Bridgeport Motorsports Park

Bridgeport, NJ – While there is still plenty of racing left to be run in the 2021 season at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park, there are only three race dates left before the 2021 Champions are crowned on Saturday, September, 11. 2021.

The Foley Cat Modifieds have three races remaining before Championship Night. Mathematically, all of the drivers currently in the top ten in points have a chance to be named as this year’s champion with each feature win valued at sixty points. One hundred and seventy-seven points separate current point leader, Ryan Godown and tenth place, Neal Williams.

While Godown has five Bridgeport wins, only three came during Saturday night point competition. Godown has a thirty-four-point lead over Alex Yankowski who has won the last two Modified contests on the high banks of the Bridgeport Motorsports Park. Only one of those victories came in a point contest but you cannot deny Yankowski’s recent momentum. Ryan Krachun who sits third in points has found his formula for success at Bridgeport after winning a race early in the season. Krachun is seventy-six-points behind Godown and thirty-eight points behind Yankowski.

Dominick Buffalino is currently fourth in points in his first season behind the wheel of the Hyneman owned, Big Spring Car Wash No. 126. Buffalino has two victories this season but is still searching for a second points win in Saturday night competition. This would be a good time for Buffalino to get hot and eat up the ninety-eight-point deficit.

Matt Stangle, Joseph Watson, Billy Osmun III, Sam Martz, Billy Pauch and Neal Williams complete the top ten in points – all are more than a hundred points behind Godown with three races remaining on the schedule. Only Osmun and Williams have not made the trip to the Weaknecht Archery Victory Lane this season.

The South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman race shows the biggest point spread of the three Saturday night divisions. Sammy Martz, Jr. has four Saturday night wins and leads rookie, Matt Ellery by eight-four-points with three races remaining. Ellery just took over second place in the points with his second-place finish, capitalizing on Steve Kemery’s race back to eighth after a pit stop was needed to change a tire. Tom Sherby and Howie Finch round out the top five in points. Both drivers are winsless so far this season and are more than one hundred and fifty points behind the leader.

Ryan Godown, Jr has three wins and is sixth in points followed by Billy Chester, Rookie Champion, Ethan Bill, Travis Hill and Ryan Higgs. Only Hill has a win to his credit this season of the drivers currently in sixth through tenth in points.

Tom Wills, Jr. has won three races in a row to lead the Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stocks by forty points over Mike Hughes. Wills has a total of six wins but several DNFs have kept the run for the championship a close one. Mike Hughes has one win this season. Two-time feature winner, Jeff Dirkes and Jeramy Doerr share third in the points with just two races left on the 2021 schedule. Dirkes and Doerr are four points behind Hughes. Past Champion, Doerr is still looking for his first win of the season. Nick Sandone III is currently fifth in points, more than a hundred points behind Wills.

Who will the 2021 Champions be? Only time will tell! Will you be there when the 2021 Bridgeport Motorsports Park crowns the champions!

Bridgeport, NJ – The Bridgeport Motorsports Park has earned a reputation for the exciting racing that has taken place on the high banks of the 4/10th mile track.  Saturday night’s action raised that reputation to a whole new level as both the Foley Cat Modified feature and South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman features were decided by late race battles in action sponsored by Ice Less.  

A little more than a week ago, seventeen year old Alex Yankowski won his first race of the 2021 season at Bridgeport.  On Saturday night, Yankowski picked up his second win in a race that saw Yankowksi and Matt Stangle in a drag race to the checkered flag.  

Polesitter, Ronnie Roberts led the first lap.  Billy Osmun III had the No. 81 on a rail around the top of the track as he sailed into the lead on lap two and led the way for fourteen laps.  

Matt Stangle had the Danny’s Pizza Pizazz No. 51 in second before the fifth lap could be scored.  He then began to reel in Osmun who had a sizeable lead after several green flag laps of racing.  Osmun raced to the crossed flags as the leader but it was Stangle who was out in front on the next circuit.  Stangle then wasted no time in putting some distance between him and the rest of the field.

Yankowski raced forward from his twelfth place start and took over second with less than ten laps remaining.  Little by little, lap by lap, Yankowski was closing in on Stangle as the leader raced through lapped traffic.  With just two laps to go, Mike Franz drew a caution when his No. 2 came up lame and Franz was unable to get off the track.  That set-up a single file restart with green, white and checkered to go.
Yankowski challenged for the lead.  Slide jobs and crossover moves saw Stangle battle back but Yankowski had the advantage at the white flag.  Yankowski led the way but Stangle made a move to the inside and pulled up even with Yankowski as the two drivers raced to the finish line.  Yankowksi had the advantage at the finish line by the slimmest of margins – just 6/100ths of a second.

Osmun trailed Yankowski and Stangle to the checkered for his best finish of the season.  Ryan Krachun and Neal Williams rounded out the top five.  Tommy Beamer finished sixth after running in the top five for most of the race.  Ryan Godown raced his way back to seventh after his trip to the pits. Joseph Watson finished eighth ahead of Sam Martz and Ryan Watt,  Seven of the top ten have at least one Bridgeport feature win to their credit.

The racing in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman feature was second to none.  If you could tear your eyes away from the battle for the lead, there was three wide racing for third right behind the leaders.

Matt Ellery, a first year driver in this division, led the first three laps before Travis Hill put the Cogdill No. 98 out in front for lap four.  Ellery was back in front for lap five followed by Hill and Eric Kormann in the Hoffman No. 10.  Steve Kemery and Ryan Godown, Jr. raced into the top five before lap ten was scored.
Kemery was forced to pit for a tire change just after halfway.  Ellery led Hill, Kormann, Rookie champion, Ethan Bill and Godown with ten laps to go.  
On every restart, there was two and three wide racing for the lead as Kormann would move in on Ellery and Hill.  Then another three or four wide race for fourth behind the leaders.  

Wayne Weaver flew into third just before a lap seventeen caution and made it three wide for the lead when the green flag waved for the restart.  
Hill raced into the lead on lap twenty-one and led the field to the checkered.  Ellery finished second for another outstanding outing.  Weaver took third over Kormann and Godown.  Howie Finch finished sixth followed by point leader, Sammy Martz, jr., Kemery who raced his way back to an eighth place finish, Jim Dallett and Ryan Higgs.

Tom Wills, Jr. added to his lead in the points by winning his sixth Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stock feature event and his third win in a row.
John Parker led the first two laps before Wills raced into the lead on lap three.  Mike Hughes battled with Jeramy Doerr and Jeff Dirkes throughout the fifteen lap event and even took a shot at the lead with just a few laps remaining.

Wills raced to the win over Hughes, Doerr, Dirkes and Parker.

Sprint car action comes to the high banks this Wednesday in a Winged and Wingless event with United Racing Club and USAC East Coast  Wingless Sprint cars.  Action begins at 6:15 with warm-ups.  Then on Saturday night, for the first time ever on the high banks, the ULMA Super Late Models appear with the Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Street Stocks, 4 & 8 Cylinder Enduros and a Saturday Matinee for the All Star Slingshots.

if you want action – then Bridgeport Motorsports Park is where you want to be!

FOLEY CAT MODIFIEDS (30 laps) 

1. Alex Yankowski, 2. Matt Stangle, 3. Billy Osmun, III, 4. Ryan Krachun, 5. Neal Williams, 6. Tommy Beamer, 7. Ryan Godown, 8. Joseph Watson, 9. Sam Martz, Sr., 10. Ryan Watt, 11. Billy Pauch, Sr., 12. Clay Butler, 13. Billy Lasko, 14. Ron Roberts, 15. Troy Ale, 16. W.B. James, 17. Mike Franz, 18. Joe Toth, 19. J.R. Fulper, 20. Dominick Buffalino, 21. Jim Gallagher, Jr., 22. Kevin Vaclavicek 

SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN (25 laps) 

1. Travis Hill, 2. Matt Ellery, 3. Wayne Weaver, 4. Eric Kormann, 5. Ryan Godown, Jr., 6. Howie Finch, 7. Sammy Martz, Jr., 8. Steve Kemery, 9. Jim Dallett, 10. Ryan Higgs, 11. Ethan Bill, 12. Billy Chester, 13. Will Protinick, 14. Zach Steffey, 15. Ryan Stangle, 16. Aaron Weaver, 17. Tom Sherby, 18. Ethan Young, 19. Scott Hulmes, 20. Andy Walko, 21. Pete Serra, DNS – Sean Metz 

BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORT PARK STREET STOCKS (15 laps) 

1. Tom Wills, Jr., 2. Mike Hughes, 3. Jeramy Doerr, 4. Jeff Dirkes, 5. John Parker, 6. Gary Klimeczak, 7. Terry Chaney, 8. Ken Moren, 9. Ron Dirkes, 10. Nick Sandone, III. 

Bridgeport, NJ – It was Belmont’s Garage Night at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park and Ryan Godown, Jr., Tom Wills, Jr., Kevin Nagy and Amanda Angstadt each added another win to their season total in Saturday night action that saw four divisions of competition.

Ryan Godown was the flag-to-flag winner in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Crate Sportsman feature event after drawing the pole. Godown made it look easy even though several cautions brought the field back to the leader and closed in the ranks.

Brett Belmont had one of three of the Belmont Garage sponsored entries in second through the first fourteen laps of the race before current point leader, Sammy Martz, Jr. took over the spot on a lap fifteen restart. Travis Hill had the Cogdill No. 98 racing among the top five throughout the twenty-five lap event, running as high as second but ultimately finishing behind Godown and Martz.

Mechanical issues plagued several drivers that raced in the top five during the main event. 2021 Rookie Champion, Ethan Bill raced within the top five until mechanical failure sidelined him at past the halfway mark. With five laps to go, Godown led Martz,, Hill, Steve Kemery, Tom Sherby and Kyle Belmont. The field took the white flag before the caution came out for Brett Belmont who spun due to a tire going down on his No. 14. While under caution, Kemery stopped in turn two -his race was over due to a broken axle adaptor.

Godown led the way to the checkered for his fourth Bridgeport win of the season followed by Martz, Hill, Sherby and Kyle Belmont who raced his way into the top five late in the race. Jim Dallett had another strong effort, finishing sixth. Joe Toth brought his Belmont Garage sponsored No. 9 home in seventh with Matt Ellery, Sean Metz and Howie Finch rounding out the top ten at the flag.

Godown was thankful to return to the Weaknecht Archery Victory Lane. “Thanks to everyone who helps on the car…We were really struggling in July but so far August is looking better,” the feature winner stated.

Kevin Nagy did it again!! Nagy raced into the lead of the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid Atlantic Sprint Series on the first lap and never looked back as he collected his fifth Bridgeport victory of the season bringing his win total to eight for 2021.

Nagy told announcer, Barry Angstadt about how he is not comfortable speaking in front of people. Words haven’t been necessary as Nagy’s racing has really delivered the message so far this season.

Larry McVay raced for the lead on lap one before Nagy put the No. 45 out in front off of turn four. The caution waved on lap three for Jenna Shotz in turn one, bringing the field back together for a double file restart. That brought third place Ryan Stillwaggon right up to Nagy and McVay for a three car battle for the lead on the restart. Cody West raced in fourth with Zack Bealer and Aiden Borden racing for fifth.

Christian Rumsey went for a wild ride in turn four with six laps scored. Rumsey was not injured.

McVay and Stillwaggon challenged Nagy on each of the restarts but Nagy was able to pull away under green flag conditions.

Nagy led the way to the checkered flag over McVay, Stillwaggon, Bealer and West with Rick Stief, Tim Iulg, Tim Tanner, Aidan Borden and Eddie Wagner rounding out the top ten. When Cody West didn’t make weight after the feature, his finish was dropped to eighteenth, moving everyone up a spot and adding CJ Faison to the top ten.

West’s Fred Kennedy No. 56 was heavily damaged the previous Saturday when a titanium bolt that connects the drag link to the steering arm broke. The team spent many hours rebuilding the car for Saturday night’s race and never got a chance to scale the car.

A $300 bounty was posted by Palmco Motorsports and Wheelsof Speed.com for any driver who was able to win, provided Nagy was competing at the checkered flag. Nagy was also eligible for the bounty if he would forego the draw and start in twelfth. Nagy elected to take his chances with the draw.

Tom Wills, Jr. raced from his third place start and into the lead on the first lap to win a wire-to-wire feature in the Bridgeport Motorsports Park Street Stocks. Jeff Dirkes did not make it an easy win as he and Wills raced side by side on several occasions

Wills took the win over Dirkes, Mike Hughes, Jr., Jeramy Doerr and Nick Sandone III. Doerr rebounded after a trip to the pits. Wills followed the strick instructions after last week’s win to wash the car, put it on jack stands and to not change a thing.

Michael Beckett led the first lap of the All Star Slingshot feature after a three wide battle for the lead with Amanda Angstadt and Ashley Therien.

One lap later, Angstadt completed the pass for the lead. Beckett was able to hang with the leader but was not able to challenge for the lead before the checkered flag waved. Becket finished second over Mark Kiefert who was making his first start at Spirit this season. Ryan Biello crossed the line in fourth but did not make weight following the feature. That moved Ryan Davey into fourth and Tim Franks into fifth.

Regular shows are on tap for both Spirit Auto Center Speedway and Bridgeport Motorsports Park next weekend with the Foley Cat Modifieds returning for the Saturday night program. Then on Saturday, August 21, look for the Super Late Models make their first ever appearance on the Bridgeport high banks, joining the Modifieds, 602 Crate Sportsman, Street Stocks, 4&8 Cylinder Enduro Cars and a Saturday afternoon matinee for the All Star Slingshots.

SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN (LAPS 25)

1. Ryan Godown, Jr., 2. Sammy Martz, Jr., 3. Travis Hill, 4. Tom Sherby, 5. Kyle Belmont, 6. Jim Dallett, 7. Joe Toth, 8. Matt Ellery, 9. Sean Metz, 10. Howie Finch, 11. Steve Davis, 12. Ryan Higgs, 13. Ian Humphreys, 14. Billy Chester, 15. Pete Serra, 16. Brett Belmont, 17. Steve Kemery, 18. Brandon Shipley, 19. Zach Steffey, 20. Shane Kassekert, 21. Luke Marcheski, 22. Erik Mattson, 23. Ethan Bill, 24. Scott Hulmes, 25. John Scarpati, DNQ – Nick DeSantis, Wayne Weaver, Will Protinick

MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES (25 LAPS)

1. Kevin Nagy, 2. Larry McVay, 3. Ryan Stillwaggon, 4. Zach Bealer, 5. Rick Stief, 6. Tim Iulg, 7. Tim Tanner, 8. Aidan Borden, 9. Eddie Wagner, 10. C.J. Faison, 11. Mark Bitner, 12. Rory Janney, 13. Jeff Geiges, 14. Josh Bricker, 15. Keith Anderson, 16. Dale Eggert, 17. Marie McVay, 18. Cody West, 19. Darren Cox, 20. Kristina Pratt, 21. Justin Nowlen, 22. Christian Rumsey, 23. Rich Janney, 24. Jenna Shotz, DNS – Buddy Schweibinz

BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK STREET STOCKS (15 LAPS)

1. Tom Wills, Jr., 2. Jeff Dirkes, 3. Mike Hughes, 4. Jeramy Doerr, 5. Nick Sandone, III, 6. Keith McKinley, 7. Wes Camp, 8. Mike Creamer, 9. John Parker, 10. Johnny Bush

ALL-STAR SLINGSHOTS (20 LAPS)

1. Amanda Angstadt, 2. Michael Beckett, 3. Mark Kiefert, 4. Ryan Davey, 5. Tim Franks, 6. Dave Morrell, 7. Tomas Mowery, 8. P.J. Bozowski, 9. Ashley Therien, 10. Scott Phillipp, 11. Nick Biello, 12. Ryan Biello

Bridgeport, NJ – The Foley Cat Modifieds joined the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets for a mid-week double header at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.  The event, sponsored by Liberty Kenworth of South Jersey, marked the first appearance of the USAC Midgets on the high banks of Bridgeport’s 4/10 mile track and their only race in the state of New Jersey.   

 After multiple second place finishes, Alex Yankowski raced to the win in the thirty lap Modified feature.  Tanner Thorson became the third different winner in race number three of Eastern Midget Week.  Chris Windom and Daison Pursley were the winners of the two previous events.  

Alex Yankowski garnered the headlines last fall when he won the first Danny Serrano 100.  It was a huge victory for the then sixteen year old driver who defeated a stellar field of competitors.  Yankowski got as much press for his impressive win as he did for his spectacular finish when the feature winner tangled with a lapped car on his cool down lap and flipped in front of the starter’s stand.  Yankowski escaped unscathed but his first win certainly gained attention in the headlines!

Thursday night’s win wasn’t nearly as spectacular but it certainly was a huge breakthrough for the young driver from Coventry Township, PA.  Yankowski has just two Bridgeport finishes outside the top ten.  His two second place finishes were behind five time feature winner, Ryan Godown.

Yankowski drew the pole for the start of the thirty lap Modified feature.  Ryan Godown drew the outside pole,  The two drivers raced to the starting line at the end of the first lap side by side but Godown moved out in front on lap two.  Godown had the lead but Yankowski was not far behind, keeping the black No. 26 well within his range of sight.  Racing behind the leaders in the early laps were Frank Cozze, Neal Williams and Sam Martz.  

Cozze pulled off the track on lap ten as Billy Pauch, Jr. and Dominick Buffalino battled for fifth behind the leaders.  

Godown led the way through halfway but two laps later and a puff of smoke, Godown was off the pace and headed to the infield.  Yankowski was the new race leader on lap seventeen and never faltered.   The positions behind the leader continued to be up for grabs as Williams and Martz now battled for second while Pauch, Jr. and Buffalino raced for fourth.  

Pauch, Jr. had just reeled in Martz in third when the caution waved for Joseph Watson who had a flat.  Watson headed to the pits for a tire change and returned to join at the end of the field for the single file, three lap shootout.

Yankowski raced to the checkered flag followed closely by Williams.  Martz finished third after a battle with Buffalino in the final laps.  Pauch rounded out the top five.  

Emerson Axsom led the way for the first four laps of the USAC Midget feature but it was Tanner Thorson who raced into the lead following a lap five restart.  The one and only caution flag came on lap five when Zach Daum lost an engine between turns three and four and experienced a big flare up when the engine left go.

Thorson rolled the outside to gain the lead on the restart but it wasn’t long before Thorson had dropped to the bottom of the track.  And that’s where Thorson stayed for nearly all of the remaining laps, even while racing through traffic.  “The bottom just had so much grip,” Thorson explained.  “I went down there to feel around and that was the place to be,” Thorson added.  

Thorson raced ahead of the field and took the checkered flag nine seconds ahead of second place, Thomas Meseraull.  “These midgets will run the bottom pretty good,” Meseraull observed.  “I wasn’t really set up to run down there but it worked.”  Meseraull raced by Axsom to take over second just a few laps after Thorson took the lead.

Axsom raced in third until Buddy Kofoid raced to the inside on lap twenty-one and came away with the position.  Axsom was then challenged by Chris Windom who raced everywhere from the bottom of the track to up against the wall as he made his way through the top five.  Windom moved up to fourth in the final laps with Axsom finishing fifth – his first non-podium finish of the week.

Kevin Thomas Jr. finished sixth followed by Cannon McIntosh, Alex Bright, Chase Randall and Justin Grant. 

FOLEY CAT MODIFIEDS (30 LAPS) – 1. Alex Yankowski, 2. Neal Williams, 3. Sam Martz, 4. Dominick Buffalino, 5. Billy Pauch, Jr., 6. Ryan Watt, 7. Ryan Krachun, 8. Jojo Watson, 9. Kevin Vaclivicek, 10. WB James, 11. Briggs Danner, 12. Max McLaughlin, 13. Brandon, Grasso, 14. Ryan Godown, 15. Matt Stangle, 16. Frank Cozze, 17, Brett Kelly, 18, Mike Franz

USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK NATIONAL MIDGETS (30 LAPS) – 1. Tanner Thorson, 2. Thomas Meseraull, 3. Buddy Kofoid, 4. Chris Windom, 5. Emerson Axsom, 6. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 7. Cannon McIntosh, 8. Alex Bright, 9. Chase Randall, 10. Justin Grant, 11. Daison Pursley, 12. Hayden Williams, 13. Logan Seavey, 14. Taylor Reimer, 15. Jonathn Shafer, 16. Ethan Mitchell, 17. Hayden Reinhold, 18. Kevin Woody, Jr. 19. Travis Bucklwy, 20. Jimmy Glenn, 21. Zach Daum