Bridgeport, NJ – The Spirit Auto Center quarter mile presented its earliest season opener in its history and the first race for the 2025 season was full of surprises – a good indication of what lies ahead in the new season.
The new banking left teams and fans in aww as the racers in all 4 divisions utilized multi grooves throughout the entire evening. “The 600’s were no surprise to go up top, and I was confident the Slingshots would utilize the banking as they do at Action Track. I was pleasantly surprised to see the 270’s venture up there and Alex Swift rip around using the higher available lanes” stated track owner Doug Rose.
The quarter mile is a whole new animal. With welcomed improvements, all the racers excited for whats to come in 2025. A stellar pit area of 84 cars got the chance to wheel around the higher banking and what a show they all put on in all 4 divisions.
With 31 Hyper Racing 600’s ready to o battle for the $1000 to win Dakota Steiner memorial, the question at the start of the night was “who is Quinn Llewellyn?” behind the wheel of the Cassidy Painting No. 92, normally piloted by Chris Fenimore, was a new name and face – a new competitor from the first state. When Fenimore injured his hand, a substitute was needed to fill the seat of the No. 92.
He may have been an “unknown” at the start of the night but by the checkered flag, Llewellyn had written his name in the history books of the Bridgeport Motorsports Park quarter mile.
A 31 car field of Hyper Racing 600s were on hand for the opener and the Dakota Steiner Memorial. Tommy Kunsman drew the pole. PJ Williams joined Kunsman on the front row with defending champion, Anthony Tramontana and Luke Thomas making up row two.
Kunsman jumped out in front at the wave of the green as Tramontana slid into second while battling among Kenny Miller III and Llewellyn through the early laps. Miller and Llewellyn tangled in turn four to bring out the caution. One lap later, Kunsman slowed with mechanical issues and headed pitside. Thomas became the new race leader.
Thomas led the way through lap twelve as Kyle Spence made his way through the top five. Tramontana’s race came to an end after a tangle in turns one and two. Spence drove to the outside of Thomas to take the lead on the lap thirteen restart.
Spence looked like the dominant car until Llewellyn drove by on lap eighteen and then led the field to the checkered to become the 99th different 600 winner on the Spirit quarter mile. Spence finished second followed by Thomas, Miller and Briggs Danner who raced among the leaders for the twenty-five lap distance. Steven Snyder, Jr. finished sixth followed by Connor Gross, Dan Leaper who won a heated battle in the B Main, JT Bierman and Geordan Marrero.
Llewellyn was a race winner in his first race at Spirit with only a practice session on the track one week earlier.
It would be simple to say that Alex Swift picked up where he left off by winning the 2025 season opener on the quarter mile but that really wouldn’t tell the story of the twenty lap feature event.
Nick Walton led the way through lap five as Swift and Nick Skias battled behind the leader. Walton’s race ended in turns one and two with mechanical failure. Skias had the Palmucci No. 16P out in front for three laps before mechanical issues sidelined Skias on lap nine. Swift was the new race leader with Logan Diehl, Joe Dopke, Luke Fogg and Billy Gray trailing the leader.
Swift pulled away from the field and Dopke took over second just after halfway. Swift’s ride broke as the leader headed to the checkered. Swift coasted with the Blanda No. 15 to the finish line, just ahead of a fast closing Dopke. Diehl finished third followed by Fogg and Gray. It was an unusual finish for the defending champion.
Josh Andrews finished sixth followed by Josh Bricker, Jake Leroy, Cole Wyers and second-generation driver, Dylan DeVault.
Matthew Laubach delivered a dominant performance in the Speedway Entertainment All Star Slingshots utilizing the outside lane on the new banking. leading every lap on the way to his first All Star victory. However, several cars, including the race winner, were sidelined by a tire rule infraction. Laubach and second place, Christopher Laureigh, were affected, moving third place Jonathan Laureigh and fourth place, Amanda Angstadt into first and second. Gavin Marerro finished third with Matthew Lashley and Austin Walls rounding out the top five. Joe Shone, who was the fifth car across the finish line was also affected. Charlie Moore, Tyler Lilick, Emily Suhr, Riley McGuire and Gage Marerro finished sixth through tenth. “A new tire rule went into effect over the off season and it was evident not all teams checked out the memo, stated Rose. Sometimes things just happen, we all learn and we move on to the next race as a family.”
It was the first Spirit win for Jonathan Laureigh.
David Morrison was the race winner in the Junior Slingshots, leading every lap of the fifteen lap feature. Hannah Kormann chased Morrison to the checkered followed by Waylon Wolf, Anna Stratchko and Danny Kurtz. MJ Trairles, Logan Showers, Carl Taylor, Danica Banks and Khloe Dennis completed the top ten at the finish.
The Spirit Auto Center quarter mile will be idle this week as Bridgeport presents a two day event featuring the RUSH Late Models.
HYPER RACING 6OOCC MICRO SPRINT FEATURE – DAKOTA STEINER MEMORIAL (25 LAPS) – 1. Quinn Llewellyn, 2. Kyle Spence, 3. Luke Thomas, 4. Kenny Miller, III, 5. Briggs Danner, 6. Steven Snyder, Jr., 7. Connor Gross, 8. Dan Leaper,9. J.T. Bierman, 10. Geordan Marrero, 11. Julian Rexrode, 12. Wayne Scott, 13. Able Engler, 14. Way Way Scott, 15. AJ Chvostal, 16. P.J. Williams, 17. Sam LaMothe, 18. Matt Peck, 19. Jay Irwin, 20. Anthony Tramontana, 21. Hailee Nardelli, 22. Tommy Kunsman, 23. Sammy Martz,,24. Sonny Tete, DNQ – Bubba Hughes, Joey Updyke, Sean Case, Kory Inglin, Jason Rush, Jimmy Potts, Dustin Tyler
270CC MICRO SPRINT FEATURE (20 LAPS) – 1. Alex Swift, 2. Joe Dopke, 3. Logan Diehl, 4. Luke Fogg, 5. Billy Gray, 6. Josh Andrews, 7. Josh Bricker, 8. Jake Leroy, 9. Cole Wyers, 10. Dylan DeVault, 11. Ian John, 12. Jake Gent, 13. Tyler Grau, 14. Dave Falini, 15. Nick Skias, 16. Nick Walton, 17. Jay John, DNS – Blake Eshem
SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT ALL STAR SLINGSHOTS (20 LAPS) – 1. Jonathan Laureigh, 2. Amanda Angstadt, 3. Gavin Marrero, 4. Mathew Lashley, 5. Austin Walls, 6. Charlie Moore, 7. Tyler Lilick, 8. Emily Suhr, 9. Riley Maguire, 10. Gage Marrero, 11. Brendan Lilick, 12. Ken Matthews, 13. Matthew Laubach, 14. Christopher Laureigh, 15. Joe Shone, DNS – Axel Leroy
SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT JUNIOR SLINGSHOTS (15 LAPS) – 1. David Morrison, 2. Hannah Kormann, 3. Waylon Wolf, 4. Anna Stratchko, 5. Danny Kurtz, 6. M.J. Trairles, 7. Logan Showers, 8. Carl Taylor, 9. Danica Banks, 10. Khloe Dennis, 11. Bradley Dennis, 12. Casey Peck, 13. Nate Kampe, 14. Jack Bray, DNS – Tyler O’Neill, Austin Pavre
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