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SWEDESBORO, NJ – October 10, 2026 – When the money is on the line and the pressure reaches its boiling point, Joe Toth knows exactly how to deliver!
In a breathtaking, wheel-to-wheel battle that featured multiple lead changes, heavy lapped traffic, and a dramatic late-race showdown, Joe Toth stormed to his second consecutive Harry’s U-Pull-It Sportsman Grand Nationals victory Saturday night at Bridgeport Motorsports Park!
Behind the wheel of a Hirthler Racing-prepared machine, Toth battled tooth and nail with Matt Peck before making the winning move with just four laps remaining in the 60-lap spectacular. The victory earned Toth a hefty $7,000 payday plus four Integra Racing Shocks (total $8200), while adding another prestigious Grand Nationals championship to his racing résumé.
A tremendous field of 42 Demers Heating & Cooling Sportsman Modifieds invaded the Kingdom of Speed, all chasing the glory and big money that awaited the winner of one of the division’s most anticipated events of the season. When it was all said and done, it was Toth standing in Victory Lane once again!
Friday night’s feature winner, Jimmy Wyers, appeared determined to make it a clean sweep of the weekend. After winning the six-lap Dash that established the first nine starting positions, Wyers brought the field to starter Kevin Golden’s green flag with Matt Peck alongside. Wyers immediately flexed his muscle, grabbing the early advantage and setting a blistering pace around Bridgeport’s high banks.
Behind him, Peck, Travis Hill, Kris Lilick, and Ryan Simmons battled for position as the field thundered through the opening laps. On lap nine, Peck powered past Wyers to take command. Wyers refused to surrender, fighting back to reclaim the top spot on lap 14. Just two laps later, another contender fell by the wayside when Ryan Simmons exited the event while running third.
Wyers continued to set the pace, but Peck was far from finished. On lap 28, Peck charged back into the lead, bringing the field to the halfway point collecting the $1000 award presented by Design for Vision & Sunglass Central with Wyers, Toth, Jesse Hirthler, and Travis Hill giving chase and that’s when things really started getting interesting!
As the leaders encountered heavy lapped traffic, Toth began making his presence known. On lap 31, Toth sliced past Wyers to take over second, setting his sights squarely on Peck and the $7,000 prize. With the race running caution-free through lap 48, Peck continued to lead, but Toth was lurking, waiting for his opportunity to strike. When the caution finally appeared, it set the stage for a sensational sprint to the finish.
Peck brought the field back to green with Toth, Wyers, Hill, and Hirthler all within striking distance. On lap 50, Toth made his move! The defending Grand Nationals champion powered into the lead, bringing the Bridgeport crowd to its feet as the laps began winding down but the drama was far from over!
A final caution on lap 53 erased Toth’s advantage and gave Peck one more opportunity to steal the victory and Peck took full advantage!
On the restart, Peck blasted back into the lead, seemingly turning the tables on Toth with only a handful of laps remaining. For Toth, however, second place simply wasn’t an option.
With the laps disappearing and the big money hanging in the balance, Toth dug deep and mounted one final charge. Coming down the homestretch to complete lap 56, Toth powered past Peck to reclaim the lead! This time, there would be no looking back!
Toth held his advantage through the final four circuits, charging beneath the checkered flag to capture his second straight Harry’s U-Pull-It Sportsman Grand Nationals championship!
Peck’s tremendous effort earned him the runner-up position, while Jesse Hirthler completed an outstanding evening for Hirthler Racing with a third-place finish.
Friday night’s winner, Jimmy Wyers, settled for fourth, with Travis Hill completing the top five. Ethan Bill, Brandon Watkins, Steve Kemery, Jared Labagh, and Christopher Buffalino rounded out the top ten. Steve Kemmery would collect the $500 Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Hard Charger Award.
For Toth and the entire Hirthler Racing organization, Saturday night’s victory represented much more than another trophy. It was the reward for countless hours of preparation, teamwork, and dedication. “It definitely was a hard fought race,” Toth said following the intense battle. “Kevin and Jesse and the Hirthler family put in the work to give Jesse and I a shot at the big money.” and what a night it was for the Hirthler organization!
With Toth standing in Victory Lane and Jesse Hirthler joining him on the podium in third, the team celebrated a remarkable first-and-third-place performance against one of the strongest Sportsman fields assembled at Bridgeport this season.
“My dad and I do all the work in the shop to prepare the cars,” Hirthler explained. “So putting both cars on the podium is something to be proud of.” The Toth crew was also on hand to support the winning effort.
Both drivers expressed their appreciation to Frank Cozze, Harry’s U-Pull-It, Doug Rose, and event supporters Jones Racing Products, Bert Transmissions, and Integra Racing Shocks for helping make the Grand Nationals such a special event.
For Toth, the evening ended with $7,000, four Integra Shocks, and perhaps most importantly, the satisfaction of proving once again that when it comes to the Sportsman Grand Nationals, he is the man to beat!
While the Sportsman Grand Nationals delivered a dramatic battle for the lead, J.R. Fulper had an entirely different plan in the Victory Fuel Wingless Sprint Car feature. Get out front and never look back and that’s exactly what he did!
Returning to Bridgeport for the 40-lap, $1,000-to-win showdown, Fulper took full advantage of his pole starting position, immediately jumping into the lead when the green flag waved.
From there, Fulper put on a commanding performance, setting the pace around the Kingdom of Speed’s high banks.
The race featured just one caution when David Swanson slowed along the backstretch, briefly bringing the field back together. But even a restart couldn’t slow Fulper’s charge! When racing resumed, Fulper once again asserted his dominance, maintaining control of the top spot all the way to the checkered flag.
Forty laps. One leader. One thousand dollars! Fulper’s impressive performance earned him the victory over Jonathan Swanson, with Shea Wills charging home third. Rich Mellor finished fourth, followed by Greg Shepsis in fifth.
The victory was especially satisfying for Fulper, who had come close to scoring a USAC East Coast Wingless Sprint Car victory just a few weeks earlier. This time, there would be no near miss. Fulper came to Bridgeport looking for a win and left with the money!
The Four Cylinder competitors also took their turn on the high banks, and Dale Mull made sure there would be no doubt about who had the car to beat! Mull grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag and never surrendered the position throughout the 15-lap feature.
With a strong performance from start to finish, Mull powered his way to the checkered flag to add another victory to his 2026 racing campaign. Jim Backowski crossed the line second, followed by John Parker in third. Joe Garey Jr. finished fourth, while Bri Stein completed the top five.
Another memorable night at the Kingdom of Speed with 42 Sportsman competitors battling for Grand Nationals glory, a thrilling late-race duel for $7,000, and impressive performances from the Wingless Sprint Cars and Four Cylinders, Saturday night’s program delivered another unforgettable chapter in Bridgeport Motorsports Park history.
For the fans who packed the grandstands, it was another reminder of what makes dirt track racing so special. The thunder of the engines. The side-by-side battles. The unexpected twists. And the incredible excitement of watching the outcome decided in the final laps.
For Joe Toth, it was another night of triumph. For Matt Peck, it was a heartbreaking near miss and for everyone who witnessed the action, it was exactly what they came to see!
At the Kingdom of Speed, the racing is never over until the checkered flag waves!
HARRY’S U-PULL-IT SPORTSMAN GRAND NATIONALS
RESULTS – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2026
DEMERS HEATING & COOLING SPORTSMAN FEATURE (60 LAPS)
1. Joe Toth, 2. Matt Peck, 3. Jesse Hirthler, 4. Jim Wyers, 5. Travis Hill, 6. Ethan Bill, 7. Brandon Watkins, 8. Steve Kemery, 9. Jared Labagh, 10. Christopher Buffalino, 11. Johnny Bangs, 12. Charley Cossaboone, 13. Bobby Butler, 14. Tom Moore, 15. Mike Butler, 16. Billy Chester, 17. Colin Cox, 18. Robbie Emory, 19. Ryan Anderson, 20. David Jenkins, 21. Tyler Lilick, 22. Duncan Molesworth, 23. Luke Bunting, 24. Ryan Simmons, 25. Kris Lilick, 26. P.J. Bozowski, DNQ – Matt Martino, Drew Ziegler, Justin Lilick, C.K. Keiper, Tim Borror, Aiden Spencer, J.D. Darling, Tom Carpenter, Ethan Young, Hunter Ploski, Brian Rogers, Brayden Morrison, Brad Roberts, George Gareis, Pete Serra, Tommy Klimowski
VICTORY FUEL WINGLESS SPINT A-MAIN (40 LAPS)
1. J.R. Fulper, 2. Jonathan Swanson, 3. Shea Wills, 4. Rich Mellor, 5. Greg Shepsis, 6. David Swanson, 7. Frank Frasco, 8. Andrew Hunt
FOUR CYLINDER FEATURE (15 LAPS)
1. Dale Mull, 2. Jim Backowski, 3. John Parker, 4. Joe Garey, Jr., 5. Bri Stein, 6. Rob Storms, 7. Joe Garey, Sr., DNS – Logan Mull, Dan Stein, Scott Dunn
