WATT, HENRY AND BROWN ARE HOTTER THAN THE WEATHER IN BRIDGEPORT ACTION

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WATT, HENRY AND BROWN ARE HOTTER THAN THE WEATHER IN BRIDGEPORT ACTION

Story By: Kolby Ramey/Bridgeport Speedway – Photos By: Pete MacDonald & George Steigerwalt Jr./RacersGuide.com 

It was Scout Night at the Bridgeport Speedway on a night sponsored by Eastern Autoparts Warehouse and the weather couldn’t have been any hotter as the East coast was experiencing yet another heat wave during the summer of 2016. The temperatures were extra warm but not as hot as the racing on the 5/8 mile speedway!

Ryan Watt drove his Array of Monograms sponsored No. 14w to his second Bridgeport Speedway win of the season after Neal Williams dominated much of the race in Sal DeBruno’s Overhead Door No. 0.

Polesitter, Ricky DiEva took the lead in the Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modified feature event after one false start. Williams, Wade Hendrickson, Jordan Watson and Mike Franz followed as DiEva led the way through the first lap. Rick Laubach was on the move, taking over fourth with a pass outside of Franz on lap two.

DiEva led the way through lap five but Williams had the No. 0NW working on the outside as he powered by DiEva as they exited turn two on lap six. Laubach moved ahead of Jordan Watson who then had Watt challenging on lap seven. Watt and then Watson made their way by DiEva on lap nine. Williams led the way through lap ten followed by Hendrickson, Laubach, Watt and Jordan Watson.

Laubach had just taken over second after a battle with Hendrickson when the caution waved for Richie Pratt, Jr. who was facing traffic between turns one and two. Williams took the outside on the restart but a tangle between Roger Manning and Jim Britt saw the yellow flag displayed yet again. Williams took control on the restart as Hendrickson and Watt battled for the runner-up spot.

With one win to his credit, Tommy Beamer had the Thornton Gulf No. 31 on the outside and was quickly advancing positions. With ten to go, Beamer ran fourth but while Hendrickson and Watt battled for second, it was Beamer who quickly moved into the runner-up spot, setting his sights on Williams.

Watt moved into third behind Williams and Beamer but the caution waved again for last week’s winner, CJ Jones who ran into trouble in turn one. Watt pulled along side of Beamer under the caution to tell Beamer of a right rear tire going flat. Beamer headed to the pits for a quick tire change and Watt moved up to second to start behind Williams on the single file restart.

Williams ran the outside, knowing that the outside was Watt’s preferred line. “Watt runs the outside so I figured I was in good shape,” Williams explained later. With four laps to go, imagine his surprise as Watt put the No. 14w on the bottom of the track, pulling even with Williams and then powering into the lead.

Watt led the final four laps to capture his second Bridgeport win of the season. Williams finished second – his best outing since returning to weekly action on the 5/8 mile track. Hendrickson deflected all challenges to finish third followed by Jordan Watson and Rick Laubach. DiEva had his best outing of the season to finish sixth as Beamer rebounded for a seventh place finish. Sam Martz finished eighth with Jimmy Horton and Dave Shirk rounding out the top ten.

TJ Henry made it double digits in the win column with his tenth win of the season in the PennCo Tech Outlaw Stock feature event. Henry took the lead from Scott Dugan on lap four and drove to the checkered flag at the end of fifteen laps. Tom Wills, Jr. and Brian Ludwig battled throughout the race for the runner-up spot with Ludwig taking second on the final lap.

Dave Brown returned to Bridgeport for the Tri State Race Savers Regional event and fifth hand of the Tanner Dairy Store/Thayer Performance 2016 Poker Series event. Brown led from the green flag to the checkered to capture his first win of the season at Bridgeport but third overall this season. Mike Haggenbottom finished second with Eddie Wagner taking third. Tim Tanner finished fourth with Joe Kay taking fifth on the final lap.

Bridgeport host their Three for All event this Tuesday, sponsored by BRB Contractors. Racing gets underway for the Super Late Models, Small Block Modifieds and United Racing Club Sprint cars at 7:30 on Tuesday evening. It’s Quarter Midget Night at Bridgeport on Saturday for a regular three division show with the Big Block Modifieds, Crate/Sportsman and Outlaw Stocks with racing getting underway at 7pm.

SPIRIT AUTO CENTER BIG BLOCK MODIFIEDS (25 laps): 1. Ryan Watt, 2. Neal Williams, 3. Wade Hendrickson, 4. Jordan Watson, 5. Rick Laubach, 6. Ricky DiEva, 7. Tommy Beamer, 8. Sam Martz, 9. Jimmy Horton, 10. Dave Shirk, 11. Ron Roberts, 12. Bob Sarkisian, 13. Richie Pratt, Jr., 14. Mike Franz, 15. C.J. Jones, 16. Ernie Miles, III, 17. Joseph Watson, 18. Jim Britt, 19. Stan Frankenfield, 20. Roger Manning, 21. Anthony Moran, DNS – Matt Stangle

HILBORN TSRS 305 SPRINTS (20 laps): 1. Dave Brown, 2. Mike Haggenbottom, 3. Eddie Wagner, 4. Tim Tanner, Jr., 5. Joe Kay, 6. Rick Stief, 7. Brendon Poff, 8. Logan Diehl, 9. Samantha Lieberman, 10. Zach Burd, 11. Bryant Davis, 12. Erika Palmai, 13. Douglas Snow

PENNCO TECH OUTLAW STOCKS (15 laps): 1. T.J. Henry, 2. Brian Ludwig, 3. Tom Wills, Jr., 4. Pete Ellis, 5. Scott Dugan, 6. Mike Creamer, 7. Art Avery

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