VonDohren Takes Home All The Money From Bridgeport In WildCard Win
Column By: RUSTY RHOADES / RPW – SWEDESBORO, NJ – Craig VonDohren took advantage of a mid-race restart and pounced on the competition Friday night, as he took home the very exciting 358 Modified portion of Wild Card Weekend at Bridgeport Speedway.
The $3,000 payday capped off another exceptional season for the legendary Mid-Atlantic wheelman from Oley, PA.
Twenty three small blocks were on hand to brave the somewhat chilly elements at the sprawling South Jersey facility this past weekend, which was used as a make-up date due to absolutely frigid conditions causing the postponement of racing activities the previous weekend. The Bridgeport staff had the big five-eighths silky smooth and very fast for the contenders. Heat races were taken by VonDohren as well as Jeff Strunk.
Brett Kressley jumped out to the point at the drop of the green flag as track champion Ryan Watt stayed close in tow. Strunk rounded out the top three over the beginning stages of the race with VonDohren and Dominic Buffalino in a spirited battle to decide the top five rundown. Kressley had his yellow 19k setting a torrid pace, and was already encountering the tail of the field merely a third of the way into the 25 lap main event. This immediately brought the top three back within striking distance of each other. Unfortunately, caution was the next event of the race for a slowing car on lap 8 with Kressley leading Watt, Strunk, VonDohren and Frank Cozze.
The following restart was a free-for-all, with passes being made everywhere in the order over the first several go-rounds. Buffalino was a rocket ship, passing Cozze and Strunk by the time they made it to turn 3 and then getting by CVD to assume third position all within lap 8! Meanwhile Kressley and Watt stayed side by side for that entire lap, with “Flyin Ryan” on the outside cushion as always, until Kressley was able to move ahead once again on lap 9.
VonDohren, the 2017 Small Block Modified Point Titlist at both Grandview and Big Diamond Speedways, asserted his abilities next, quickly getting back around Buffalino and pulling right up to Watt’s bumper down the backstretch on lap 10. VonDohren had his 14 in the runner-up spot by halfway, with sights now set on fellow Grandview regular Kressley ahead on the point.
“CVD” wasted no time applying pressure to the rear of Kressley, and after one strong effort to get around him went for naught, VonDohren made what would go on to be the winning move around Kressley in powerful style and was in command and pulling away on lap 16. At the same time, Buffalino moved his 51m around Watt and was eating into the distance between himself and the leaders.
Next up for Buffalino was Kressley, and he made short order of that pass and assumed the runner-up position with two-thirds of the feature in the books. He appeared to be gaining on VonDohren, but the former track champion was a wizard once both began venturing through lapped traffic and kept a steady distance between himself and second place through the remaining laps.
VonDohren would go on to grab the checkers in yet another Bridgeport modified main over his stellar career, followed by Buffalino, Kressley, Watt and Strunk. The back half of the top 10 consisted of Frank Cozze, Billy Pauch, Jr., Duane Howard, Brandon Grosso and Dillon Steuer.
Craig was unable to make the weekend sweep come to fruition, however, as he and the rest of the drivers were rained out for the Saturday modified portion of WildCard Weekend. There is no makeup date for that event. That leaves just one more modified race on the 2017 season schedule for racers and fans alike to get out and see – Brett Deyo’s Gobbler returns to Accord Speedway this Saturday afternoon, November 25 at 1pm. The 50 lap main event pays $5,500 to win and $300 to start.
