Jimmy Horton Gets 94th Modified Win

JIMMY HORTON PICKS UP 94TH MODIFIED VICTORY AT BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY

Bridgeport, NJ – Neshanic, NJ`s Jimmy Horton, driving the Miles Concrete #901, won the twenty-five lap big block modified feature at Bridgeport Speedway Saturday night. The win gave Horton, the all-time modified feature winner at the track, his ninety-fourth career victory in modified competition at the South Jersey raceway. Sam Wescott, from Grenloch, NJ, was declared the winner of the Bridgeport Sportsman feature after Bear, DE`s Paul Collins was disqualified for not meeting the minimum weight requirement rule. Jeff Mueller, a first year competitor in the Bridgeport Winged Sprint class, picked up his first career victory, winning the twenty lap feature event. In the first Enduro Stock race of the season, Levittown, PA`s Pat Hires won the fifty-lap feature race.

Paulsboro, NJ`s Mike Franz, in the Franz Garage #21, jumped from his outside pole position start to take the early lead in the twenty-five lap modified feature event. While Franz led the first two laps, Duane Howard, in the Big Spring Car Wash #126, was charging up from his fifth starting spot and was right behind Franz on the second lap, taking over the top spot on the next lap. Howard, hailing from Oley, Pa, held on to first place for the next six laps, until mechanical woes forced the leader to head to the pits and drop out of the race. Horton, who started right behind Howard in seventh position, was in second place by lap five and closing in on the leader. Horton took over the lead when Howard retired from the race, but had his hands full with Lehighton, PA`s Steve Bottcher, who was right behind the leader, pressing for the top spot. For the next nine laps these two veteran drivers battled, with Bottcher pulling alonside Horton on numerous occasions, while Horton never gave in and always seemed to be in the right groove to fight off Bottcher`s advances. A flat tire forced Bottcher to stop in turn three on lap nineteen, after he dove under Horton in turn two to actually put the Zellers #31 in the lead on the backstretch. Horton went the reat of the race to record his 94th win at the speedway, with 1995 modified champion Jamie Mills finishing in the runner-up spot. Ricky Elliott came all the way from twenty-second starting spot to finish third, with 2000 champion Wade Hendrickson and 1999 champion Doug Hoffman completing the top five. Horton, Mills, and Howard won qualifying heats for the thirty-six modifieds, with modified rookie Stephan Durand taking the consolation race.

Bridgeport Sportsman rookie Paul Collins started oin the pole for the twenty lap race, and stayed in front to lead every lap of the event, taking what appeared to be his first career win at the track.. While Collins was unbeatable on this day on the speedway, the new computerized weight scales, in use now for two weeks at the track, would prove to be Collins` toughest challenge of the night, as the first year racer came up light in the post race inspection. After pushing the #132 off the scales and then back on to recheck the first results, Collins was declared underweight, with the win being given to runner-up Sam Wescott in the Olsen Speed #51. Wescott trailed Collins for nineteen of the twenty laps and pulled up on Collins on numerous occasions only to have Collins regain the lead. The win gave Wescott his second woin of the 2001 season, making him the only driver other than 2000 champion Mark Forte to record multiple wins this season in Bridgeport Sportsman competition. Collins, whose car passed the scale test after winning the first qualifying heat race, was disqualified from the feature and given last place points and money. Billy Harris and Bob Sarkisian won the other qualifying heats. Ron Roberts, Billy Harris, Richie Pratt, and Sarkisian completed the top five..

In the twenty lap Bridgeport Winged SprintCar feature, Wayne Mauro took the early lead from his pole position starting spot, leading the first two laps of the race. Jeff Mueller, in his #3J, started sixth, and after a three way battle with Warren Durbin and Mares Stellfox, was in second place by lap two. On the next circuit, Mueller passed Mauro for the lead and used his aggressive style to pull away from the field. Brett Romano, in the #31, mounted Mueller`s only serious challenge, and spent eleven laps trying to catch Mueller. After receiving the five to go signal from starter Jim Phillips, Romano dropped out of the race with mechanical problems and Mueller was on his way to his first feature win. Jim Walters was disqualified for not meeting the minimum weight rule for the sprinters, moving Brian Powell into second place, with last week`s winner, Bob Adams, finishing in third. Jeff Foote and Mike Donaghy filled the top five.

Pat Hires won the fifty lap Enduro Stock race, followed by Dave Bentley in second place. Dave Wilhelm, Curtis Nichols, and Tristan Leonard completed the top five.

NOTES:

A lap nine modified feature restart had the crowd on the front straightaway gasping as Rick Laubach and last week`s winner, Brian Truppi, got hooked together and each driver did complete 360 degree spins in the middle of the track. Both drivers were in the top ten at the time and each was able to get their racers straightened out without the caution flag coming out!…..The modified point race is being controlled by Delaware drivers, as Milford`s Jamie Mills has a two point lead over Seaford`s Ricky Elliott…..The new computerized scales also made it tough on Don Barone, as his #267 was also underweight. Andy Burkhardt and Joe Infante were both found to be underweight after each won their consolation races and had to be disqualified. The top three from each qualifying heat and the top ten from each feature were tested on the new scales. Not one modified had to penalized for a weight infraction…..Coming up this week is the first of the Modified Holiday Specials, as the big block modifieds will gun for extra $$$, with the thirty lap main event paying $3000 to win! A regular show of Bridgeport Sportsman, Bridgeport Winged SprintCars, and Late Models will also be presented. This Saturday will also mark the first appearance of the season by the Garden State Vintage Stock Car Club, who will bring their restored racers to display behind the main grandstand, as well as race out on the track…..Don`t forget to mark Wednesday, June 6 on your calendars for Bridgeport`s Big Show as Bob Miller and Bill Lincoln team up to bring BIG block modifieds and BIG block 410 sprint cars together on the same show. Each division will race in 30 lap main events, with heats being run for the modifieds, while a unique format of time trials and B-Main will qualify the sprints. Sammy Swindell`s track record of 135.25MPH is expected to be severely challenged by the PA Posse!!

For more information call the track office at 856-467-4408 during regular business hours or check Bridgeport Speedway`s website on the internet at www.bridgeportspeedway.com

BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY RESULTS – SATURDAY MAY 19, 2001

MODIFIEDS

HEAT 1 – Horton, Bottcher, Franz, Laureno, Pompei, Hirthler

HEAT 2 – Mills, Reppert, Kell, Truppi, Chester, Laubach

HEAT 3 – Howard, Kerr, Hoffman, Hendrickson, Davis, Adams

CONSI – Durand, Polenz, Lineman, Elliott, P.Weaver, Kania

MODIFIED FEATURE – 25 LAPS

Jimmy Horton, Jamie Mills, Ricky Elliott, Wade Hendrickson, Doug Hoffman, Roger Laureno, Jimmy Chester, Bucky Kell, Rick Laubach, Ryan Kerr, Stephan Durand, Scott Kania, Brian Truppi, Rich Polenz, Mike Franz, Scott Davis, Steve Bottcher, Bob Lineman, Tom Pompei, Jimmy Reppert, Duane Howard, Dave Adams, Kevin Hirthler, Paul Weaver

DNQ – Scott Flammer, Ben Hatt, Ed Firth, Ron Johnson, Bill Miller, Barry Voss, Jason Smythe, Wayne Weaver, Mike Iles, Deron Rust, Butch Glisson

BRIDGEPORT SPORTSMAN

HEAT 1 – P.Collins, Roberts, Wescott, Barone, Klingmeyer, Dixon

HEAT 2 – Harris, Ratoskey, Pratt, Visser, Fucilli, DiMascio

HEAT 3 – Sarkisian, K.Collins, Forte, S.Lindale, Cook, Czachorowski

CONSI 1 – J.Lindale, Horton, Briggs

CONSI 2 – Miller, Suhr, Lineman, Christ

BRIDGEPORT SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20 LAPS

Sam Wescott, Ron Roberts, Billy Harris, Richie Pratt, Bob Sarkisian, Steve Lindale, John Dixon, GR Smith, Brandon Visser, Mark Forte, BJ DiMascio, Bill Briggs, Bill Klingmeyer, Rob Ratoskey, Jim Lindale, Jay Horton, Steve Harrison, Bob Lineman Jr, Tom Miller, Brian Fucilli, Christopher Christ, Kevin Collins, Joe Czachorowski, Al Suhr, Bob Cook, Paul Collins, Don Barone

DNQ – Joe Infante, Joe Dekutoski, Dennis Price, Scott Baylor, Dan Cogdill, Steve Lozorak, Kate Brown, John Pursell, Eric Kormann, Chris Riddle, Robert Wyant, Frank McDonnell, Tom Fox, John McCardell, Chuck Faisst

BRIDGEPORT WINGED SPRINT CARS

HEAT 1 – Piersig, Mueller, Mauro, Walters

HEAT 2 – Stellfox, Durbin, Brown, Adams

BRIDGEPORT WINGED SPRINT FEATURE – 20 LAPS

Jeff Mueller, Brian Powell, Bob Adams, Jeff Foote, Mike Donaghy, Skip Poole, Robert Jones, Chip Brown, Wayne Mauro, Jack Curtis, Mike Piersig, Brett Romano, Warren Durbin, John Brennfleck, Mares Stellfox, Joe Butts Jr, Jim Walters, Steve Strubble

ENDURO FEATURE – 50 LAPS

Pat Hires, Dave Bentley, Dave Wilhelm, Curtis Nichols, Tristan Leonard

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Author: Hugh Snyderman Bridgeport Speedway