Modified Pit Notes – Bridgeport Motorsports Park Season Opener

The 30-lap modified feature was won by Billy Pauch Sr who missed the “big one” on lap one by inches and held off his son Billy Pauch Jr. to take the opening day win.

The modified feature had a “big one” before lap 1 when Tommy Beamer lost a rear in front of the field on the back straight away.  Dreamer had no were to go and could only hold on as the field piled up behind him and veered around him.   Nearly 10 cars had some involvement with Ryan Godown, Jordan Watson, Roger Manning, Ryan Watt, Brett Ballard, and Tommy Beamer being towed to the pits and done for the night before the first lap was in the books.     

Billy Pauch Sr. got his 2022 season off to a great start with a win at Bridgeport Motorsports Park’s season opener over his son Billy Pauch Jr.   After winning the points championship in 2020 Pauch only collected one win in 2021 and finished 9^th in the Bridgeport modified points standings.  Pauch has already matched his 2021 wins and has put himself atop the 2022 points standings after week 1.

Father son duo of Billy Pauch Sr & Jr find themselves already 1-2 in the season points championship after opening night of the 2022 season.  Billy Pauch Jr. took to his new Saturday night home track quickly moving from his 9^th starting position and into 2nd and in strong contention for the lead for the final 10 laps.

Matt Stangle broke away from the field with Pauch Sr & Jr and was in contention for 2^nd and at times even 1^st until settling into solid 3^rd place finish from his 10th starting position. Matt will be looking to continue his consistent top 5 finishes which started last season and improve on his 7th place finish in the 2021 Bridgeport points standings during the 2022 season.

JoJo Watson finished 4^th in the feature from a 7^th starting position.  JoJo was able to hold his 4^th position with Ryan Krachun and Alex Yankowski giving chase for the final 10 laps.  Last season Watson finished 4^th in-points at Bridgeport and is looking to improve a couple of spots and take the Bridgeport modified points championship back home to Delaware in 2022.

 Ryan Krachun finished a strong 5^th from his 8^th starting position.  Ryan noted “I was in the melee and just escaped the main wreck.  I think something got bent because the car was evil after that.  Track was interesting last night with some speed bumps up top but glad we got the opener in despite rain in the area.  With all the rain Bridgeport got in the last couple of days we really spent all night trying to adapt the handling of the car and make the car turn when it didn’t want to.  Not sure how, but we were able to put a decent run together despite all that stuff.  I woke up with blisters on my hands from wrestling with an evil car all night.”

Alex Yankowski made an early season visit to his old home track and finished 6^th from a 16^th starting position.

Jimmy Britt finished 7^th from the pole position.  Britt held a strong lead for the first 9 laps until the first caution.  On the restart he spun his wheels which allowed Billy Pauch Sr. to get by him for the lead on lap 10.  Jimmy also had a strong run in the heat moving through the field to 3^rd place finish from a 6^th starting position and earning the redraw position that got him the pole in the feature.

Dominic Buffalino finished a moving forward 8^th place from a provisional and 26^th starting position.  In his heat Dominic was battling with Richie Pratt for a redraw spot on the final lap when the two cars tangled and taking Dominic to the pits on the hook with a flat and body damage.  Pratt was able to continue and ran back through the field in one lap to grab the 4^th qualifying position for the feature.  Dominic made repairs and went out for the last chance where he got into a transfer position only to have a flat tire and go off on the hook a 2^nd time.  After extensive repairs; Buffalino was able to use a provisional and turn a real downer of a night into a top 10 feature finish with an 8^th place finish from a 26^th starting position. 

Richie Pratt was able to continue his heat race after tangling with Buffalino and qualified into the feature but sustained damage to his # 1 car which forced him to change to his backup car.  Pratt drew the pole but was moved to the back of the field due to the change to a backup car which started him in 25^th position.  Like Buffalino; he also ran from the backrow into the top 10 for a 9^th place finish in the feature.  

Sam Martz Jr. ran his first career modified feature and raced with his dad for the first time.  Sam Martz Jr. finished 11^th in front of dear ole dad Sam Martz Sr in 12^th.

Postrace Sam Jr noted “Racing a modified was pretty fun and not much different than a crate car except it had more power.  The modified racing will make you a better driver since you are racing against the best drivers out there.  I’m looking forward to seeing how the crate feels when I get back in it after driving the faster and stronger modified.”

Both father and son were in the same heat race with Sammy Jr. making his first feature while Sam Sr.’s car shut off and was towed to the pits as a DNQ.  Sam Sr. was in the precarious position of starting in the last chance race from a 10^th starting position but was able to transfer to the feature with a 3^rd place finish.

Wife and mom Chris will be dealing with a full season of dad and son racing in the same class.  Chris noted “Sammy was shaking his head and laughing because he finished in front of his dad in his first modified race with him.  We shall see how this season pans out with them both running together in the same class. There are not many fathers and sons running big cars in the same division weekly; yet we now have two father son duos here at Bridgeport with Pauch Sr. and Jr. and my two guys. Barb Pauch has handled it for years with Billy Sr and Billy Jr and I don’t know how she has don’t it all these years. I might need some pointers from her.”

The Barone Brothers have returned to Bridgeport modified racing.  They are fielding a two-car modified team for the first time.  Don Barone will pilot the 67 and Mike the 267 when both cars are ready for the 2022 season.  For this week, Mike returned to the track after a 4-year absence from modified competition. 

The Barone Brothers # 67 entry missed qualifying by one transfer spot in their heat race. A strong 2nd place finish in the last chance race placed them in the feature.  Mike missed the lap 1 melee but ended up spinning into the infield and getting stuck in the mud.  They restarted 11^th but damage from impacted mud gave Mike an ill handling car and he finished 18^th. 

Mike Barone commented “We are thrilled to qualify at our first race back and after four years away from the sport.  We broke the motor in the 267 during practice last week and are really looking forward to having both of our cars on the track at the same time here at Bridgeport soon.  Our next milestone will be for both of us to qualify for the modified field in the same night.”

DANNY’S PIZZA PIZZAZZ BRIDGEPORT MODIFIEDS – 30 Lap feature 4/09/22:

1. Billy Pauch Sr., 2. Billy Pauch Jr., 3. Matt Stangle, 4. Joseph Watson, 5. Ryan Krachun, 6. Alex Yankowski, 7. Jim Britt, 8. Dominick Buffalino, 9. Richie Pratt Jr., 10. Neal Williams, 11. Sam Martz Jr., 12. Sam Martz Sr., 13. Davey Sammons, 14. W.B. James, 15. Ron Roberts, 16. Clay Butler, 17. Sean Metz, 18. Mike Barone, 19. Matt Peck, 20. Matt Smith, 21. Tommy Beamer, 22. Jordan Watson, 23. Ryan Watt, 24. Ryan Godown, 25. Brett Ballard, 26. Roger Manning

DNQ – Jimmy Gallagher, Mike Franz, Mike Trautschold

Next up at Bridgeport on April 16^th is Modified, Mass 305 Sprint cars, Street Stocks and Vintage cars with racing at 6:00 PM