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Swedesboro, NJ – The 2026 USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series opener, presented by Baer Den Farms, delivered a thrilling night of racing at Bridgeport Motorsports Park, highlighted by a masterful drive from Briggs Danner.
Jonathan Swanson led the field to green and controlled the opening seven laps of the 25-lap feature before Kenny Miller III surged from fourth to take command on lap eight.
As the race unfolded, contenders began to emerge. Danner charged forward from eighth, while defending series champion Steven Drevicki advanced from sixth, setting the stage for a high-intensity battle at the front.
A lap 12 caution for Jason Cherry reset the field, but once racing resumed, traffic quickly became a defining factor. By lap 16, Danner made his move, skillfully navigating lapped cars to take the lead from Miller in a thrilling exchange.
Danner and Miller continued their duel through heavy traffic, with Drevicki close behind, poised to capitalize on any misstep. Further back, Olivia Thayer impressed with a run from 22nd after transferring through the semi-feature, while Bruce Buckwalter Jr. maintained a solid top-10 performance despite a difficult redraw.
Up front, however, it was all Danner. Showcasing precision and control, he fended off Miller’s relentless pressure to secure the victory in the Hogue Enterprises No. 39, backed by E. Schneider & Sons and Aw Shucks Roasted Corn.
Miller finished a strong second, with Drevicki rounding out the podium in third. Brendan Hires recorded a career-best USAC finish in fourth, and Christian Bruno completed the top five in his new 3BC ride.
Ellery edges Chester in thrilling Sportsman finish. A 34-car field of Demers Heating and Cooling Sportsman Modifieds were on hand for the evenings action. Pole sitter Rob Tete lead the early laps. After an early caution, Tete built a straight a way lead by lap 5 on the ultra smooth Bridgeport surface before Christopher Buffalino Jr. and Matt Ellery charged forward from sixth and tenth, respectively.
A lap 6 restart, Buffalino would scoot under both Tete and second running Pete Serra taking over the top spot as Billy Chester started showing some strength darting from ninth place starting position . By lap 9 Chester moved into second past Ellery and set sights on Buffalino.
Buffalino running the middle, Chester working the bottom while Ellery was running the high side. Chester would take over the lead on lap 16 while Ellery took over second on lap 17.
The battle was now on for the top spot with Ellery top shelf and Chester working the bottom. Ellery worked the banking higher and higher while taking over the lead coming to the white flag. Chester was not about to give up without a full out brawl. The 11/11 hustled the bottom of 1 & 2 and pulled a nose past Ellery down the back stretch. Scorers were ready for a close finish as Ellery came down the banking and edged Chester at the line in a photo finish. Followed by Serra, Buffalino, and Jesse Hirthler.
The Street Stocks made their first points appearance of the season with new sponsor Straight Up Construction owned by Street Stock racer Mike Baldwin. Jeremy Doerr led early, but a fierce three-way battle with Spider Ensinger Jr. and Mike Baldwin defined the race.
Ensinger Jr. took the lead on lap 12 and held off Baldwin over the final circuits to claim the win. Nick Sandone III finished third.
Mod Lites put on a show! Despite a six-car field, the Mod Lites delivered an exciting performance swarming all over the high banks. Shane McCarron led the charge to victory, followed by Brayden Benson and Tim White.
The 4 Cylinder Stock Cars capped off the evening with an entertaining feature. Joe Garey Jr. led early, with Lee Allen finding himself in “the middle of a Garey sandwich” announced Speedway announcer, Tim Pitts with Joe Garey Sr. battling closely behind. Newcomer Dale Moll made a bold move to the outside, sweeping past the leaders by lap 11 to claim the win. Garey Sr. and Garey Jr. followed in second and third.
Carpenter claims Rookie Sportsman win. Earlier in the evening, Tom Carpenter earned his first career Bridgeport victory in the DA’s Auto Body Rookie Sportsman division.
INNOVATIVE MACHINING TECHNOLOGY USAC EC SPRINTS A-MAIN (25 LAPS)
1. Briggs Danner, 2. Kenny Miller, III, 3. Steven Drevicki, 4. Brenden Hires, 5. Christian Bruno, 6. Jonathan Swanson, 7. Joe Kata, 8. Tommy Kunsman, Jr., 9. Bruce Buckwalter, Jr., 10. Kyle Spence, 11. Stan Ploski, III, 12. J.R. Fulper, 13. Olivia Thayer, 14. Jared Kreider, 15. Jacob Galloway, 16. Matthew Swift, 17. Dan Malley, 18. Rich Carnathan, 19. Jason Cherry, 20. Ed Aikin, 21. Shane Braxton, 22. Ronald Hemick, 23. David Swanson, DNS – Anthony Falcone, DNQ – Joe Crilly, Heidi Hedin, Ryan Roulette, Greg Shepsis, Larry McVay, Dirk Rimrott, Patrick Chilmonik
DEMERS HEATING & COOLING SPORTSMAN A-MAIN (25 LAPS)
1. Matt Ellery, 2. Billy Chester, 3. Pete Sierra, 4. Christopher Buffalino, 5. Jesse Hirthler, 6. Ronnie Solomon, III, 7. Zane Roth, 8. Ethan Young, 9. Rob Tete, 10. Gary Bozowski, 11. Wayne Weaver, 12. Dylan Morris, 13. John Scarpati, 14. Brian Lilick, 15. Lexi Wilson, 16. Ryan Anderson, 17. Tom Carpenter, 18. Charley Cossaboone, 19. Brad Roberts, 20. Brian Rogers, 21. John Norchia, 22. J.D. Darling, 23. Mike Butler, 24. Aiden Spencer, 25. Chris Bergstrom, DNS – Ron Solomon, Sr., Drew Ziegler, Matt Blakeslee, Brayden Morrison, Sarah Lynn, Nico Perolli, Dick Keiper.
D.A. AUTO BODY AND REPAIR ROOKIE FEATURE (7 LAPS)
1. Tom Carpenter, 2. Tyler Lilick, 3. Brayden Morrison, 4. Drew Ziegler, 5. Billy Interrante, 6. Matt Blakeslee, 7. J.D. Darling, 8. Sarah Lynn, 9. Randy Rommell
DNS – Dick Keiper, Nico Peorelli
STRAIGHTUP CONSTRUCTION STREET STOCKS A-MAIN (15 LAPS)
1. Spider Ensinger, Sr., 2. Mike Baldwin, 3. Nick Sandone, III, 4. Spider Ensinger, Sr., 5. Gary Klimeczak, 6. Jeramy Doerr, 7. Scott Freed, DNS – Nick Killmer, Kenny Chance.
FOUR CYLINDER A-MAIN (15 LAPS)
1. Dale Mull, 2. Joe Garey, Sr., 3. Joe Garey, Jr. 4. Jim Backowski, 5. Robbie Steinmetz, 6. Lee Allen, 7. John Parker
MODIFIED LITES A-MAIN (15 LAPS)
1. Shane McCarron, 2. Brayden Benson, 3. Tim White, 4. Brandon Sturgis, 5. Angel Rivera, 6. Ryan McKinney
