DOUG HOFFMAN CRUISES TO FOURTH BRIDGEPORT MODIFIED WIN OF THE SEASON

Bridgeport, NJ – Allentown, PA’s Doug Hoffman picked up his fourth modified victory of the season at New Jersey’s fastest dirt track, Bridgeport Speedway, on Saturday night. Hoffman started the race in ninth spot, and was in control of the lead before the end of the second lap, putting on quite a show in those two laps of his hard charging driving style. Finishing a distant second was Jimmy Horton, who increased his point lead over Duane Howard, who finished the twenty-five lap main event in eighth place. Second generation driver Willie Osmun, who makes the tow down to the South Jersey 5/8th mile clay oval from his home in Bloomsbury, NJ, won the twenty lap Sportsman feature, which was his first ever at the Bridgeport Speedway. Also getting his first career win at Bridgeport Speedway was John Wyers, who went home the victor in the Jasper Winged Sprint twenty lap A-Main. For the first time this season, the 4 Cylinder Stocks, who normally race on Friday nights, were part of the Saturday night program, with Jeff Walls winning the fifteen lap race which was run on the ¼ mile oval, which is located on the front straight of the big track. The final event of the night was the crowd-pleasing Demolition Derby, which was won in exciting fashion by Ed “Speedo” Jager, who also competes at the track in the Enduro and Outlaw Stock classes.

A five car pile-up that involved pole sitter Wayne Weaver in the Boinski Automotive #19 marred the beginning of the big block modified feature race, but when things finally got rolling, all eyes were on the defending modified champion, Doug Hoffman as he charged up through the pack in the Lincoln Auto Body #5. Starting in ninth place, Hoffman was in third by the end of the first lap, and when the caution had to be displayed for Billy Chester, who lost a wheel on his #41 in the fourth turn. On the restart, Hoffman shot out like a rocket, diving under Ryan Kerr and Mike Franz low in turn one, taking the lead before he exited turn two for the backstretch. For over three laps leading up to the halfway mark, an unbelievable three-way battle was fought by Kerr, who has returned to regular competition at the track, Jimmy Horton, and Wade Hendrickson. These three ran the better part of these laps side by side three wide, until finally Horton was able to break away and control the runner up spot. While Hoffman was cruising through lapped traffic, Horton was working on trimming down the huge lead that Hoffman had built up. The last five laps remained the same, with Hoffman leading Horton and Hendrickson, while Rick Laubach, in his first night of action in the Overhead Doors #0 small block, passed Kerr to get fourth place. At the checkered, Hoffman had his fourth win of the season, with Horton, Hendrickson, Laubach, and Jimmy Chester completing the top five. Horton’s runner up finish, combined with Duane Howard’s eighth place run in the Scott Davis #27, gave Horton a sixteen point lead in the season point race. Howard had to use the Davis modified when he lost the motor in is regular ride, the Big Spring Car Wash #126 at the conclusion of his qualifying heat. Heats for the thirty-three modifieds were won by Ricky Elliott, who again was plagued by motor problems in the Trenton Mack #704, along with Joe Dekutoski and Kerr, with Mike Iles taking the consolation race.

Jay Horton and Steve Lozorak led the twenty-six car field to take the green in the twenty-lap sportsman feature, with Horton taking the lead. With Horton holding onto the lead for the first six laps, the seventh and eighth place starters of Dan Cogdill and Judd Mills were busy trading places, swapping second and third place several times, before Mills was able to get past Horton for the lead on lap seven. While Mills and Cogdill were hooked up in their fight, nineteenth place starter Willie Osmun was methodically working through the pack to get to the front. At halfway, Osmun was in third place, and coming down the front stretch for lap fourteen, Osmun powered out of turn four to take the lead. With five to go, Osmun was leading Mills and Cogdill, with Steve Lindale in fourth and John Pursell holding off Mark Forte, who was driving the backup Sarkisian #47, for fifth. At the finish, it was Osmun getting his first ever Bridgeport win, with Mills, Cogdill, Lindale, and Forte filling out the top five. At the post race tech inspection, Mills car was found to be under weight, ruining a great run for the sportsman Rookie of the Year candidate, as he was relegated to last place. This development moved Pursell back into the top five for the official finish. Qualifying heats were won by Lozorak, Bob Sarkisian, and Mills, with Richie Pratt winning the consolation race. Sarkisian had a tough night, getting involved in a nine-car accident on the opening lap and coming back to finish in fourteenth place. This combined with Billy Harris’ sixth place finish gave the season point lead back to Harris, who has held the op spot for most of the season. Harris and the Haldeman Ford #3 now hold a thirteen-point lead over Sarkisian.

With twenty-five Jasper Winged Sprint Cars signed into the pits for the night’s action, Mike Piersig, who won his first sprint race this season, and newcomer John Barnett on the front row, with Jeff Mueller, who was still looking for his first win of the year, starting third. The twenty lap A-Main saw Piersig lead all the way out to lap fourteen, with first Mueller and then John Wyers chasing him down while running in the second spot. With five time winner Kevin Nagy dropping out of the race on the opening lap, it was wide open for a new winner, and Wyers was ready to seize the opportunity. Coming down the front straight to get the five to go signal from Starter Dennis Weir, Wyers made his move passing Piersig for the lead, after a lap thirteen caution flag eliminated the lead that Piersig had built. Wyers went the rest of the way for his first career sprint win, with Piersig holding off a fast closing Warren Durbin for second. Steve Fleetwood had a good run coming home fourth from his ninth starting place, with Mueller hanging on for a fifth place finish. Mueller and Piersig won the eight lap qualifying heats for the winged sprints.

In other action at the track, the first Saturday night appearance of the popular 4 Cylinder Stocks racing on the ¼ mile oval was held, with Jeff Walls driving his father’s #31 to the win. Walls, who started the race in fifth, took the lead on the second lap of the fifteen lap race to get his second win of the weekend. Walls had his hands full, holding off twelve-time winner Dave Bentley for most of the race. The final event of the night was the popular demolition derby, with Enduro/Outlaw Stock driver Ed “Speedo” Jager winning the event that held most of the big crowd on hand at the track to the very end of the night’s action.

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS - SATURDAY AUGUST 10, 2002

MODIFIEDS

Heat 1 – Elliott, Hendrickson, Hoffman, Franz, Hatt, Laubach

Heat 2 – Dekutoski, Hirthler, Howard, Schweibinz, Hughes, Irwin

Heat 3 – Kerr, Stonebraker, Horton, W.Weaver, Durand, Infante

Consi – Iles, Adams, J.Chester, Bottcher, Hieber, P.Weaver

MODIFIED FEATURE – 25 LAPS

DOUG HOFFMAN, Jimmy Horton, Wade Hendrickson, Rick Laubach, Carmine Infante, Jimmy Chester, Ryan Kerr, Duane Howard, Joe Dekutoski, Stephan Durand, Mike Franz, Paul Weaver, Steve Bottcher, Dave Adams, Mike Iles, Dave Stonebraker, Ben Hatt, Kevin Hirthler, Mike Hughes, Danny Hieber, Scott Irwin, Billy Joe Chester, Bud Schweibinz, Wayne Weaver DNS-Ricky Elliott

BRIDGEPORT SPORTSMAN

Heat 1 – Lozorak, Pursell, Wescott, Forte, Lineman, Price

Heat 2 – Sarkisian, Lindale, Klingmeyer, Cogdill, Britt, Wyant

Heat 3 – Mills, Lilick, J.Horton, Masiado, Collins, Burkhart

Consi – Pratt, Osmun, Harris, Hirthler, Briggs, Stinson, Cook, Ottinger

BRIDGEPORT SPORTSMAN – 20 LAPS

WILLIE OSMUN, Dan Cogdill, Steve Lindale, Mark Forte, John Pursell, Billy Harris, Bill Briggs, Sam Wescott, Rich Stinson, Bob Cook, Court Ottinger, Andy Burkhart, Bruce Hirthler, Bob Sarkisian, Bill Klingmeyer, Bob Lilick, Jim Britt, Jay Horton, Kevin Collins, Steve Lozorak, Bob Lineman Jr, Richie Pratt Jr, Dennis Price, Joe Masiado, Rob Wyant

JASPER WINGED SPRINTS

Heat 1 – Mueller, Nagy, Barnett, Fleetwood, Schmidt, Romano

Heat 2 – Piersig, Howe, Andersen, Strubble, Durbin, Smith

JASPER WINGED SPRINT A-MAIN - 20 LAPS

JOHN WYERS, Mike Piersig, Warren Durbin, Steve Fleetwood, Jeff Mueller, Steve Strubble, Matt Beasley, Joe Howe, Donnie Smith, Greg Lotosky, Doug Suiter, George Coffin, Jim Fowler, Brett Romano, Steve Schmidt, John Barnett, Keith Andersen, Chip Brown, Joe Butts Jr, Ron Karnbach, Shane Smith, Kevin Nagy DNS- Mike Donaghy, Jon Brennfleck, Mares Stellfox