JIMMY HORTON PICKS UP WIN NUMBER 102 FOR FIRST WIN OF 2003 AT BRIDGEPORT

BRIDGEPORT, NJ – For the second week in a row, the high flying United Racing Club Sprints and the mighty big block modified co-headlined the three division show presented at the big 5/8th mile Bridgeport Speedway Saturday night, and once again the fans went home buzzing about the great racing that they had just witnessed. In the modified division, Neshanic Station, NJ’s Jimmy Horton charged up from his tenth starting place to take the lead on the fourteenth lap, on his way to his record setting 102nd win of his career at New Jersey’s fastest dirt track. An even more impressive stat is the fact that the victory gave Horton a streak of thirty consecutive years of at least one win. The United Racing Club Sprint A-Main saw West Lawn, PA’s Dave Ely go wire to wire on his way to his second career win with the traveling club, after an exciting high speed display of driving that included runner up Scott Pursell trying to catch the leader as they knifed their way through lapped traffic. In the nightcap, Kevin Collins made his long tow from Laurel, DE worth it, as he won the final event of the night, the twenty lap Sportsman feature, in a race that was slowed only by one yellow flag, while twenty-six of twenty-seven starters completed the event.

Paulsboro, NJ’s Mike Franz led the twenty-four car modified field to the green flag to start the big block modified feature race, and pulled out to the early lead, with veteran Jimmy Chester right on his tail. Franz, fighting off Chester’s advances, really had the TMR Trucking #12 locked to the bottom groove of the track, while Chester was rim-riding the high groove trying to get past for the lead. By the fifth lap, Franz was still running the bottom of the track, driving as consistent as he ever has in his career, holding off Chester for lap after lap. Back in third spot, 2001 modified champ Doug Hoffman had his own battle going on, as Kevin Hirthler had the #117 charging around the smooth, slick raceway, with Hirthler getting by Hoffman at the completion of the sixth lap. Lap ten saw the yellow flag come out for the #1K of Ryan Kerr, tightening up the field, and eliminating the lead that Franz and Chester had on the rest of the field. Two laps later, all-time leading Bridgeport Speedway Modified winner, Jimmy Horton shot around Hoffman and then Hirthler to pull into third place, with Hoffman staying right on his tail to grab fourth, dropping Hirthler back into fifth. Again the yellow flag had to be displayed, this time for the 77X of Steve Bottcher, and on the ensuing restart, Chester got enough of a bite on the front straightaway to dive low under Franz as the two entered turn one, wrestling away the lead by the time the two had exited turn two. Chester’s lead was short lived, though, as Horton had the J & J Planned Poultry Renovations #27 gunning for the lead, taking second on the next lap, and then taking big bites out of Chester’s lead. Blasting through turns three and four, Horton went low, while Chester continued to run the high groove, with Horton taking over the top spot as they raced down the front straight to complete lap fourteen. While Horton left no doubt to the rest of the field that he was on his way to his first win of the season, the action behind him was furious as Hoffman, Franz, and Chester battled each other all around the raceway. Lap eighteen saw Franz continue his best run ever in the modified ranks, pulling past Chester to regain the runner up position. With Starter Dennis Weir giving the field the five to go signal, Horton had a straightaway lead over Franz, with Hoffman closing in, after getting past Chester one lap earlier. With the white flag waving, Hoffman used all his experience to sneak under Franz on the front straight, taking over second place in turn one. At the checkered flag, Horton had his team’s first win together with over an eight second lead on runner up Hoffman. Franz had his career best modified finish, coming home third, with Chester, and last week’s winner, Ricky Elliott completing the top five. Rick Laubach, Chester, and 2002 champ Duane Howard all won their qualifying heats, while Carmine Infante took the consolation race.

Like their modified big brothers in their race, the sportsman twenty lap feature saw some drivers have their best ever efforts, while the winner was able to blast through and away from the pack on the way to a dominating win. Vineland, NJ’s Rob Pierce shot out from his front row starting spot to pull out to the early lead in the main event for the small block engined sportsman cars. By lap four, Kevin Collins had the Bo’s Construction #126 in second place, locking in on Pierce and the lead, and on lap eight, Collins was right on the rear bumper of the leader. Lap nine saw Collins and Pierce run almost the entire lap side by side, with Collins taking the lead under the halfway signal. With Collins pulling away from the field, all eyes were on Richie Pratt Jr, who had battled his way into the top ten after starting the race in the twenty-second spot. At five to go, Pratt was now in the top five, and the race’ first caution flag, for Bobby Lineman Jr, tightened up the pack. Pratt now had the Klair #34 on rails around the track, and was running third on the next lap, and taking over the runner up spot from Pierce on lap eighteen. Pratt tried to cut into Collins’ lead, but ran out of time and had to settle for the second place finish, with Collins getting his first win of the year. Pierce held off a fast closing Sam Wescott by just inches for a fine third place finish, his career best finish in sportsman action, with Tom “Elvis” Miller completing the top five. Sportsman qualifying heats were taken by John Pursell, last week’s winner, Willie Osmun, and Collins, with Andy Burkhart winning the consolation event.

The United Racing Club Sprint A-Main saw Dave Ely jump out to the lead from his front row starting spot, holding off former modified driver Scott Pursell for entire twenty-five lap race, on his way to is second career win, and first of the new season. Last week’s Bridgeport URC winner, Trevor Lewis, was involved in a four car tangle in turn two on the fifth lap, ending his chances of repeat win, although he did rebound from the accident to come back and finish thirteenth. 2000 Bridgeport Modified champion, Wade Hendrickson, drove the McCabe #Z1 to a fine eighth place finish, no easy feat with the highly competitive traveling sprint club. Kevin Welsh, Dave McGough, and Jon Eldreth completed the top five in the event, behind Ely and Pursell.

NOTES: The Wednesday, June 4th Big Show 3 has gotten even bigger, with the race format evolving into a 5-25’s Features only event, with the big block modifieds, URC sprints, and Bridgeport Sportsman competing on the big 5/8th mile oval, while the ARDC midgets will compete WINGLESS on the ¼ mile oval along with the always entertaining 600cc micro sprints. The modified portion of the program will be open to anyone, with time trials and a B main setting the field for their feature. Information on this and any Bridgeport Speedway event can be obtained by calling the speedway office at 856-467-4407 or on the Internet at www.bridgeportspeedway.com

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS – SATURDAY APRIL 19, 2003

MODIFIEDS

Heat 1 – Laubach, Horton, Hendrickson, Durand, Irwin, Stoenbraker

Heat 2 – J.Chester, Elliott, Strickler, Hoffman, Creighton, Bottcher

Heat 3 – Howard, Forte, K.Hirthler, Franz, Kerr, Dekutoski

Consi – Ale, Infante, Adams, Illes, Bitner, Barone

MODIFIED FEATURE – 25 LAPS

JIMMY HORTON, Doug Hoffman, Mike Franz, Jimmy Chester, Ricky Elliott, Duane Howard, Wade Hendrickson, Kevin Hirthler, Rick Laubach, Mark Forte, Mike Illes, Kyle Strickler, Joe Dekutoski, Stephan Durand, Dave Adams, Steve Bottcher, Don Barone, Brad Creighton, Dave Stonebraker, Scott Irwin, Mark Bitner, Ryan Kerr, Ed Firth, Carmine Infante, Jamie Mills

SPORTSMAN

Heat 1 – Pursell, B.Chester, Miller, Lineman Sr, Wescott, Cogdill

Heat 2 – Osmun, Masiado, Stepanchuk, Lilick, Wyant, Kormann

Heat 3 – Collins, Lindale, Pierce, Horton, Lineman Jr, Acolia

Consi – Burkhart, B.Hirthler, Klingmeyer, Pratt, Harris, Price, Britt, Poole

SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20 LAPS

KEVIN COLLINS, Richie Pratt, Rob Pierce, Sam Wescott, Tom Miller, Billy Chester, Willie Osmun, Eric Kormann, Bob Lilick, Joe Masiado, Dave Stepanchuk, Bob Lineman Sr, Bill Horton, Andy Burkhart, Bob Sarkisian, Dan Cogdill, Steve Lindale, Robert Wyant, Dennis Price, Bill Klingmeyer, Jim Britt, Bob Lineman Jr, John Pursell, Bruce Hirthler, Billy Harris, Eric Poole, Jeff Acolia

UNITED RACING CLUB SPRINTS

Heat 1 – Hendrickson, Pursell, Gollub, Lewis, Eldreth

Heat 2 – Green, Massey, Aikin, Seidel, Suprick

Heat 3 – Parlett, Coyle, Welsh, Brittingham, Miller

Heat 4 – Whary, Clauss, Gerber, Ely, McGough

C Main – Coverdale, Martin, West, Hogue

B Main – Haggenbottom, Michael, Coverdale, Clarke

URC A MAIN – 25 LAPS

DAVE ELY, Scott Pursell, Kevin Welsh, Dave McGough, Jon Eldreth, Mike Haggenbottom, Chris Coyle, Wade Hendrickson, Curt Michael, Pete Green, Jeff Whary, Jason Clauss, Trevor Lewis, Matt Gerber, Randy West, George Suprick, Glen Clarke, Midge Miller, Brian Brittingham, Ashley Parlett, Greg Coverdale, Ed Aikin, Brian Seidel, Gary Gollub, Danny Massey