Mother Nature may have prevented racing on the
last Saturday night of the regular Bridgeport season but she could not
stop the Bridgeport Speedway from crowning its 2017 champions. While
track management would have preferred to completed the 2017 Championship on the
track, rain throughout the area called for a cancellation decision as it did
with all area tracks.
For the third time in his career, Boyertown, PA driver, Ryan Watt
was crowned as the 2017 Spirit Auto Center Big Block Modified Champion.
Watt becomes the first back-to-back champion under the current management
team. "I can't thank Ronnie (Roberts) and Fay (Marion) enough for
giving us the equipment that we need," Watt expressed. It's a family
affair for Watt whose racing his supported by his wife, Lesley, son, Logan as
well as his parents and many other family members. "I have to thank
Lesley and Logan and my crew - none of this would be possible without
them."
Watt added the championship title in his twentieth season in
racing competition, picking up seven Bridgeport victories to date -
including four Saturday night victories,
two Poker Series wins and the Super DIRTcar event in May. Watt finished
fifty-points ahead of Dominick Buffalino who finished second in the season
points. Rick Laubach, Richie Pratt, Jr. and David Hunt rounded out the
top five.
In spite of Matt Stangle's nine feature wins throughout the
season, the Stewart Stainless Crate Sportsman Championship was still up for
grabs going into the final race. Stangle had just an eight point lead
over Brian Papiez on the final night in what was a four car battle for the
title up until a few weeks ago. Good Sportsmanship also played a role in
this year's championship as the father and son team of Jim Gallagher, Jr. and
Sr., turned over the wheel of the No. 31 to Stangle on one race night when
mechanical failure sidelined the Stangle No. 6. That one race was pivotal
in Stangle's championship. Brian Papiez finished second followed by Roger
Manning, Eric Kormann and Adam Cox.
"It's really been a good year," the young champion
stated. "I can't thank everyone enough - everyone that has helped
me. The track was good week in and week out and the atmosphere was even
better." Stangle wanted to thank his parents, crew member, Rick, all
of his sponsors including TEO Pro Car, Martino Race Engines and Rick Laubach
for his shock work.
"It's a dream come true," for Pennco Tech Outlaw Stock
Champion, Tom Wills, Jr who followed in his father's foot steps and brought
another title home to the Wills family. Tom Sr. is a former Bridgeport
Street Stock Champion as well as the 2015 Outlaw Stock Champion. "I
couldn't do it without the support of my dad," Wills explained.
"I didn't want to see it end in a rainout but you can't fight the
rain!"
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