MARTZ, JR., NAGY & WILLS, JR. ARE BIG WINNERS IN BRIDGEPORT ACTION
Bridgeport, NJ – Bridgeport Motorsports Park presented a five division show on Saturday night while the Foley Cat Modifieds had a night off in preparation for Tuesday night’s King of the Big Blocks Super DIRTcar event.
Sammy Martz, Jr. became the first three time winner in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman division while Kevin Nagy won his third Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series feature event. Tom Wills, Jr. won his second feature of the season in the Sunbelt Rentals Street Stocks while Ethan Bill picked up win number two in the DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature. The Xcel 600 Modifieds made their first ever appearance on the high banks of the 4/10 mile track with Geoff Sutton earning the victory.
After a thrilling battle with Joe Toth for the lead, Martz, Jr. pulled away from the field as he drove to victory in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman. Joe Toth led for the first three laps before he and Martz put on a display of slide jobs and crossovers. Martz was scored as the leader from lap four until the checkered but there were several laps where the lead changed hand several times as these two young drivers circled the track. It was apparent that the two drivers enjoyed their battle.
Toth raced in second for the remaining laps while several drivers contended for the third spot. Steve Kemery was the ultimate third place finisher after a battle with Matt Elery. Elery is in his first full season of competition and is has become a force to be reckoned with during the first part of the 2021 season. Elery crossed the line in fourth with Sean Metz finishing fifth. Joe Brown, Tom Sherby, Ryan Harris, rookie Ethan Bill and Pete Serra completed the top ten at the checkered flag.
The Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series (MASS) made its third Bridgeport appearance of the season. Joe Kay led the first two laps before Dave Brown took the lead on lap three. Brown set a torrid pace, pulling away from the field with each subsequent lap. With just three laps to go, Brown brought out the caution when his right rear tire blew. Nagy led the field back to the green flag and went on to post his second win at Bridgeport this season. “I wouldn’t have been able to get him,” Nagy commented after the win but he did drive from a twelfth place start to the lead.
Defending champion, Tim Tanner had his best outing of the season to finish second. The big story of the night was the third place finisher, Buddy Schweibinz – a fifteen year old rookie in the MASS sprints this season. Schweibinz started seventeenth and passed Rick Stief, Jeff Geiges and then Mark Bitner to finish third and collect the race’s Hard Charger award. Bitner finished fourth with Rick Stief rounding out the top five. Geiges, Aidan Borden, Joe Kay, Eddie Wagner and Craig Pellegrini made up the rest of the top ten.
Larry McVay went for a wild ride between turns one and two during the MASS feature event and was attended to by the safety crew at the track.
Nick Sandone III led the first three laps of the Sunbelt Rentals Street Stock feature until Tom Wills, Jr. took over on lap four. Wills, Jr. pulled away from the pack, leaving second through fifth up for grabs. After many side by side battles, Jeramy Doerr finished second followed by Jeff Dirkes, last week’s winner, Mike Hughes and Ken Moren.
Ethan Bill made it two for two in the DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature, racing ahead of Mike Creamer for the win. Zack Cox finished third followed by Sean Kassekert and Ethan Young.
Geoff Sutton was spun during the race’s early laps, restarted at the rear of the field and drove to the victory in the Xcel 600 Modified feature event. Sutton was a man on a mission as he drove through the pack to take the lead and then the win over Kenny Harris, Korey Inglin, Eric Whitby and Thomas Pychka. Not bad for a driver who has spent most of his time racing TQs on asphalt.
The stars of the Super DIRTcar series take on the stars of Bridgeport on Tuesday night in the King of the Big Blocks. It’s a race that you won’t want to miss. The USAC All Pro SpeedSTRs will appear for the second time this season on the high banks as part of this show. Pit gates open at three with grandstands opening at 5pm. Warm-ups are scheduled for 6pm with the green flag waving at 7pm.
Sunbelt Rentals Street Stocks: (15 laps) 1. Tom Wills Jr., 2. Jeramy Doerr, 3. Jeff Dirkes, 4. Mike Hughes, 5. Ken Moren, 6. Nick Sandone III, 7. John ParkerSouth Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman: (25 laps) 1. Sammy Martz Jr., 2. Joe Toth, 3. Steve Kemery, 4. Matt Ellery, 5. Sean Metz, 6. Joe Brown, 7. Tom Sherby, 8. Ryan Higgs, 9. Ethan Bill, 10. Pete Serra, 11. Billy Chester, 12. Mike Creamer,, 13. Scott Hulmes, 14. Zack Cox, 15. Erik Mattison, 16. Zachery Steffey, 17. Wayne Weaver, 18. Andy Walko, 19. Shane Kassekert, 20. Jimmy Dallett, 21. Howie Finch, 22. Aaron Weaver DNS: Ethan Young
600 Xcel Mods (20 laps) 1. Geoffrey Sutton, 2. Kenny Harris, 3. Korey Inglin, 4. Eric Whitby, 5. Thomas Pychka, 6. Brandon Graner, 7. Andy Ressler, 8. Ray Gradwell, 9. Olivia Schmeltzer, 10. Dave Burns, 11. Bryce Smith, 12. Christian Smith, 13. Jarad Myers, 14. Matt Yoder, 15. Tyler Barik, 16. Matt Kiefert, 17. Chad Miller DNS: Hunter Diehl, Gene Hartman
Delaware Auto Exchange MASS Sprint Cars (25 laps): 1. Kevin Nagy, 2. Tim Tanner, 3. Buddy Schweibinz, 4. Mark Bitner, 5. Rick Stief, 6. Jeff Geiges, 7. Aidan Borden, 8. Joe Kay, 9. Eddie Wagner, 10. Craig Pellegrini, 11. Christian Rumsey, 12. Phil Meisner, 13. Cody West, 14. Rich Janney, 15. Brody Adamsky, 16. Dale Eggert, 17. Josh Bricker, 18. Zack Bergof, 19. Matthew Swift, 20. Dave Brown, 21. John Brennfleck, 22. Larry MvVay, 23. Marie McVay, 24. Rory Janney DNQ – Jenna Shotz, Keith Anderson, Justin Nowlen, Michael Keen
D.A.’s Auto Body & Repair Rookies: 1. Ethan Bill, 2. Mike Creamer, 3. Zack Cox, 4. Shane Kassekert, 5. Ethan Young, 6. Courtney Pickens