GODOWN, MARTZ, JR AND WILLS ARE CROWNED AS BRIDGEPORT CHAMPIONS
Bridgeport, NJ – It was Tornado Relief Benefit Championship Night at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park as the Speedway celebrated the 2021 Track Champions and raised money to help residents of neighboring communities who were affected by the devastation of the tornados spawned during Hurricane Ida. The Saturday night crowd showed their support for this event as $9,000 was raised for the tornado victims in the neighboring communities.
The track paid tribute to the lives lost during the attacks of September 11, 2001. On the twentieth anniversary of that fateful day, American flags were distributed to the young fans in attendance to wave during the singing of the National Anthem. It was a wonderful sight to see – the youngsters in front of the grandstands, waving their flags while Andrew Joslin drove the No. 343 Street Stock around the track, carrying the flag. The Modifieds lined up behind the grandstands before the start of their feature. The crowd mingled among the starting line-up until God Bless American was sung by Keith Gerhart and the cars were sent to the track for their thirty lap feature event.
Ryan Godown raced to his eighth win of the 2021 season in the Foley Cat Modifieds on his way to the Bridgeport Motorsports Park 2021 Championship. Sammy Martz, Jr. was crowned as the 2021 Champion of the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman as he added his sixth win of the season on Saturday night. Jeff Dirkes was the winner of the Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stocks but it was Tom Wills, Jr. who was crowned as the Street Stock Champion for the 2021 season.
All three champions were joined in the Weaknecht Archery Victory Lane by family, friends and sponsors who joined in celebrating the teams’ accomplishments, illustrating that championships are not won by drivers or car alone but by a team effort.
The tone was set for the evening with the twelve qualifying races for the three divisions. A large Saturday night crowd saw the lead change three times in the first lap of the first Modified heat race!
WB James led the Modifieds around the high banks for one lap before Joseph Watson raced the Blue Hen Special into the lead on lap two. Watson led the field for eleven laps while Godown raced his way through the top five, landing in second on lap eight after a back and forth battle with Billy Osmun III. Godown raced into the lead on lap thirteen with an outside pass by Watson.
At halfway, Osmun raced by both Godown and Watson to momentarily take the lead but both drivers fought back. Watson was scored as the race leader on lap fifteen but Godown raced back out in front on the next green flag lap.
Watson’s next challenge came from Dominick Buffalino and the Big Spring Car Wash No. 126 while Alex Yankowski took on Osmun for fourth. With ten laps to go, Godown led Buffalino, Watson, Osmun and Yankowski.
Godown raced to the win – his third in a row and fourth win out of the last five races. The Modified Champion’s finished every Saturday night point race in the top five with just one exception and that was a seventh place finish after being forced to pit for a flat tire.
Buffalino finished second, keeping the pressure on the leader throughout the second half of the race. Watson finished third ahead of Yankowski and a hard charging Matt Stangle who raced from deep in the field to fifth in the final laps. Osmun finished sixth followed by James, Clay Butler and Dave Hunt who was making his first appearance on the 4/10th mile track.
After a spirited battle with first year driver, Jim Dallett, Sammy Martz, Jr. took the lead and raced to his sixth win of the season, leading every lap from the green to the checkered. Martz had clinched the championship before the start of the feature but Hannah Korman made his life easier when she drew the pole for the new point champion.
Joe Toth and Eric Kormann battled for second, lap after lap until defending champion, Steve Kemery joined in the race. Martz led the way to the finish followed by Toth, Kormann, Howie Finch and Kemery. Steve Davis finished sixth with Travis Hill, Ethan Bill, Adam White and Ryan Higgs completed the top ten in the running order.
Martz had an incredible season with six wins and all top ten finishes. Twelve of those races were in the top five. Martz completed every Saturday night event.
Jeff Dirkes raced to his fourth win of the season in the Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stocks but it was Tom Wills, Jr. who came away with the 2021 Championship.
Polesitter, Nick Sandone III battled with Dirkes and Jeramy Doerr for the lead as they raced down the backstretch on the first lap. It was Dirkes who emerged with the lead. Wills quickly raced his way into second. Dirkes picked up the win as Wills held off the challenges of Lee Allen to finish second. Allen took third over Kyle Saylor and Doeer. Mike Hughes rebounded from an early race incident to finish sixth followed by Mike Creamer, Ken Moren, Tom Landwher and John Parker.
After a strong start to the season, Wills lost an engine and feared that his season was over but the Beaumont family provided the power for under the hood and Wills was back to the track and winning races.
Bridgeport Motorsports Park will host the Monster Truck Throwdown this weekend with shows on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased in advance including the Family Bundle that includes two adult and two tickets for children. Racing action returns the following weekend for a three day event for the Danny Serrano 100 Weekend featuring the Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Street Stocks USAC East Coast Wingless Sprints and USAC All Pro SpeedSTRS.
FOLEY CAT MODIFIED FEATURE (30 laps)
- Ryan Godown, 2. Dominick Buffalino, 3. Joseph Watson, 4. Alex Yankowski, 5. Matt Stangle, 6. Billy Osmun, III, 7. W.B. James, 8. Clay Butler. 9. David Hunt, 10. Tom Moore, Jr., 11. Troy Ale, 12. Jim Gallagher, Jr., 13. Sam Martz, Jr., 14. Mike Franz, 15. Eric Williams, 16. Jimmy Horton, 17. Tommy Beamer, 18. Frank Cozze, 19. David Crossman, 20. Stan Frankenfield, Jr., 21. Billy Pauch, Sr., 22. Neal Williams, 23. Skylar Sheriff, DNS – Heath Metzer, Kevin Vaclavicek, DNQ – H.J. Bunting, Roger Manning, Jim Britt
2021 FOLEY CAT MODIFIED CHAMPION – RYAN GODOWN
SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN FEATURE (25 laps)
- Sammy Martz, Jr., 2. Joe Toth, 3. Eric Kormann, 4. Howie Finch, 5. Steve Kemery, 6. Steve Davis, 7. Travis Hill, 8. Ethan Bill, 9. Adam White, 10. Ryan Higgs, 11. Sean Metz, 12. Andy Walko, 13. Bryan Brobst, 14. Matt Ellery, 15. Greg Reed, 16. Jim Dallett, 17. Michael White, 18. Billy Chester, 19. Scott Hulmes, 20. Thomas Sherby, 21. Matt Smith, 22. Zach McDonald, 23. Wayne Weaver, 24. Jon Swift, 25. Ryan Godown, Jr., 26. Pete Serra, 27. Howard Huepful, DNQ – Aaron Weaver, Ethan Young, John Scarpati, Nolan Openshaw, Shane Kassekert, Erik Mattson
2021 SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN CHAMPION – SAMMY MARTZ, JR.
BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK STREET STOCKS FEATURE (15 laps)
- Jeff Dirkes, 2. Tom Wills, Jr., 3. Lee Allen, 4. Kyle Saylor, 5. Jeramy Doerr, 6. Mike Hughes, 7. Mike Creamer, 8. Ken Moren, 9. Tom Landwher, 10. John Parker, 11. Gary Klimeczak, 12. Nick Sandone, III, 13. Doug Dubray, 14. Kevin Bifulco, 15. Mike Baldwin, DNS – Drew Brocklebank
2021 BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK STREET STOCKS FEATURE – TOM WILLS, JR.