Story By: BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK – SWEDESBORO, NJ – HJ Bunting and his Eugene Mills owned Blue Hen Racing No. 30 opened the 2023 season with a feature win in the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modifieds at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
On Saturday night, Mills returned to the Champion Brands Victory Lane to collect his second win of the season and become just the fourth driver to earn more than one win so far this season. It was Weaknecht Archery Night at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
Brian Papiez raced to his third win in a row in the Precision Hydraulic & Oil 602 Sportsman. Tom Wills, Jr. clinched his fourth Izzy Trucking & Rigging Street Stock Championship along with his seventh win of the season in a very convincing fashion. Brian Spencer raced to his second Church’s Auto Parts North East Wingless Sprint (NEWS) win on the High Banks and captured the season championship as well. In Tipico Four Cylinder competition, Tim Jones raced to his second win of the season as well as the Four Cylinder title at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park.
Mike Franz grabbed the lead at the start of the thirty lap Modified main event but there was a quick caution on lap two when Rick Laubach and Sammy Martz, Jr. got together in turn two. Both drivers restarted from the rear. Franz raced to the outside of W. B. James to take the lead on the restart with Sean Metz running in second. The heavy hitters were on the way as point leader, Jordan Watson, worked the bottom of the track and a hard charging Matt Stangle raced the outside to make their way into the top five. Franz led Metz, Bunting, Stangle, James and Jordan Watson through lap five.
Bunting took over second on lap six with Stangle moving up to third. One lap later, Bunting raced to the inside of Franz in turn three and came away with the lead with Stangle advancing to second. On a lap nine restart, Stangle went to the bottom while Jordan Watson ran the outside to take over second. Bunting led Jordan Watson, Stangle , Billy Osmun III and Neal Williams through lap ten.
Osmun took over second on a lap thirteen restart but Ryan Krachun became the new runner-up one lap later.
Bunting led Krachun, Osmun, Stangle and Duane Howard at halfway with Jordan Watson and Williams racing just outside the top five.
Jordan Watson moved back into the top five by lap twenty and the running order remained Bunting, Krachun, Osmun, Stangle and Watson with five laps to go.
Krachun’s race came to an end with a driveline issue with two laps to go.
Bunting raced to the win followed by Osmun, Stangle, Watson and Howard. Williams finished sixth followed by Cale Ross, Sam Martz, Sr., Rick Laubach and Sean Metz.”
“This is my kind of track,” Bunting exclaimed. “Give me a cushion and watch!”
F & L Doors heat races were won by Franz, W.B. James and Sammy Martz, Jr. who again ran into difficulties during the feature event.
Robert Tete led the first ten laps of the Precision Hydraulic & Oil 602 Sportsman feature while Brian Papiez raced his way to the front from his fourteenth place start. Tete led lap ten over David Jenkins, Papiez, Matt Peck and Ethan Bill but it was Papiez who was out in front one lap later.
Several cars got out of shape on the backstretch at halfway. Ethan Young got caught up in the melee and flipped. No one was injured but Young’s race was over for the night.
With Papiez out in front, the race was behind the leader as Hill, Peckl and Bill raced for position. With just two laps to go, Bill used a slide job to overtake Hill but Hill returned the favor one lap later to regain the position.
Papiez raced to his third win in a row over Hill, Bill, Peck and Wayne Weaver. Stephen Yankowski, Luke Bunting, Howie Finch, Billy Chester and Kris Lilick completed the top ten at the checkered.
After a tough start to the season, the No. 37 team has beefed up their attention to detail and have the results to show for it!
Hoffman Discount Part heat races were won by David Jenkins, Billy Chester and Matt Peck.
Tom Wills, Jr. was one step closer to the 2023 Street Stock Championship with this seventh win of the season.
Jeramy Doerr was the race leader for the first two laps until Wills, Jr. came through on lap three to take the lead by racing to the inside of Doerr on the backstretch.
Wills was able to pull away from any potential challengers. Doerr finished second with Duncan Molesworth finishing third over Spider Ensinger and Nick Sandone.
The DTM Powersports heat race was won by Terry Chaney after a three wide race to the checkered flag.
Brian Spencer raced to his second NEWS win of the season on the High Banks and earned the Bridgeport championship for the North East Wingless Sprints.
Eric Jennings looked like he was on the way to his fourth win but lapped traffic closed up the field and Spencer took the lead for lap ten. Shea Wills also found his way by Jennings to finish second followed by Thomas Radavoy and Stan Ploski III.
The victory also gave Spencer the 2023 NEWS Championship at Bridgeport.
The Liberty Kenworth heat race was won by Shea Wills.
Tim Jones dominated the Tipico Sportbook 4 Cylinder feature event on his way to his first Bridgeport Championship. Joe Garey, Sr. finished second followed by Lee Allen, John Parker and defending 4 Cylinder Champion, Ed Ford.
The Victory Fuel heat race was won by Lee Allen.
MODIFIEDS 1. HJ Bunting 2. Billy Osmun 3. Matt Stangle 4. Jordan Watson 5. Duane Howard 6. Neal Williams 7. Cale Ross 8. Sam Martz Sr. 9. Rick Laubach 10. Sean Metz 11. Joseph Watson 12. WB James 13. Mike Franz 14. Ron Roberts 15. Ryan Krachun 16. Bruce Gsell 17. Stan Frankenfield 18. Ryan Riddle 19 Blaine Braceline 20. Sammy Martz Jr. 21. Anthony Tramontana 22. Frank Cozze 23. Jim Gallagher
SPORTSMAN 1. Brian Papiez 2. Travis Hill 3. Ethan Bill 4. Matt Peck 5. Wayne Weaver 6. Stephen Yankowski 7. Luke Bunting 8. Billy Chester 9. Howie Finch 10. Kris Lilick 11. Jax Yohn 12. Thomas Prychka 13. Brian Rogers 14. Justin Newhard 15. Dave Hartman 16. David Jenkins 17. Shane Kassekert 18. Robert Tete 19. Pete Serra 20. Ethan Young 21. Dirk Rimrot 22. Scott Hulmes
NORTH EAST WINGLESS SPRINTS 1. Brian Spencer (2023 Champion) 2. Shea Wills 3. Eric Jennings 4. Thomas Radavoy 5. Stan Ploski 6. Tim Hamnen 7. Walt Fletcher 8. Joe Byer 9. Eric Miller 10. Lee Nardelli
4 CYLINDER STOCK CARS 1. Tim Jones (2023 Champion) 2. Joe Garey Sr 3. Lee Allen 4. John Parker 5 Ed Ford 6. Eric Degler 7. Bobby Johnson
STREET STOCKS 1. Tom ills Jr. 2. Jeramy Doerr 3. Duncan Molesworth 4. Terry Chaney 5. Spider Ensinger Sr 6. Nick Sandone III 7. Kevin Heckman 8. Scott Freed 9. Ken Moren 10. Drew Brocklebank 11. Jeff Dirkes