Bridgeport, NJ – With just two more races scheduled before the crowning of the 2023 Spirit Auto Center Track Champions, every race, every position becomes of greater importance.
Friday night racing, sponsored by Cassidy Painting, produced repeat winners in each of the four divisions.
The Hyper Racing/EVO Injection 600 Micro Sprints saw Sam LaMothe grab the lead at the start and lead for twenty-four laps, looking like he would earn his first victory since the 2015 season. A late race caution had a profound effect on the outcome of the race.
From about lap ten, LaMothe had led the way while the trio of Steven Bracall, Chris Fenimore and Tommy Kunsman were engaged in a three car battle for second. That allowed LaMothe to increase his lead to several car lengths while the battle for second continued. Bracall raced in second but was racing with both Fenimore and Kunsman on every lap. Late in the race, Bracall and Fenimore raced side by side for second, with Kunsman looking for an opportunity to advance his position. The racing was tight – the three cars racing wheel to wheel.
After taking the white flag, the field raced into turn one. Bracall and Fenimore were side-by-side in front of Kunsman as they raced into the corner. Bracall and Fenimore came together, both cars sitting on the inside of the track and facing the wrong direction. Bracall’s night was over as Fenimore returned to the rear of the field with just one lap remaining. That put Kunsman on LaMothe’s back bumper for the restart and one lap race for the win.
Coming to the green flag, LaMothe exited turn four wide, leaving the bottom open for Kunsman to charge into the lead. It was a disappointing end of the race for LaMothe who felt that contact on the final restart had cost him the win.
Kunsman collected his sixth win of the season and fourth win in the last six races – the other two races were won by Luke Thomas. LaMothe had his best finish of the season to finish second with PJ Williams finishing third over Connor Gross who rebounded from an early race incident. Matt Smith finished fifth after some late race moves.. Williams added a few more points to his lead over Smith in the point standings.
Dan Leaper finished sixth in just his second Spirit start. Ethan Simpson started fifteenth on the grid and raced to a seventh place finish. Simpson continues to impress in what is his first full season of Spirit 600 competition. Gary Bozowski finished eighth followed by Robert Pierce and Billy Calvert.
While many of the competitors went to the top, Kunsman was committed to the bottom. “The top was there,” Kunsman explained, “but the bottom was still too good” to encourage the Bethlehem, PA driver to change his line.
The JC Fabrication 270 Micro Sprints paid tribute to Donna Dopke on Friday night. Donna was the mother of 270 competitor, Joe Dopke. Before her passing two years ago, Donna loved to support her family and friends at the track. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Her family and friends offered many contingency wards in Donna’s memory. Donna’s husband, Norm, donated five checkered flags bearing the signatures of the Friday night competitors that were awarded to lucky fans.
Joe Dopke was the race’s first leader, leading the way for the first five laps. Logan Diehl took the lead on a lap six restart and led through the halfway mark. Lee Nardelli started in eighth – one row behind defending champion, Alex Swift. Nardelli raced into the top five in the early laps and then raced ahead of Swift on lap seven. It was Diehl, Nardelli, Swift, Dopke and Blake Esham at halfway.
Nardelli raced into the lead on lap twelve. Diehl then had his hands full with Swift who challenged for second. With five to go, Nardelli led Swift, Diehl, Esham and three time winner, Billy Gray.
Diehl fell victim to mechanical issues in the final laps.
Nardelli raced the Hussert No. 20 to his second win of the season over Swift, Esham, Gray and Brett Estep. George Nardelli finished sixth followed by Danny Wright, Jonathan John, Kevin Locascio and Alex Lester.
Nick Bilello grabbed the lead on the start for the Speedway Entertainment All Star Slingshot feature. Michael Beckett quickly moved into second with Richie Keller in third followed by PJ Bozowski and Kristoffer Surran.
Bilello has one win to his credit this season. Beckett was closing in on the leader as Bozowski moved into third on lap eight. Bilello took the crossed flags over Beckett, Bozowski, Keller and Surran.
A three car race for the lead was shaping up as Beckett and Bozowski closed in on the leader.
Beckett challenged for the lead on lap sixteen, racing side-by-side with Bilello, taking the lead on lap on the next circuit. There was plenty of hard racing in the final laps that changed the outcome of the race.
Beckett raced to his sixth win of the season over Surran who turned in his best Spirit performance of the year. Bilello recovered to finish third over Brayden Morrison and Bozowski.
Jack Jarvis led from the green to the checkered for his ninth Spirit win of the season. Christopher Buffalino finished second followed by last year’s winner, Carter Mullins and Cody Williamson.
Four division returns to Spirit for two more Friday nights of racing on September 1st and 8th.
HYPER RACING EVO INJECTION 600cc MICRO SPRINT FEATURE (25 LAPS): 1. Tommy Kunsman, 2. Sam LaMothe, 3. P.J. Williams, 4. Connor Gross, 5. Matt Smith, 6. Dan Leaper, 7. Ethan Simpson, 8. Gary Bozowski, 9. Robert Pierce, 10. Billy Calvert, 11. Steve Fleetwood, 12. T.J. Greve, 13. Chris Fenimore, 14. Sonny Tete, 15. Kyra Pierce, 16. Dustin Tyler, 17. Steve Bracall, 18. Corey Waegel, 19. Olivia Haworth, 20. Anthony Tramontana
J C FABRICATION 270cc MICRO SPRINTS FEATURE (20 LAPS): 1. Lee Nardelli, 2. Alex Swift, 3. Blake Esham, 4. Billy Gray, 5. Brett Estep, 6. George Nardelli, 7. Danny Wright, 8. Jonathan John, 9. Kevin Locascio, 10. Alex Lester, 11. Jimmy Wagner, 12. Logan Diehl, 13. James Miller, 14. Joe Dopke, 15. Brendan Locascio, 16. John Wagner, 17. Paige Hornberger, DNS – Dustin Dash
SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT ALL-STAR SLINGSHOT FEATURE (20 LAPS):
1. Michael Beckett, 2. Kristoffer Surran, 3. Nick Bilello, 4. Brayden Morrison, 5. P.J. Bozowski, 6. Frank Yoder, 7. Richie Keller, DNS – Scott Philipp, Dave Morrell
SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT JUNIOR SLINGSHOT FEATURE (15 LAPS):
1. Jack Jarvis, 2. Christopher Buffalino, 3. Carter Mullins, 4. Cody Williamson, DNS – Austin Walls, Nate Kampe
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