The Bridgeport Speedway Uses Motorsports to Jumpstart the 2017 Season by Deb Smith

*** As appears in Area Auto Racing News

 

While mid-January is typically referred to as “the off-season”, things were bustling around Motorsports this weekend and the Bridgeport Speedway display!

The cars of 2016 Champion, Ryan Watt and Crate/Sportsman driver, Roger Manning appeared in the Bridgeport Speedway booth while Jon Keller’s Micro Sprint 600 ride in Ed Barber’s No. 99B represented the Spirit Auto Center Speedway and the quarter mile action.

Speedway employees were kept busy all weekend fulfilling the needs and wishes of both competitors and race fans astrack licenses, season tickets and skyboxes were sold throughout the length of the show.  Schedules were distributed for both tracks for the 2017 season.

Bridgeport owner, Brian Ramey, is looking forward to the new season.  “My team has worked hard on a five year plan to prepare, perform and present what we are all about.  Every year we have seen positive results.  I think 2017 is the year where it will all come together!”

Ramey added that the speedway is still actively seeking someone to assist with Tech responsibilities.  Ramey views this position as the last step needed in making the Bridgeport Speedway the “premier dirt track facility in New Jersey.” 

There’s a lot of enthusiasm to go around among Bridgeport’s management team.

Since Kolby Ramey took over the marketing responsibilities of the Bridgeport Speedway, he has looked for ways to cross promote the speedway.  “The two things I’m really looking forward to are the Pack the House Night and our Monster Truck Throwdown.”  The Pack the House Night was a huge success last season.  “For weeks after our Pack the House Night last year, we saw people return to the speedway on Saturday night,” Ramey explains.  “Events like Pack the House and our Monster Truck events give us a chance to introduce Bridgeport to a new group of people.”

Keith Hoffman has gained a reputation for his excellent track preparation skills during his tenure at Bridgeport.  “I want to make sure that I am preparing a good track surface.  I want the track to be good for racing for the guys and for the fans,” Hoffman stated.  Hoffman has received accolades throughout the season for the quality of the Bridgeport racing surface and knows that it is now expected.  The pressure is on for Bridgeport’s big events – like the return of the DIRTcar series to Bridgeport this year.

Danny Serrano talked about three new shows on Bridgeport and the Spirit Auto Center schedules – the return of the DIRTcar Series which will also mark the final running of the Friends of Mike event, the Monster Truck Throwdown and the Skyscraper – a new three day event for the quarter mile late in the 2017 season.  “I think it’s a fine line but we continue to what works while we continue to grow,” Serrano explained.  Serrano created the Friends of Mike race which will receive its final checkered flag at the end of it twelfth running.

While Serrano’s background has always been with the stock cars, he has become the advocate for the small car series and spends many hours promoting the races on the Spirit Auto Center quarter mile.

Dave Adams is looking forward to the completion of the 3/8 mile track – the third track on the Bridgeport Speedway property.  Adams is working on providing additional entertainment and benefits for the fans during the aggressive 2107 season schedule.  “We are bringing in more entertainment and some new bands,” Adams explained.  “We are working on becoming more fan friendly and making our events more exciting for the kids.  We want to create those memories for our fans to carry with them.”

Ryan Watt competed in nearly seventy races during the 2016 season.  “We haven’t really sat down to do our schedules yet but we plan to run a very similar schedule to last year,” Watt explained.  While Bridgeport will be the Saturday night home for Watt and his Roberts Racing Team, Watt will again chase the Short Track Super Series where he captured the title for the Southern Region in 2015.  After a strong performance during several DIRTcar events last season, Watt plans to return to Eldora and Sharon and hopes to compete at Lernerville this season – an event that rained out during last season’s trip.

Watt had two cars on display during Motorsports – one in the Bridgeport booth and a second in the Bob Hilbert display.  Both cars display a new look.  “I really didn’t know what Bruce (Bowen) was going to do,” Watt explained.  “He never really lays anything out ahead of time.”  The No. 14w has moved from its blue, yellow and white look to blue, orange and red for the 2017 season.

Roger Manning was a newcomer to the Bridgeport Speedway last season.  The second generation driver raced in the final Rookie event of the season and then continued in the Crate/Sportsman ranks where he earned a feature win just a few weeks later.

Manning has a new mount all ready to go – completed at the end of last season.  He still has several months to wait before the new No. 414 takes to the track.  In addition to weekly action at Bridgeport, Manning will also have a small block modified to run during 2017.

Jon Keller has picked up the ride in the Ed Barber owned No. 99B.  Keller is the reigning 600 Micro Champion and looks to continue his winning ways with his new ride when the new season begins.

The first race of the 2017 season at the Bridgeport Speedway gets underway on March 24th and 25th.  For the first time, the 60over Event will be a two day event with racing on both Friday and Saturday.  The 60over race will also open the 2017 Poker Series races.