lap four. Weaver, Toth, Rookie Champion, Ethan Bill and Toth battled for position behind the leader. The cars were frequently three wide as they battled for position and each chose their preferred line around the high banks.
Martz Jr. raced his way into contention in the final ten laps, racing three wide with Weaver and Ryan Godown, Jr. Bob Lineman, Jr. ran into trouble in turn two with seventeen laps on the books, bringing out the last caution and erasing Hill’s advantage.
Martz and Hill raced for the lead with Kemery right there to take advantage of any opportunity. Hill raced to the win followed by Martz, Kemery, Godown and Bryan Brobst. Bill finished sixth followed by Toth, Jim Dallet, Ryan HIggs and Howie Finch.
The competition was fast and furious in the Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stocks. Jeff Dirkes and point leader, Tom Wills, Jr. raced for the lead in the early going with Wills taking the top spot on lap four. Wills held the lead until a lap nine restart when Dirkes raced back out in front. Dirkes led the way as Wills, Kyle Saller and Mike Hughes battled for position. Contact was made in the final laps. Wills was able to recover but not before Saller and Hughes had passed for second and third.
Dirkes raced to the victory – his third of the season – over Saller, Hughes, Wills and Mike Creamer. Vern McLaughlin, Drew Brocklebank, John Parker, Nick Sandone III and Jeramy Doerr completed the top ten.
New faces are making appearances every week as Street Stock competitors prepare for the Street Stock Nationals on October 8th and 9th.
Rich Page was the winner in the 4 Cylinder Enduro competition over the largest field of cars to date. Chris Gall finished second over Jim Tinnes, Joe Garey, Sr. and Jim Smith.
Saturday night action returns for Championship Night with the Foley Cat Modifieds, South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman and Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stocks.
FOLEY CAT MODIFIEDS (30 laps)
1. Ryan Godown, 2. Frank Cozze, 3. Dominick Buffalino, 4. Sam Martz, Sr., 5. Billy Pauch, Sr., 6. Alex Yankowski, 7. Neal Williams, 8. Billy Osmun, III, 9. Matt Stangle, 10. Ryan Watt, 11. Ryan Krachun, 12. Joseph Watson, 13. Jim Britt, 14. W.B. James, 15. Ryan Forte, 16. Clay Butler, 17. Kevin Vaclavicek, 18. Roger Manning, 19. Brett Kelly, 20. Mike Franz, 21. Troy Ale, 22. Tommy Beamer, DNS – Chris Jenkins
SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN (25 laps)
1. Travis Hill, 2. Sammy Martz, Jr., 3. Steve Kemery, 4. Ryan Godown, Jr., 5. Bryan Brobst, 6. Ethan Bill, 7. Joe Toth, 8. Jim Dallett, 9. Ryan Higgs, 10. Howie Finch, 11. Matt Ellery, 12. Pete Serra, 13. Scott Hulmes, 14. Billy Chester, 15. Nolan Openshaw, 16. Shane Kassekert, 17. Ryan Walther, 18. Wayne Weaver, 19. Bob Lineman, Jr. 20. Tom Sherby, 21. Ian Humphreys, 22. Nick DeSantis, 23. Will Protinick, DNS – Ethan Young, DNQ – Erik Mattson, Jeramy Doerr, Ryan Stangle, Brandon Shipley
BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORT PARK STREET STOCKS (15 laps)
1. Jeff Dirkes, 2. Kyle Saller, 3. Mike Hughes, 4. Tom Wills, Jr., 5. Mike Creamer, 6. Vern McLaughlin, 7. Drew Brocklebank, 8. John Parker, 9. Nick Sandone, III, 10. Jeramy Doerr, 11. Chuck Joslin, 12. Tom Landwher, 13. Wes Camp
4 CYLINDER/8 CYLINDER (15 laps)
1. Rich Page, 2. Chris Gall, 3. Jim Tinnes, 4. Joe Garey, Sr. 5. Jim Smith, 6. Bobby Johnson, 7. Kyle Hurley, 8. Ed Ford, 9. Ricky Gergasko, 10. Dom Antonelli, 11. Joe Garey, Jr.