Port Royal, PA. August 17th, 2024. Nick Fillman, USAC ECSC
Christian Bruno of Deptford, NJ completed the clean sweep, winning both his heat race and the feature event, to score his first career Rapid Tire, Services, USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series, Presented by Capitol Renegade feature event at the “Speed Palace” of Port Royal Speedway.
Bruno, an accomplished 600cc sprint racer, has been having quite the successful season, amassing a number of wins in the 600 ranks this season, including securing the 2024 Hyper Racing 600 Speedweek Championship just a month ago. Bruno was fast all night long, and has been very strong in the 2024 season. A quick flash back to the beginning of the season saw Bruno come up just short in a fierce battle with Joey Amantea at Port Royal in April. Despite the smaller field of cars, Bruno still had to fend off heavy competition as a pair of series champions started just behind Bruno and and remained there for the feature event.
Current Series points leader Steven Drevicki ended up in the runner up position, moving by Alex Bright in the feature event. Drevicki has been having a very consistent and strong 2024 season and will again, add to his series points lead.
It was good to see Alex Bright back in the series pit area once again, his first series start since heading north with the series to the Utica-Rome Speedway in late June. Bright started second and finished third in the feature event behind the wheel of the Hummer Motorsports 20 car.
Completing the top five were drivers who are at both ends of the spectrum as far as their careers behind the wheel are concerned. Veteran Ed Aikin, who is having his best series season to date, finished in fourth. While, rookie sprint car driver, and former World of Outlaws crew member Ronald Helmick recorded his first career top five effort in fifth.
The series was scheduled to be in action today, Sunday August 18th, at Action Track USA in Kutztown, PA. Unfortunately predicted heavy afternoon thunderstorms have forced a postponement of the event to Sunday, September 8th, which coincidentally is now the series next stop before heading north to New York again to the Outlaw Speedway on the 13th!
USAC East Coast at Port Royal Results:
Heat Race (8 Laps, All Transfer): 1. 17 Christian Bruno, 2. 20 Alex Bright, 3. 22R Ronald Helmick, 4. 19 Steven Drevicki, 5. 7 Ed Aikin, 6. 64 Rich Carnathan, 7. 67 Jason Cherry, 8. 96 Lee Kauffman, 9. 83 Bruce Buckwalter Jr, 10. 5B Bobby Butler.
Feature Event (20 Laps): 1. 17 Christian Bruno, 2. 19 Steven Drevicki, 3. 20 Alex Bright, 4. 7 Ed Aikin, 5, 22R Ronald Helmick, 6. 67 Jason Cherry, 7. 64 Rich Carnathan, 8. 96 Lee Kauffman, DNS: 83 Bruce Buckwalter Jr, 5B Bobby Butler
- Nick Fillman on Aug 18, 2024
- Article Date: 8/18/2024 by Nick Fillman