Inside Line Promotions – SWEDESBORO, N.J. (March 30, 2021) – Joey Amantea started off his rookie campaign behind the wheel of a 360ci winged sprint car last Saturday night at Bridgeport Speedway.
Amantea kicked off the United Racing Club event by finishing one spot shy of locking into the A Main in fifth during a heat race. He started the B Main from the third position, but a mixture of rookie mistakes and tough track conditions plagued him as he settled for seventh.
“It was a day-time surface and the track was pretty locked down to where it was tough to pass on,” he said. “Tire wear was an issue and some of it was me being a rookie, but ultimately we just struggled to really get momentum.
“Really it was about as disappointing of a debut as we could’ve had, but that’s the way it goes when you’re learning. It was nice to get the season going, but ultimately it shows I’ve got a lot to learn still.”
While short of his expectations, Amantea was happy to get some laps under his belt to start the 2021 racing season. With his focus in past years aimed toward wingless racing, he understands that the transition to winged competition will take some time and may be a struggle to begin.
“Winged racing is so much different than what I’m used to and to be honest I think it was kind of an eye opener,” he said. “It’s something I’ve got to work on. I’ve just got to be prepared to know this isn’t going to be easy all the time.”
Next up for Amantea will be a trip to Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., on Friday and a return to Bridgeport Speedway on Saturday. Both nights are with the USAC East Coast Wingless Sprints. Amantea is hoping that a return to wingless competition will help spark his season and bring his team some early season results to build on.
“I really enjoy wingless racing and I think maybe taking off the wing will help me get more comfortable and we can feed off that momentum,” he said. “We can only go upwards from our first week out and I’m almost looking at this weekend as a fresh start.”
This will be the Mt. Pocono, Pa., native’s first-ever trip to Williams Grove Speedway. While he’s seen races at the track in video and is aware of the Speedway’s history, he’s never actually visited the facility. To prepare for the challenge, Amantea has been logging laps on iRacing to gain a sense of familiarity with the unique track.
“Just being able to look at the track and getting a visual of what the track will look like behind the cockpit and such is a huge benefit as I’ve really never ran these big sprint car tracks,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going down the backstretch under the bridge and just taking in every aspect of this experience. I can’t wait to get there and see what we can do without the wing on.”
QUICK RESULTS –
March 27 – Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, N.J. – Heat race: 6 (7); B Main: 7 (3).
SEASON STATS –
1 race, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s, 0 top 15s, 0 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and Saturday at Bridgeport Speedway in Swedesboro, N.J., with the USAC East Coast Wingless Sprints
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.joeyamantearacing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joeyamantearacing/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joeyamantea88J
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – JPA Masonry
JPA Masonry, which is located in Mt. Pocono, Pa., is a trusted and experienced masonry leader in the Poconos. Although established in 2001, contractor and owner, Joseph P. Amantea (JPA), has almost 20 years of experience in the masonry field, including custom stone and design. For more information, visit http://www.JPAMasonry.com.
“JPA Masonry drives our race team,” Amantea said. “Without their support I wouldn’t be able to race. I’m very appreciative of all they do for me.”
Amantea would also like to thank Amantea Real Estate, Stinger Race Fuel Products, Hyper Racing, Jet Signs, Radical Race Gear, Pensyl Enterprises and Gilroy Northeast Inc. Excavating and Construction for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations, and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510 3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Mar 30, 2021
- Article Date: 3/30/2021 by Inside Line Promotions