MADSEN & BUFFALINO WIN THRILLERS AT KINGDOM OF SPEED

Bridgeport, NJ – Kerry Madsen and Dominick Buffalino made history at the Bridgeport Speedway Motorsports Park during the track’s Tuesday night Invasion of the Posse – a double header show of PA Posse 410 Sprint Cars and Foley Cat Modifieds – sponsored by Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz. It was the first ever race for 410 sprint cars on the high banks of the 4/10 mile track and it certainly won’t be the last. It was a must see show for many racing fans who left anxiously awaiting the next event.

More than thirty sprint cars competed for starting spots in the main event. Shaffer and Madsen made up the first row of the feature line-up after finishing 1-2 in the 410 Sprint Dash.

Madsen, the transplanted Australian who moved to the US to race sprint cars twenty years ago, raced to the $5,000 victory in the thirty lap feature event after taking the lead from Tim Shaffer on lap seven. The two drivers raced across the start/finish line side by side on lap six with Madsen pulling ahead on the next circuit.

From that point on, the race was for second through fifth as Madsen pulled away from the field. Shaffer was a sold second after winning the battle with Anthony Macri and Brent Marks while Ryan Smith raced the bottom of the track, looking to advance his position.

The second caution of the race came with just one lap to go after Anthony Fiore made contact with the wall in turn four and came to a stop on the homestretch. With the field lined up nose to tail for the final lap restart, it was one last chance to advance positions.

Madsen raced to the checkered flag over Shaffer. Macri won the battle with Marks for third. Marks was challenged at the line by Ryan Smith but held on to finish fourth. Kyle Reinhardt used a last lap pass to finish sixth ahead of Freddy Rahmer. Danny Dietrich, Tyler Ross and Justin Peck rounded out the top ten. Peck rallied after a lap eight spin to finish tenth.

The Foley Cat Modifieds were up to the task to provide an elbows up performance in their thirty lap feature event.

Ryan Krachun rolled the outside to take the lead on lap one from polesitter, Jim Britt. Krachun set a blistering pace as he raced away from the field. Sam Martz and Buffalino quickly moved into second and third with Billy Pauch, Jr. and Mike Maresca completing the top five in the early going.

Buffalino passed Martz for second on lap nine with Pauch, Jr. and Maresca following one lap later.

As the race approached the halfway mark, Krachun encountered lapped traffic. Buffalino was able to use the traffic to his advantage as he closed in on the lead. As Krachun took the halfway sign, Buffalino had the Hynneman No. 126 on his bumper. Maresca raced in third, looking for an opportunity to make a bid for the lead.

Buffalino and Krachun crossed the start/finish line side by side on lap eighteen with Buffalino scored as the leader for the first time. Bufflino was able to clear Krachun on the next lap but Krachun wasn’t going away. Krachun was right on the leader, ready to take advantage of any opportunity.

Thirty green flag laps and just eight minutes and forty-eight seconds after the green flag, Buffalino drove to his first Bridgeport victory of the season and his first ever win on the high banked 4/10th mile speedway. It was Buffalino’s first visit to Bridgeport’s Weaknecht Archery Victory Lane. The up on the wheel, non-stop racing took its toll on the drivers. “It felt like 130 laps to be honest, ” Buffalino said from Victory Lane. “It really wore you out. When you are running that close to the wall, every lap.”

Krachun finished a close second. “The lapped traffic really made a difference,” the runner-up explained, “but that’s not anything about the lapped cars. That’s on me. I need to get better in traffic,” Krachun added.

Maresca, who won opening day on the high banks, raced in third and had the best seat in the house to watch the race for the lead. After racing with his father earlier in the race, Pauch, Jr. finished fourth with Alex Yankowski racing home in fifth.

Danny Bouc finished sixth followed by JoJo Watson, Craig VonDohren, Jim Britt and Briggs Danner.

Buffalino’s win was his second victory in four days with his new ride, certainly proving that this team will be one to be reckoned with in the races to come.

Invasion of the Posse Winged 410 Sprint Cars (30 laps): 1. Kerry Madsen 2. Tim Shaffer 3. Anthony Macri 4. Brent Marks 5. Ryan Smith 6. Kyle Reinhardt 7. Freddie Rahmer 8. Danny Dietrich 9. Tyler Ross 10. Justin Peck 11. JJ Grasso 12. Justin Whitall 13. Lucas Wolfe 14. Austin Bishop 15. Kyle Moody 16. Matt Campbell 17. Mark Bitner 18. Ricky Dieva 19. Dave Brown 20. Anthony Fiore 21. Billy Dietrich 22. Lyton Jeffery 23. Chase Dietz 24. Adam Carberry

Foley CAT Modifieds (30 laps): 1. Dom Buffalino 2. Ryan Krachun 3. Mike Maresca 4. Billy Pauch Jr. 5. Alex Yankowski 6. Danny Bouc 7. Craig Von Dohren 8. Joseph Watson 9. Jim Britt 10. Briggs Danner 11. Brandon Grosso 12. Jimmy Horton 13. Dillion Steuer 14. Tommy Beamer 15. Sam Martz 16. Mike Gular 17. Davey Sammons 18. Jim Gallagher 19. Brandon Hightower 20. Neil Williams 21. Billy Pauch 22. Frank Yankowski 23. Joe Toth 24. Tim Buckwalter 25. Brad Roberts 26. Ryan Godown 27. Mike Mahaney