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SWEDESBORO, NJ — Rick Lafferty knows how to get it done at Bridgeport Motorsports Park and on Night #1 of the Ron Faison Memorial Sprint Car Nationals, he waited until the final turn of the final lap to do it!
In a heart-stopping finish on the High Banks, Lafferty chased down race-long leader Eddie Wagner and made his move when it mattered most, charging underneath Wagner on the final circuit and powering out of turn four to steal the victory at the checkered flag!
Wagner had led every lap but the one that counted most. For Lafferty, the dramatic victory continued his success in one of Bridgeport’s biggest Sprint Car events after also capturing the 2025 edition of the race.
D.J. Tanner and Wagner led the DCB Plumbing & Heating Mid-Atlantic 305 Sprint Cars to the green, with Wagner immediately blasting to the lead. Wagner paced Tanner, Troy Betts, Jared Kreider and Lafferty during the early going as the field went to work around the High Banks.
Lafferty began his march forward on lap seven, taking fourth from Kreider. He moved into third on lap 14 with a pass of Betts, but Wagner remained firmly in command at the front.
Then came the break Lafferty needed.
A lap 17 caution erased Wagner’s advantage and stacked the field for the restart. Lafferty wasted no time, taking second from Tanner on lap 18 and setting his sights squarely on Wagner.
The chase was on! With two laps remaining, Lafferty had closed to Wagner’s back bumper. Wagner took the white flag with Lafferty looking to the inside, setting up a one-lap shootout that brought the Bridgeport crowd to its feet.
Wagner fought to hold the lead. Lafferty kept digging. They charged through turns three and four for the final time, and Lafferty made the move stick, surging ahead coming off turn four and winning the drag race to the checkered!
One lap. One final corner. One unforgettable finish. Wagner was forced to settle for a heartbreaking second after leading all but the final lap. Tanner finished third, followed by Jared Kreider and current point leader Troy Betts. Tim Iulg, George Loux, Aidan Borden, Chris Dolan and Dan Leaper rounded out the top ten.
Christopher Buffalino made his first season of competition on the Bridgeport High Banks even more memorable with an impressive victory in the Demers Heating & Cooling Sportsman event.
Buffalino and Tyler Lilick brought the field to green, and Buffalino immediately took command. He began stretching his advantage while Lilick, P.J. Bozowski, Charley Cossaboone and Mike Hughes Jr. battled behind him.
Bozowski worked his way into second on lap 17, with Cossaboone taking third from Lilick one circuit later. Bob Lineman Jr. moved past Hughes for fifth during the closing laps.
But nobody had anything for Buffalino.
At the checkered flag, Buffalino crossed the line an impressive 6 seconds ahead of Bozowski. Cossaboone finished third, followed by Lilick and Lineman. Hughes, Bryan Rhoads, John Norcia, Billy Chester and Tom Carpenter completed the top ten.
The Speedway Entertainment All Star and Junior Slingshots shared the Sprint Car Nationals spotlight with racing on Bridgeport’s quarter-mile, and Charlie Moore put on a show in the All Star feature.
Nick Tomlinson jumped to the early lead while Colton Lineman held second over Amanda Angstadt, Hannah Kormann and Tyler O’Neill.
After a lap-four incident eliminated several contenders, Moore went to work and he came from the 14th starting position to take the lead by the completion of lap five! Kormann followed Moore through to take second, and the two raced to the checkered with Kormann right on Moore’s back bumper.
Moore held on to score his second consecutive victory, with Kormann second. Tomlinson, Matthew Lashley and Noah Hosking completed the top five.
David Morrison wasted no time establishing himself as the driver to beat in the Junior Slingshots. Morrison grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and never gave it back, leading the entire distance to add another Bridgeport victory to his résumé.
Khloe Dennis finished second, followed by Kylin Evans, Kenna Evans and Danny Kurtz. Keegan Scott, Austin Whitby, Jack Brey, Pierce Wisenberger and Casey Peck completed the top ten.
Night #1 delivered exactly what fans have come to expect from the Ron Faison Memorial Sprint Car Nationals speed, passing, drama and a finish that wasn’t decided until the final few feet. With Lafferty’s last-turn charge setting the tone, the Sprint Car Nationals are already off to a wild start at the Kingdom of Speed!
RESULTS – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026
RON FAISON MEMORIAL SPRINT CAR NATIONALS NIGHT #1
DCB PLUMBING & HEATING MID-ATLANTIC SPRINT SERIES A-MAIN (25 LAPS)
1. Rick Lafferty, 2. Eddie Wagner, 3. D.J. Tanner, 4. Jared Kreider, 5. Troy Betts, 6. Tim Iulg, 7. George Loux, 8. Aiden Borden, 9. Chris Dolan, 10. Dan Leaper, 11. Michael Shea, 12. Cody West, 13. Dave Brown, 14. Derrek Treece, 15. Mark Bitner, 16. Kurt Rainey, 17. Dirk Rimrott, 18. Andrew Turpin, 19. Adam Carberry, 20. Tyler Grau, 21. Zach Fields, 22. Shelby Kelly, 23. Matt McAnally, 24. Josh Bricker
DEMERS HEATING & COOLING SPORTSMAN NON-WINNERS (20 LAPS)
1. Christopher Buffalino, 2. P.J. Bozowski, 3. Charley Cossaboone, 4. Tyler Lilick,
5. Bob Lineman, Jr., 6. Mike Hughes, Jr., 7. Bryan Rhoads, 8. John Norcia, 9. Billy Chester, 10. Tom Carpenter, 11. Lexi Wilson, 12. Dylan Morris
SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT ALL STAR SLINGSHOT A-MAIN (20 LAPS)
1. Charlie Moore, 2. Hannah Kormann, 3. Nick Tomlinson, 4. Matthew Lashley, 5. Noah Hosking, 6. Carl Taylor, 7. Joey Torchia, 8. John Kohler, 9. Mike Walsh, 10. Colton Lineman, 11. Amanda Angstadt, 12. Tyler O’Neill, 13. Emily Suhr, 14. Mason Lineman, DNS – Jason Kohler, Logan Walton
SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT JUNIOR SLINGSHOT A-MAIN (15 LAPS)
1. David Morrison, 2. Khloe Dennis, 3. Kylin Evans, 4. Kenna Evans, 5. Danny Kurtz, 6. Keegan Scott, 7. Austin Whitby, 8. Jack Brey, 9. Pierce Weinberger, 10. Kasey Peck, 11. Danica Degutis, 12. Angel Whitby, 13. Lucas Samanns, 14. Danica Weinberger, 15. Luke Whitby, 16. Liv Torchia
