Tag: Dirt

Bridgeport, NJ – Bridgeport Motorsports Park presented a triple header program of South Jersey Overhead Door 602 Sportsman, Sunbelt Rental Street Stocks and Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint cars on Saturday night with racing sponsored by Church’s Auto Parts. The racing provided the thrills and excitement that racing fans have come to expect at the Kingdom of Speed.

Briggs Danner picked up where he left off last season with another win in the Bill Gallagher owned No. 5G wingless sprint car as he once again raced Alex Bright for the win.  Steve Kemery made several key moves to gain the lead in the 602 Sportsman Feature event to earn his first Bridgeport win of the season.  Rich Stinson became Bridgeport’s first repeat winner of the 2021 season with his victory in the Street Stock main event.  

Danner ended last season with a win in his first ever race with the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars.  In that event, he chased down race leader, Alex Bright, in the final laps and executed a perfect slide job to grab the lead at the white flag.  Saturday night’s race had many similarities.

Danner led from the green flag and drove away from the field as Bright sliced his way into the top five from his ninth place start.  By lap eight, Bright was running in second.  The race went fifteen laps before the caution waved for the first time, erasing Danner’s lead.

Danner was able to hold off Bright’s challenges on the lap sixteen restart as well as the two subsequent late race restarts.  Bright was able to slide by Danner going into the corner on at least two occasions but each time, Danner was able to drive off the corner an regain the lead.  “I gave it everything I had,” Bright said after the race.  “Once I showed him my nose he just went faster,” Bright added.  “I really didn’t want to see those cautions,” Danner stated.  “I knew he (Bright) was coming.  It was a good, clean race,” Danner added on a track that was very racy with multiple grooves. 

Trailing Danner and Bright to the checkered was Joey Amantea in third for his first podium finish in a wingless sprint car.  Amantea held third, despite challenges by three time USAC East Coast Champion, Steve Drevicki.  Tommy Kunsman made his first start in the wingless sprint car and finished fifth.  

Kenny Miller III rebounded from a tangle in turn four to race back to a sixth place finish over Bruce Buckwalter, Jr., Mike Thompson, Ed Aiken and Blaine Emery.

Andy Walko led the 602 Sportsman for the first two laps of their feature event before Howie Finch made the pass to the lead on a lap three restart.  Kemery went from sixth to second by lap four and then took advantage of the race between Finch and Steve Davis to make his bid for the lead.  

Finch led through lap five but Kemery led the way one lap later and finished the race without a challenge.  Travis Hill chased Kemery to the finish line for second followed by Davis and Tom Sherby who raced through the top five using the bottom of the track.  Wayne Weaver won the battle for fifth.

Kyle Belmont, made the trip home on a NASCAR off weekend  and finished sixth followed by Finch, Chad Sandt, Ryan Higgs and Joseph Brown.

After a battle with race leader, Tom Wills, Jr., Rich Stinson prevailed to win his second race of the young season in the Street Stock Division.  Wills finished second followed by Mike Hughes, Jr., Nick Sandone III and Terry Chany.

Plenty of racing action coming to the Kingdom of Speed this week with the 410 Sprints and Foley Cat Modifieds appearing in a double header on Tuesday night.  The Spirit Auto Center quarter mile opens on Friday night with 270, 600 micro sprints and Slingshots.  The action returns to the 4/10th mile track with the first race of the 2012 point season for the Modifieds, 602 Sportsman and Street Stocks.

RAPID TIRE USAC EAST COAST WINGLESS SPRINTS 

1. Briggs Danner, 2. Alex Bright, 3. Joey Amantea, 4. Steven Drevicki, 5. Tommy Kunsman, 6. Ken Miller, III, 7. Bruce Buckwalter, 8. Mike Thompson, 9. Ed Aiken, 10. Blaine Emery, 11. Damon Paul, 12. Jonathan Swanson, 13. Mike Meyers, 14. Aiden Borden, 15. David Swanson, 16. Jason Cherry, 17. Kyle Lick, 18. Troy Betts, 19. Chris Allen, 20. Nash Ely, DNS – Billy Ney 

SOUTH JERSEY OVERHEAD DOORS 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. Jonathan 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, DNS – Nolan Openshaw. 

SUNBELT RENTALS STREET STOCKS 

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