HORTON GRABS 103RD BRIDGEPORT MODIFIED VICTORY & DEDICATES WIN TO WINGATE

Bridgeport, NJ – Bridgeport Speedway all-time leading modified feature winner Jimmy Horton picked up his second win of the season Saturday night in the Jay James owned #27 modified, giving him 103 career wins at New Jersey’s fastest dirt track. In his victory lane interview, Horton dedicated his win to longtime friend and former Bridgeport promoter, George Wingate, who passed away earlier this week after losing a long battle with cancer. Many of the 135 racers that were signed into the Bridgeport Speedway pits honored Wingate by competing with black ribbons affixed to their cars. The other three divisions that competed on the big 5/8th mile oval all had first time winners, with Bill Klingmeyer taking the twenty lap sportsman feature, while the outlaw stock race was won by Rich Franchetti. The Garden State Sprint Car Club twenty lap A-Main was won by New Egypt, NJ’s Warren Durbin in his Lucas Electric #69.

Brian Truppi and longtime friend Don Barone led the twenty-four car field of modified racers to the post to start their feature race, with Truppi jumping out to the early lead. Lap four saw sixth-starting Wade Hendrickson work past Barone for second place, but a yellow flag negated the move. Barone used the restart to grab the lead, but two laps later Hendrickson again passed Barone, this time taking over the lead. Hendrickson had Jimmy Horton right on his tail, and with Hendrickson running the low groove and Horton using the high side around the raceway. Coming down the front straight to complete lap seven, Horton powered his way past Hendrickson to take over the lead. At the halfway mark, Horton was leading Hendrickson, with Rick Laubach in third, and Doug Hoffman and Ricky Elliott battling right behind. Lap sixteen saw Laubach charge under Hendrickson in turns one and two to grab the runner up position, and he tried to cut into the lead that Horton had built. With five to go, it appeared that Laubach was closing in on the leader, but he never was able to mount a real challenge, and at Starter Dennis Weir’s double checkered flags, Horton had his second win of the season. Laubach had the Auger Machine #93 home second, with Hendrickson, Hoffman, and Elliott filling out the top five. In victory lane, Horton remembered former Bridgeport Speedway promoter George Wingate, who passed away earlier in the week after battling cancer for years. “I’d like to dedicate this win to George Wingate. He was a good friend to me and everyone here at Bridgeport, and we’re all going to miss him. I won a lot of races here while he was the promoter, and he always had the track’s best interest at heart,” said Horton. Dave Adams, Laubach, and Hendrickson won their heat races, while Jimmy Chester took the consolation race.

Newcomer Doug Stepanchuk pulled out to lead the start of the sportsman feature from his pole position start, holding off Steve Lindale, and then Bill Klingmeyer for the first five laps. Klingmeyer, who started eighth, shot under Stepanchuk as they raced down the backstretch, running side by side until turn four, when Klingmeyer wrestled away the lead coming down the homestretch. Klingmeyer proceeded to walk away from the field, and teammate Ron Roberts pulled into the runner up spot on lap eight. Roberts had his hands full holding off Bob Travegline, who has returned to Bridgeport action after a seven year layoff from racing. Travegline, the 1994 Small Block Modified Champion, started the feature in twelfth place, and was pressuring Roberts for second place, but the two veteran drivers battled clean around the raceway while Klingmeyer was able to maintain a healthy advantage over the field. Klingmeyer went the rest of the race unchallenged for his second career win, and his first since June of 2001, with Roberts and Travegline coming home in second and third. Willie Osmun and Mike Hughes completed the top five, after Sam Wescott, who had finished fourth, was disqualified for failing the post race tech inspection. Heat races were won by John Pursell, Richie Pratt, and 2002 champ Bob Sarkisian, with fast improving Eric Kormann taking the consolation event.

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS - SATURDAY MAY 17, 2003

MODIFIEDS

Heat 1 – Adams, Dekutoski, Howard, Forte, Kressley, Hirthler

Heat 2 – Laubach, Horton, Hoffman, Truppi, Mills, Taylor

Heat 3 – Hendrickson, Elliott, Barone, Kerr, Stinson, Durand

Consi – Chester, Ale, Franz, Hieber, Infante, Simpson

MODIFIED FEATURE – 25 LAPS

JIMMY HORTON, Rick Laubach, Wade Hendrickson, Doug Hoffman, Ricky Elliott, Kevin Hirthler, Rich Stinson Jr, Jamie Mills, Brian Kressley, Danny Hieber, Jimmy Chester, Stephan Durand, Mike Franz, Dave Stonebraker, Don Barone, Gary Simpson, Dave Adams, Mark Forte, Duane Howard, Ryan Kerr, Lee Taylor Jr, Brian Truppi, Rich Acolia, Troy Ale, Joe Dekutoski

SPORTSMAN

Heat 1 – Pursell, Towers, Stepanchuk, Lineman Jr, Osmun, Hughes

Heat 2 – Pratt, Lilick, Klingmeyer, Roberts, Harris, Burkhart

Heat 3 – Sarkisian, Lindale, Travegline, Collins, Miller, Price

Consi – Kormann, Wescott, Masiado, Horton, Lozorak, Schultz

SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20 LAPS

BILL KLINGMEYER, Ron Roberts, Bob Travegline, Willie Osmun, Mike Hughes, Billy Harris, Eric Kormann, Doug Stepanchuk, Tom Miller, Joe Masiado, Andy Burkhart, Dennis Price, Jay Horton, Jim Britt, Bill Briggs, Bob Lineman Jr, Kevin Schultz, Steve Lindale, Kevin Collins, John Pursell, Bob Sarkisian, Eddie Towers, Richie Pratt, Steve Lozarak, Bob Lilick DQ-Sam Wescott

GARDEN STATE SPRINT CAR CLUB SPRINTS

Heat 1 – Strubble, Mueller, Fleetwood, Butts, Howe, D.Smith

Heat 2 – Schmidt, Donaghy, Beasley, Stellfox, Barnett, C.Brown

Heat 3 – Durbin, S.Smith, DeAngelis, D.Brown, Wyers, Davis

Consi – Adams, Karnbach, Foote, Piersig, Grasso, Bowman

GSSCC A-MAIN – 20 LAPS

WARREN DURBIN, Steve Schmidt, Matt Beasley, Ron Karnbach, John Wyers, Mares Stellfox, Steve Strubble, Jeff Foote, Don Smith, Bob Adams, Mike Donaghy, Jeff Mueller, Mike Piersig, John Barnett, Brooke Bowman, Jeff Davis, Joe Butts Jr, Steve Fleetwood, Shane Smith, Dave Brown, Chip Brown, Joe Howe, Al DeAngelis, J.J. Grasso Jr

OUTLAW STOCKS

Heat 1 – Haegele, Watson

Heat 2 – Franchetti, Gould

OUTLAW STOCK FEATURE – 20 LAPS

RICH FRANCHETTI, Curtis Nichols, Pat Hires, John Haegele, Mike Hires, Ken Watson, Rich Haegele, Jim Erdbrink, Steve Stark, Tracy Rocap, Joe Trumbetti, Ron Dirkes, Jesse DeGarmo, John Reed, Alan Fiel, Brian McConnell, Mike Lonabaugh, Walter Hayes, Dave Gould Jr, Chris Prychka, Richie Knell, Tom Alley, Gary Klimeczak, Paul Hartman, Jim Honaker, Jeff Dirkes, Brian Ludwig DNS- Kevin Gates