Buffalino Finds Success in 60 with Another Number at Bridgeport
Story By: PETE MacDONALD / RACERSGUIDE.COM Photos By: ACE LANE JR. / RACERSGUIDE.COM
BRIDGEPORT, NJ- March 31, 2016- On a day where the key number was 60 at Bridgeport Speedway in honor of Doug Hoffman and his trademark “60 Over” numeral that he ran for many many years, Dominick Buffalino had another key number on his mind.
53, the tire compound of choice for the Sayreville, NJ driver for Saturday’s 44-Lap feature on the spacious 5/8 Mile Speedway worth $4,000 and also an Ace in the season long Bridgeport Poker Series.
Buffalino would take the lead on lap three and not look back.
“Every time I put a 53 on it works instantly from the drop of the green”, emphasized Buffalino whose win on Saturday was his first at Bridgeport since 2013. “I drove as hard as I could lap after lap and the car just worked.”
Buffalino a frequent competitor at Bridgeport over the past few years will be switching home tracks for the 2016 calling New Egypt Speedway his home on Saturday’s aboard Pat Michael’s No.51m.
Ryan Godown would end up second over Rick Laubach, Stewart Friesen and Ryan Watt. 35 Modifieds entered the afternoons program which was ran off like clockwork with the modified feature ending before the sun had completely set.
Rick Laubach would come on late to finish third at the end of 44 laps. “I probably paced myself a little too much early, I think a couple more laps I would have gotten Godown though”, mentioned Laubach.
Stewart Friesen who had won the Deron Rust Memorial at the Georgetown Speedway in Delaware on Friday, ran as high as third on Saturday before settling for fourth at the checkered. “It was a solid weekend for sure, we’ll take it”, offered Friesen while enjoying a Coors Extra Gold, a big time supporter of Doug Hoffman in the late 80s and early 90s.
There is the top of the race track and then there is where Ryan Watt races. Nobody runs the top at Bridgeport like Watt who put on a crowd pleasing effort late in the going vaulting from his 19th starting place after having to run a B-Main, to run fifth at the end following an excellent battle with Stewart Friesen.
Jesse Hill ran the race of his young modified career on Saturday chasing Buffalino for most of the distance until running out of tire late in the race. Hill who had faded to sixth when the tire let go entering turns three and four on the last lap vaulting Hill on top of the retaining wall. Luckily Hill was kept inside the race track after hitting one of the light poles in turn four tearing some wires out with it. Hill would be ok, but the light pole would not work for the remainder of the night.
Also picking up Ace’s in their respective Poker Series’ were Delaware’s Jeremy Harrington who invaded and took the $1,000 Sportsman winners share back across the Delaware Memorial Bridge with him and Ron Frees who picked up $500 in the Outlaw Stock Main event.
Notes: Jim Britt who will be a weekly Modified campaigner at Bridgeport this season ran Steve Davis’ No. 13 on Saturday, Britt failed to qualify after being involved in a heat race incident. Davis,who will race his Sportsman regularly on Saturday’s this season at the Gloucester County oval, made substantial contact with Brandon Grosso early in the sportsman race (which he later took blame for) started his season off with a fourth place finish.
Matt Sheppard was another driver that had to run a B-Main on Saturday which is a rarity for the Waterloo, NY driver. Sheppard would pull out of the feature on Lap-26.
Matt Budd returned to competition for the first time in over a year, plans call for Budd to run the Poker Series at Bridgeport with maybe a few fill in races here or there.
A very solid field of Outlaw Stocks was in the pit area on Saturday. 18 cars took the green flag for their main event.
I’m off to New Egypt this coming Saturday for their season opener.
I can be reached at racersguide@gmail.com or found on Twitter @PMacDonald51. Thanks for Reading!
