Godown, Grosso & Frees Win Pre-Season Titles
Story By:KOLBY RAMEY / BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By:PETE MACDONALD / RACERSGUIDE.COM
Bridgeport NJ.- April 26, 2016- 2015 Bridgeport Champion, Jamie Mills raced to his first win of the new season with a pass by Duane Howard just four laps before the checkered flag to become the fourth different winner in Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modified action this season. Brad Roberts earned his first win since 2013 in the Stewart Stainless Crate/Sportsman twenty lap main event – also the fourth different winner in this division. Ron Frees won his third race of the pre-season as he was chased to the checkered flag by TJ Henry in PennCo Tech Outlaw Stock action and Chuck Sayres earned his first win in the DA’s Auto Body Rookie competition.
It was the final race of the four event pre-season that saw three drivers in each division earn a share of $1,000 in the special point fund offered by Oliver Construction Enterprises and Oliver Communication Group, Inc. With four top five finishes, the Ringos Rocket, Ryan Godown picked up the $500 check in the Big Block Modifieds for earning the most points during the four race pre-season. Mills finished second for $300 – the only driver in the top three to pick up a win during the pre-season. Rick Laubach earned $200 for his third place finish.
With one pre-season win to his credit at Bridgeport, Brandon Grosso picked up the $500 check in the Crate/Sportsman. Roberts earned $300 for his runner-up finish while Steve Davis finished third and collected $200. All three drivers had one pre-season win.
With three wins to his credit, Ron Frees earned the $500 check for the Outlaw Stocks. TJ Henry – with one win, two seconds and a third – finished second while 2014 Outlaw Champion, Jim Avery finished third.
In the Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modified action, Brett Kressley and Jeff Strunk started side by side to lead the field to the green flag with Kressley jumping out to an early lead. The early laps were interrupted by several caution flags but each time, Kressley maintained control and led the talented field of competition. By lap five, Kressley was starting to feel some pressure from Duane Howard. Howard raced the outside line to first take over second and then to challenge the leader. Kressley led through the crossed flags, pulling away from Howard by several car lengths while Jamie Mills, Ryan Watt and Dominick Buffalino trailed the leaders.
Howard got the jump on Kressley on a lap fifteen double file restart that saw Mills take over second. Howard elected the outside line on a lap eighteen restart, leaving Mills his preferred line on the inside. Howard and Mills raced side by side before Howard was able to edge ahead as the completed the next lap. But on lap twenty-one, Mills put his Blue Hen No. 30 on the inside and drove by Howard to take the lead.
Mills led the way to the checkered flag followed by Howard, Godown, Buffalino and Rick Laubach.
Justin Lilick made his first start of the 2016 season and led the Stewart Stainless Crate/Sportsman Feature for fifteen laps before Brad Roberts took the lead on lap sixteen and headed to the checkered flag at the end of twenty laps for his first win of the season. Lilick finished second while Steve Davis drove across the line in third. Brandon Grosso and opening night winner, Jeremy Harrington rounded out the top five at the finish line.
Billy Wroble led the first five laps of the PennCo Tech Outlaw Stock main event with Ron Frees racing by on the inside to complete lap number six. Frees had it all his way for the rest of the race until TJ Henry came to life late in the race. Henry raced Frees hard on the final lap with the two drivers crossing the line together. Frees took the win by about a half of car length. Wroble finished third with Spider Ensinger and Brian Ludwig picking up top five finishes.
Bob Hartman took the lead from Shannon Marshall at the start of the eight lap DA’s Auto Body Rookie Feature and led the first circuit before Chuck Sayre got by on lap two to take the lead. It was all Sayre to the checkered with Tom Terry taking second from Hartman just before the checkered.
The Bridgeport Speedway switches to Saturday night racing this Saturday with the start of the 2016 Championship season. The Big Block Modifieds, Crate/Sportsman and Rookies will be joined by the TSRS Sprint Cars for a four division show that gets underway at 6pm.
SPIRIT AUTO CENTER MODIFIEDS (25 laps) – 1. Jamie Mills, 2. Duane Howard, 3. Ryan Godown, 4. Dominick Buffalino, 5. Rick Laubach, 6. Brett Kressley, 7. Jimmy Horton, 8. David Hunt, 9. Jeff Strunk, 10. Ryan Watt, 11. Wade Hendrickson, 12. Kyle Borror, 13. Jack Swain, 14. Travis Hill, 15. Ron Roberts, 16. Richie Pratt, Jr., 17. Ryan Kratchun, 18. Dave Shirk, 19. C.J. Jones, 20. Mike Franz, 21. Billy VanInwegen, 22. Jim Britt, 23. Bob Sarkisian, 24. Scott Ambruster, 25. Rusty Smith, DNQ – Anthony Moran, Ricky DiEva, Tommy Beamer, Jesse Hill, Jordan Watson, Sam Martz.
STEWART STAINLESS SUPPLY CRATE/SPORTSMAN (20 laps) – 1. Brad Roberts, 2. Justin Lilick, 3. Steve Davis, 4. Brandon Grosso, 5. Jeremy Harrington, 6. Eric Kormann, 7. Ernie Miles, III, 8. Matthew Peck, 9. Scott Hitchens, 10. Dean Conk, Jr., 11. Dave Damiano, 12. Scott Hulmes, 13. Jeramy Doerr, 14. Clyde Cox, 15. Pete Serra, 16. Tom Holding, 17. Chuck Sayres, 18. Steve Kemery, 19. Kevin Belmont, 20. David Crossman, 21. Freddy Massey, 22. Matt Stangle, 23. Tyler Hulmes, DNS – Billy Briggs, Brett Ballard, Kris Lilick, DNQ – Melissa Scarpati, Pete Visconti, Shannon Marshall
PENNCO TECH OUTLAW STOCKS (15 laps) – 1. Ron Frees, 2. T.J. Henry, 3. Billy Wroble, 4. Spider Ensinger, 5. Brian Ludwig, 6. Jimmy Avery, 7. Terry Griffin, 8. Fred Tomarchio, 9. Tom Wills, Sr., 10. Scott Dugan, 11. Art Avery, 12. Joe Meron, 13. Everett Taylor, DNS – Tom Wills, Jr., Jeramy Doerr, David Kramer, Jeff Dirkes
D.A.’S AUTO BODY & REPAIR ROOKIES (8 laps) – 1. Chuck Sayres, 2. Tom Terry, 3. Bob Hartman, 4. Shannon Marshall
