RECORDS FALL AS BACON TAKES BRIDGEPORT BY STORM
Records fell and milestones were reached as Broken Arrow, OK driver, Brady Bacon raced to his first ever win in the Garden State to pick up the victory in the second night of the 2024 Eastern Storm. The Bridgeport Motorsports Park hosted a double header show of the USAC National Wingless Sprint Cars and the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modifieds sponsored by JPA Masonry.
Bacon led from the green flag to the checkered to become the first USAC driver this season to hold the lead throughout the entire thirty lap race. Bacon started from the pole after timing sixth overall and finishing second in his heat race.
Kevin Thomas, Jr. quickly moved into second and began his race-long chase of Bacon. Justin Grant wasted no time into getting into third. At times Bacon, Thomas and Grant were nose to tail with a single car length separating each position.
With just ten laps to go, Brady and Thomas were able to pull away from the field as Grant, Robert Ballou and Mitchell Moles completed the top five.
That’s the way they ran to the checkered with Bacon taking the win over Kevin Thomas Jr., Justin Grant, Robert Ballou and Mitchell Moles. CJ Leary finished sixth over Kyle Cummins, Anton Hernandez, Ricky Louis and the highest finishing East Coast driver, Joey Amantea.
Bacon admitted that he had never looked at the track prior to the feature and didn’t realize the amount of preparation that had been done to the track. However, as the race wore on, Bacon got better. Kevin Thomas, Jr. showed his nose and once Bacon realized where the driver from Alabama was running, he was able to take away that line from Thomas.
It was a big turnaround for Bacon and the Dynamics No. 69 crew who had suffered an engine failure during Tuesday night’s action.
Coming into the night’s competition, CJ Leary held the one lap record which he broke during his pair of timed laps. Then two cars later, Mitchel Moles broke the record again and this one stood throughout the event at a time of 14.685 seconds. Matt Westfall broke the eight lap record in the first qualifier only to have Anton Hernandez set the new mark in the second heat race with a time of 2:03.44.
Bacon’s win moved him to the top of the All Time Winner’s List for the Eastern Storm. It was Bacon’s seventh Eastern Storm victory, moving him ahead of Bryan Clauson, Levi Jones and Chris Windom.
In Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modified action, it was Brian Papiez who raced to the win in just his third outing with the Dave Adams owned No. 37 Modified. Papiez competes weekly in Adams’ car in the Ice Less 602 Sportsman but a second car with a Modified engine was prepared for some special shows this season.
Frank Cozze and Papiez led the field to the start but a first lap incident off of turn two, had the field scrambling for evasive action, sidelining several cars before the green flag. Neal Williams had his night end prematurely as well as current Modified point leader, Matt Stangle who tried to restart the race but exited after just a few laps.
Papiez grabbed the lead on the start and was able to hold off the challenges from Cale Ross to pick up the win. Ross finished second with Dillon Steuer taking third after a battle with Sammy Martz, Jr. who finished fourth. Danny Bouc rounded out the top five at the end of thirty laps.
Alex Yankowski finished sixth followed by Cozze, Jordan Watson, Billy Osmun III and Jim Gallagher, Jr.
The win marked the first Modified feature win for Papiez on the High Banks of the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
Wednesday night’s race provided the final tune-up for the Modifieds before the $8,000 to win Doug Olsen 44 lap Memorial Race scheduled for this Saturday night.
JPA MASONRY NIGHT AT THE BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK
USAC SPRINT FEATURE (30 LAPS)
1. Brady Bacon, 2. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 3. Justin Grant, 4. Robert Ballou, 5. Mitchel Moles, 6. C.J. Leary, 7. Kyle Cummins, 8. Anton Hernandez, 9. Ricky Lewis, 10. Joey Amantea, 11. Carson Garrett, 12. Matt Westfall, 13. Daison Pursley, 14. Jadon Rogers, 15. Logan Seavey, 16. Jake Swanson, 17. Charles Davis, Jr., 18. Chase Stockon, 19. Korbyn Hayslett, 20. Tom Harris, 21. Steven Drevicki, 22. Alex Bright, 23. Briggs Danner, 24. Hunter Maddox.
DANNY’S PIZZA PIZZAZZ MODIFIEDS (30 LAPS)
1. Brian Papiez, 2. Cale Ross, 3. Dillon Steuer, 4. Sammy Martz, Jr., 5. Danny Bouc, 6. Alex Yankowski, 7. Frank Cozze, 8. Jordan Watson, 9. Billy Osmun, III, 10. Jim Gallagher, Jr., 11. Tanner VanDoren, 12. Paul Mancini, 13. Stan Frankenfield, Jr., 14. Anthony Tramontana, 15. Joseph Watson, 16. Mike Franz, 17. Billy Pauch, Jr., 18. Sam Martz, Sr., 19. Matt Stangle, 20. Neal Williams, 21. H. J. Bunting, 22. Rick Laubach