IT’S HOWARD BY INCHES OVER LAUBACH FOR SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON
Bridgeport, NJ – Duane Howard and the Butch Getz Big Creek Concrete No. 15g raced to the second win of the year at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park on Design for Vision Night. Howard beat Rick Laubach to the finish line by inches as the two drivers drag raced to the checkered flag.
Bob DeVault picked up his second win of the season in the DCB Plumbing & Heating Mid Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS), becoming the first to repeat on the High Banks this season. For Brian Papiez, it was win number five in the Precision Hydraulic & Oil 602 Sportsman competition while Tom Wills, Jr. raced to his sixth win in the Prime Design Landscaping Street Stocks.
W.B. James and Howard led the field of Modifieds to the start of their thirty lap feature event with James jumping out front to take the lead. James led the first lap but Howard worked the bottom of the track to take the lead on lap two. The race for the win would be anything but easy for the past track champion. The caution waved no less than six times for single car incidents, keeping the field tight and erasing Howard’s lead every time.
Point leader, Jordan Watson, overtook James for second before lap ten could be scored. Matt Stangle raced his way into third from his fourteenth place start. Unfortunately for Stangle, he was the reason for a lap twelve caution when mechanical ills struck the Ace Materials No. 6. Howard led Jordan Watson, Rick Laubach, Cale Ross and Jim Gallagher at halfway.
Every restart produced another battle for the lead as Watson challenged Howard. There was plenty of side-by-side racing and slide jobs as Watson raced hard for the lead. Laubach and Ross battled for third. Jojo Watson raced into the top five with about ten laps to go.
Jordan Watson was racing hard and looking for a way to take the lead. A lap twenty-five restart was called back when Watson had the advantage. A big slide job with less than five laps to go saw Watson drop from second to fifth. Needless to say, both situations were viewed differently by the parties involved.
Laubach became the challenger in the final laps, racing Howard for the lead. Laubach challenged several times. It was the Getz No. 15g and the Hermann No. 7, side-by-side and headed to the checkered. It was close but the win was Howard’s. Laubach finished a very close second followed by Ross, Jojo Watson and Jordan Watson. James finished finished sixth followed by Sam Martz, Sr., Neal Williams, Jim Gallagher and Mike Franz.
F&L Door heat races were won by James and Howard.
Bob DeVault has had a long history with the Bridgeport Speedway as just one of those drivers who has competed in micro sprints on the quarter mile and then sprint cars on the five eighths and now the High Banks. His first win on the High Banks came during the Ron Faison Memorial Race and the driver has been hot ever since.
The draw for the TW Metals feature put Eddie Wagner and Tim Iulg side-by-side on the front row. These two drivers traded the lead back and forth during the first few laps of the feature event. They were still battling for position following the red flag when Dale Eggert took a ride in turn four. Eggert was not injured but the No. 32 sustained significant damage.
DeVault moved into second on lap seven and then challenged Iulg for the lead on the next lap. DeVault was the race leader on lap nine over Kevin Nagy, Iulg, Dave Grube and Larry McVay.
The leaders raced into lapped traffic on lap fourteen. Nagy was able to take the lead as he picked the faster lane through the traffic. Nagy led the way through lap seventeen when DeVault was able to use the traffic to his advantage and regain the lead.
DeVault raced to the win over Nagy, Dave Grube, Tim Iulg and Buddy Schweibinz. Schweibinz is the MASS point leader at this time but Iulg continues to lead the Bridgeport points. Schweibinz raced into fifth on the final lap, putting Larry McVay in sixth with Cory Cornell, Eddie Wagner, Jeff Paulson and DJ Tanner completing the top ten.
DeVault gave the credit for the win to his hard-working crew members. “The car was so good tonight it made up for the driver,” DeVault stated. “The track was in great shape tonight. We had very little tire wear.”
Melton Industries heat races were won by Julg and Schweibinz.
Second generation driver, Luke Bunting, led the Precision Hydraulic & Oil 602 Sportsman feature for the first six laps as Brian Papiez made his way through the top five. The caution waved with six complete when Eric Matson slid up the track, collecting the No. 39 of Matt Peck. Bunting led the way on lap seven but it was Papiez who was out in front on lap eight.
Ethan Bill and Travis Hill raced into second and third on a lap ten restart. The battle for the point lead was right there as Bill and Hill chased Papiez for the remaining laps.
Papiez and the Adams Motorsports No. 37 were the team to beat. In spite of several restarts, Papiez was able to pull away from the field when the green flag waved. It was win number five for Papiez over Bill, Hill, Bunting and Howie Finch . Stephen Yankowski finished sixth followed by Thomas Prychka, Jax Yohn, Pete Serra and Ashley Metz.
Hoffman Discount Parts heat races were won by Bill, Ethan Young and Bunting.
Nick Sandone jumped into the early lead in the Prime Design Landscaping Street Stock feature but Tom Wills, Jr. was out in front to complete lap one. Drew Brocklebank moved into second with Sandone, Mike Hughes and TJ Henry making up the top five with five laps scored.
Brocklebank had Hughes and Henry battling on his back bumper until both drivers pulled off the track before five to go.
Wills raced to his sixth win of the season, putting him back on top in the feature win column. Brocklebank had another strong run to finish second over Jeramy Doerr, Nick Sandone and Terry Chaney.
DTM Powersports heat race was won by Wills.
DANNY’S PIZZA PIZZAZZ MODIFIEDS FEATURE (30 LAPS)
1. Duane Howard, 2. Rick Laubach, 3. Cale Ross, 4. Joseph Watson, 5. Jordan Watson, 6. W.B. James, 7. Sam Martz, Sr., 8. Neal Williams, 9. Jim Gallagher, 10. Mike Franz, 11. Stan Frankenfield, 12. Blaine Bracelin, 13. H.J. Bunting, 14. J.R. Fulper, 15. Sammy Martz, Jr., 16. Matt Stangle, DNS – Sean Metz
DCB PLUMBING & HEATING MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES FEATURE (25 LAPS)
1. Bobby DeVault, 2. Kevin Nagy, 3. Dave Grube, 4. Tim Iulg, 5. Buddy Schweibinz, 6. Larry McVay, 7. Cory Cornell, 8. Eddie Wagner, 9. Jeff Paulson, 10. D.J. Tanner, Jr., 11. Rick Stief, 12. Kenny Laureno, 13. Danny Buccafusca, 14. Darren Cox, 15. Dirk Rimrott, 16. Shelby Kelly, 17. Dan Leaper, 18. Jared Kreider, 19. Dale Eggert
PRECISION HYDRAULIC & OIL 602 SPORTSMAN (25 LAPS)
1. Brian Papiez, 2. Ethan Bill, 3. Travis Hill, 4. Luke Bunting, 5. Howie Finch, 6. Stephen Yankowski, 7. Thomas Prychka, 8. Jax Yohn, 9. Pete Serra, 10. Ashley Metz, 11. Scott Hulmes, 12. David Hartman, 13. Shane Kassekert, 14. Mike Baldwin, 15. Justin Newhard, 16. Brian Rogers, 17. David Jenkins, 18. Ethan Young, 19. David Miloczar, 20. Billy Chester, 21. Robert Tete, 22. Erik Mattson, 23. Dave Mc Elroy, 24. Matt Peck, 25. Wayne Weaver, DNS – Howard Huepful
PRIME DESIGN LANDSCAPING STREET STOCKS (15 LAPS)
1. Tom Wills, Jr., 2. Drew Brocklebank, 3. Jeramy Doerr, 4. Nick Sandone, III, 5. Terry Chaney, 6. Kevin Heckman, 7. Wes Camp, 8. T.J. Henry, 9. Mike Hughes, 10. Duncan Molesworth