TSRS Race Report

.
.
.
.
.
WAGNER BECOMES FIRST TSRS REPEAT WINNER OF 2015 AT BRIDGEPORT SPEEDWAY

Bridgeport, NJ .......Eddie Wagner became the first repeat winner of the Tri State Racesaver Series 2015 season doubling victories at Bridgeport Speedway Friday Night. Wagner’s first win of the season was on May 9th, when TSRS last visited the South Jersey ⅝ mile, and it was also the first feature completed since that night, making Eddie a back-to-back victor.  Wagner once again fought three time TSRS champion Mike Haggenbottom off for the victory, with Stefanie Palmai, Dave Brown and Jeff Geiges completing the top five.
There were twenty-four TSRS sprints on the roster for Friday’s race, with three heat race victories going to Dave Brown, Tommy Carberry and Mike Haggenbottom.

#99 Stefanie Palmai #70 Eddie Wagner (WoS photo)

With the magic invert number being eleven, Stefanie Palmai of Allentown, NJ and Eddie Wagner would hold the pole positions.  Palmai jumped to the commanding spot when the green flag waved and she held a strong lead on Wagner going down the backstretch on lap one.  Chris Allen would advance two positions by lap two, having started fifth and was now up to third followed by Tim Tanner and Brad Franks.  By lap five, the top five cars were now spread apart with Palmai holding a half a straightaway lead on Wagner.   Mike Haggenbottom, known to always make the race interesting, was advancing quickly from his ninth starting spot and was now sitting in fourth place.  As the halfway point approached on lap ten, lapped traffic was now in the sights of the leader Palmai, who was maintaining her strong lead over Wagner, Allen, Haggenbottom and Dave Brown, who also advanced five positions from his tenth place starting spot.  
“As I reached lapped traffic, all I was thinking about was maintaining a smooth line and keeping the car as straight as possible.  I was trying to read the slower cars in front of me, so that I could see which way they were going, hoping that I could get around them as fast as I could.  It’s all about keeping your momentum at Bridgeport, so my main job was keeping my line smooth and fast,” said Palmai about her lead and approaching lapped traffic.  
The first caution of the night was on lap ten, when Zack Burd spun his number 5Z in turn four.  
On the restart, it was Palmai, Wagner, Allen, Haggenbottom and Brown occupying the top five.  Eddie Wagner went for the lead going down the front stretch and into turn one, with Stefanie determined to retain her position, entering high into the first turn alongside Wagner.  Exiting the corner, it was Palmai and Wagner drag racing down the backstretch with Wagner ultimately taking command of the front running spot leaving turn four on lap eleven.  
On lap twelve, the second caution came out for the number 0 of Harris Kohen. Kohen’s car caught fire due to a hole being put in his oil filter.  Kohen was unhurt and exited his car safely.
Wagner led the field to the green, with Haggenbottom lurking closely behind in third.  Haggenbottom took second from Palmai and began working on the number 70 for the lead.  Mike went to the top of turns three and four in an attempt to advance, but with Eddie holding a strong line coming off the corners low, the 24 car was unable to make the pass. With Wagner running a hard race against the three-time champion, both lanes of the speedway were being used consistently, but the low side seemed to be the quickest way around that night.  
“I had a hard time coming off the fourth turn, because it started to slick off, and Eddie was running the bottom, so low to where I couldn’t get under him,” Haggenbottom explains.  “With the top going away, I tried everything I could, but it didn’t work out.  I’d like to thank my crew, Mach 1 and Speed Equipment Corp. for giving me a good car every week”.  
 On lap fourteen, Zack Burd spun again in turn four, bringing out the third and last caution of the night.  
With the final laps of the feature dwindling down, Wagner restarted the race on lap fourteen.  This time, the AC Racing number 70 held the lead, and began to pull some car lengths on Haggenbottom, making it clear that tonight was once again going to be Wagner’s night.  With a half a straightaway lead and no sign of any challenge, Eddie Wagner took the checkered flag, followed by Mike Haggenbottom, Stefanie Palmai, Dave Brown and Jeff Geiges.  Rounding out the top ten was Chris Allen, Tommy Carberry, Ryan Stillwaggon, Joe Lord, and Brad Franks.            
“It’s a lot less nerve racking trying to pass on the last lap, then trying to hold your lead,” says Wagner, who won his last feature after a final lap exchange for the lead over Dave Brown.  “I heard Mike, I knew he was close, and after I took the lead from Stef, I heard him for like three laps, and I knew he was there.  After that last caution, I just told myself that I was going to drive the car as hard as I could, and if I slipped up and he got by me, it was going to be the end.  I made the track as wide as I could, and I just hit my marks.  I moved up the straight away, to take his wing speed away, and just did all I could to make it into victory lane.”
Wagner, who has had multiple heart breaking finishes in past years at Bridgeport Speedway explained that the track has grown to be one of his favorites to race.  “This place has a little spot in my heart because my family helped build it back in the day.  We were actually really bad here when we first started running on the big track, but over the years, we found something.  Now Bridgeport is by far my favorite place to run”.  
The Tri-State Racesaver Series continues their double header weekend this Sunday at Grandview Speedway for the first time in affiliation with Bob Miller’s “Thunder on the Hill” Series. The TSRS 305 Sprint Cars will run a feature only format, with the top twenty five cars in points attending the invitation only event.  Also on the card are 358 Modifieds, ARDC midgets, Sportsman and Legend cars.  The main grandstand gates open at 5:00pm, and racing begins at 7:30.  Adult admission is $20, ages 6-11 get in for $10, and children under the age of 10 get in for FREE!  
For more information, visit our website www.tsrs1.com or our facebook page to get the lastest details on upcoming events.

FEATURE: Eddie Wagner, Mike Haggenbottom, Stef Palmai, Dave Brown, Jeff Geiges, Chris Allen, Tommy Carberry, Ryan Stillwaggon, Joe Lord, Brad Franks, Bryant Davis, Tim Tanner, Keith Anderson, Randy Wilbert, Pat U’Selis, Zack Burd, Harris Kohen, Karl Fryer, Samantha Lieberman, John Barnett, Adam Carberry
DNS - David Bonner, Brendon Poff
HARD CHARGER - Mike Haggenbottom (+7)
FAST TIME - Stefanie Palmai - 20.368