HOFFMAN GETS FIRST WIN OF NEW SEASON IN BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS

Bridgeport, NJ - Allentown, PA’s Doug Hoffman won the twenty-five lap big block modified feature event at South Jersey’s Bridgeport Speedway on Saturday night, picking up his first win of the 2001 season. It was also a night of firsts in other divisions, as 2000 modified champion Wade Hendrickson scored his first career sprint car win, while Camden, NJ’s Sam Wescott grabbed his first ever victory in the twenty lap Bridgeport Sportsman race. Dan Weir, out of Vineland, NJ, picked up his eighteenth career win in the late model class.

Milford, DE’s Jamie Mills jumped from his outside pole starting spot to take the early lead in the big block modified feature event. Mills, the 1995 Bridgeport Modified Champion, controlled first place for eleven laps, while behind him Wade Hendrickson, Doug Hoffman, and Ricky Elliott were all charging their way through the pack. Hoffman, coming from his twelfth starting position, grabbed the runner up spot from Rick Laubach on lap eight, and began to cut into Mills’ lead. A lap ten yellow for Bucky Kell, in the Statewide #2GR, erased Mills’ lead, and two laps later Hoffman dove under Mills in turn four to take over the lead. With Hoffman now in front, all attention turned to 2000 Bridgeport Modified Champ Wade Hendrickson, who began to take his high groove to try and run down Hoffman. Hendrickson was able to cut into to Hoffman’s lead, but was never able to mount a serious threat, and at the checkered flag it was Hoffman, with a three car length victory over Hendrickson, with Elliott coming home third. Duane Howard, in the Big Spring Car Wash #126, finished fourth after starting fourteenth, while Steve Bottcher completed the top five. In victory lane, Hoffman commented "My hats off to Jay James and the crew for all their hard work to get us this win. We knew we had a fast car in the heats, but we didn’t know if it was good enough to win the feature. This is a new Troyer that we experimented with at the winter races down in Florida. We knew it was a good car, even though we didn’t have any good finishes to show for it. If tonight is any indication, it looks like we’re going to have a lot of fun down here at Bridgeport this season!" For Hoffman, it was his first win since July 1st, 2001 at Bridgeport Speedway.

BJ DiMascio and Sam Wescott led the twenty-six car Bridgeport Sportsman field to start their feature event, and these two young speedsters were the only two driver to lead a lap in the twenty lap race. DiMascio, in his #22, led the first eight laps before Wescott was able to wrestle the lead away. Wescott, in the Olsen chassied #51, took over from DiMascio and was not going to be denied his first career win at Bridgeport. Wescott drove a smooth race, and was able to pull away from the field in a race that was only slowed by two caution flags. On the last lap, DiMascio was able to gain a little ground on Wescott, but at the checkered flag, Wescott still had a four car length lead over runner-up DiMascio for the win. In a wild and jubilant victory lane celebration, Wescott said, "I kept looking at the leader board while I was leading, and I saw DiMascio and Peck were right behind me. As long as I didn’t see the #40 car (2000 Bridgeport Sportsman Champ Mark Forte) I knew I was alright." Trenton, NJ’s Don Barone, who started nineteenth in the D & R Boats #267 came fourth while New Castle, DE’s Steve Lindale finished fifth. Bill Klingmeyer, Forte, and Tom Fox won the qualifying heats for the forty-nine racers. Barone and Bob Sarkisian won the consolation events.

Lawrenceville, NJ’s Wade Hendrickson started on the pole in the twenty lap Bridgeport Sprint and went on to lead every lap of the high speed event. A red flag on lap two for Eric Brobst, who flipped his sprinter in turn two, kept the field in tight formation, but Hendrickson was not to be denied his first career sprint car win. Although there were two late race caution periods, Hendrickson was never seriously challenged for the lead and went on to the win. At the finish, former midget driver Gary Mondschein came from fifth spot to take the runner-up spot, with Jeff Foote, Brian Powell, and 2000 feature winner Wayne Mauro completing the top five. Victory Lane had to be postponed because Hendrickson had to get right back into the pits to get into the Rio Brother R-!0 for the modified feature. Hendrickson won the first heat race, while Foote won the second qualifier for the twenty-one winged sprinters.

In what some called the most exciting feature of the night, the Bridgeport Late Models might have saved the best for last. Rich Reider, in the Herb Thomas owned #1, started on the outside pole and jumped out to what appeared to be an insurmountable lead. 2000 season champion Mike Burns tried everything to try and pass Reider, but the best he could do get alongside by diving under Reider in the turns. Wayne Pfeil worked his way by Burns for runner-up spot on lap ten and began to close in on Reider. A late race tangle with one to go between Pfeil and Burns brought out the caution flag, while Burns had to retire to the pits. This set a one lap shootout between Reider and Dan Weir, and these two drivers put on a great one lap dash for the win. Reider was holding off Weir all the way around the track, but coming out of turn four, Weir made a daring move outside Reider and won by less than a car length at the finish line. Paul Marra Sr., filling in for his vacationing son, came home in third place, while Dave Williams and two-time late model champ Ron Coverly filled the top five.

Coming up this week at Bridgeport Speedway, on Saturday night the exciting United Racing Club Sprints will make their first appearance of the season at the South Jersey oval, along with a complete show of Big Block Modifieds, Bridgeport Sportsman, and Late Models. This high speed show will start at 5PM, with pit gates opening at 2PM. The Bridgeport Sprinters will make their first Friday night appearance, running two complete features on the big track, while the ¼ mile oval will feature a complete three-division micro-sprint show. Racing on Friday will start at 7PM, with gates opening at 5PM. Information can be obtained by calling the track office at 856-467-4407 during business hours.

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS

SATURDAY APRIL 14, 2001

MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1 – Horton, Durand, Kerr, Chester, Kania, Radd

HEAT 2 – Bottcher, Hendrickson, Mills, Kell, Howard, Weaver

HEAT 3 – Elliott, Johnson, Laubach, Hoffman, Adams, Polenz

Consi – Hirthler, Schultz, Laureno, Stonebraker, Franz, Smith

MODIFIED FEATURE – 25 Laps

Doug Hoffman, Wade Hendrickson, Ricky Elliott, Duane Howard, Steve Bottcher, Jamie Mills, Rick Laubach, Jimmy Horton, Dave Adams, Jimmy Chester, Roger Laureno, Paul Weaver, Rich Polenz, Dave Stonebraker, Jared Schultz, Rusty Smith, Don Radd, Mike Franz, Ryan Kerr, Scott Kania, Bucky Kell, Ron Johnson, Stephen Durand, Kevin Hirthler

DNQ – Mike Iles, Charle Higbee, Jason Smythe, Scott Davis, Butch Glisson, Jim Reppert, Ben Hatt, Tom Pompei, Bob Lineman, Jason D’Allesio, Craig Jackson, Randy Fortna

BRIDGEPORT SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1 – Klingmeyer, Pratt, Peck, Sterling, Townsend, Bruno

HEAT 2 – Forte, Smith, Wescott, Visser, Harris, Czacharowski

HEAT 3 – Fox, Lindale, DiMascio, Collins, Ratoskey, Burkhart

CONSI 1- Barone, Horton, Dixon,

CONSI 2 – Sarkisian, Cogdill, McDonnell, Briggs

BRIDGEPORT SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20 LAPS

Sam Wescott, BJ DiMascio, Greg Peck, Don Barone, Steve Lindale, Bill Klingermyer, Billy Harris, Mark Forte, Tom Fox, Kevin Collins, GR Smith, Dan Cogdill, Joe Czacharowski, Rob Ratoskey, John Dixon, Richie Pratt, Frank McDonnell, Bob Sarkisian, Jay Horton, Jim Bruno, John Townsend, Andy Burkhart, Brandon Visser, Jesse Sterling, Al Suhr, Bill Briggs

DNQ – Frank Curry, Paul Collins, Christopher Christ, Steve Harrison, Bob Lineman Jr, Bob Wyant, Eric Korman, Eric Poole, Nick Melair, Ron Roberts, Marty Mulch, Walt Clarke, Len Moncalari, Chris Riddle, John McCardell, Bob Cook, Jack Caffery, John Pursell, Steve Lozorak, Joe Derutoski, Scott Baylor

BRIDGEPORT SPRINT CARS

HEAT 1 – Hendrickson, Brown, Mondschein, Mueller, Brobst, Wetzel

HEAT 2 – Foote, Powell, Mauro, Walters, Durbin, Howe

BRIDGEPORT SPRINT FEATURE – 20 LAPS

Wade Hendrickson, Gary Mondschein, Jeff Foote, Brian Powell, Wayne Mauro, Jeff Mueller, Skip Poole, Warren Durbin, Zig Ziggler, Mares Stellfox, Matt Beasley, Joe Howe, Keith Wetzel, Chip Brown, Mike Piersig, Mike Donaghy, George Coffin, John Wagner, Eric Brobst, Jim Walters

LATE MODEL STOCK FEATURE – 15 LAPS

Dan Weir, Rich Reider, Paul Marra Sr, Dave Williams, Ron Coverly, Greg Schmidt, Daddy Pfeil, Bud Hayes, Wayne Pfeil, Mike Burns, Chip Grant, Joe Pellegrino, Ron Dirkes, Jack Mullin, Phil Retter