BRADFORD, VT – Midseason Championship double points Shirley & Mickey Bruleigh Memorial night afforded a packed house plenty of racing excitement with competitors duking it out for the top points. It I hard to believe that this event marked the half way point to the season, but rest assured there is still plenty of edge of your seat racing available for the fans with the points battles starting to take shape and eager drivers looking for their first win of the season.
The DIRTcar Bond Auto Parts took to the track for 50 laps of competition and Tim Tucker got the jump early to lead the first quarter of the race. By lap twelve Richie Simmons had worked his way from twelfth taking advantage of several early cautions to take the lead from Tucker. It was all Simmons and Tucker for the next eleven laps until Adam Pierson having made his way to the front, taking advantage of several cautions on lap twenty three. Simmons would fall one more spot to Josh Sunn who claimed the second spot with two laps to go. When the checkers waved it was Pierson for the win with Sunn and Simmons completing the victory lane podium. Robert Tucker and Jason Gray completed the top five.
Having not raced last week the drivers were itchy for competition in the DIRTcar Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupes when they hit the track for the 35 lap main event. Several cautions would slow the pace of this event as well giving some of the veterans a chance to make their way to the front of the pack. Todd Hayward enjoyed the lead early falling prey to Tim Hodge on lap fourteen. Hodge held on to the point until lap twenty when Matt Ellsworth said move on over it is my turn to rule. Ellsworth held on for his first win of the season, with Bob Shepard and Tim Hodge joining him in victory lane. Melvin Pierson and Earl Maxham made their ways from deep in the field to complete the top five.
In the USAC DMA Midgets it was Manafort versus Matczak as these two dominate teams by lap fourteen had knocked off all the competition to do battle for the top three spots. Pierson was not to be denied yet another win for his record book holding off the hard fought charges of Derek Graham in only this third appearance in a Midget. Pierson’s team mate Josh Sunn came home in third with Graham’s team mate Kevin Chaffed coming home in fourth. Scott Holcomb from the Miller Stable completed the top five.
In the Crazy Ed’s Limited Late Models it was craziness once again for the field. When the checkers waived James Fadden edged out Matt Lashua for the win with Erick Lange coming home in third.
Mike Ryan was finally able to make his way back to the top in the Weglarz Property Service/F.M.S. Auto Parts Four Cylinders. With a short field of cars Ryan made his way and took the point from Sean Perron on lap eight. On his shirt tails was Matt Boucher who fell back mid-way thru the race but was able to climb back to third finishing behind the rookie Justin Severance. Perron held on for fourth with Jim Durkee taking fifth.