Bridgeport, NJ – Spirit Auto Center Speedway crowned their Hyper Racing/EVO Injection 600 Micro and 270 Micro Sprint Champions on Friday night but it was two new faces that claimed the victories in the final point races of the 2020 season. Friday night’s events were the final races on the quarter mile track before the big Skyscraper Weekend arrives on the first weekend of October.
Briggs Danner, who already has a USAC All Pro SpeedSTR victory on the Bridgeport 4/10 mile track, added a win in the 600 Micro Sprints on Friday night. Lee Reinhardt, who races infrequently in Friday night action, picked up the win in the 270 Micro Sprints while Nick Skias and Alex Swift raced for the season title.
Several weeks ago, Dave Bodine came to Spirit with driver, Brenden Bright, both making their first Spirit starts of the season. Bright went on to claim victory that night in the twenty lap main event.
Friday morning, Bodine was looking for a driver for his No. 99. Several phone calls were placed and connections were made. When Briggs Danner was offered the ride for Friday night’s show, there was little hesitation.
In what would be Danner’s third start in a 600 Micro Sprint, the Allentown, PA driver started in eighth in his heat race and drove to the front to take the win. For the feature, Danner drew sixth for a starting spot outside of row three.
It took several attempts to get the race underway but Austin Quick grabbed the lead for the first two green flag laps with Matt Smith and Colin White already challenging the leader. On lap three, while Quick and White were racing for the lead, Danner drove by both drivers with the Bodine No. 99 and had the lead as the field ended to the line to complete lap three.
White took over second and set his sights on Danner but Danner was able to defend the lead all the way to the checkered flag. White mounted several challenges but Danner answered the challenge each time.
Joey Amantea, Quick, Luke Thomas and Kyle Spence battled behind the leaders until Quick was sidelined with mechanical issues in the closing laps.
White closed the gap on Danner as lapped traffic became an issue but Danner continued to hold the top spot. White’s offense turned to defense in the final laps as Amantea mounted a challenge for the runner-up spot.
Danner raced to the checkered flag with White edging out Amantea for second. Luke Thomas and Kyle Spence completed the top five at the finish. Cody West had a strong Spirit outing to finish sixth followed by Nick Sapp, Bobby Butler, Tyler Lindsay and PJ Williams.
Butler needed a sixth place finish to earn enough points to pass Damon Paul for the 600 title. Paul was absent from Friday night’s action while racing in the Terry Sprague Memorial race in Illinois. Butler came up two positions short at the checkered. (Note – Paul came home with the win in the Illinois event.)
Danner, who was an accomplished quarter midget racer, found himself racing with many drivers who have graduated from the same discipline. Danner became the second driver to win on both the quarter mile and 4/10th mile tracks at the Bridgeport Motorsports Park. Joe Toth was the first to reach this accomplishment after earning a 602 Sportsman and Xcel 600 Modified win. Danner’s wins came in the SpeedSTR and 600 Micro Sprint.
Nick Skias held just a eight point advantage over Alex Swift in the 270 Micro Sprints point chase going into the final race. Skias and Swift tied for the title in 2018 with Swift earning the championship in 2019. Skias started the twenty lap feature from fifth while Swift started from outside the fifth row.
There was some wild action in the feature event before the field was able to string some green flag laps together. Tom Rinck led the way through lap five over Andrew Locuson, Lee Reinhardt, Skias and Swift.
After several more cautions, Reinhardt took the lead on lap eight. At halfway, it was Reinhardt, Skias, Rinck, Swift and Locuson racing in the top five.
Swift made his way up to third just after halfway and raced side by side with Skias on lap fourteen.
Reinhardt raced away to the win followed by Skias, Swift, Tyler Reinhardt and Shea Wills. Olivia Haworth finished sixth with Rinck, Nick Walton, Barry Pollard and Brian Hughes rounding out the top ten. It was the first start of the season for Tyler Reinhardt who is the all time feature win leader in this division on the Bridgeport quarter mile.
Skias was crowned as the 2020 Champion with car owner Charlie Palmucci, combining their efforts for the first time this season.
Friday night’s events were the final races on the quarter mile track before the big Skyscraper Weekend arrives on the first weekend of October. The Skyscraper weekend will honor the life of Danny Serrano who worked countless hours to develop and promote this event every year.
SPIRIT AUTO CENTER SPEEDWAY
Friday, September 11, 2020
HYPER RACING EVO FUEL INJECTION 600cc MICRO SPRINTS FEATURE (20 laps)
- Briggs Danner, 2. Colin White, 3. Joey Amantea, 4. Luke Thomas, 5. Kyle Spence, 6. Cody West, 7. Nick Sapp, 8. Bobby Butler, 9. Tyler Lindsay, 10. P.J. Williams, 11. Jay Hartman, 12. Aiden Borden, 13. Brandon Pavel, 14. Robert Pierce, 15. T.J. Greve, 16. Jim Radney, 17. Geordon Marrero, 18. Austin Quick, 19. Matt Smith, 20. Tommy Errico, Jr., 21. Connor Gross, 22. Chris Fenimore, 23. Gary Bozowski, 24. Tyler DeVault, 25. Buddy Schweibinz, DNQ – Jermain Godshall, Rich Deck, Jr., Will Butler, Deana Butler, Dave Damaio, Amanda Onimus, Ed Barber, III, Jim Tippin, Duane White, Corey Andersen, Ryan Stangle, Mark Landwher, Billy Calvert, John Barnett
270cc MICRO SPRINTS FEATURE (20 laps)
- Lee Reinhardt, 2. Nick Skias, 3. Alex Swift, 4. Tyler Reinhardt, 5. Shea Wills, 6. Olivia Haworth, 7. Thomas Rinck, 8. Nick Walton, 9. Barry Pollard, 10. Brian Hughes, 11. Mark Landwher, 12. Andrew Locuson, 13. Tom Landwher, 14. Tyler Grau, 15. Sarah Napora, 16. Billy Gray, 17. Jimmy Wagner, 18. Cory Waegel, DNS – Ken Andreas, Logan Diehl.
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