Wade Hendrickson Ends Bridgeport Speedway Modified Win Drought

Jasper Sprint Champion Steve Schmidt Gets 1st Career Win
Richie Pratt Closes In On All-Time Bridgeport Sportsman Win Title

Bridgeport, NJ (4-17-2004)…. Lawrenceville, NJ’s Wade Hendrickson piloted the Atlantic Wood Floors/Simons Builders #2 to victory Saturday night at the New Bridgeport Speedway, picking up his first Big Block Modified win since September of 2002. The win was the 22nd career modified victory for the 2000 Modified Point Champion. In Bridgeport Sportsman action, Sewell, NJ’s Richie Pratt went home the victor, taking the 20-lap feature event. Pratt, after starting the race in 8th, took the lead on the 6th lap of the Sportsman feature, and went on to get his 26th win of his career on the big 5/8th mile speedway. The first race of the new season for the Jasper Sprints was won by Steve Schmidt, giving the 2003 Jasper Sprint Champion his first career win. Schmidt, out of Yardley, PA, led the last 15 laps of the 20-lap A-Main with his Fairless Hills Mobil/Lion Tours #111 winged sprint car.

Leading the modified field under Starter Dennis Weir’s double green flag signaling the start of the Big Block Modified feature, the front row of Brian Truppi and last week’ winner, Duane Howard charged into turn one side by side, with Howard taking the lead in the Big Springs Car Wash #126. While Howard was holding on to the lead, Wade Hendrickson, Doug Hoffman, and Ricky Elliott were all making their moves to get into contention for the lead. Hendrickson, who started 6th, was in 3rd place on lap 2, staying right on Brian Truppi’s TK Performance #02 rear bumper to battle for the runner up spot. 8th starting Hoffman kept right up with Hendrickson, following him into 4th place also on lap 2, while Elliott didn’t crack the top 5 until the 4th lap, coming from 10th spot. Coming down the front straight to complete lap 9, Truppi retired to the infield with mechanical woes, ending a good run for the 1997 Sportsman Champion. With everyone moving up a spot in the order, Hendrickson now put his nose right on the rear bumper of Howard and the lead. After a lap 14 yellow brought the field together for a double file restart, Hendrickson charged past Howard for the lead as the pack came down the front straight to take the green. Howard drifted back to third, with Elliott putting the Marine #85 in the runner up position, holding off Hoffman in the Overhead Door #0. With just five laps remaining, Hendrickson was battling a determined Elliott, while Howard was cutting into any advantage that the leaders had built up. A restart with just three laps left gave Howard the opportunity he needed, pulling past Elliott on the frontstretch for second place. Hoffman stayed with Howard, making the same groove work to his advantage and overtaking Elliott for third. At the finish, Hendrickson made his return to victory lane after a 19 month absence for his 22nd Bridgeport Speedway Big Block Modified win, with Howard, Hoffman, Elliott, and Rick Laubach, who rebounded from an early race tangle, to complete the top five. In Victory Lane, the Flying Farmer was ecstatic about his return to the winner’s circle, saying, “This is great. I didn’t know if we could hold off those guys, my motor was shutting off in the corners and I couldn’t pedal it anymore than I already was! I want to thank Jay James for the double-file restarts this season, it kept everyone together and made for a good race for the fans- that’s what got me this win!” Filling out the top ten were Steve Bottcher, Ryan Kerr, Modified Rookie Dom Buffalino, Kevin Hirthler, and Mike Illes. Elliott, Kerr, and Hoffman won their qualifying events, with Don Barone taking the consolation race.

The season opener for the Jasper Sprints was a tough one, with numerous yellows and three red flag periods putting a damper on the racing action. Coming down the frontstretch for the initial green, front row starters John Wyers and Bob Adams touched wheels, with Adams holding on to enough control to take the lead, with Wyers right on his tail-tank. With Adams holding off everything that Wyers could throw at him, 2003 Jasper Sprint Champ Steve Schmidt was methodically picking up positions from his 7th starting spot. After coming down the homestretch to complete lap five, Schmidt got a run out of turns one and two, to pass Wyers and then Adams before exiting turn four. After completing lap 6, the red had to be displayed for a scary crash by New Egypt, NJ’s Warren Durbin, who had his steering break coming down the frontstretch followed by a stuck throttle, which caused the Champion Auto Collision #69 to crash into the turn one guardrail. After careening off the outside fence, Durbin’s racer flipped and then caught on fire. Thankfully, Durbin was shaken up, but physically okay after the nightmarish sequence, although the car was a total loss. When racing resumed, Schmidt again easily held on to first place, while second-generation driver Matt Beasley appeared to head to the front to contend for the lead. A lap thirteen yellow gave the flying Beasley the chance he needed to take a shot at Schmidt and the lead, but it wasn’t meant to be, as Beasley’s nose wing came loose, sending him to the pits and out of the race, when the red again had to be displayed on lap 14. This crash saw the #309 of Torrey Rose flip on the low side of turn one, while 2001 Jasper Champ Jeff Foote flipped and shot over the outside wall in the same turn. Foote was taken to the hospital for a check, and was diagnosed with just a slight concussion. Foote was going to spend the night in the hospital for observation, pending release on Sunday morning. Schmidt easily went the rest of the way for his first career Jasper Sprint victory, while 2002 Champ Shane Smith made some nice moves to come home the runner-up. Second-generation sprint driver David Brown, Jeff Mueller, and Jon Brennfleck completed the top five. “Oh man, this sure feels good,” said an excited Schmidt in Victory Lane, “After winning the championship last year without a win and then winning here on our opening day, this is great!” When asked about the groove he was running to pull away from the pack, he stated “I just try to run where nobody else is- you can’t pass ‘em by using the same line!” Adams, Wyers, and Beasley were the heat winners, with a consolation race not needed to fill the 25-car starting field.

The last event of the night was the 20-lap Bridgeport Sportsman feature, and those that stayed on the warm night saw some great racing action. Polesitter Rich Taylor led the field into the first turn, but last week’s winner, Sam Wescott, tossed his Pat’s King of Steaks #51 low in the turn to grab the lead from his fourth starting spot as the field exited turn two. While Wescott had his hands full with the Hermann owned #15J driven by John Pursell, Richie Pratt Jr. was steadily passing cars from his eighth starting spot. By lap three, Pratt, son of 1987 Bridgeport Small Block Modified Champ Richie Pratt Sr., had the Union Auto Glass #34 in 3rd place, headed towards the front. The first yellow of the race was displayed on lap 5 for a multi-car pileup in turn four, giving Pratt his shot at the leaders. With Wescott and Pursell running door to door through almost the entire lap, Pratt powered past both to take over the front spot, before the yellow again came out, again tightening up the field. On the restart, Pratt pulled away while Wescott and Pursell again went at each other, this time banging into each other in turn four after again running side by side for almost the complete lap. With Pratt running away from the pack, there was still plenty of racing action for the fans, with Steve Lindale and Rich Stinson Jr. putting on some tight racing through the middle stages of the event, while later on Pursell had his hands full holding off Stinson and his Prime Landscape Design #27. At the finish, Pratt had his first win of the season, giving him 26 career Bridgeport Sportsman victories, with Wescott, Pursell, Stinson, and Paul Collins filling out the top five. Speaking of Wescott and Pursell, Pratt said in Victory Lane, “They’re both real strong runners and I like to get them behind me as fast as I can. Where we park our car I can see my dad on top of the trailer, and he keeps me informed as to what kind of lead I have with hand signals. Now we want three more wins, that’s our goal,” said Pratt when questioned about overtaking current Sportsman win leader Mark Forte, who has 28 career wins. Qualifying heats were taken by John Heckler, Mike Hughes, and Pratt, with Drew Ricco and Dennis Price each winning a consolation race.

NOTES: A couple of new faces made it into the Big Block Modified starting line-up, as Andy Burkhart, Bob Sarkisian, and Jimmy Stong all qualified for their career first Bridgeport Modified feature. Burkhart and Sarkisian are graduates of the Bridgeport Sportsman division, while Stong, son of former Modified driver Jay Stong, has moved from the PA 358 Modified class…Jasper Sprint driver John Barnett was also the victim of an ugly flip, launching out over the wall in turn one in his #10…Next week is Little League Night, with all players in their uniforms being admitted free for the night’s racing action…Also on the schedule is the first of the monthly Bike Nights, with a Motorcycle Ride & Show being sponsored by Brian’s Harley-Davidson of Langhorne, PA, The Cycle Stop of Norristown, PA, Romley’s Motorcycles of Trevose, PA, and Liberty Cycles of Delaware. Pit gates again open at 1pm, with front gates opening at 2pm, and racing action starting at 4pm for the three-division show of Big Block Modifieds, Bridgeport Sportsman, and Jasper Sprints. For more information on Bridgeport Speedway, including the “Family Pack” Ticket Plan, call 856-467-4407 or log on to www.bridgeportspeedway.net

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS - SATURDAY 4-17-04
BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS
Heat 1 – Elliott, Dekutoski, Buffalino, Truppi, J.Chester, Rose
Heat 2 – Kerr, Hendrickson, Illes, K.Hirthler, Franz, Burkhart
Heat 3 – Hoffman, Laubach, Howard, Strickler, Bottcher, Mills
Consi – Barone, Infante, Sarkisian, Dixon, Durand, Stong

Big Block Modified Feature – 25 Laps
WADE HENDRICKSON, Duane Howard, Doug Hoffman, Ricky Elliott, Rick Laubach, Steve Bottcher, Ryan Kerr, Dom Buffalino, Kevin Hirthler, Mike Illes, Carmine Infante, Jamie Mills, Steve Durand, Joe Dekutoski, Jimmy Stong, Kyle Strickler, John Dixon, Jimmy Chester, Andy Burkhart, Brian Truppi, Doug Rose, Bob Sarkisian, Mike Franz, Don Barone

BRIDGEPORT SPORTSMAN
Heat 1 – Heckler, Klingmeyer, B.Lineman Jr, Taylor, Kelly, Kormann
Heat 2 – Hughes, Pursell, Wescott, Lilick, Stinson, B.Lineman Sr
Heat 3 – Pratt, Ratoskey, Lindale, Lozorak, P.Collins, Carmen
Consi 1 – Ricco, K.Collins, M.Schweibinz, Christ
Consi 2 – Price, Roberts, Cook, Woolston

Bridgeport Sportsman Feature – 20 Laps
RICHIE PRATT JR, Sam Wescott, John Pursell, Rich Stinson, Paul Collins, Ron Roberts, Bob Lilick, Eric Kormann, Bob Lineman Jr, Dennis Price, Bob Lineman Sr, Dave Woolston, Drew Ricco, Mark Schweibinz, John Kelly, Christopher Christ, Steve Lozorak, Bob Cook, Bill Klingmeyer, Steve Lindale, Rob Ratoskey, Kevin Collins, Mike Hughes, Sean Carmen, Rich Taylor, John Heckler

JASPER SPRINTS
Heat 1 – Adams, Durbin, Schmidt, Smith, Rose, Nardelli
Heat 2 – Wyers, Brennfleck, DeAngelis, Mondschein, Fleetwood
Heat 3 – Beasley, Bitner, Stellfox, Bowman, Brown, Trum

Jasper Sprint Feature – 20 Laps
STEVE SCHMIDT, Shane Smith, David Brown, Jeff Mueller, Jon Brennfleck, John Wyers, Mark Bitner, Steve Fleetwood, Lee Nardelli, Brooke Bowman, Bob Adams, Joe Thuet, Hank Trum, Matt Beasley, Mares Stellfox, Torrey Rose, Jeff Foote, Gary Mondschein, Warren Durbin, Bob Rasmussen, Steve Strubble, Jim Fowler, Al DeAngelis, Jonathon Swanson, Mike Piersig

---