Local Preview: Bridgeport Motorsports Park

Bridgeport Motorsports park is a track near and dear to my heart. It’s the dirt track I grew up at, celebrated birthdays at, and where I fell in love with dirt racing. Last season, Bridgeport took the steps to improve their track surface in an attempt to reduce tire wear and produce great racing. It was a financial risk, one that many track owners and promoters wouldn’t take. Unfortunately, the new surface just didn’t work out, and instead of leaving it in place, the track worked tirelessly to remove the new dirt and provide a better experience for the drivers and the fans.

In addition to the focus that Doug Rose has in terms of growing Bridgeport, he and his team have taken the steps to hold more sprint car races on top of the weekly modified and sportsman action. Rose created the “Invasion of the Posse” 410 sprint car event a few years ago, and the track will hold it once again in 2024. This year, it will pay $7,500 to win and $700 to start. You can expect some PA Posse stars to be in attendance, as well as New Jersey 410 standout, Kyle Reinhardt, who won the most recent 410 race at Bridgeport.

While it was disappointing to hear about High Limit and the World of Outlaws being absent from Bridgeport’s schedule, it is important to remember how much goes on behind the scenes when scheduling these events. A lot of financial responsibility falls on the track and with the sprint car landscape going through a drastic transformation, you can’t argue with the decision to leave it off the schedule.

In 2024, Bridgeport will hold multiple events for the USAC East Coast sprints, as well as a USAC National event on June 12. These are the events that you want to circle on your calendar, as one of the best USAC races I have ever seen took place at Bridgeport in 2022. They will still host plenty of MASS 305 sprint car races, URC 360 races and NEWS wingless sprints.

But enough of the sprint cars, let’s get back to the grassroots racing that Bridgeport is historically known for. In 2024, the track will host multiple modified races paying $4000 or more to win. The season kicks off with a bang on March 22 and 23 with the Doug Hoffman Memorial, paying the winner $6,060 to win. Other major events include the Doug Olsen Memorial, the Memorial Day Spectacular, the Short Track Super Series, and the Danny Serrano weekend.

In a dirt racing world where payouts and rising costs are constantly being discussed, it is evident that Bridgeport is doing what they can to support the racers. Weekly tracks like Bridgeport are an essential part of dirt racing and the only way that they will be successful is if they put fans in the stands and cars in the pits. The impressive schedule, recent facility upgrades and the attempts to bring new series and events to the track should not go unnoticed. The same can not be said about many weekly tracks around the county.

Last season, Delaware ace Jordan Watson captured the Modified track championship. Watson only found victory lane one time, but consistency proved to be the key factor in the championship battle. Jojo Watson, Duane Howard, Neal Williams and HJ Bunting were all within 22 points of each other in the battle for second through fifth. It was one of the closer championships in recent seasons at Bridgeport.

While Duane Howard won’t be returning to weekly action in 2024, young guns Matt Stangle and Ryan Krachun will be adding their names to the list of track regulars. Billy Pauch Jr will be returning to the Kingdom of Speed for another go at winning the title. They will all hope to dethrone Watson and win a championship of their own.

Cale Ross, Neal Williams, HJ Bunting, and Jojo Watson all won multiple races last season, showing how competitive the weekly field is and how close the points championship could be again.

The season begins at Bridgeport with open practice on March 16. The following week the pits and grandstands will be packed for the Doug Hoffman Memorial. Click here to see the full 2024 schedule. If you can’t be there in person, you can catch the action on Dirt Track Digest.