Rick Laubach Picks Up Second Win Of Season, Veteran Gary Gollub Takes URC A-Main

Bridgeport, NJ – It was a night of high speed action at Bridgeport Speedway on Saturday night for the large crowd that was on hand, when the United Racing Club sprint cars joined the mighty modifieds and super competitive Bridgeport Sportsman for racing on the wide 5/8th mile clay oval. The modified feature saw Richlandtown, PA’s Rick Laubach win for the second time this season, steering the Auger Manufacturing #93 to victory in the twenty-five lap main event. The URC A-Main saw a familiar face to Bridgeport fans win the twenty-five lap race, when 1979 Modified Champion Gary Gollub returned to victory lane after taking the URC feature. It was Gollub’s first win at New Jersey’s fastest dirt track since July of 1994. The final event of the night might have been the most entertaining to the large crowd on hand at the track, when the twenty-lap Bridgeport Sportsman feature went non-stop with Richie Pratt Jr. taking the lead with just two to go to win his third feature of the season. The crowd pleasing race saw twenty-five of the twenty-six starters complete the event.

For the second race in a row, Carmine Infante charged from the pole position to go out to the early lead in the $2500 to win feature race. Infante, who makes the weekly tow to the track from Cream Ridge, NJ, pulled away from the pack and began to build up a substantial lead. While Infante had the lead, some of the heavy hitters at the track were making their moves to try to get to the front. By lap eight, Infante still was leading, but Rick Laubach was slowly cutting into the advantage Infante had, with Sinking Spring, PA’s Ben Hatt and Newfield, NJ’s Jimmy Chester right behind. A lap twelve caution tightened up the field, but the order remained the same, with Infante still holding off Laubach, with Hatt and Chester still running wheel to wheel in a battle for third place. Jimmy Horton was also now in the heat of the battle, as he now had the Miles Concrete #901 in fifth place after starting twelfth. Infante appeared to be losing some grip on the smooth raceway, as his tires seemed to going away and Laubach was able to pull even with him. Laubach shot past Infante to lead lap sixteen, and two laps later Chester was able to get by for the runner up spot. With five to go, Laubach had a good sized lead over Chester, with Horton now in third in front of the fast-fading Infante. Steve Bottcher, in the Buff Farms #24, was riding in fifth place, a spot he had occupied since lap seven. At the finish, Laubach had an eight car length lead over Chester, who had his best finish of the season. Horton came home third, with Bottcher and Wade Hendrickson completing the top five. Horton’s third place finish combined with Hendrickson’s fifth moved Horton into the point lead by three markers over the driver of the Rio Brothers #R10. Hatt, Infante, and Laubach won their qualifying heats, with Quakertown, PA’s Joe Dekutoski taking the consolation race.

The final race of the night was worth waiting for, as the Bridgeport Sportsman feature was a well driven and highly competitive event for the large crowd that stayed at the track to witness the race. The twenty lap race went non-stop, but the caliber of competition was more impressive than the caution-free aspect of the event, as every lap saw two and three wide battles for position all around the track. Laurel, DE’s Kevin Collins started on the outside pole, and took the lead from polesitter Jay Horton on the second lap. While Collins was maintaining a comfortable lead, the racing behind him was unbelievable. A four car battle for second place was being waged, as Jim Britt, Sam Wescott, Dan Cogdill, and Richie Pratt all were running under a blanket competing for one spot. At halfway, Collins still had a nice lead, with Britt holding back Cogdill for second. Coming down the front straightaway to complete lap eleven, Cogdill passed Britt for second place, with Richie Pratt making the same move in turn one to take over third. Now Cogdill and Pratt got hooked up in a duel, with the two drivers racing side by side lap after lap, taking turns taking over second place. The last five laps saw Collins come up on lapped traffic, and it slowed him enough to let Pratt, who had gained control over Cogdill for the runner up spot, to get close to the leader. With two to go, Pratt used the traffic to his advantage, passing Collins for the lead, with Cogdill right behind him making the same move. The excitement wasn’t over yet, as Pratt now was on his way to his third win of the season, while Sam Wescott, in the Clark #026, leapfrogged from fifth to second on the last lap to cap the exciting event. Cogdill held on to third, with Collins and Britt filling out the top five. As amazing as this non-stop race was, it was even more with the fact that only one racer dropped from the race, with twenty-five sportsman cars completing the race. Pratt, Rich Stinson, and Collins won the eight lap qualifying events, while newcomer Bob Lilick took the consolation.

The United Racing Club sprint A-Main saw Mohnton, PA’s Gary Gollub take the lead on lap ten, after using lapped traffic to pass early leader Deric Parker exiting turn four. With two to go in the twenty-five lap event, Greg Coverdale had the Locuson #97 closing in on Gollub, but a yellow for Bill Brian on the front straight eliminated the momentum that Coverdale had built up. Brian, the URC point leader, spun to avoid contact with Kramer Williamson, who slowed on the front straight in the Palladino #99. The move ended a great run for Brian, who started twenty-fourth and was running sixth before the spinout. Gollub held off Coverdale on the one lap shootout to get his nineteenth career URC win.

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS, SATURDAY JUNE 22, 2002

MODIFIEDS

Heat 1 – Hatt, Bottcher, Horton, Hendrickson, Iles, Hoffman

Heat 2 – Infante, Elliott, Stonebraker, J. Chester, Franz, W.Weaver

Heat 3 – Laubach, Durand, Howard, P.Weaver, Adams, Hieber

Consi – Dekutoski, Ratoskey, B.Chester, Voss, Glisson, E.Firth

Modified Feature – 25 Laps

RICK LAUBACH, Jimmy Chester, Jimmy Horton, Steve Bottcher, Wade Hendrickson, Duane Howard, Doug Hoffman, Mike Iles, Carmine Infante, Ricky Elliott, Dave Stonebraker, Mike Franz, Dave Adams, Wayne Weaver, Joe Dekutoski, Ben Hatt, Barry Voss, Rob Ratoskey, Billy Joe Chester, Paul Weaver, Ed Firth, Butch Glisson, Stephan Durand, Bob Gibbons DNS- Danny Hieber

Lap Leaders- Carmine Infante:15, Rick Laubach:10

SPORTSMAN

Heat 1 – Pratt, Britt, Lineman, Horton, Townsend, Pursell

Heat 2 – Stinson, Wescott, Forte, Harris, Lozorak, Masiado

Heat 3 – K.Collins, Sarkisian, Pursell, Cogdill, Miller, DiNatale

Consi – Lilick, Lindale, Pierce, Sadler, Wilkins, Price, B.Hirthler

Sportsman Feature – 20 Laps

RICHIE PRATT, Sam Wescott, Dan Cogdill, Kevin Collins, Jim Britt, Billy Harris, Rich Stinson, John Pursell, Mario DiNatale, Judd Mills, Bob Lineman Jr, Bob Sarkisian, Tom Miller, Rob Pierce, Beau Wilkins, Mark Forte, Steve Lindale, Bob Cook, Dennis Price, Bruce Hirthler, Steve Lozorak, Joe Masiado, Bob Lilick, John Townsend, Blaine Sadler, Jay Horton

Lap Leaders- Jay Horton:1, Kevin Collins:17, Richie Pratt:2

UNITED RACING CLUB SPRINT CARS

Heat 1 – Coverdale, T.Hogue, Parlett, Haggenbottom, Stitzel

Heat 2 – F.Hogue, J.Bates, Gable, Gollub, Clauss

Heat 3 – Parker, Green, Miller, Welsh, Romano

Heat 4 – Ely, Aiken, Massey, Williamson, Suprick

C Main – Busby, Emery, Coyle, Kostic

B Main – Trout, Gerber, Pursell, Brian

URC A Main – 25 Laps

GARY GOLLUB, Greg Coverdale, Kevin Welsh, Dave Ely, Mike Haggenbottom, Judi Bates, Midge Miller, Jason Clauss, Pete Green, Chris Coyle, George Suprick, Jeremy Trout, Ed Aikin, Tim Hogue, Bill Brian, Matt Gerber, Scott Pursell, Dave Gable, Ashley Parlett, Kramer Williamson, Danny Massey, Jimmy Stitzel, Deric Parker, Fran Hogue, Brett Romano