Roger Manning Wheels To First Modified Win At Bridgeport Motorsports Park Saturday

Story By: BRIDGEPORT MOTORSPORTS PARK – SWEDESBORO, NJ – Bitner Automotive sponsored Saturday night’s races at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park with five divisions of racing.

Roger Manning raced to his first Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Modified feature win of his career, becoming the fifth different driver to do so this season. Cody West was the winner of the DCB’s Plumbing & Heat Mid Atlantic Sprint Series feature event, collecting his first ever feature win in a sprint car. Brian Papiez added another win in the Ice Less 602 Sportsman while Michael Beckett was crowned as the 2024 DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie as he raced to his sixth win in this division. Nick Sandone III became a repeat winner in the Bitner Automotive Street Stock feature while Lee Allen revisited Champion Brands Victory Lane in the Four Cylinder competition.

Roger Manning’s last feature win came in 2017 on the old 5/8th mile track in the Sportsman division. The following season Manning moved into the Modifieds where he has led races and raced among the top five on many occasions but something always seemed to happen, preventing Manning from collecting the laurels. On Saturday night, Manning put together a great thirty laps for the win that will have racing fans talking for a long time. Not only did Manning win his first Modified feature but he did so with Billy Pauch, Jr. and Dillon Steuer hot on his trail.

Manning led the first thirteen laps if the feature over Mike Franz and JR Fulper. Manning had a healthy lead as the field approached the halfway mark. A lap fourteen restart saw Pauch, Jr. race into second with Steuer taking over third following a turn three tangle with JR Fulper and Cale Ross. Both drivers had been racing in the top five prior to the restart.

Pauch pulled out all of the stops as he repeated challenged Manning for the lead. But each time, Manning responded with a counter move to maintain the lead. Several times, Pauch slid to the inside of Manning in turn three but each time, Manning raced out of turn four at the front of the field. It quickly became a three car battle for the win with both Pauch and Steuer challenging. Steuer took over second on lap twenty-five but Pauch was able to regain the position after another turn or two around the High Banks. With Steuer pressuring, Pauch had to switch to defense in the final laps as Manning pulled away from the battle for second.

It was Manning for the win, becoming the fourth different first time feature winner in as many races. Manning joined the drivers Jim Gallagher, Jr., Brian Papiez and Sammy Martz, Jr. all of whom earned their first wins during the month of June. Paul Mancini was also a first time winner earlier this year.

Pauch finished second followed by Steuer who finished third for the fourth consecutive race. Billy Osmun III finished fourth with Ryan Krachun’s late race move took him into fifth. Matt Stangle finished sixth followed by Sam Martz, Sr., Sam Martz, Jr., HJ Bunting and Frank Cozze.

Cody West became the fourth different winner in MASSS competition on the High Banks as he raced by leader, Tim Iulg for the win in Fred Kennedy’s No. 56. West has run some sprint car races in the last few seasons but just became a MASS regular in 2024. West closed in on Iulg as the leaders raced through lapped traffic. Iulg and West raced side by side on lap nineteen with West taking the lead with five laps to go.

West took the win over Dave Grube, Iulg, Mark Bitner and Kevin Nagy whose late race pass moved him into the top five. Aidan Borden finished sixth over Troy Betts, Buddy Schweibinz, Dave Brown and Ryan Stillwaggon.

Brian Papiez was able to withstand the late race challenges of Ethan Bill to take the win in the Ice Less 602 Sportsman. Papiez led from the green flag to the checkered for the win on his 33rd birthday. Bill finished second followed by Wayne Weaver, Ethan Young and Travis Hill who broke into the top five late in the race. Matt Peck finished sixth over Jax Yohn, Brian Rogers, Michael Beckett and Luke Bunting.

Michael Beckett raced to his six victory and the DA’s Auto Body & Repair Rookie championship on Rookie Graduation Night at Bridgeport. Ashley Therien finished second with James Allen taking third late in the race.

Nick Sandone III was the popular winner in the Bitner Automotive Street Stock feature event, racing ahead of Mike Hughes for most of the race. Hughes was sidelined with mechanical issues late in the race. Jeff Dirkes raced into second in the final laps over Terry Chaney and Kevin Heckman. Several race teams jumped in to help Sandone when he was sidelined from hot laps with a mechanical issue.

Lee Allen kept Scott Degler within reach during the Bitner Automotive Four Cylinder feature and when Degler and a slower car made contact, Allen was in the position to take the lead. Degler headed to the pits while Allen raced to the win over former champion, Ed Ford, Joe Garey, Sr., John Parker and Roger Kummerer.

Modifieds 1. Roger Manning 2. Billy Pauch Jr. 3. Dillon Steuer 4. Billy Osmun 5. Ryan Krachun 6. Matt Stangle 7. Sam Martz Sr. 8. Sammy Martz Jr. 9. HJ Bunting 10. Frank Cozze 11. WB James 12. Stan Frankenfield 13. Brad Roberts 14. Rick Laubach 15. Mike Franz 16. Neal Williams 17. JR Fulper 18. Cale Ross 19. Cole Stangle

Sprint Cars 1. Cody West 2. Dave Grube 3. Tim Iulg 4. Mark Bitner 5. Kevin Nagy 6. Aiden Borden 7. Troy Betts 8. Buddy Schweibinz 9. Dave Brown 10. Ryan Stillwagon 11. Zach Rhoads 12. John Brenfleck 13. DJ Tanner Jr. 14. Eddie Wagner 15. Tim Tanner 16. Larry McVay 17. Jeff Paulson 18. Kenny Laureno 19. Dan Leaper 20. Rick Stief 21. Dirk Rimrott 22. Dave Graber 23. Jared Kreider 24. Stephen Struble

Sportsman 1. Brian Papiez 2. Ethan Bill 3. Wayne Weaver 4. Ethan Young 5. Travis Hill 6. Matt Peck 7. Jax Yohn 8. Trent Willey 9. Brian Rogers 10. Michael Beckett 11. Luke Bunting 12. Matt Smith 13. Billy Chester 14. Pete Serra 15. Thomas Prychka 16. Dave Damiano 17. Shane Kassekert 18. Justin Newhard 19. James Allen 20. Robert Tete 21. Brandon Shipley 22. Howard Huepfel 23. Anthony Sisco 24. Monte Pool

Street Stocks 1. Nick Sandone 2. Jeff Dirkes 3. Terry Chaney 4. Kevin Heckman 5. Mike Hughes

4 Cylinder Stock Cars 1. Lee Allen 2. Ed Ford 3. Joe Garey Jr. 4. John Parker 5. Roger Kumnerer 6. Colin Gale 7. Norm Kid Jr. 8. Rob Well 9. Dan Stein Jr. 10. Mark Stein Sr. 11. Eric Degler