Doug Hoffman, Joe Masiado, & Matt Beasley All Get 1st Win of 2003 Season
Bridgeport, NJ – Allentown, PA’s Doug Hoffman picked up his 75th career big block modified victory Saturday night at South Jersey’s Bridgeport Speedway, winning the twenty-five lap modified feature event and the $2500 first place prize money that went along with it. The big block main event, which was marred by a nine car accident on the sixth lap that saw 2000 season modified champ Wade Hendrickson take a wild flip in turn one, saw Hoffman take the lead on the ensuing restart from early race leader Brian Truppi. The Bridgeport Sportsman feature was an exciting event, as Joe Masiado held off a flying Richie Pratt to get his first win of the new season. Pratt pressured Masiado for almost the last half of the race, but Masiado never relented, running strong right to victory lane in the twenty-lap race. Matt Beasley grabbed his first win of the new year, taking the twenty-lap Jasper Winged sprint A-main for the South Jersey Sprint Car Club. That race was halted for red flag when 2002 champ Shane Smith flipped his #0 in turn two while leading the race. Smith walked away from the accident shaken but unhurt. In other action for the night, the first Enduro of the season was won by 2002 Pat Hires, while Dividing Creek, NJ’s Jeremy Wilford won the always popular demolition derby.
The first five laps of the big block modified feature saw Branchburg, NJ’s Brian Truppi grab the early lead from his pole position start, with Doug Hoffman trailing in the runner up spot. While Truppi, the 1997 Bridgeport Sportsman Champion, was holding off Hoffman in the early going, the action back in the pack was electrifying, with the threesome of Jimmy Horton, Duane Howard, and Wade Hendrickson charging up to get into contention for the lead. On lap six, the caution flag came out, bringing the field together, and this is when the nightmare began for middle of the pack. Lap six was restarted five times for various altercations, the worst being for a nine-car pile-up in turn one that saw the red flag come out after Wade Hendrickson took a spectacular flip in the Frank Rio #R10, with Hendrickson winding up on top of the heap of battered racers. Finally, Truppi and Hoffman led the fourteen remaining modifieds to a clean restart, with Hoffman out dragging Truppi into turn one, making an inside pass for the lead. At halfway, Hoffman had the lead over Truppi, with Howard, Kyle Strickler, and Rick Laubach filling out the top five. Laubach was driving the backup Overhead Door #0, after the Auger Machine #93 suffered motor problems after winning the first heat. Laubach started the race in scratch position because of the car substitution, and was lucky to avoid the lap six nightmare. With less than five laps left, Truppi was closing in on Hoffman and the lead, and it appeared that there would be a shoot out for the win, but Hoffman maintained a two-car length lead at the finish for the win. Truppi had the TK #02 in second, in front of Howard, Strickler, and Laubach. Jimmy Horton recovered from a pit stop after the lap six crash, which he was in the middle of, to come back and finish eighth in the J & J #27. Laubach, Hendrickson, and Dave Adams all won their qualifying heats, with Ryan Kerr taking the consolation race.
Veteran Ron Roberts started the twenty-lap sportsman feature in third place, and pulled into the lead for the first lap, but second starting Joe Masiado had other ideas, coming right at Roberts to make the pass and takeover the lead on lap two. By lap four, all eyes were on Richie Pratt Jr, who was taking big bites out of the field, to get into the top five, after starting fourteenth. At the halfway point, Pratt now had the Klair #34 in the runner up spot, after working past Roberts in the low groove in turns three and four. It appeared that Masiado was going to be challenged for the lead, after a caution came out on lap thirteen for Bob Lineman Jr, who stopped in turn two with suspension problems. Now Pratt had his chance, and he put his racer on Masiado rear bumper, pressuring him for the lead. Masiado held his ground, and never faltered from his line, until the last turn of the last lap, when his #43 drifted up high in turn four, letting Pratt close in. Masiado recovered from the bobble to charge down the front straight to get the checkered and the win, just a car length in front of Pratt. Roberts held on to third place, with Dan Cogdill and Eric Kormann rounding out the top five. John Pursell, Roberts, and Robert Wyant Jr won the eight lap qualifying heats, while 2002 champ Bob Sarkisian won the consolation event.
By virtue of his DNF in the last Jasper Sprint A- Main run at the track, 2002 champ Shane Smith had his #0 on the outside pole to start the twenty lap main, and he blasted out past pole man Mike Donaghy to lead lap one. Warren Durbin pushed the Lucas Electric #69 right behind Smith, taking the runner up spot immediately from his sixth starting spot. On lap five, second generation driver Matt Beasley was now on the move, getting past Durbin to grab second place. Beasley was really hooked up to the racetrack, and by halfway, there was no doubt he was cutting into Smith’s lead. On lap eleven, Beasley dove low in turn one, pulling alongside Smith, but he couldn’t make the move stick, as Smith charged back into the lead as they entered the back straightaway. After passing the start-finish line to complete lap twelve, disaster would strike Smith, as his racer suddenly veered to the right in turn one, causing him to slap the guardrail and flip, coming to a stop in turn two. Smith was checked by the track EMT’s and was okay, and when racing resumed, Beasley was in charge of the lead, with Durbin again in second. Beasley left no doubt that this was to be his night, and went the rest of the way for his third career win, and first of the new season, with Durbin leading Steve Schmidt Jr, Joe Butts Jr, and Ron Karnbach to the finish line. Schmidt and Karnbach each provided some excitement to the crowd on hand, as they worked their up from their respective ninth and eleventh starting spots. Three heats were run for the twenty-nine sprinters on hand, with Beasley, Mares Stellfox, and Smith all taking the wins in the eight lap qualifiers.
Jeff Dirkes grabbed the lead in the twenty-five lap Enduro Stock race, but his lead was short lived as Jon Haegele charged past to lead the second lap. Haegele’s hold on the lead was only for one lap, though, as 2002 champ Pat Hires went from thirteenth starting spot to lead lap three. With five laps left in the race, Haegele again was back in contention for the win, putting his #61 right on Hires rear bumper, but Hires was able to pull back out, gaining a two car length lead that was enough to seal the win. Haegele came home in second, with Bob Hopely, Rich Franchetti, and Mike Hires completing the top five.
Information on all events at New Jersey’s fastest dirt track can be obtained by calling the track office at 856-467-4408 during business hours or on the Internet at www.bridgeportspeedway.com
BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS – Saturday, May 03, 2003
SPORTSMAN
Heat 1 – Pursell, Masiado, Wescott, J.Acolia, Christ, Harris
Heat 2 – R.Roberts, Osmun, Collins, Cogdill, Pratt, Kormann
Heat 3 – Wyant, Lineman Jr, Briggs, J.Horton, Klingmeyer, Price
Consi – Sarkisian, Lilick, Lineman Sr, B.Hirthler, Burkhart, Hughes, Britt, Matherly
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20 LAPS
JOE MASIADO, Rich Pratt, Ron Roberts, Dan Cogdill, Eric Kormann, Andy Burkhart, Bob Sarkisian, Sam Wescott, Bill Klingmeyer, Bob Lilick, Mike Hughes, Jim Britt, Jay Horton, Dennis Price, Willie Osmun, Robert Wyant, Bruce Hirthler, Bill Briggs, Bob Lineman Sr, Curtis Matherly, Rob Pierce, Jeff Acolia, Christopher Christ, Bob Lineman Jr, Kevin Collins DNS- Billy Harris
MODIFIEDS
Heat 1 – Laubach, Hoffman, K.Hirthler, Mills, Stinson, Dekutoski
Heat 2 – Hendrickson, Horton, Barone, Strickler, Elliott, Franz
Heat 3 – Adams, Truppi, Howard, Kressley, J.Chester, Stonebraker
Consi – Kerr, Durand, Forte, Ale, Creighton, R.Acolia
MODIFIED FEATURE – 25 LAPS
DOUG HOFFMAN, Brian Truppi, Duane Howard, Kyle Strickler, Rick Laubach, Mike Franz, Ryan Kerr, Jimmy Horton, Troy Ale, Dave Stonebraker, Mark Forte, Kevin Hirthler, Stephan Durand, Brad Creighton, Rich Acolia, Don Barone, Joe Dekutoski, Wade Hendrickson, Jamie Mills, Ricky Elliott, Jimmy Chester, Rich Stinson, Brian Kressley, Dave Adams
JASPER WINGED SPRINTS
Heat 1 – Beasley, Butts Jr, Piersig, D.Brown
Heat 2 – Stellfox, Donaghy, Schmidt, Adams
Heat 3 – S.Smith, Durbin, C.Brown, Karnbach
JASPER WINGED SPRINT A MAIN – 20 LAPS
MATT BEASLEY, Warren Durbin, Steve Schmidt Jr, Joe Butts Jr, Ron Karnbach, Bob Adams, Jeff Foote, John Wyers, Mares Stellfox, Donnie Smith, Chip Brown, Joe Howe, Jack Curtis, Jeff Davis, Al DeAngelis, Brook Bowman, Tory Rose, Layne Foulk, John Barnett, Shane Smith, Jonathon Swanson, Mike Piersig, Bob Rasmussen, David Brown, Steve Fleetwood, Steve Strubble, Mike Donaghy DNS- Jeff Mueller, JJ Grasso
ENDURO – 25 LAPS
PAT HIRES, Jon Haegele, Bob Hopely, Rich Franchetti, Mike Hires, Steve Stark, Tracy Rocap, Rick Kostes, Paul Hartman, Rick Latza, Mike Lonabaugh, Jeff Dirkes, Ron Dirkes, Jeff DeGarmo, Dave Wilhelm, Jim Erdbrink
DEMOLITION DERBY
JEREMY WILFORD