Bridgeport, NJ – Brenden Bright’s first visit to the Spirit Speedway quarter mile paid big dividends when he raced the Bodine No. 99 to victory in the Hyper Racing/EVO Fuel Injection 600 Micro Sprint action. Logan Diehl was the class of the field in the 270 Micro Sprints, earning his second Spirit victory of the 2020 season while Jason Dunkelberger continued his winning ways in the Mini Late Models.
With the month of August comes some new faces to Spirit competition as everyone prepares for the end of the season events – like the Skyscraper, a big event for the 600 Micros organized by the late Danny Serrano four years ago.
In his first appearance at the revamped Spirit Speedway quarter mile, Brendan Bright drove a flawless race to capture the win in the twenty lap feature event for the 600s.
Bright raced from last to third in his heat race, earning a spot in the redraw for the feature event. Then he drew the pole. Is it an advantage to start on the pole or is the driver a sitting duck? In this case at least, Bright converted the opportunity into a win and it was by no means an easy victory.
When the green flag waved, Bright raced three wide with two time Spirit winner, Damon Paul and Chad Sandt for the lead. Sandt was making his first start of the season and quickly acclimated to the improved track design. Paul was able to grab the lead on lap four, racing to the outside and then the inside to take over the lead as the pair raced out of turn three. The caution waved on lap five, realigning the field for a double file restart. Bright took advantage or the opportunity and regained the lead with Paul, Sandt and Tyler Lindsay chasing the leader.
Sandt and Lindsay swapped the third spot back and forth but at half way it was Sandt who held the position. Sandt then advanced to second on a lap fifteen restart. Billy Koch, who has won at Spirit this season, raced into third and challenged Sandt for the runner-up spot.
Bright led the way to the checkered with Sandt taking second. Paul was able to get by Koch for third. Connor Gross had a strong outing to finish fifth. Last week’s winner, Mike Rutherford won the heated battle for sixth over Bobby Butler who raced his way to seventh after qualifying through one of the two consolation events.
Lindsay finished eighth followed by Joey Amantea and Buddy Schweibinz. Amantea also qualified through a consolation and raced to a top ten finish.
Bright attributed his success to being really good on the restarts. The winner chose to run the top in turns one and two and then raced the bottom through three and four to lead all but one of the twenty laps.
Two years ago, Alex Swift and Nick Skias raced to a tie for the season championship in the 270 Micro Sprints at the Spirit Speedway. The two are neck and neck, agian, in the point standings but neither of them were able to match the speed of Logan Diehl on Friday night.
Tommy Rinck had his best outing of the season in his No. 11R, leading the feature from the wave of the green flag. Rinck led the first four laps before Diehl took the lead on lap five. Rinck restarted in second on a lap nine restart that saw Swift and Skias both challenge Diehl for the lead with Rinck in the middle of the action. The caution quickly waved again, resetting the field. This time, Rinck held off the challenges of Swift and Skias and Diehl was able to pull ahead of his challengers. Swift was then able to move the John Blanda No. 15 into second.
At halfway, Diehl led Swift, Rinck, Skias and Mike Rutherford.
Skias moved up to third on a lap fourteen restart and started to pressure Swift for the runner-up spot.
Diehl raced out in front while Swift and Skias battled back and forth for second in the final laps.
Diehl took the win followed by Skias, Swift, Rinck and Rutherford. 2019 270 Rookie Champion, Shea Wills finished sixth followed by Gary Waegel, Billy Gray, Jayson Conover and Tom Landwher.
Tucker Gordner was able to lead the first lap of the fifteen lap Mini Late Model Feature before Jason Dunkelberger took the lead on lap two. Dunkelberger never looked back, picking up another victory. Dustin Dunkelberger finished second followed by Gordner and Jorjie Sweger.
Spirit Speedway action moves to Sunday next weekend for the second Poker Series race of the season. It’s a four division show featuring the 600 and 270 Micro Sprints, the All Star Slingshots and the Xcel 600 Modifieds. Warm-ups are scheduled for 6PM with the first heat hitting the track immediately following the four divisions of warm-ups. Billy Koch picked up the win in the Hyper Racing/EVO Fuel Injection 600s during the first Poker Series race while Alex Swift earned his first Spirit win of the season. Amanda Angstadt, the reigning Poker Series Champion, picked up the win in the Slingshot competition.
SPIRIT AUTO CENTER SPEEDWAY
Friday, August 21, 2020
HYPER RACING/EVO FUEL INJECTION 600CC MICRO SPRINT FEATURE (20 laps) – 1. Brenden Bright, 2. Chad Sandt, 3. Damon Paul, 4. Billy Koch, 5. Connor Gross, 6. Mike Rutherford, 7. Bobby Butler, 8. Tyler Lindsay, 9. Joey Amantea, 10. Buddy Schweibinz, 11. Whitey Kidd, III, 12. Will Butler, 13. Tyler DeVault, 14. John Barnett, 15. T.J. Greve, 16. Fred Heinly, 17. Chris Fenimore, 18. Gary Bozowski, 19. Geordon Marrero, 20. Mark Landwher, 21. Jim Tippin, 22. Michael Nolf, 23. Steven Snyder, 24. Jermain Godshall, 25. Cody West, 26. Sam LaMothe, DNQ – Tommy Errico, Jr., Brandon Pavel, Dave Damaio, Adrianna Dellapoint, Robert Pierce, Deana Butler, Dominic Hinrichsen, Ryan Stangle, Mike Fillbrunn, Billy Calvert, Joe Dopke
270CC MICRO SPRINT FEATURE (20 laps)
1. Logan Diehl, 2. Nick Skias, 3. Alex Swift, 4. Thomas Rinck, 5. Mike Rutherford, 6. Shea Wills, 7. Gary Waegel, 8. Billy Gray, 9. Jayson Conover, 10. Tom Landwher, 11. Steve Coslop, 12. Tyler Grau, 13. Brian Hughes, 14. Sarah Napora, 15. Nick Walton, DNS – Alex Lester, Jimmy Wagner, Scott Phillips
MINI LATE MODELS (15 laps)
1. Jason Dunkelberger, 2. Dustin Dunkelberger, 3. Tucker Gordner, 4. Jorjie Sweger
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