THE BRIDGEPORT 2016 SEASON IS COMING AT YOU!
Story By: Kolbey Ramey/BPS Media Photos By:Dave Dalesandro/Racersguide.com
Bridgeport NJ.- It won’t be long before the roar of engines will again be heard at the Bridgeport Speedway! An action-packed schedule has been set for the quickly-approaching 2016 racing season. Competitors will have the opportunity to shake down their equipment during three scheduled practice sessions with the first coming on Saturday afternoon, March 19th. The second practice date is planned for Friday, March 25th, the night before the 60 Over Special/Doug Hoffman Memorial Race on Saturday March 26. The final ‘pre-season’ practice will be on Saturday evening, April 2nd. Any and all competitors are welcomed to test and tune on any of the three 5/8 mile practices and as always, grandstand admission is FREE for the fans wanting to see what’s in store for the ’16 season.
The first Saturday night racing program, as well as the first night of points will be on April 30th. The 2016 Track Championships will get under way for the Spirit Big Block Modifieds and Crate/Sportsman. The Pennco Tech Outlaw Stock’s points will start the following Saturday as they are off the schedule this night with the TSRS 305 sprint cars making their first appearance of the season. The 2016 point champion divisions will be crowned on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, September 3rd (Rain or Shine).
An all-new racing weekend has been planned for the fourth weekend in September. The cutting-edge ‘King of the Big Blocks’ event will be presented on Saturday, September 24th, with a full slate of racing planned for Friday, September 23rd as well. Specific details are still being worked out for the weekend however, a heavyweight purse of $12,000 to the winner of this inaugural event focusing on powerful Spirit Auto Center Big Block division. The ‘Little Brothers’ of the Big Blocks will take center stage the night before for a special 358 Small Block program. The Crate/Sportsman, Pennco Tech Outlaw Stocks, and 305 Sprints will all be a part of this much anticipated weekend.
The United Racing Club (URC) 360 Sprints will be visiting the spacious 5/8 mile oval on three different occasions. The first appearance of the year takes place on Sunday, April 10, as the Club joins the Spirit Auto Center Big Blocks, Crate/Sportsman, and Outlaw Stocks for a Sunday matinee. Then on Tuesday, June 28 the winged warriors share the spotlight with the Super Late Models and 358 Small Blocks during the 2nd annual ‘Three For All’. The URC season wraps up their season with a big weekend planned on November 4 and 5. The first-ever ‘Bridgeport URC Big Track Classic’ has been scheduled. The weekend will feature back to back days of 360 sprint car racing, with many of the other 360 touring series’ drivers looking to support this inaugural event. The Crate/Sportsman will round out the racing card that weekend with the high-dollar paying ‘Crate/Sportsman Show Down’.
The South Jersey Shootout is on tap on Sunday April 17th. The Brett Deyo promoted event will include the Spirit Auto Center Big Blocks, Crate/Sportsman, and Outlaw Stocks. Last year, Bridgeport’s home track turf was defended as Rick Laubach, was able to fend off a stout field of invading modified drivers. As part of the South Region of the Short Track Super Series, fans can count on seeing out of state drivers towing in from Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The Xcel 600 Modifieds will return on the Spirit Auto Center quarter mile for their first of eight appearances during the 2016 campaign.
The Kenny Wallace Racing Experience returns to the Bridgeport in 2016 after an extremely successful debut last year. This time, the ‘KWRE’ has signed on for two dates during the season. The first coming Saturday, April 23rd and the second on Sunday, October 2nd. This is a great opportunity for that avid fan to finally get to see how it feels getting behind the wheel of an actual stock car or at least be a passenger that will get to feel that rush. For more information you please visit www.dirtracewithkenny.com
The D.A.’s Auto Body Rookie Class of 2016 featuring the Crate/Sportsman will have 10 races to decide a champion. The first race will take place on Sunday, April 3rd with the final race and graduation commencing on Saturday, June 24. All drivers who intend on competing in the rookie division are urged to call the speedway (856-467-4408) to register for the upcoming season.
For the first time ever it’ll be ‘Pack the House Night’ at the Bridgeport Speedway on Saturday, May 7th. Admittance will be FREE for all fans this night as the Crate/Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks and Rookies compete on the 5/8 mile track. What will make this evening even more enticing, is the fact that the Spirit Auto Center Speedway will also be in action sharing the spotlight. With the 1/4 mile usually racing on Friday nights, their weekend racing will instead take place on Saturday night. The 270 & 600 Micros will be joined by the Servpro 4-Cylinders for this unique event. Rounding out the program will be the 8 Cylinder Enduro cars that will race for a whopping $1,000 to win!
If there’s one race that race fans are going to circle on their calendar it certainly has to be the 2nd Annual ‘Bridgeport Three-For-All’. Tuesday, June 28 the South Jersey oval will be invaded by some of the most talented drivers in the tristate area. The extremely popular Super Late Models will return, as a packed house watched Delaware fan-favorite Andrew ‘Rowdy’ Mullins take home the win with a late race pass over regional traveler Glenn Elliott. SLM drivers representing Delaware International, Georgetown, Hagerstown, Port Royal, and Selinsgrove Speedways Speedway are expected to compete in their one and only appearance of the ’16 season. The 358 Small Blocks will make their first of three appearances of the season. Many of the local small block competitors from Grandview, New Egypt, Big Diamond, and Delaware will join some of Bridgeport’s Big Block faithful that have 358 small blocks. The 360 URC Sprints will round out the three for all for all those fans that love open-cockpit racing.
In 2015, the first-ever Misfits 4 x 4 event took place. The turnout from both competitors and spectators was so overwhelming, that for the 2016 season, there have been TWO Misfit 4 x 4 shows booked. To enhance the atmosphere this year, both Spring and Fall shows have been extended to two-day events. These shows consist of both street-legal and off-road trucks and jeeps running the gamut of a specialized obstacle course built specifically for these rough-terrain vehicles. The first Misfits 4 x 4 event will be offered on May 21st and 22nd. The TSRS sprint cars will be a stand-alone division on Saturday night as they strut their stuff to a totally different fan base. The Sunday event will include a Demolition Derby. The Misfits 4 x 4 show will return on October 15th & 16th for another two-day event with a Demolition Derby slated for Saturday night.
One of the mainstays at Bridgeport is the popular Poker Series, which will return once again in 2016, while seeing a new title sponsor for the six-race series. Colonial Pipeline and the 811 Dig Safely program have joined forces once again at Gloucester County oval and have signed on to Bridgeport’s trademark series. The 60 Over Special/Doug Hoffman Memorial will be the first hand followed by ‘All in at the Port’ on Wednesday, May 25, Sunday, July 3rd’s ‘High Stakes at the Port’, then the 11th Annual Friends of Mike event on August 16th, and ‘Bonus Hand’ on Saturday, October 1. The 811 Dig Safely Poker Series will conclude with the Wildcard Weekend to close out the season in mid-November as the best three hands and worst hand in the Big Block, Crate/Sportsman, and Outlaw Stock divisions.
The TSRS Sprint Car Series will once again thrill the Bridgeport Speedway fans 12 times throughout the ’16 season. The 305 sprinters will see 8 nights of Saturday action (4/30, 5/21, 6/4, 6/18, 7/9, 7/23, 8/13, and 8/27) while making 4 appearances (6/24, 8/5, 9/23, 11/11) on Friday evenings. The TSRS gang will also compete in their own Poker Series as they have the previous two years. Local favorites Bobby DeVault and Eddie Wagner claimed the first two Poker Series titles. The 5/21, 6/4, 6/18, 7/9, 7/23, and 8/27 dates wills serve as the six Poker Race events. The August 13th date should also be noted that this will be an Inter-Regional race drawing cars from the PASS and CSRA 305 Sprint Series.
As always, Bridgeport Speedway will host many different ‘theme nights’ throughout the upcoming season. Some of those nights include ‘Mechanics Night’ (6/11), where those who turn wrenches get to showcase their skills on the 1/4 mile. ‘First Responder’s Night’ allows Bridgeport to honor all those that serve the community (7/16). On August 20th the future race car drivers will be spotlighted on ‘Quarter-Midget Night’. ‘Camera & Autograph Night’ will take place on June 4. Close to 70 drivers and race cars line the midway behind the grandstands and hand out pictures, candy, and sign autographs before the races start. August 13th is the annual ‘Scout Night’ where everyone in uniform (Boy, Girl, Cub, Eagle) are admitted FREE. There are two ‘Powder Puff’ events on the 1/4 mile…the first on August 6th and the second on October 1. July 30th will be ‘Jeep Jamboree Night’ as all spectators arriving in jeeps will be admitted free and will get to try out the ‘off-road’ course created in the 1/4 mile pit area. The ‘Kids Money Scramble’ will see a bunch of the young fans go home with some extra $$$ on July 9. And last but certainly not least, the ever-popular ‘Bike Nights’ return to Bridgeport Speedway. Four ‘Bike Nights have been penciled into the ’16 schedule (5/14, 6/18, 7/23, & 8/27). All riders on motorcycles receive FREE admission upon entry. Like in the past, half a dozen bicycles will be given away at intermission to six lucky youngsters courtesy of the Bridgeport Speedway drivers.
The Garden State Vintage Car Club will be making 5 stops at the South Jersey facility in 2016. Those dates include, April 24, June 18, July 23, September 3, and November 5. The Pennco Tech Outlaw Stocks have several nights off when the TSRS Sprints are in town. However, they will have two nights where they have twin features rather than the traditional single main event. The Crate/Sportsman are also have a Twin-15’s night planned in July.
To learn all about the latest news regarding Bridgeport Speedway you can log onto www.bpspeedway.com, visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. The management team and many of the staff members will be on hand at the Motorsports Expo in Oaks, Pa this coming weekend. Brand new schedules will be available as well as Bridgeport apparel and all the necessary paperwork for the 2016 season.
