Bridgeport Motorsports Park

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

USAC East Coast Wingless Sprint Cars: 1. Briggs Danner, 2. Alex Bright, 3. Joey Amantea, 4. Steven Drevicki, 5. Tommy Kunsman, 6. Bruce Buckwalter, 7. Mike Thompson, 8. Ed Aikin, 9. Blaine Emery, 10. Damon Paul, 11. Jonathan Swanson, 12. Mike Meyers, 13. Aidan Borden, 14. David Swanson, 15. Jason Cherry, 16. Kyle Lick, 17. Kenny Miller III, 18. Troy Betts, 19. Chris Allen, 20. Nash Ely

South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman: 1. Steve Kemery, 2. Travis Hill, 3. Steve Davis, 4. Tom Sherby, 5. Wayne Weaver 6. Kyle Belmont, 7. Howie Finch, 8. Chad Sandt, 9. Ryan Higgs, 10. Joseph Brown, 11. Sammy Martz Jr., 12. Andy Walko, 13. Sean Metz, 14. John Swift, 15. Howard Huepful, 16. Bobby Bracall, 17. Greg Nailor, 18. Billy Chester, 19. Samantha Osborne, 20. Aaron Weaver, 21. Matt Elery, 22. Ryan Godown Jr., 23. Brett Belmont

Sunbelt Rentals Street Stocks: 1. Rich Stinson, 2. Tom Wills Jr., 3. Mike Hughes, 4. Nick Sandone III, 5. Terry Chany, 6. Keith McKinley

Full Story to Follow

Bridgeport, NJ – Mike Maresca picked up where he left off at the end of the 2020 season.  His season ended with a win in the final show at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park during Wild Card Weekend.  The Potsdam, NY driver returned for the Kingdom of Speed Weekend sponsored by Millville Glass and Door and again walked away with a win – this time in the sixty lap Doug Hoffman Memorial.  

Sammy Martz, Jr. got his 2021 season off to a good start when he raced 2020 South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman Champion, Steve Kemery for the win in the twenty lap feature event.  

Ryan Smith put the Specialty Rigging No. 10x in Victory Lane as the United Racing Club (URC) opened their 2021 season at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.  URC celebrates their 74th season of competition this year.  

The start of the new season meant the return to three and four wide racing and slide jobs in all divisions as the fans were treated to some great racing during this first weekend of 2021.

When asked what made him so good on the high banked 4/10 mile track, Maresca responded, “That’s I good question!”  He may not know what makes him so good but the fact remains that he is very good.   His weekend was nearly perfect.  Ryan Krachun and Maresca were the two fast timers that transferred into Saturday’s main event after setting fast time in timed hot laps on Friday night.  

As the winner of the six lap Dash, Duane Howard started on the pole of the Doug Hoffman Memorial with Mike Mahaney starting to his outside.  Howard grabbed the lead on the start as Joseph Watson took over second.  Howard led until a lap six restart when Watson took the lead.   Howard regained the lead from Watson on lap twenty but the Big Creek Concrete No. 15G was showing some smoke.  One lap later, in a plume of heavy smoke, Howard pulled off the track.  Maresca, who had just taken over second, became the new leader.

Watson, Mahaney, Frank Cozze and Ryan Godown trailed Maresca.   Cozze took over third on a lap twenty-three restart and got by Watson for second on the next circuit.

The top five remained unchanged through halfway but Mahaney was starting to make moves through the top five.  Following a lap thirty-two restart, Mahaney, Watson and Billy Pauch, Jr. took it three wide while racing for position.  Mahaney took over third on lap thirty-four.  With twenty to go, Cozze was on Mahaney’s radar.  Five laps later, Mahaney raced in second.

A lap forty-five restart shuffled several spots around as Mahaney continue to chase down Maresca but now Godown, Pauch, Jr. and Cozze ran third through fifth.  

As the laps counted down, Mahaney closed in on the leader and looked to make his move.  “I took a look at Mahaney’s tires on that one restart,” Maresca explained, “and they looked pretty beat up.”  Mahaney was confident though, that he had enough tire left to challenge for the lead.  

On the final lap, Mahaney made a big crossover move going into turn three to take the lead but Maresca came right back.  The two drivers raced for the win out of turn four with Maresca winning the drag race to the checkered.  Maresca admitted that he was kind of taken by surprise by Mahaney on that last lap but “not really.  Mike is one of the best right now,” the race winner said of the challenger.

Godown finished third followed by Pauch, Jr. and Cozze.  Joseph Watson finished sixth with Briggs Danner taking seventh after racing his way through the pack from his twenty-third starting spot after winning the first consolation.  Peter Britten finished eighth after a long duel with Danner.  Alex Yankowski crossed the finish line in ninth followed by Craig VonDohren.  

Sammy Martz, Jr. led every lap from the green to the checkered in the South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman feature event but Steve Kemery kept it interesting on the restarts.

Kemery had his hands full with another young driver in the name of Kyle Smith who pressured the 2020 track champion has the laps counted down.  

Martz took his first win on the high banks followed by Kemery, Smith, Ryan Godown, Jr. and Wayne Weaver who ran outside of the top five with just two laps to go.  Howie Finch, Payton Talbot, Brett Belmont, Tom Moore, Jr. and Scott Hulmes rounded out the top ten.

Ryan Smith took the green flag in the twenty-five lap URC sprint car feature event with the intent of being a ‘start and park’ car if he wasn’t able to advance from his fifteenth place start.  However, that notion was quickly erased as Smith raced into the top five in just five laps and then took over second on the next circuit.

He immediately challenged race leader, Brian Carber, and the two put on a tremendous display while battling for the lead.  Following a lap eight caution, Smith took the lead for good and never looked back as he pulled away from the field. 

There was plenty of action in the top five throughout the race as Denny Peebles, Andy Best, Dallas Schott and Jason Schultz battled along with Carber for position.

Smith took the win – his first on the high banks of the 4/10 mile track followed by Best, Schott and Schultz with Derek Locke racing into fifth in the closing laps.  Carber ended up sixth followed by Paulie Colagiovanni, Alex Bright, Josh Weller in the Hogue No. 39 and Denny Peebles.

Smith also picked up the $300 Hard Charger Award presented by Diane Pursell in memory of her brother, Scott, a former URC competitor who passed away earlier this year.  

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^{FOLEY CAT MODIFIEDS – DOUG HOFFMAN MEMORIAL (60 laps) –} 

^{1. Mike Maresca, 2. Mike Mahaney, 3. Ryan Godown, 4. Billy Pauch, Jr., 5. Frank Cozze, 6. Joseph Watson, 7. Briggs Danner, 8. Peter Britten, 9. Alex Yankowski, 10. Craig VonDohren, 11. Matt Stangle, 12. Dillon Steuer, 13. Jimmy Horton, 14. Danny Bouc, 15. Tim Fuller, 16. Brandon Grosso, 17. Dominick Buffalino, 18. Billy Osmun III, 19. Tim Buckwalter, 20. Clay Butler, 21. Ryan Krachun, 22. Brett Kressley, 23. Tommy Beamer, 24. Jared Umbenhauer, 25. Neal Williams, 26. Duane Howard, 27. Tyler Dippel, 28. Kevin Hirthler, 29. Ryan Watt, DNQ – Travis Hill, Brad Roberts, Tommy Errico, Jr., Sam Martz, Justin Eason, Brian Papiez, Mike Franz, Cale Ross, Ron Roberts, Troy Ale, Bruce Hooper} 

^{URC 360 SPRINTS (25 laps) –} 

^{1. Ryan Smith, 2. Andy Best, 3. Dallas Schott, 4. Jason Schultz, 5. Derek Locke, 6. Brian Carber, 7. Paulie Colagiovanni, 8. Alex Bright, 9. Josh Weller, 10. Denny Pebbles, 11. Briggs Danner, 12. J.J. Grasso, 13. Tim Tanner, Jr., 14. Justin Foster, 15. Jordan Thomas, 16. Rick Stief, 17. Ryan Stillwaggon, 18. Brandon McGough, 19. Craig Pellegrini, 20. Davie Franek, 21. Troy Betts, 22. Jake Karklin, 23. Ryan Kissinger, 24. Adam Carberry, 25. Joe Kata, DNQ – Mike Thompson, Ed Aiken, Joey Amantea, Kevin Darling, Brett Wright, Johnny Smith, Dillon Pruschnik, Robbie Stillwaggon} 

^{SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 602 SPORTSMAN (20 laps) –}  

^{1. Sammy Martz, Jr., 2. Steve Kemery, 3. Kyle Smith, 4. Ryan Godown, Jr., 5.  Wayne Weaver, 6. Howie Finch, 7. Payton Talbot, 8. Brett Belmont, 9. Tom Moore, Jr. 10. Scott Hulmes, 11. Adam White, 12. Ryan Simmons, 13. Joe Toth, 14. Travis Hill, 15. Justin Grosso, 16. Paul Mancini, 17. Sean Metz, 18. Kevin Borden, 19. Will Dupree, 20. John Micek, 21. Michael White, 22. Kenny Bock, 23. Billy Chester, 24. Josh Bricker, DNQ – Steve Davis, Zach Payne, James Hill, Joe Brown, John Scarpati, Dan Reif, Pete Serra, Tom Sherby, Greg Reed, Ryan Stangle, Erick Mattson, Cameron Reif, Matt Elery, Joe Nappi, Lance Irwin}