HOFFMAN NIPS HOWARD AT BRIDGEPORT; ROBERTS AND SARKISIAN TAKE SPORTSMAN WINS

Bridgeport, NJ (6/28/03) – Doug Hoffman in his Dieter Schmidt owned Lincoln Auto Body car won the $2500 top prize Saturday night by a few feet over Duane Howard Saturday night in the 25-lap feature for the big block Modifieds at Bridgeport Speedway. Defending Sportsman Champion Bob Sarkisian out of Woolrich Township, NJ picked up his first win of the season in the regularly scheduled 20-lap Sportsman main. Array of Monograms sponsored veteran Ron Roberts took the make up feature from June 14th for the Sportsman division. Pennsville, NJ driver Chip Brown won his first of the year in the Jasper Sprint Cars. Curtis Nichols muscled to a hard earn victory in the Outlaw Stock feature event.

After nearly a month of waiting, the big Block Modifieds were able to hit the speedway in a feature event that was not threatened by Mother Nature. As starter Dennis Weir waved the green flag on the mighty Modifieds the roar of 24 cars passing the grandstand was slowed in the 1st turn as Orefield, PA driver Brian Kressley got turned around and the spin gathered up Green Lane Service pilot Kevin Hirthler and the Bucks County International car of Danny Heiber. A complete restart was called and all drivers returned to action with Mike Illes in his potent number 711 taking the lead followed closely by Dave Adams and Brian Truppi. On lap 4 the Big Spring Self Storage and Car Wash car of defending Modified Champ Duane Howard roared up the inside to take over the second spot from his eight starting position. Following Howard toward the front was Allentown, PA speedster Doug Hoffman and Wade Hendrickson in the Rio Brothers Auto Body R10. Illes was holding the inside line as Howard would try to go even lower as the field was racing through laps 6 and 7. On the next lap, Howard continued on the very bottom, Hoffman made a exciting sweep to the extreme outside in turn two to power by both Howard and Illes into the lead and Howard made the sandwich pass complete by following Hoffman into second. At the halfway mark, Hoffman held a small advantage over the fellow “H” Guys of Howard, Hendrickson and Horton. One lap later the leaders began to face some heavy lap traffic and the Oley, PA ace Howard started to cut into Hoffman’s lead. As the race continued under an extended green period and the laps began to close toward the finish, Hoffman continued to put car after car down a lap with Howard getting closer and closer. With the white flag waving, Howard dove under Hoffman in turn one and pulled slightly ahead going down the back straight with a lap car just ahead. As the two raced side-by-side through three and four, Hoffman would pull ahead again coming for the line and just win over Howard by a few feet. Hendrickson would come home third with Jimmy Horton and Ricky Elliott rounding out the top five. Jamie Mills, Jimmy Chester, Rick Laubach, Mike Illes and Don Barone completed the top ten. Mike Illes, Jimmy Horton and Ricky Elliot took the three heats with Steve Bottcher won the consolation.

The Sportsman cars hit the speedway early on the night for the feature event that was rained out two weeks ago on June 14th. The first two attempts to get the event started were aborted by anxious drivers going into the first turn as they would get crossed up on two occasions. When the field settled down to racing Steve Lindale would lead over John Purcell. Lindale would stay in front until Ron Roberts hailing from Wilmington, DE would find the horsepower to take the lead on lap five as Rob Pierce in his Pepsi car would also join the mix at the time. Roberts would hold the top spot as starter Mike Knappenberger would display the halfway sign. At this point Roberts was leading over Dan Cogdill, Pierce and Bob Sarkisian. Roberts who was hot off a top five the night prior was running as though he was on a rain throughout the second part of the event over Cogdill. Whit two laps remaining, Richie Pratt, Jr. who was involved in one of the early race mishaps made his presence know as he moved into second spot and began to apply some heavy pressure upon Roberts in the final two laps. Roberts was not to be denied as he held off Pratt, Jr. for the popular win. Pratt, Jr. was second followed by Cogdill, Bob Sarkisian and Sammy Wescott. The rest of the top ten were Mike Hughes, Rob Pierce, Billy Jo Chester, Kevin Collins and Steve Lindale. The heats were won by Richie Pratt, Jr., Bob Sarkisian and Dan Cogdill. The Consi was won George Garris.

In the regularly scheduled Sportsman feature, Bill Briggs took the lead over Jeff Acolia in the beginning of the 20-lap event. Briggs held the top spot until the Superior Scaffolding sponsored driver Bob Sarkisian found his way to the front as they completed lap five. Sarkisian who has been winless thus far in the 2003 campaign would pull away to a small lead. The following lap the earlier night’s feature winner Ron Roberts moved into second had placed his eyes on Sarkisian and hope of completing a double win night. Roberts applied some heavy pressure at the halfway mark as he would find Sammy Wescott, Jr. then sneak by for the chase position behind Sarkisian. After some impressive driving by the front drivers of Sarkisian, Wescott, Jr. and Roberts it came down to the final drive to the end. Sarkisian would come out on top to take the victory with Wescott, Jr. and Roberts closely behind. Tom Miller in his brand new Bicknell chassis car would finish a solid fourth and Bill Briggs would hold on for fifth. Dennis Price, Eric Korman, Richie Pratt, Jr., George Garris and Jay Horton who repaired his car after a heat race flip for tenth.

The Jasper Sprints Cars produced another fine event with Bob Rasmussen taking the early lead over 2003 Champ Shane Smith who has not a kind beginning of the 2003 season. As the early laps were being placed into the books, Rasmussen began to show some slowing on the straightaway and Smith would close in a mount a challenge. On lap 6, Rasmussen would catch a tire in turn two and do a slow rollover and also gather up Smith in the melee. Under the red flag Al DeAngelis, Jr. was to inherit the lead, but after track officials discover he had some terminal front end damage and the lead was then given to Chip Brown who had been running fourth and coming before the red came out. When action heated back up, Brown would find the bottom of the speedway to his liking and he would soon see a high flying Steve Schmidt running high on the rail trying to keep his momentum up to gain the lead. Lap after lap Schmidt would try only to run out of speedway to catch Brown. With all this rim riding a cool Jeff Foote would motor past Schmidt and try his hand after Brown. At the conclusion Brown in his Chip’s Auto Service special would find victory lane over Foote, Schmidt, Warren Durbin and Matt Beasley. Sixth place finisher was Jeff Mueller who repaired his car after a wild heat race flip on the back straight. Bob “Lone Ranger” Adams was seventh and Joe Howe, Steve Strubble and Jeff Davis completed the top ten. The three heats for the 29 cars were won by Jeff Foote, Ron Karnbach who could not start the feature and Steve Strubble.

In the Outlaw Stock main event, Dave Gould, Jr. led the first three laps of the 20-lap affair. On lap four Mike Hires would move his number 68 to the lead and hold on for the next three circuits till Curtis Nichols would find his way into the lead. Nichols would quickly find a pest in Ken Watson as he would soon start to put all kind of pressure at the front and grab the lead on lap 11. Watson who is always fast would lead for three more laps as Nichols regrouped and charged back into the lead on lap15. While all of this lead swapping was going on, a man was on a mission by the name of Pat Hires as he was now up to second after starting 31st in the line up. The final five laps were excited to say the least as Nichol, Pat Hires and Watson drove there hearts out to the end. Well, Nichols earned this one over Hires completing his run from last to second. Mike Hires, Bob Hopely and Ken Watson who did a 360 spin on the last lap to finish fifth. Joe Trumbetti and Jon Haegele won the two heats for the 31 cars.

Modified

Heat 1 – Illes, Barone, Hendrickson, Adams, Forte, Heiber

Heat 2 – Horton, Kressley, Truppi, Strickler, Franz, Chester

Heat 3 – Elliott, Hoffman, Howard, Laubach, Mills, Ale

Consi – Bottcher, Hirthler, Kerr, Durand, Irwin, Stinson

Feature 25 Laps – DOUG HOFFMAN, Duane Howard, Wade Hendrickson, Jimmy Horton, Ricky Elliott, Jamie Mills, Jimmy Chester, Rick Laubach, Mike Illes, Don Barone, Steve Bottcher, Mark Forte, Troy Ale, Kevin Hirthler, Mike Franz, Ryan Kerr, Dave Adams, Brian Kressley, Steve Durand, Rich Stinson, Jr., Rich Acolia ALT for Kyle Strickler, Danny Heiber, Scott Irwin, Brian Truppi DNQ – Barry Voss, Bud Hayes, Jason D’Allesio, Butch Glisson, Joe Dekutowski, Ed Firth, Bud Schwiebinz

Sportsman

Heat 1 – Pratt, Collins, Price, B. Hirthler, Harrison, Snyder

Heat 2 – Sarkisian, Briggs, Osmun, Roberts, Korman, Miller

Heat 3 – Cogdill, Wescott, Klingmeyer, J. Acolia, Pierce, Lindale

Consi – Garris, Lilick, B. Chester, Hughes, Lineman, Sr., J. Pratt, Masiado, Horton

Feature 20 Laps – BOB SARKISIAN, Sammy Wescott, Jr., Ron Roberts, Tom Miller, Bill Briggs, Dennis Price, Eric Korman, Richie Pratt, Jr., George Garris, Jay Horton, Bob Lineman, Sr., Steve Lindale, Mike Hughes, Lowell Snyder, Steve Harrison, Bill Klingmeyer, Jeff Acolia, Bob Lilick, Billy Jo Chester, Joe Masiado, Bruce Hirthler, Willie Osmun, Kevin Collins, Dan Cogdill, John Pratt, Rob Pierce DNQ – Bob Lineman, Jr., Randy Tucker, Court Ottinger, Eddie Pilling, Bob Rambone, Blaine Sadler, Jr., Doug Stepenchuk, Bob Cook, Billy Harris, Kevin Schultz, Jack Amunsen, John Scheidler, Rob Wyant, Steve Lozorak, Jim Britt, John Purcell, Andy Burkhart

Make up Consi from June 14th – Townsend, Cogdill, Wescott, Jr., Snyder, Ottinger, Garris, Pratt, Briggs

Make up Feature from June 14th 20 Laps – RON ROBERTS, Pratt, Cogdill Sarkisian, Sammy Wescott, Jr., Mike Hughes, Rob Pierce, Billy Jo Chester, Kevin Collins, Steve Lindale, Jay Horton, Dennis Price, Bill Klingmeyer, Steve Lozorak, Lowell Snyder, Doug Stepenchuk, John Townsend, Bill Briggs, Joe Masiado, John Purcell, Willie Osmun, Bob Lilick, Jim Britt DNS – Bob Travagline

Jasper Sprint Cars

Heat 1 – Foote, Rasmussen, Schmidt, DeAngelis, Jr., Foulk, Stellfox

Heat 2 – Karnbach, Wyers, Howe, C. Brown, Curtis, Grasso, Jr.

Heat 3 – Strubble, Beasley, S. Smith, Durbin, Davis, Bowman

Feature 20 Laps – CHIP BROWN, Jeff Foote, Steve Schmidt, Warren Durbin, Matt Beasley, Jeff Mueller, Bob Adams, Joe Howe, Steve Strubble, Jeff Davis, Jon Brenfleck, Brook Bowman, Mike Piersig, Shane Smith, Donnie Smith, Jack Curtis, Mares Stellfox, Layne Foulk, Greg Lotosky, J.J. Grasso, Bob Rasmussen, Al DeAngelis, Jr., Hank Rodgers, Jr., Torrey Rose, John Wyers DNS – Ron Karnbach, Dave Brown, Joe Butts, Steve Fleetwood

Outlaw Stocks

Heat 1 – Trumbetti, B. Hopely, Lonabaugh, Rocap, M. Hires, Benz

Heat 2 – J. Haegele, R. Dirkes, Ludwig, Watson, Markovich, Honaker,

Feature 20 Laps – CURTIS NICHOLS, Pat Hires, Mike Hires, Bob Hopely, Ken Watson, Dave Gould, Jr., Jim Erdbrink, Steve Stark, Joe Trumbetti, Alan Fiel, Ron Dirkes, Tracy Rocap, Brian McConnell, Rick Haegele, Chris Prychka, Mike Lonabaugh, Walter Hayes, Brian Ludwig, Robert Benz, Zark Markovich, Rich Franchetti, Jon Haegele, Rick Kostes, Paul Hartman, Richie Knell, Gary Klimeczak DNS – Tom Alley, Kevin Gates, Larry Jordon, Jr.

Bridgeport Speedway is 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.