GODOWN, KRESSLEY AND DOERR ARE OPENING DAY WINNERS‏

 

GODOWN, KRESSLEY AND DOERR ARE OPENING DAY WINNERS

New Track Surface Promises a Season of Great Racing!

 

     It was the third annual 60 Over Doug Hoffman Memorial Race of Champions on Dirt that saw drivers Ryan Godown, Brett Kressley and Jeramy Doerr start their Bridgeport 2015 seasons off with a win. 

 

     Finally, Mother Nature cooperated with a bright sunny but windy day for the 2015 Bridgeport Speedway Opener.  It was also the first event of the season for Andy Harpell's Race of Champions who also had not been spared by the early season weather conditions. 

 

     As a promoter, Doug Hoffman brought the Race of Champions Series to the Bridgeport Speedway in 2012 as his season opener.  Oddly enough, Ryan Godown was also the winner of that event - his first ever win on the 5/8th mile speedway.  The story behind Godown's win in 2012 was very different from his win on Sunday.   In that first event under Hoffman as track promoter, Godown was forced to pit for a flat tire.  While in the pits, the decision was made to change both rear tires.  Godown rejoined the rear of the field and raced his way into the lead and the win for car owner, Rick Clay. 

 

      This year the story had a different twist as Godown inherited the lead on lap thirty-three when race leader, Stewart Friesen took his Atlas Trucking ride to the pits for service for a flat tire.  Godown had just completed the pass to take second back from 2012 Bridgeport Champion, Rick Laubach prior to the caution.  Friesen headed to the pits and Godown restarted the race with the lead.

 

     Godown had little trouble from that point on as he wheeled the Hewlet #901 to the checkered flag.  A caution with two laps to ag o, realigned the field on Godown's back bumper but the Ringoes, NJ driver was able to pull away from the competition on the restarts. 

 

     Godown had high praise for the new track surface.  "We could use every inch of this race track," Godown stated.  "We ran the same tires all night.  These are the same tires that we used in the heat."  The new track surface had Godown again talking about how much he misses racing a Big Block Modified.   The Big Blocks raced three wide throughout the event.

 

     Polesitter, Ron Roberts took the lead at the wave of the green.  Dominic Buffalino was in hot pursuit and pulled ahead of Roberts as they raced through turn three.  Buffalino led for five laps as Friesen made his way to the front.  Friesen raced to the inside of Buffalino to lead on lap six.  Friesen set a torrid pace until heading to the pits on lap thirty-three.  Godown took over on the lap thirty-three restart and led to the checkered flag. 

 

     Laubach had a strong outing to finish second with Buffalino beating Ryan Anderson to the checkered for third.   It was a career best Big Block finish for Anderson in fourth while Richie Pratt Jr. finished fifth in the Overhead Door #0.  New York invader, Jeff Heotzler had good run to finish sixth followed by Mike Barone in seventh.  Craig VonDohren finished 8th after pitting on lap 33.  Friesen was ninth at the finish with Howard O'Neal rounding out the top ten. 

 

     Brett Kressley is three for three after his 20 lap win in the 60 Over Crate/Sportsman feature event.  Kressley took the lead from CJ Jones on the second lap and drove away from the competition to capture his third win of the young season.  Pat Wall raced past Jones to take second in the closing laps.   Jones finished third followed by Mike Lyons and Bobby Lilick.

 

     It was an emotional win for Jeramy Doerr in the Outlaw Stock twenty lap feature event.  Doerr honored his infant son, Dylan with the win.  It was Doerr's first win since Dylan's passing late last season.  Ron Frees was the early race leader but even he didn't have what to took to hold off Doerr's advances.  Doerr raced by Frees on the second circuit and led the rest of the distance to the checkered.  Frees finished second followed by William Connolly, Jack Beaumont and Jeff Dirkes.

 

     The quarter mile Bridgeport Speedway opens its 2015 season this Friday night with 600cc and 270cc Micro Sprints, 4 & 8 Cylinder Enduros and the STARS Mod Lites.  Racing gets underway at 8pm.

 

     Racing action returns to the 5/8 mile track on Sunday with Big Block Modifieds, Crate/Sportsman, Outlaw Stocks, United Racing Club Sprint Cars and the first D.A.'s Auto Body & Repair Rookie feature of the 2015 season.  Sunday's action gets underway at 4pm.

Drivers Sammy Martz, Kris Lilick and Jack Beaumont will be on hand to welcome fans along with the start of URC  - past and present.  

 

 

60 Over Doug Hoffman Memorial Race - Race of Champions (44 laps)

1. Ryan Godown 2. Rick Laubach 3. Dominic Buffalino 4. Ryan Anderson 5. Richie Pratt 6. Jeff Heotzler 7. Mike Barone 8. Craig VonDohren 9. Stewart Friesen 10. Howard O'Neal 11. David Hunt 12. Mike Franz 13. Jesse Hill 14. Jimmy Blewett 15. Dana Walker 16. Ron Roberts 17. Ryan Watt 18. Bob Sarkisian 19. Anthony Perrego 20. Sam Martz 21. Ricky DiEva 22. Jamie Mills 23. Tommy Beamer 24. Duane Howard  DNS - Erik Rudolph

 

Crate/Sportsman Feature (20 laps)

1. Brett Kressley 2. Pat Wall 3. CJ Jones 4. Mike Lyons 5. Bobby Lilick 6. Jeff Bubori 7. Kevin Belmont 8. Justin Lilick 9. Matt Smith 10. Mike Wahl 11. Sean Gunther 12. Jim Britt 13. Steve Kemmery 14. Matthew Peck 15. Jeff Sargent 16. Pete Serra 17. Kris Lilick

 

Outlaw Stock Feature (20 laps)

1. Jeramy Doerr 2. Ron Frees 3. William Connolly 4. Jack Beaumont 5. Jeff Dirkes 6. Jimmy Avery 7. James Rader 8. Tom Wills, Jr. 9. Everett Taylor 10. Billy Wroble