By Kurt Bettler
New Egypt, New Jersey (August 9, 2025)………For the first time since 2020, the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars returned to New Jersey’s New Egypt Speedway, and both the weather and the racing were picture perfect.
A strong field of 24 USAC Innovative Machining Technology East Coast Sprint Cars rolled through the gates, marking the best car count of 2025 for the growing class.
Heat race wins went to Kenny Miller III, Briggs Danner, and Alex Bright who was making his first start of the 2025 season while Kyle Spence claimed the Semi-Feature.
The stage was set for the E. Schneider & Sons Summer Showdown, a 25-lap non-stop feature that promised high speed drama. All eyes were on Briggs Danner who was chasing a $1,000 weekend sweep bonus after winning the night before at Big Diamond. Starting ninth, the odds were stacked, but the fans knew they were in for a show.
E. Schneider & Sons was a huge contributor to the weekend. The scrapping business added an extra $100 to every starting envelope, raising the stage for the entire weekend.
Old Bridge, New Jersey’s Chris Allen Jr. drew the pole with Kenny Miller III making his first career start at New Egypt alongside. At the drop of the green, Allen charged ahead, setting a torrid early pace. Bright rocketed from sixth to third on lap one, and by lap three, Alex Bright slipped past Miller for second. Danner cracked the top seven by lap five, while by lap 10, Steven Drevicki had surged from 14th to ninth in his bid for back-to-back Hard Charger honors.
By lap 12, Bright had caught Allen and was all over the leader’s tail tank. Trouble struck on lap 13 when the Rodota Trucking No. 20 pulled in with engine issues, but the action at the front was heating up. With traffic coming into play in the final seven laps, the leaders were nose-to-tail.
With three laps to go, Danner tried another daring third to first move, but lapped traffic blocked his path. That’s when Miller made his move, threading the needle under a lapped car off turn two to draw even with Allen. This had all the ingredients to be an absolute thriller, and it was. A deep slide job into turn three gave Miller the lead with three laps remaining, and from there, he never looked back. The crowd was on their feet in complete satisfaction with the show.
Miller claimed his second win of the 2025 season, and first ever New Egypt triumph, in a wire-to-wire green flag feature with Allen settling for a hard fought second place result and Danner rounding out the podium in third.
“I found my entry into one by mistake, I think,” Miller said. “I got my doors blown down early by Bright and knew I needed to move around. Once I got to second and traffic came, I knew I had a shot. We split the lapped car, and when Chris moved up, I took the opportunity given.”
Also, during the drivers meeting, there was a great gesture to a new and upcoming competitor. Ed Aikin , series president, arranged a parts giveaway to Greg Shepsis, who is brand new to the racing world. Shepsis joined the East Coast tour at Bridgeport after a rain out at his home track and quickly became family to the series. Shepsis, who is just starting out, had limited equipment, and thanks to this gesture, Shepsis can travel more and have better tooling and equipment. Look towards a video and press release about this awesome movement later this week.
USAC IMT EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY BAER DEN FARMS RACE RESULTS: August 9, 2025 – New Egypt Speedway – New Egypt, New Jersey
BDB GRAPHICS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kenny Miller III (#23m Miller); 2. Tommy Kunsman (#21K Kunsman); 3. Joe Kata (#10 Kata); 4. Bruce Buckwalter Jr. (#83 Buckwalter); 5. Patrick Chilmonik (#1 Chilmonik); 6. Brendan Hires (#2 Hires); 7. Heidi Hedin (#3H Hedin); 8. Blaine Emery (#35 Thomas). 2:29.450
E. SCHNEIDER & SONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Alex Bright (#20 Hummer); 2. Chris Allen Jr. (#71 Allen); 3. Bobby Butler (#5B Butler); 4. Mark Bitner (#15 Bitner); 5. Steven Drevicki (#19 Drevicki); 6. Kyle Spence (#42 Fraker); 7. Mike Haggenbottom (#51 Kelly); 8. Ron Pavia (#83p Pavia). 2:33.898
BOULEVARD TRUCK REPAIR THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Briggs Danner (#39 Hogue); 2. Ed Aikin (#7 Aikin); 3. Stan Ploski III (#27 Ploski); 4. Ronald Helmick (#22R Helmick); 5. Mick D’Agostino (#91D D’Agostino); 6. Joey Crilly (#22J Crilly); 7. Jason Cherry (#67 Cherry); 8. Greg Shepsis (#75 Shepsis). 2:34.595
SEMI: (8 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Kyle Spence, 2. Joey Crilly, 3. Mike Haggenbottom, 4. Ron Pavia, 5. Heidi Hedin, 6. Jason Cherry, 7. Greg Shepsis, 8. Brendan Hires, 9. Blaine Emery. 2:39.652
E. SCHNEIDER & SONS SCRAP FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kenny Miller III (2); 2. Chris Allen Jr. (1); 3. Briggs Danner (9); 4. Bobby Butler (4); 5. Joe Kata (5); 6. Steven Drevicki (14); 7. Tommy Kunsman (7); 8. Kyle Spence (16); 9. Mark Bitner (11); 10. Ed Aikin (8); 11. Ronald Helmick (12); 12. Mick D’Agostino (15); 13. Stan Ploski III (3); 14. Mike Haggenbottom (18); 15. Joey Crilly (17); 16. Heidi Hedin (20); 17. Patrick Chilmonik (13); 18. Ron Pavia (19); 19. Alex Bright (6); 20. Bruce Buckwalter Jr. (10). 7:54.859
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-22 Chris Allen Jr., Laps 23-25 Kenny Miller III.
USAC IMT EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY BAER DEN FARMS POINTS: 1-Steven Drevicki-576, 2-Ed Aikin-502, 3-Kenny Miller III-443, 4-Bobby Butler-401, 5-Ronald Helmick-389, 6-Chris Allen Jr.-369, 7-Jason Cherry-348, 8-Christian Bruno-292, 9-Mike Haggenbottom-261, 10-Kyle Spence-226.
NEXT USAC IMT EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY BAER DEN FARMS RACE: August 17, 2025 – Action Track USA – Kutztown, Pennsylvania
CONTINGENCY AWARDS:
E. Schneider & Sons Recycling: $100 bonus to all the starters for this weekend
Bitner Automotive Fast Time: Alex Bright (17.882)
JW Home Improvements Highest Crate or 305: Stan Polski III
C & C Landscaping Hard Charger: Steven Drevicki (14th to 6th)
JPA Racing Products Hard Luck Award: Alex Bright
Hoosier Tire Poker Chip Winner: Mick D’Agostino