HOWARD BACK IN TOP FORM AT BRIDGEPORT; WESCOTT GRABS SPORTSMAN COMCAST WIN

Bridgeport, NJ (7/26/03) – Defending Modified champion hailing from Oley, PA Duane Howard completed his recovery from his horrendous crash of three weeks ago by dominating the 25-lap Big Block Modified feature Saturday night at Bridgeport Speedway. Sammy Wescott, Jr. in his Dirt Wheels Chassis car was best in the Sportsman main for his first Saturday night win. Ron Karnbach was back in form taking the SJSCC Jasper Sprint feature. Levittown, PA Mike Hires took his first career win in the Outlaw Stock feature event.

Rookie Modified driver Mark Forte out of Blue Anchor, NJ lead the mighty Modifieds to the green flag. Forte, who is the all time leading Sportsman feature winner, would lead the first two laps over fourth starting Duane Howard in his Big Spring Car Wash and Storage car. On the third lap, Howard powered into the lead with Forte fighting right back on the extreme outside as the top two waged an exciting side by side battle for the lead. After two laps of the torrid pace, Howard was able to pull ahead as Forte began to feel pressure from Lehighton, PA Steve Bottcher in his Way Buff Farms car. Bottcher was able to get into second on lap five and Ricky Elliott followed into third in the Bill Hewlett 901. As lap seven hit the books, Mark Forte was tapped from behind and glanced off of the turn one fence and came to a halt in a shower of sparks. Forte was able to restart the race after the unfortunate incident. When the race resumed, Seaford, DE ace Elliott and last weeks winner Jimmy Horton shot past Bottcher into second and third respectively and started to see what they had for the high flying Howard. As the race reached the halfway mark, Howard was still very much dominate with Elliot now having to contend with Doug Hoffman as he was able to work his way past Horton into third. The final stages of the race seen no one have anything for the Glen Hynaman owned 126 as the 2002 defending champion would visit victory lane for the first time this season just three weeks after Howard suffered a concussion and destroying the primary racer. Ricky Elliott held onto second followed by Doug Hoffman, and resurgence from Wade Hendrickson and Jimmy Horton. Completing the second five were Steve Bottcher, Jimmy Chester, Jamie Mills, Dave Adams and Don Barone. The three heats were taken by Ricky Elliott, Mark Forte and Jamie Mills with Mike Franz winning the consi.

The Sportsman feature event started off with Drew Ricco leading the first three laps before Doylestown, PA second generation drive Bob Lineman took over the lead on lap four. The race was the halted for pile up in turns one and two as that was the beginning of a rough event ahead. Lineman, Jr. led again when the race restarted till lap seven when a charging Sammy Wescott, Jr. moved his Dirt Wheels chassis car to the front past a steady Lineman, Jr. Wescott, Jr. was not home free as defending sportsman champ Bob Sarkisian made his presence know as the Woolrich Township, NJ driver found himself now in second. As the crossed flags were displayed, a hard charging Richie Pratt, Jr. moved himself up from 19th starting spot to second after the Glenloch, NJ driver Wescott, Jr. As the laps were winding down, many drivers were having a tough time hooking up to the Bridgeport clay causing numerous cautions and regrouping the field many times. Throughout the tribulations, Wescott, Jr. was up to his good friend Pratt, Jr. all out challenges to pick up his first Saturday night win and become only the second driver to repeat in the very competitive Sportsman division. Pratt, Jr. gave it an all in a last lap valiant try only to come up a few feet short at the line. Bob Sarkisian finished a solid third with Andy Burkhart and Dennis Price in fourth and fifth. The second five were Joe Masiado, Dan Cogdill, Eric Kormann, Bill Briggs and John Purcell. The three heats were won by Joe Masiado, Jack Amunsen and Bob Lineman, Sr. with Richie Pratt, Jr. winning the consi.

Ron Karnbach hailing from Vincetown, NJ started on the pole and lead the entire 20 laps of the SJSCC Jasper Sprint Car feature for his first win of the season as his previous win was in August 2002. Karnbach in his sharp looking J&J chassis that was the car on display at Motorsports this past winter would have some exciting action behind him through out the race. Joe Butts, Jr. would run the high side throughout trying to get the needed horses to get past only to have Karnbach be just too strong. Then there was Yardley, PA Steve Schmidt high flying the outside and moving his way to the front from his 13th starting spot. Another driver using the low groove from 11th was Monroeville, NJ Jeff Foote as he made steady progress throughout the race. At the conclusion of the entertaining event, Ron Karnbach would win over Joe Butts and Steve Schmidt. Matt Beasley who was another outside mover came from 14th to 4th with Jeff Foote settling for 5th. Bob Rasmussen was a solid sixth with Warren Durbin seventh, Jon Brenfleck eighth, Shane Smith ninth and John Wyers tenth. Bob Rasmussen, Warren Durbin and Ron Karnbach took the heat victories.

In Outlaw Stock action, Brian Ludwig whose brother competes on the ¼ mile track on Friday nights would lead the first six laps of the always exciting feature. Lap seven would see Levittown, PA driver Mike Hires get by Ludwig to take the lead. One lap later though, Ludwig would retake the lead but only for one circuit as Mike Hires would grab it back as he felt some pressure coming form Pat Hires who had started last and was now hounding the leaders at lap 10. Suddenly, last weeks winner Ken Watson was watching the battle in front and decided it was now his time to get moving into the mix taking over second on the 11th circuit. The final laps seen Watson try everything to rattle the leader Mike Hires to no avail as Mike would pick up his first ever victory. Watson crossed the line second with Joe Trumbetti beating a fading Pat Hires for third and fourth. Brian Ludwig finished a solid fifth. The second five were Rich Franchetti, Jon Haegele, Tracy Rocap, Robert Benz and Zark Markovich. The heats were taken by Brian Ludwig and Jon Haegele.

Bridgeport Speedway is New Jersey’s fastest ¼ mile and 5/8th mile clay speedway’s and located on Floodgate Road off of exit 14 of Interstate 295 minutes from PA and DE bridges. Information is available on the official website at www.bridgeportspeedway.com or by calling the speedway office at 856-467-4407 or 856-467-4408.

Modified

Heat 1 – Elliott, Howard, Chester, Barone, Truppi, Heiber

Heat 2 – Forte, Horton, Dekutowski, Strickler, Irwin, Adams

Heat 3 – Mills, Hoffman, Hendrickson, Bottcher, Stinson, Jr., Kerr

Consi – Franz, Ale, Kressley, Laubach, Iles, Polenz

Feature 25 Laps – DUANE HOWARD, Ricky Elliott, Doug Hoffman, Wade Hendrickson, Jimmy Horton, Steve Bottcher, Jimmy Chester, Jamie Mills, Dave Adams, Don Barone, Ryan Kerr, Mark Forte, Joe Dekutowski, Scott Irwin, Rich Polenz, Danny Heiber, Kyle Strickler, Rick Laubach, Mike Iles, Brian Truppi, Troy Ale, Mike Franz, Brian Kressley, Rich Stinson, Jr. DNQ – Stephan Durand, Bud Schwiebinz, Butch Glisson, Don Fanslau, Bud Hayes, Ed Firth, Wayne Weaver, Carmine Infante

Sportsman

Heat 1 – Masiado, Purcell, Kormann, Ricco, Lozorak, Sarkisian

Heat 2 – Amunsen, Lineman, Jr., Price, Burkhart, Briggs, Chester

Heat 3 – Lineman, Sr., Collins, Wescott, Jr., Klingmeyer, Lindale, Horton

Consi – Pratt, Jr., Britt, Roberts, Cogdill, Wyant, Sadler, Jr., Hunt, Schultz

Feature 20 Laps – SAMMY WESCOTT, JR., Richie Pratt, Jr., Bob Sarkisian, Andy Burkhart, Dennis Price, Joe Masiado, Dan Cogdill, Eric Kormann, Bill Briggs, John Purcell, Bob Lineman, Sr., Bill Klingmeyer, Kevin Schultz, Ron Roberts, Jim Britt, Bob Lineman, Jr., Drew Ricco, Billy Jo Chester, Steve Lozorak, Jay Horton, Steve Lindale, Kevin Collins, Rob Wyant, Jack Amunsen, Blaine Sadler, Jr., Dave Hunt DNQ – Bob Gibbons, Bill Horton, Bob Rambone, Bob Cook, Doug Stepanchuk, Steve Harrison, Jason Duppel, Randy Tucker, Steve Warner, Rob Pierce

Jasper Sprint Cars

Heat 1 – Rasmussen, D. Brown, Butts, C. Brown, Schmidt, S. Smith

Heat 2 – Durbin, Wyers, Rose, Foote, Beasley, Piersig

Heat 3 – Karnbach, Stellfox, Bowman, Mueller, Ernesto, Swanson

Feature 20 Laps – RON KARNBACH, Joe Butts, Steve Schmidt, Matt Beasley, Jeff Foote, Bob Rasmussen, Warren Durbin, Jon Brenfleck, Shane Smith, John Wyers, Donnie Smith, Joe Howe, Chip Brown, Mares Stellfox, Bob Adams, Jeff Davis, A.J. Ernesto, Mike Piersig, Brooke Bowman, Dave Brown, Jonathon Swanson, Jeff Mueller, Torrey Rose DNS – John Barnett, Jr., Jack Curtis, Al DeAngelis, Jr., Steve Strubble

Outlaw Stocks

Heat 1 – Ludwig, M. Hires, Rocap, Trumbetti, DeJohn, Franchetti

Heat 2 – J. Haegele, Watson, Benz, Markovich, Erdbrink, Fiel

Feature 20 Laps – MIKE HIRES, Ken Watson, Joe Trumbetti, Pat Hires, Brian Ludwig, Rich Franchetti, Jon Haegele, Tracy Rocap, Robert Benz, Zark Markovich, Dave Gould, Jr., Alan Fiel, Sean McHugh, Jim Honaker, Jim Erdbrink, Bill English, Brent DeJohn, Dave Williams, Rick Haegele, Steve Stark, Curtis Nichols, Gary Klimeczak, Jeff Dirkes DNS – Don Strouse, Rick Kostes, Ron Dirkes