Boyertown’s Strunk wins at Bridgeport
BRIDGEPORT, N.J. » Finally, Jeff Strunk is a Short Track Super Series winner.
Strunk, of Boyertown, etched his name on the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco winner’s list on April 29 on the all-new Design for Vision/Sunglass Central three-eighths-mile oval at Bridgeport Speedway.
Driving Glenn Hyneman’s Keystone Racing No. 126 with spec smallblock power, Strunk dominated the day’s events, launching off the pole via a pre-race redraw of top qualifiers and leading all of the 40 laps.
Strunk earned $5,000 for his victory and an additional $100 from Beyea Headers for turning the day’s fastest lap in timed warm-ups.
“I’ve been trying for a long time to win one of these races,” offered Strunk, who became the 23rd different winner in 51 STSS events contested since BD Motorsports Media LLC formed the series in 2014.
“There was no junk here today. They were all good cars. Even when I was in lapped traffic I was racing cars that could win a feature any given weekend. That’s what makes this series such a challenge.”
A field of 46 STSS Modifieds signed in for the second round of the STSS South Region and the firstever series visit to the new three-eighths-mile oval at Bridgeport.
Strunk drew the pole during a fan meet and greet behind the grandstands moments before the 40-lap main reached starter Warren Alston’s green flag. Strunk immediately drew away from New York State invader Danny Creeden, who settled into second.
The first 10 laps spun off caution-free before disaster struck at the exit of turn two. Frank Cozze, who had been rim-riding on the outside lane from his sixth starting position, and Creeden met at the exit of turn two. Cozze’s No. 401 shot off the track and made contact with a tire marker, drawing the red. Initially shaken, the Wind Gap, Pa., driver walked away.
On the restart, the inside lane jammed up and caused a multi-car tangle that saw Jared Umbenhauer on his side. A second red and short cleanup ensued.
When green-flag racing resumed, Strunk again motored away from Creeden, who now felt pressure from Matt Sheppard in the Hurlock Auto & Speed No. 9s.
Sheppard ultimately cleared Creeden entering the race’s final quarter, but was more than a straightaway behind Strunk, who was negotiating lapped traffic.
The race’s final yellow flew on lap 36 for a flat tire on Creeden’s car.
Strunk knew he had company on the restart in the form of Sheppard and 10th-starter Stewart Friesen, who had dropped deep in the field early and rallied back in the Halmar International No. 44.
“I looked at the scoreboard there on that last yellow and saw two of the best right behind me,” Strunk said. “I knew I had to hit my marks and not make any mistakes just like the first 36 laps.”
Strunk is now two-fortwo on the new threeeighths-mile oval at Bridgeport.
Sheppard scored his second runner-up finish in a pair of STSS starts for the Hurlock, Md.-based Hurlock Auto & Speed Supply team. He opened the South Region at Delaware’s Georgetown Speedway in March placing runner-up to Ryan Watt.
“It’s a long ride down here to run these races,” Sheppard said. “But it makes the ride a lot easier when we keep having good runs.”
Friesen, of Sprakers, N.Y., completed the podium in third spot, followed by Sheffield, Mass., driver Andy Bachetti, who started 11th and Montgomery, N.Y., driver Anthony Perrego, who rolled off eighth in Brian Smith’s No. 44 before getting shuffled back in the early laps and recovering for fifth.
Finishing sixth through 10th, respectively, were Ryan Godown of Ringoes, N.J., who switched to a back-up spec engine car after track-run-in; Rick Laubach of Hellertown, Pa., driving Ryan Kerr’s No. 1K; Duane Howard of Oley, Pa., in the Norm Hansell-owned No. 357; Billy Pauch Jr. of Milford, N.J., who started 20th in Daniel Sommeling’s No. 51; and David Van Horn Jr. of Harmony, N.J., who rolled off 16th in Fred Vahlsing’s No. 323ov.