Luck Was On The Side Of Jeff Strunk & Tommy Collins Sunday Night At Bridgeport

Column By: DYLAN FRIEBEL / RPW – SWEDESBORO, NJ – Would you rather be lucky or good? Sometimes it’s better to be both. Jeff Strunk and Tommy Collins both found that out last night at Bridgeport Speedway’s new 3/8th mile track.

The 40-lap feature Short Track Super Series South event saw Strunk and Rick Laubach take the green on the front row. By lap 10, Strunk had pulled away from them second place runner Danny Creeden and caught the back of the field. That was when Creeden and Frank Cozze got together on the backstretch, sending Cozze down the banking, hitting a yuke tire on the outer 5/8th track and ending his night.

On the restart, the inside row did not fire and it caused a pileup with the 1H of Jared Umbenhauer ending up on his side. It also put an end to Billy Decker’s evening.

Early in the event, it looked as if Andy Bachetti, the driver from Sheffield, MA, was on the move as he went from 11th to sixth in 10 short laps. He made another quick move and got to fourth on the ensuing restart. While Bachetit was heading towards, the front, Sprakers, NY’s Stewart Friesen was also on the charge, and took the fourth spot on lap 19 after starting tenth.

A long green flag run ensued and by lap 31, Strunk had opened up a half track lead over second place runner Matt Sheppard. Just five laps later, the caution flew and stacked the field back up. However, Sheppard had nothing for the Weaknecht Archery #126 on the final restart and pulled way to win his first Short Track Super Series win of 2018.

“It’s nice to finally win one of these,” Strunk said. “We’ve been trying for a while. We came last week and raced to be ready for tonight. We used the same setup, tweaked it a little, and it worked good.’

Strunk couldn’t have been happier with how his night went.

“We had a great Teo Pro Car tonight,” he said. “We held off two of the best in the business and it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Lap traffic was almost the game changer for Strunk, who knew he had to make the right passes in order to win.

“We had to pick them off one-by-one when I was in traffic,” he said. Every one of them are good cars and aren’t just your normal 24th-place car you’re trying to pass. On the last restart, I could hear Matt (Sheppard), but knew I just had to hit my marks and be smooth”

When asked how he liked the new track at the facility, Jeff was more than pleased.

“I love the new track here,” he said. “You know it helps to like it more when you win, but I like what they’re doing with it. It’s a blast.

Strunk was very appreciative for the opportunity he has with his team.

“I can’t thank my car owners and all my sponsors enough for allowing me to keep doing this,” he said. “This is a lot of fun, man.”

In the companion Sportsman feature event, Tommy Collins also started on the pole of the 20-lap event and jumped out to a full straightaway lead by lap five. That’s when a caution flew and tightened everyone back up.

On the next restart, there was a pileup in turn one which caused a red flag and one of three cautions that flew between laps five and seven.

When racing resumed, seventh place starter Corey Cormier was on the move, and fast, already up to the fourth spot. He took second on lap 12 and tried to run down Collins, but time just ran out on the 20-lap feature.

“We tried hard to get up there and race with Tommy.” Cormier said. “It would have been awesome to race with him for the lead. He’s one of the nicest guys in the pits and races you clean all the time. However we will take a second and look forward to the next race.”

Tommy Collins, however, had a rocket ship of a race car.

“We had an amazing car right out of the box tonight,” Collins said. “It feels great to come down here with this strong of a field and win it. It’s what we come down fo and what will make the four-hour ride home that much better.”

Collins went to one of the best drivers at the track Sunday night for some help, and obviously, it worked.

“We got some advice from Ryan (Watt) on ideas to run and went from there,” he said. “It helped us a lot.”

He also had high praise for the new 3/8-mile portion of the the Bridgeport facility.

“This new track is awesome,” he said. “It was slick coming off turn two, so you had to feather the gas, but it still had plenty of bite for us. It’s a fun track to race on and I love what they’re doing down here.”

As always, there’s people a lot of people behind the scenes and on the #713 team, Collins was quick to give credit.

“I have to first thank my family, friends, car owners (J&J Racing), all the sponsors on the car,” he said. “Elite Etching, Dylan Friebel Photography, Bicknell, Henry’s Exhaust, Plantation Bar and Grill, Fastline Shocks, Excalibur Bar and Grill, Boltworks Tactical Firearms. Every one of them play a part in this and again and it’s amazing. I also have to thank my family for putting up with this. We are all happy to put our car in victory lane tonight and to be having such a great start to the season.”

Both Jeff Strunk and Tommy Collins found out what it means to be “lucky and good” on a Sunday night. Bridgeport Speedway will be back in action on the 5/8th mile big track for their point season opener on Saturday May 5th starting at 4:30pm.

‘SOUTH JERSEY SHOOTOUT’ RESULTS SUMMARY – BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY APRIL 29, 2018

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Velocita-USA South Region Event No. 2 Modified Feature Finish (40 laps): JEFF STRUNK, Matt Sheppard, Stewart Friesen, Andy Bachetti, Anthony Perrego, Ryan Godown, Rick Laubach, Duane Howard, Billy Pauch Jr., David Van Horn Jr., Ryan Watt, Brian Krummel, Craig Von Dohren, Mike Gular, Danny Creeden, Jimmy Horton, Danny Bouc, Neal Williams, Dillon Steuer, Matt Stangle, Brett Kressley, Joseph Watson, Dave Hunt, Frank Cozze, Richie Pratt Jr., Billy Pauch Sr., Jared Umbenhauer, Billy Decker.

Did Not Qualify: Rocco Infante, Jim Britt, Ryan Krachun, Doug Manmiller, Tyler Boniface, Michael White, Kevin Vaclavicek, Wade Hendrickson, Chris Grbac, Tommy Beamer, Justin Grim, Ron Roberts, Steve Young, Jordan Watson, Bob Sarkisian, Roger Manning, Brandon Grosso, Sam Martz.

Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco South Region Crate 602 Sportsman Event No. 2 Feature Finish (20 laps): TOM COLLINS, Corey Cormier, Rick Wegner Jr., Dylan Swinehart, Scott Kohler, Jim Housworth, Stephen Kemery, Tommy Scheetz, Sammy Martz Jr., Adam McAuliffe, Seth Spayd, Frank Dorry, Eric Kormann, Joe Toth, Jeremy Harrington, Brad Roberts, David Crossman, Bobby DeLeon, Connor Otten, Andrew Kreis, David Schilling, Shayne Spoonhower, Tom Moore Jr., Parker Guldin, Ryan Simmons, Dan Fleming, Wayne Weaver, Joseph Brown.

Did Not Qualify: John Criscione, Thomas Sherby, Alonzo Morales, Pete Serra, Kevin Borden, Adam White, Chris Brennan, Jim Gallagher Jr., Tom Princiotta.

Outlaw Stock Feature Finish (15 laps): JERAMY DOERR, Tom Wills Jr., Spider Ensinger, Mike Creamer, Billy Wroble, Lee Allen, Brian Ludwig, Gary Klimeczek, Keith McKinley, Rich Stanton, David Kramer, Scott Hulmes.