Sunday March 31, 2013 A LARGE OPENING DAY CROWD AT BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY’S 60 OVER SPECIAL SEES VARIN’S THRILLING WIN Bridgeport, NJ (March 31, 2013) – Before a large crowd at Bridgeport Speedway’s 42nd season opener, Bobby Varin benefitted from Stewart Friesen’s empty gas tank to win the 60 Over Special. Travis Hill won the Crate/Sportsman Poker Series contest with Bill Liedtka grabbing the victory in the Bill Reynolds Memorial for the Outlaw Stock Cars.
At the start of the 60-lap Race of Champion’s 60 Over Special, polesitter Rick Laubach hopped in front with Stewart Friesen and Danny Johnson in tow. By lap 10, Laubach had constructed a half-straightaway advantage over Friesen with Ryan Godown running in third place. Behind the top three, Johnson and Brett Hearn were putting on a show in a battle for fourth position with Hearn taking over the spot with thirteen tours completed. The top two were in lap traffic when the caution flag waved for a flat on Jimmy Blewett’s ride on lap 14. Following back to back yellows on the fifteenth circuit, Friesen slipped by Laubach for the lead with Hearn climbing into third on lap 17. The top two remained in order until Laubach slowed in the second corner with a tire issue on lap 20. When action resumed, Friesen remained on top with Hearn in second and Johnson in third. Matt Sheppard, who had started the event in the twenty-first position, was continuing his migration to the front and scooted into fourth place on lap 25. After several caution periods and restarts, the top three remained in order as the event entered the final twenty circuits. On lap 45, Sheppard developed a right rear flat and the yellow lights illuminated the track. As the green flag waved again, Friesen held off Hearn and Johnson with Jimmy Horton in fourth and Bobby Varin, the nineteenth place starter in the race, in fifth. On lap 50, another yellow flag waved as Horton suffered a flat tire. During the same caution period, Hearn ducked into the pits and retired from the race with a mechanical issue. On the restart, Friesen was still in control with Johnson, Varin, Duane Howard and Ryan Watt in pursuit. On lap 54, with Johnson closing in on Friesen, Pat Ward’s tire issue brought the race to a yellow condition. As action got back underway, the top three remained in order. With two circuits remaining, Danny Johnson’s shot at a victory ended with a flat tire and the race entered another caution period. When the green flag waved, Friesen was still ahead of the pack with Varin in second and Howard in third. With one lap to go, a flat on Frank Cozze’s car resulted in the final caution flag and it would set up a memorable finish. As the green flag waved for the last time, Friesen was still on top. As Friesen entered turn three, he began to slow as his car ran out of fuel. On the exit out of turn four with Friesen off the pace, a mad scramble began for the lead and Varin outraced Howard to take the checkered flag. Richie Pratt, Jr. rebounded from two visits to the pits and wound up in third. Sheppard came back to finish fourth with a limping Friesen holding on for fifth. The wild ending included an accident on the front straightway with Ryan Watt being uninjured after his car rolled over near the finish line. The Big Block Modified heats were won by Jesse Hill, Ryan Godown, Richie Pratt, Jr., Kevin Hirthler, and Ryan Watt. Matt Sheppard and Billy Decker grabbed the victories in the consolation races.
After taking over the top spot on the seventeenth tour, Travis Hill overpowered his competition to win the 30-lap Crate/Sportman Poker Series opener. Kevin Belmont started on the pole and paced the field for the first sixteen circuits. Hill, who started in fourteenth place, steadily charged to the front before assuming the lead. A late race battle for second place was won by Kyle Borror. Steve Davis wound up in third with Frank Dorry, Jr. taking fourth and Belmont holding on for fifth. Mike Lyons, Kyle Borror, Jason Bittner, and Kevin Belmont won the Crate/Sportsman qualifying events. Brad Roberts topped the field in the consolation race.
In the Black Flagged Racing Outlaw Stock Car Shoot-Out Series, Bill Liedtka won the 20-lap Bill Reynold’s Memorial contest. Pat Conaway led the opening four circuits before Liedtka grabbed the advantage. By lap 9, Conaway was back on top with Liedtka in second and Ron Frees running in third. Two tours later, Liedtka wrestled the lead for good and stormed off to victory lane. The runner-up spot went to Brian Ludwig. Frees finished in third. Tom Wills, Sr. and Tom Wills, Jr. rounded out the top five. The Outlaw Stock Car heat winners were Jeff Dirkes, Brian Ludwig, and Pat Conaway. Mike Hughes, Jr. took top honors in the consolation event.
Bridgeport Speedway provides a safe and secure family atmosphere, free parking, giveaways and fan participation games. Billed ‘The Fastest Dirt Track in the East’, Bridgeport Speedway is a banked 5/8th
mile dirt oval, featuring a dirt 1/4 mile oval embedded in the center, and is located in Southern New Jersey -- just minutes from Pennsylvania and Delaware at exit 14 off of I-295.
BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS – SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013
Big Block Modifieds
Heat 1 - 1. Jesse Hill 2. Tommy Meier 3. Jimmy Horton 4. Rusty Smith
Heat 2 - 1. Ryan Godown 2. Rick Laubach 3. Mel Schrufer 4. Tommy Scheetz
Heat 3 - 1. Richie Pratt, Jr. 2. Brett Hearn 3. Mike Mahaney 4. Mike Franz
Heat 4 - 1. Kevin Hirthler 2. Stewart Friesen 3. Craig Von Dohren 4. Bobby Varin
Heat 5 - 1. Ryan Watt 2. Danny Johnson 3. Jimmy Blewett 4. Sam Martz
Consolation 1- 1. Matt Sheppard 2. Pat Ward 3. Neal Williams
Consolation 2 - 1. Billy Decker 2. Larry Wight 3. Frank Cozze
Provisionals - Duane Howard, Corey Andersen, Eric Kormann
60 OVER SPECIAL – ROC/POKER SERIES BIG BLOCK MODIFIED FEATURE - 60 LAPS
1. BOBBY VARIN 2. Duane Howard 3. Richie Pratt, Jr. 4. Matt Sheppard 5. Stewart Friesen 6. Neal Williams 7. Jimmy Horton 8. Rick Laubach 9. Billy Decker 10. Pat Ward 11. Craig Von Dohren 12. Sammy Piazza 13. Mike Mahaney 14. Rusty Smith 15. Danny Johnson 16. Tommy Meier 17. Ryan Watt 18. Eric Kormann 19. Frank Cozze 20. Brett Hearn 21. Ryan Godown 22. Kevin Hirthler 23. Jesse Hill 24. Mel Schrufer 25. Mike Franz 26. Larry Wight 27. Jimmy Blewett 28. Tommy Scheetz 29. Sam Martz 30. Corey Andersen
DNQ: Jerry Higbie, Mike Barone, Tom Maccherone, Rocco Infante, Dominic Buffalino, Mike McAleer, Sammy Piazza, Brett Ballard, Jim Bobbitt, Stan Frankenfield, Jr., Don Cogdill, III, Bob Sarkisian, Ron Roberts, David Hunt, Tommy Beamer
Crate/Sportsman
Heat 1 - 1. Mike Lyons 2. Matt Budd 3. Ricky DiEva 4. Brett Kelly 5. Guy Germano
Heat 2 - 1. Kyle Borror 2. Mike Cogdill 3. Craig Whitmoyer 4. John Cornell 5. Scott Hulmes
Heat 3 - 1. Jason Bittner 2. Ryan Wozunk 3. Frank Dorry, Jr. 4. Travis Hill 5. CJ Jones
Heat 4 - 1. Kevin Belmont 2. John Aumick 3. Ken Eckert, Jr. 4. Marc Herman 5. Ryan Simmons
Consolation - 1. Bradley Roberts 2. Steve Hicks 3. Rocky Warner 4. Steve Davis 5. Mike Hendershot 6. Jim Housworth 7. Jeff Duprez
CRATE/SPORTSMAN POKER SERIES FEATURE - 30 LAPS
1. TRAVIS HILL 2. Kyle Borror 3. Steve Davis 4. Frank Dorry, Jr. 5. Kevin Belmont 6. Mike Cogdill 7. Guy Germano 8. Ryan Wozunk 9. Rocky Warner 10. John Aumick 11. Jim Housworth 12. Mike Hendershot 13. Jason Bittner 14. Marc Herman 15. Jeff Duprez 16. Scott Hulmes 17. CJ Jones 18. Matt Budd 19. Ricky DiEva 20. Craig Whitmoyer 21. Steve Hicks 22. Ken Eckert, Jr. 23. John Cornell 24. Brett Kelly 25. Ryan Simmons 26. Bradley Roberts
DNS: Mike Lyons
DNQ: Dave Damiano, Ian Humphreys, Jesse Bonaduce, Steve Kassekert, Tyler Hulmes, Jason Neidlinger, Bob Rambone, Billy Briggs, Mark Behm
Outlaw Stock Cars
Heat 1 - 1. Jeff Dirkes 2. Jimmy Avery 3. Bill Liedtka 4. Rick Broschard 5. Vern McLaughlin 6. Russell Wurst
Heat 2 - 1. Brian Ludwig 2. Tom Princiotta 3. Ralph Gargiulo 4. Billy Wroble 5. Tom Wills, Jr. 6. Ed Tinsman
Heat 3 - 1. Pat Conaway 2. Ron Frees 3. Tom Wills, Sr. 4. Marty Derr 5. Terry Griffin 6. Mike Hughes, Sr.
Consolation - 1. Mike Hughes, Jr. 2.Cleve Riehl 3. Jeremy Doerr 4. John Parker 5. Tom Boehlert 6. Bill Stockert 7. Anthony DiBenedetto
BLACK FLAGGED RACING OUTLAW STOCK CAR SHOOT OUT SERIES FEATURE - 20 LAPS
1. BILL LIEDTKA 2. Brian Ludwig 3. Ron Frees 4. Tom Wills, Sr. 5. Tom Wills, Jr. 6. Rick Broschard 7. Billy Wroble 8. Pat Conaway 9. Russell Wurst 10. Vern McLaughlin 11. Anthony DiBenedetto 12. John Parker 13. Marty Derr 14. Tom Boehlert 15. Tom Princiotta 16. Ralph Gargiulo 17. Cleve Riehl 18. Terry Griffin 19. Bill Stockert 20. Mike Hughes, Jr. 21. Ed Tinsman 22. Jeremy Doerr
DNS: Mike Hughes, Sr., Jeff Dirkes, Jimmy Avery
DNQ: Kevin Bifulco, Art Avery, Bob Dooley, David Kramer, Cheri LaClaire, Ken Watson, Jr.,
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