MYRACENEWS.COM
Baldwin-Evans-Jarzombek Memorial 77 Rained Out.
Thunder showers and rain that rolled across the area force the cancellation of the Baldwin-Evans-Jarzombek Memorial 77 at Riverhead Raceway, along with the rest of the evening's show. If rescheduled, we'll have the information here.
Get well soon wishes go out to Figure-8 driver Ralph Tasso, who suffered a heart attack yesterday.
07/11/2010 UPDATE: The 77 lap Baldwin-Evans- Jarzombek Memorial race is rescheduled for July 17th, it's originally scheduled date. The Late Models are dropped from that show and moved back 1 week to July 24th. The Chargers are also off the card, with an additional date to be announced for them later. WMT drivers originally scheduled to attend the July 10th date will be at a WMT race that day and likely will have to skip this event. The Grand Enduro race scheduled for July 10th is also moved to July 17th. The 8 Cylinder Enduro originally scheduled has also been moved back a week to 07/24. (From Bob Finan's post on Facebook)
07/12/2010 UPDATE: At the request if INEX, the Legends will be off this weekend, 7/17, and the Chargers will be added to the program at Riverhead Raceway. Stay tuned for further developments!
Modified Highlights 07-03-2010
Another great highlight video from "LaFilms". Thank you Steve, great job!
Fireworks and Racing: Fourth of July Favorites
The above videos are provided to us courtesy of Steve "LaFilms" LaFountaine. We can't thank him enough for all his help in sending these. He does a great job! Steve can provide videos of the full nights action, so contact him if you want to purchase a copy.
Riverhead Raceway’s annual 4th of July Celebration took place last night, featuring the 50 lap Cromarty Cup race for the Modifieds in front of a packed house of delighted fans. Also on the program were a 6 Cylinder Enduro, a Skid Plate race, and to end the night, a full sized Demolition Derby. The Modified’s ran time trials to qualify, with Chuck Steuer putting down a lap of 11.766 seconds, besting John Fortin and Bill Park, who both turned 11.930 laps during their runs. The redraw saw Chuck Steuer pick the pole, so his night was perfect up to that point. On to the racing stories..
The Blunderbusts rolled onto the speedway for the first event of the night, with Fred Nolan and Scott Sepe on the front row. When the green flag flew, Nolan nosed out front, getting help from behind from Rob Bader, as he pushed by to battle Sepe for 2nd, and as Sepe dropped back, Ray Shannon and Kevin Rommeney moved by to takeover 3rd and 4th, with Paul Parisi moving up to 5th. Nolan built a comfortable 2 car lead, but coming into turns 1 & 2 a lap later, Nolan spun on his own, handing the lead to Rob Bader. Nolan recovered to rejoin the race, but on lap 5, he apparently spilled some type of fluid in turn 3, and yellow flew as the field entered the turn, with Tom Pickerell and Bill Portney ending up into the 3rd turn wall. Neither would return to the race. When the green flew once more, Bader held the lead, as K. Rommeney moved up to challenge Shannon for 2nd, with K. Rommeney taking the spot as Bill Wegmann moved by Shannon to take the 3rd spot. Tim Mulqueen was able to shuffle Parisi back to 6th as he took over 5th spot, as Bader opened up a 4 car length lead up front. Bader stretched that to an 8 car length margin by lap 10, as the action behind him heated up. Wegmann successfully took 2nd from K. Rommeney on lap 10, as Tommy Walkowiak had worked his way up to 5th, with Terry Stiles up to 6th from his 19th starting spot. Walkowiak quickly challenged Shannon for 4th, taking the spot on lap 12, setting his sights on K. Rommeney in 3rd, taking that spot on lap 14. Behind them, Stiles passed Shannon to take 5th away on lap 16, while up front, Wegmann was closing in on Bader with 3 laps left in the race to within 4 car lengths, but a multiple spin in the back stretch brought out the caution on lap 18, setting up a 2 lap shootout for the finish. When the green flew, Bader and Wegmann ran side by side, while Walkowiak was riding Bader’s rear bumper, as K. Rommeney and Stiles battled for 4th behind them, with Stiles taking the spot as the field got the white flag, as Scott Maliszewski got by K. Rommeney for 5th. Bader and Wegmann were still battling for the lead, with Rob Bader inching out front to hold a lead of about 2 feet, which was all he would need to take the victory over Bill Wegmann. Tommy Walkowiak, Terry Stiles, and Scott Maliszewski rounded out the top 5. It was Bader’s first win of the 2010 season, after experiencing more disappointing finishes earlier in the season.
The Chargers were next with 15 starters for the night, led to the green by Erin Dumicich and Brian Doyle. When the green flag flew, E. Dumicich and Doyle ran side by side through lap 1, with Doyle taking over the lead as they exited turn 2 on the 2nd lap. E. Dumicich tagged along in 2nd, as Jeremy McDermott and Chris McGuire battled side by side for 3rd spot. That battle continued as Kevin Orlando watched from 5th, with McDermott sliding up beside E. Dumicich to challenge for 2nd. They ran side by side for a lap, with McDermott edging up as they crossed the line. This allowed Doyle to stretch his lead out to about 7 car lengths as the battle for 2nd continued. McDermott took 2nd away 2 laps later, With E. Dumicich dropping in behind him, as McGuire moved up into 4th, with Orlando following in 5th. McGuire then got along side E. Dumicich to challenge for 3rd, taking the spot a lap later, as McDermott began to close the gap on Doyle. By lap 10, E. Dumicich had Orlando trying to take 4th away as he rode on the outside, creating quite a battle as E. Dumicich did all she could to hold Orlando off as Daryn Miller put pressure on the duo from behind. McDermott closed in on Doyle, running only 3 car lengths behind, with McGuire running about 4 car lengths behind him. Orlando was now nosing ahead of E. Dumicich to take 4th by lap 13, as McDermott continued to close on Doyle, while Jay Henschel, running in 6th, suddenly spun off turn 2 into the infield after contact on lap 14, rejoining the race in the rear of the field with no caution coming out. By lap 15, McDermott was right on Doyle’s rear bumper, getting under him on lap 16 coming out of turn 4, but Doyle fought off the challenge to keep the lead, as McDermott kept the pressure on him. Behind them, Chris Turbush had gotten by Orlando and E. Dumicich, with Orlando ducking under her, dropping her to 6th, as Orlando held onto 5th spot. The battle up front between Doyle and McDermott continued, with McDermott trying everything to get by under Doyle as the exited the turns, but Doyle just stood on the gas to hold McDermott at bay, as Brian Doyle withstood all challenges by Jeremy McDermott to take the win, as Chris McGuire, Chris Turbush and Kevin Orlando rounded out the top 5 at the finish as Brian Doyle took his first victory of the 2010 season.
The Late Models came next, with Mike Mortimer and Mike Bologna on the front row of what was supposed to be an 11 car field, but Chris LaSpisa was a DNS as he reportedly was suffering motor ills. When the green flag flew, so did Bologna, jumping instantly out to a 3 car length lead over Mortimer off turn 2, as Mortimer settled into 2nd with Ken Alfano banging on his bumper trying to shale him up and get by as Roger Oxee and Kevin Metzger followed in 4th and 5th. On lap 3, Alfano was finally able to get under Mortimer, passing him and leading Oxee up alongside Mortimer to set up a brief battle for 3rd, which Oxee took a lap later. Metzger tried the same move and was almost by Mortimer, but Buzzy Eriksen, running right behind Metzger in 6th, bumped him, getting him loose, causing Metzger to get out of the gas, as Eriksen shot by moving into 5th. Bologna was maintaining a 2 car length lead over Alfano, who was 3 car lengths in front of Oxee in 3rd by lap 9. By lap 13, Alfano had dropped back enough that Oxee was now on his rear bumper, and by lap 16, Oxee had gotten to Alfano’s outside to make a move on him for 2nd spot, but couldn’t make the pass. Oxee then decided to look on the low side, finally getting under him off turn 4 on lap 19, taking 2nd away from Alfano as they exited turn 2. But Bologna was way out in front, and all Oxee could do was try to catch up. He closed to within 2 car lengths on lap 23, as Alfano, Mortimer and Metzger, who’d gotten back past Eriksen a fee laps earlier, trailed a good distance back. But Mike Bologna held on claim the victory, as Roger Oxee, Ken Alfano, Mike Mortimer and Kevin Metzger rounded out the top 5. The victory was Bologna’s 2nd of the season, and moved him into a 3rd place tie with Shawn Patrick in the LM standings.
With the Sun still shining brightly in the Western sky, the Modifieds rolled out to run the Cromarty Cup 50, double point race. With Chuck Steuer on the pole, John Fortin to his outside, and Chris Young and Howie Brode lined up 3rd and 4th in the 21 car field. When the green flew, Steuer and Fortin ran side by side all the way around, but coming off turn 4, Fortin and Steuer touched wheels, with Fortin loosing control and slamming the outside wall. Behind them, with nowhere to go, Howie Brode and Ken Heagy piled in along with others as the caution flew before a lap could be completed. Fortin, the point leader going into the race, was finished for the night. After being separated by the tow trucks, Brode drove to the pits to make repairs, but Heagy was also done for the night with major front end damage to his mount. Brode was able to make whatever repairs he needed and rejoined the field in time for the restart.
With 19 cars left, the green flew again, with Steuer taking off alone to take the lead, as Young and Bill Park battled for 2nd spot, with Park taking it at the end of lap 1, as Eddie Brunnhoelzl III held 4th position, with Tom Rogers, Jr. in 5th. Young battled back with Park for the 2nd spot, running side by side as they continued to circle the track behind Steuer, who was building a larger lead as the battle behind him raged. On lap 3, Young chopped Park, gaining 2nd as Park had to back off, and he settled into 3rd. By lap 12, Steuer held a 5 car length lead over Young, as Park and Brunnhoelzl engaged in a battle for 3rd, while Rogers watched from 5th. Amber Fortin, John Beatty, Donny Lia followed, but on lap 23, David Roys spun in turn 4, and the caution flew once more. The green flew again with Steuer shooting out front, as Park challenged Young for 2nd once again, but Amber Fortin got punted by John Beatty and spun in turn 2, and the caution came back out before a lap was complete. Green flew again quickly, and Steuer took off once more. Young got loose coming off turn 2, but Park couldn’t capitalize on it, and found himself in a battle for 3rd with Brunnhoelzl instead, but Park held Brunnhoelzl’s outside challenge off, and as Brunnhoelzl moved to get back in line in turn 2, he and Rogers came together, with Rogers spinning and the yellow flew once more.
The green came out again, and Steuer took off, as Young an d Park resumed their battle for 2nd, while Lia got up under Brunnhoelzl, shoving him out of 4th as Lia took over the spot. Young and Park continued their battle for 2nd as Steuer just built his lead once more. Young finally won the battle for 2nd, with Park slipping in behind to hold 3rd, as Lia and Brunnhoelzl followed. Rogers, after pitting earlier, had worked his way back to 10th , after restarting 13th, picking off cars one at a time as he advanced towards the leaders. By lap 35, the whole field was running single file, with Steuer leading Young, Park, Lia, Brunnhoelzl, Timmy Solomito, Dave Brigati, Jerry Solomito, Al Ermmarino, and Rogers. Suddenly, on lap 37, Park slowed coming off turn 2, with Brunnhoelzl moving into 3rd as Park came to an abrupt stop in turn 4 with a flat right front, getting rear ended by Lia as the caution came out once again. During the caution, Park and Lia played a little bumper tag, with Lia pushing Park as Park tried to exit to the pits to replace the tire, and in a surprise to just about everyone, the officials ruled the caution was ONLY for Park, and they placed Lia 3rd for the restart, despite what had taken place during the caution!
Green flew once again, with Steuer holding the lead once again, as Lia and Young began a brief battle for 2nd. With Lia on the outside, Young bobbled coming off turn 4, Lia moved into 2nd, and before Young could recover, T. Solomito and Brigati flew by into the 3rd and 4th spots. Brunnhoelzl and J. Solomito also moved by before Young could regain control and drop into 7th, just in front of Rogers, who was now up to 8th. Steuer held a 2 car length margin over Lia, as T. Solomito and Brigati ran a few car lengths in back of them as the field ran single file once again. Steuer built a 5 car length lead over Lia, who now had T. Solomito riding his rear bumper, but it didn’t appear that T. Solomito had enough tires left to make a challenge on Lia. Chuck Steuer held a comfortable lead as the field took the 2 to go signal, and he sailed on home to take his first victory of the year, along with the point lead, as Donny Lia, Timmy Solomito, Eddie Brunnhoelzl III and Dave Brigati rounded out the top 5 at the finish.
News and Notes: The Bay Fireworks display was spectacular, as always, with many in the crowd saying it was better than last year’s display. A few multiple shots during the show brought resounding applause from the crowd, as fireworks shot in the air in every direction, punctuated by loud explosions, as patriotic music play along with the display, which lasted about 20 minutes. A big thumbs up to Bay Fireworks for a great show… Eric Zeh made his debut driving Jon Ellwood’s 17x Charger, finishing 13th in his first Charger race… Rob Bader was ecstatic with his win, after suffering many disappointing finishes earlier in the season… Ditto for Brian Doyle, who has been working very hard to get his car right, and seems to have finally found the answer… Not so for Jay Henschel, very angry about the help he got spinning him out of a good finishing spot in the charger race… Shawn Wanat did a masterful job coming from 11th spot to win the 6 Cylinder enduro. James Kilkenny won the skid plate race and Jason Savoy won demo derby. .. Our Condolences go out to the Booker family, as Barbara Booker succumbed to complications in her battle with cancer last Saturday… Also to Gayle and Tommy Walkowiak. Gayle’s Mom passed away earlier in the week after a stay in the hospital with heart problems… That will do it for this week’s stories, and sadly, next week I will not be covering the races, as it is time for my annual vacation from everything with my loving and understanding wife. I hope everyone enjoys the Baldwin-Jarzombek-Evans Memorial 77 next week, along with a very full card of other racing. I will return on July 17th, and will, as always, have that full story… We should have some interesting videos from last night later on, so check back to view those.. Until then, live well and be safe. WJ
Hot Rumor of the Week: Someone you all like, who drove at Daytona this weekend, may be in a Modified at Riverhead next weekend, and NOT in Wayne Anderson's car!
UPDATE 07-07: Sorry, the deal fell through, so rumor cancelled!
Late Model Highlights
RJ Oxee's 59th LM win.
Super Pro Truck race highlights
Roger Turbush's 3rd SPT Victory of the season
Riverhead Raceway Beats The Rain…..
With threatening skies, punctuated by brief sprinkles of rain, Riverhead Raceway managed to get in a 7 event program last night, as each time the sprinkles fell, they ended just as quickly, leaving the track surface dry enough to race on. Sponsor Repo Joe was there giving away T-shirts, bobble head dolls and balloons to the fans, and a good crowd was on hand despite the overcast skies.
The first event of the night was the Super Pro Trucks, with 15 trucks on the grid, they did a few extra hot laps as the first sprinkle of the evening started falling. The rain ceased as fast as it had appeared, and the trucks had spread out during hot laps and did a good job of keeping things dry. They were led to the green by Anthony Vecchio and Shaun Gouldsbury, who ran side by side until Gouldsbury pulled out in the lead by half a truck length as they entered turn 3, with Vecchio battling back to run side by side once more through turns 1 & 2 and continuing on down the back stretch. Vecchio took Gouldsbury way high through turn 2 the next lap, allowing Erin Dumicich to make a stab at moving up by getting 3 wide out of the turn, but Gouldsbury wisely backed off, allowing Erin D. to takeover 2nd spot, passing Vecchio for the lead coming off turn 4. Behind this, Lou Maestri, Frank Dumicich, Jr., and Gouldsbury were battling 3 wide momentarily for 3 in turn 2, but they quickly got back to 2 wide as Maestri wisely backed off. Vecchio suddenly spun coming off turn 4 as those behind took evasive action, but Dave Koenig, with nowhere to go, hit Vecchio, and in turn Koenig got hit by a few others as the yellow flew, slowing the race.
When all that was cleaned up, the green flew once more, Gouldsbury nosed out in front of Erin D., and held a half truck length lead as the entered turn 4. They continued that way as Erin D. did everything she could to retake the lead, but Gouldsbury was determined to hold it as he gave it his all on the outside, finally pulling out front alone on lap 6, as Erin D. Frank D, Jr., Frank Dumicich, Sr. and Roger Turbush followed. On lap 7, both Mike Albasini and Maestri suffered flats, with Maestri spinning to a stop in turn 4, and the 2nd caution of the race appeared. On the restart, Gouldsbury held the lead, as Vecchio was getting black flagged for an unknown reason, as Frank D., Jr. pushed by Erin D. to take 2nd spot away, while Roger T. also Passed Erin D. to take 3rd spot on lap 9. Erin D. now was trying to fend off a challenge by Chris Turbush as he challenged her for 4th spot, with Chris T. getting the spot on lap 10. Suddenly, on lap 11, Vecchio, who had ignored the black flag, had his motor blow up as he neared turn 1, with his truck erupting in flames coming out from everywhere underneath as he pulled into the infield off turn 2. The track crew was right on his truck, spraying water into the cockpit to protect Vecchio, even as his on board fire suppression system cut in, as he quickly exited his truck, seemingly unhurt. All of this brought out an immediate red flag, but the fire was out quickly after a great job by the track crew.
With everything cleaned up, the race resumed, Gouldsbury pulled about a half truck length ahead of Frank D., Jr. but Frank D., Jr. fought back, pulling up alongside Gouldsbury once more, but Gouldsbury poured on the steam, pulling ahead to run on his own, as Roger T. got alongside Frank D., Jr. to do battle for 2nd, while Frank D., Sr. pushed his way by Chris T. to take 4th spot. Roger T. got 2nd from Frank D., Jr., and set his sights on Gouldsbury, but Roger T. got loose after making contact with Gouldsbury in the back stretch, allowing Gouldsbury to pull away. Roger T. got back up to Gouldsbury a lap later with 5 to go, and managed to get under him, and they battled down the back stretch with Gouldsbury holding the lead by about a foot, but Roger T. managed to get by him as they went through turns 3 & 4, taking the lead away as they crossed the line. On the next lap, Frank D., Jr. got under Gouldsbury, knocking him into the turn 4 wall as he passed, but Gouldsbury, fighting to control his truck after the contact, hit Frank D, Sr., sending him into the infield as the race continued under green with less than 3 laps left to go. Gouldsbury’s truck seemed a bit wounded as he tried to hold onto 3rd, but Chris T. and Mike Albasini got by him on the next lap as Gouldsbury limped around as best he could, losing 2 more spots before the finish, as Roger Turbush won his 3rd Super Pro truck event, with Frank Dumicich, Jr., Chris Turbush, Mike Albasini, and Erin Dumicich rounding out the top 5. Gouldsbury expressed his displeasure with Frank D., Jr. by ramming into his rear after the race was over, with Frank D., Jr. then backing into Gouldsbury as he pulled away. (No penalties issued as of this writing.)
SPT Highlight video is above.
The Late Models ran next, with only a 10 car field on this night. Daryn Miller and Mike Mortimer led the field to the green, with Miller nosing out front at the start, but Mortimer took the lead as the entered turn 3, with Mortimer leading as the crossed the line. Ken Alfano then challenged Miller on the outside, taking 2nd away as Miller dropped back into 3rd spot. On the next lap, Ralph Stanzione got into Miller as they battled for 3rd, with Mike Bologna hitting the wall as he tried to avoid the wreck, and the yellow flew for the first time on lap 3. With Mortimer and Alfano on the front row for the restart, the green flew once more, with Mortimer and Alfano bumping each other as they came through the first turn, with Alfano nosing out front, but Mortimer battled back, taking the lead down the back stretch, while Stanzione took 3rd as Roger Oxee got by Miller to takeover 4th. Stanzione and Alfano were now battling for 2nd, with Stanzione getting Alfano loose in turn 2, as Mortimer pulled away from all the battles behind him into a comfortable lead. Oxee took advantage of the Alfano-Stanzione battle to take 3rd spot, dropping Stanzione back to 4th and giving Alfano some breathing room for a moment. Chris LaSpisa was on the move, getting by Stanzione for 4th on lap 6, while Kevin Metzger got by Stanzione to move into 5th a lap later. With the leaders now single file, Oxee closed in on Alfano, as LaSpisa followed closely as the top 4 now ran almost bumper to bumper. On lap 10, Oxee got under Alfano coming off turn 2, passing him for 2nd, with LaSpisa following him through to take 3rd as Alfano fell back to 4th. By lap 12, Oxee caught up to Mortimer’s rear bumper, with Oxee “knocking on the door”, tapping Mortimer’s bumper more than a few times, causing one of the race officials to say over the radio, “39, let’s stop banging on his bumper”. Oxee continued riding Mortimer’s bumper all the way around the track, obviously faster, but unable to mount a challenge from the outside. Oxee tried that on lap 13, but was only able to get halfway up on Mortimer’s outside before having to fall back in line to protect 2nd from going to LaSpisa. 4 laps later, Mortimer got loose after a nudge from Oxee coming off turn 2, and Oxee, LaSpisa and Alfano all got by on the outside before Mortimer recovered. The race now turned into a 2 car affair, with LaSpisa riding right on Oxee’s rear bumper as Alfano ran 2 car lengths behind, while Mortimer and Metzger trailed a few more car lengths back. LaSpisa was now bumping Oxee’s rear bumper, but Oxee held on each time to maintain his lead. Metzger made a stab at passing Mortimer on lap 22, but ended up going too high in turn 2, allowing Mortimer to pull a couple of car lengths way. Up front Oxee kept a safe distance of a bout 5 feet ahead of LaSpisa, and Roger ‘RJ’ Oxee took the victory, the 59th of his career, as Chris LaSpisa, Ken Alfano, Mike Mortimer and Kevin Metzger rounded out the top 5.
The Chargers rolled out next, with only 12 on hand, led to the line for the start by Frank Dumicich, Jr. and Brain Doyle. Frank D. Jr. took the lead at the drop of the green, as 11th place starter Erin Dumicich, who experienced some brake trouble earlier in practice, pulled off the track and parked her car. Frank D., Jr., meanwhile, pulled out front, as Doyle tucked in behind in 2nd, but Doyle was getting pressure from Daryn Miller and Chris McGuire. McGuire pulled up on Doyle’s outside on lap 2, but Doyle managed to hold the challenge off for the moment. McGuire took 3rd after a short battle with Miller, who then had to battle Kevin Orlando for 4th. Up front, Frank D. Jr. had built up a 2 car length lead over Doyle, who had McGuire right on his rear bumper. McGuire got 2nd from Doyle a lap later as he got under Doyle coming off turn 2, with Miller also getting under Doyle, who was caught in the high groove, and Doyle got freight-trained back to 6th as Jeremy McDermott and Chris Turbush also got by on lap 6. Jay Henschel was the next to get by Doyle, who’s handle had obviously gone away by this point. Up front, Frank D., Jr. continued to hold the lead by 3 car lengths over McGuire, with Miller 3 more car lengths back, as McDermott and Turbush rode bumper to bumper behind him. McGuire closed to within a car length by lap 10. On lap 15, Turbush looked to McDermott’s outside, but couldn’t get by. On the next lap, Turbush tried the inside, with McDermott getting a bit loose, but able to hang on and hold Turbush’s challenge off. By lap 17, the top 5 had closed up to be almost bumper to bumper, with Frank D., Jr. still holding the lead, but lapped cars right in front of them posed a slight problem. McGuire thought for a moment about trying to get under Frank D., Jr. to make a pass, but thought better of it and tucked in behind. On the last lap, Turbush and McDermott were battling hard for 4th spot, with Turbush getting hooked on McDermott’s car. McDermott suffered a flat from the contact, spinning and dropping to last as a yellow/checker flew over Frank Dumicich, Jr., while Chris McGuire, Daryn Miller, Chris Turbush and Jay Henschel rounded out the top 5. McDermott ended up finishing 11th.
The Modifieds were next up, with Dave Brigati and John Beatty on the front row. Brigati, who missed the previous week’s competition because neither of his cars were race ready, was debuting his new SWMT Modified for this race. The car had been awesome in practice, pretty good for it’s first time out, so this was going to be the true test of his newest mount. With 19 Modifieds in the starting field, the green came out, and Brigati took off like a shot. Beatty was challenged by Al Ermmarino for 2nd, but Ermmarino slipped coming off turn 4, and Chris Young moved by to takeover 3rd and Eddie Brunnhoelzl II took 4th, as Ermmarino and Amber Fortin lost ground. Brigati pulled away even more up front, building a 5 car length lead over Beatty as Brigati sailed around the ¼ mile. By lap 7, Brigati’s lead was now 10 car lengths, as Young battled to hold off Brunnhoelzl for 3rd, while everyone back through Ermmarino in 6th ran single file. Tom Rogers, Jr. and Bill Park were side by side, battling for 7th, as Timmy Solomito watched from 9th spot. A lap later, Young made a move on Beatty for 2nd, getting the spot coming off turn 2, with Brunnhoelzl following through for 3rd as Beatty feel to 4th, and had his hands full holding off John Fortin for the moment. Rogers, meanwhile, had passed Park and was working Ermmarino to take over 6th, taking that spot a lap later. Brigati was long gone by now, leading Young by a wide margin. Only a caution would close up this race, and none ever happened. On lap 16, J. Fortin got by Beatty to take 4th, with Rogers taking 5th away from Beatty 2 laps later, with Solomito also getting by, dropping Beatty to 7th. Chuck Steuer caught Beatty and passed him for 7th by lap 30, but no one was going to catch Dave Brigati, as he sailed to the finish to take his first victory of 2010, as Chris Young, Eddie Brunnhoelzl III, John Fortin and Tom Rogers, Jr. rounded out the top 5.
The last regular division of the night rolled out next, the Figure-8’s to contend the Ernie “The Wrench” Maynor Memorial 15 lap event. With an unlucky 13 cars entered and a Full Moon above, the green came out, with pole sitter Dennis Scott taking the lead, but outside pole sitter Mike Mujsce battled back and quickly took over the lead at the completion of lap 1, with the field wiping out 2 of the 3 cones in turn 1 as they passed. Ken Hyde, Sr. held 3rd as Scott Pedersen ran 4th, while Arne Pedersen and Will Farrell battled for 5th. Mujsce lead the parade single file around the figure 8 course, with the real battle forming for 5th between A. Pedersen, Farrell and Roger Maynor all fighting it out for 5th spot. A. Pedersen finally took sole possession of 5th as Farrell slipped momentarily, and Ralph Tasso shot by Maynor to takeover 6th. But Farrell wanted 6th back, and he battled Tasso for the spot. Mujsce had built an 8 car length lead over 2nd place Scott, as a battle for 3rd formed with S. and A. Pedersen battling Hyde, Sr. for the spot on lap 7. On lap 8, Kenny Hyde Jr. spun in turn 4, and the caution flew for the first time, wiping out Mujsce’s tremendous lead. When the green flew again, Maynor shot past a few cars into 3rd spot, as Mujsce worked on building a big lead once more, but Scott slowed for a moment, jamming up the cars behind him as he got pushed and spun, bringing out the caution once more. Under the caution, track officials ruled Maynor had indeed jumped the last restart, and moved him back behind S. Pedersen, placing Maynor 5th on the grid. When the green flew once more, Mujsce took off once more, and Maynor immediately challenged S. Pedersen for 4th, taking the spot and putting a challenge on A. Pedersen for 3rd, but A. Pedersen held him off for now as S. Pedersen went high, allowing Maynor to take 4th cleanly, and Tasso to move into 5th. Mujsce was running away up front as Hyde, Sr. followed, as the battle for 3rd heated up again on lap 12, but Tom Ferrara spun with 2 laps to go, and the caution flew again. With the green out again, Mujsce took off with Hyde, Sr. in tow, as A. Pedersen and Maynor got side by side for 3rd, staying that way through the whole lap, with Maynor suddenly getting by A. Pedersen and Hyde, Sr. to move into 2nd, but behind them, a huge pile-up took place in turn 2, with Tasso getting the worst of it as the multi-car wreck occurred, bringing out the yellow with 1 lap left in the race. The green came out for the 1 lap dash to the finish, with Mujsce leading the way, sparks flying from his right front brakes, as Maynor followed, looking for his chance to take the win on the last lap, But Mike Mujsce held on for his 2nd win in an Ernie Maynor Memorial race, as Roger Maynor, Kenny Hyde, Sr., Arne Pedersen and Will Farrell rounded out the top 5.
Following that, 6 full sized school buses ran a figure-8 race, with Mike Rommeney winning the event for the 2nd time this season. Following that, a 60 lap 4 cylinder Enduro took place, with Steve Trimboli taking the win after making a pass for the lead on lap 48 to take the win.
News and Notes: Robin Vollmoeller Sr. taking over the driving chores in the Booker Motorsports #91 Modified for the evening, and finishing 12th after starting 17th. Stanley Booker told me earlier in the week that Booker Motorsports was now ready to fully concentrate on their racing efforts after the birth of 2 new grandchildren and his wife‘s return home from the hospital. We wish them all the best... Amber Fortin, the 17 year old female Modified driver and daughter of 2009 Modified champion John Fortin hasn’t gotten much press, but we wanted to mention that we’ve noticed her constantly improving driving skills in her 2nd year in the Modifieds. She has 2 top 10 finishes this season, and seems to know when her car is good, and when to stay out of the way when it isn’t just right. She certainly is showing improvement in her driving skills, and she is one of the most respectful drivers out there, knowing when to give and take. She may well be the best female Modified chauffer we’ve seen, and we just thought it worth a mention.. Have mention Dave Brigati’s new car once more, as Dave is planning on Racing a SWMT Tour event with it next Friday, and making it back to Riverhead to run Saturday night. Makes for a busy couple of days for the team, and a long drive home from NC after they compete down there. If that car performs as well down there as it did at Riverhead, those Southern drivers better beware… Next week is the big 4th of July Fireworks show at Riverhead, so arrive as early as you can if you want your favorite seat, as a large crowd is always present for those shows. 50 lap Cromarty Cup time trial race for the Modifieds, plus Late Models, Chargers, Blunderbusts and a 6 Cyl. Enduro show are all part of the action…. That’s it for this weeks effort, so until next time, live well and be safe. Comments always welcome, good or bad, and held from publication by request. Videos will appear as we get them to post, so check back later. WJ
Charger Race 06/19/2010
Chargers Race Highlights
Modified 50 lap 06/19/2010
Modified 50 Lapper Riverhead 06/19/2010
Whelen Engineering Night Races Shine at Riverhead Raceway
ATTENTION: Someone broke into a Silver Saturn last Saturday night that was parked in the front lot of Riverhead Raceway, removing a TV, Video Camera, and a GPS. Anyone with information please contact this site to help please. I understand there is a reward for any info you may have to help recover these items. Thank you.
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06/21/2010 - GET WELL, Tommy Kraft!
06/23/2010 - Saw TK today, looking well, glad he's okay!
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On a beautiful afternoon and evening, Riverhead Raceway celebrated with the Whelen Engineering sponsored races being run off in a crisp manner, as the evenings events seldom saw the yellow flag come out, with one large exception, and the races were run off so quickly that everyone experienced an early end to the evening, allowing many in the large crowd to enjoy a visit to the pit area after the races, always a fan favorite. The kids especially enjoy the chance to get to sit in the race cars of their favorites, as can be seen in the photos taken by a photographer/pit crew member on another web site.
The night kicked off with time trials for the Blunderbust and Modified divisions. Tommy Walkowiak, in the Blaze Fuel Oil sponsored #00 set fast time in the Blunderbusts, turning a 15.093 second lap to win $50 from Brigandi Bros. Towing, while Chuck Steuer, driving the Savin Copiers/Northeast Office Equipment #11 put down a blistering lap of 11.937 seconds to win $100 from Brigandi Bros. Towing. The Freshman Legends race followed time trials, with Vinnie Delaney and Justin Strumpf taking the top two spots to transfer to the Legend feature later on.
Video of The Blunderbust finish
The opening event of the evening’s features was the 30 lap, double point Blunderbust race, with Tom Pickerell and Paul Parisi leading the field to the green. Pickerell pulled out into the lead at the start, with Tom Sullivan moving quickly to contend with Parisi for 2nd, while Scott Maliszewski and Bill Wegmann ran side by side for 4th, while Tommy Walkowiak held 6th. Sullivan took over 2nd on lap 2 as Pickerell continued to lead, while Maliszewski took 3rd away from Parisi, who was stuck in undesirable high groove, and continued to lose positions. Pickerell stretched his advantage to 5 car lengths by this point, with Maliszewski getting by Sullivan for 2nd, while Walkowiak moved by Parisi into 4th, and Parisi now had his hands full with Terry Stiles battling him for 5th spot. Pickerell continued in the lead, with Maliszewski closing slightly on him as Walkowiak got by Sullivan to move up to 3rd spot. The top 3 started to pull slightly away from 4th place Sullivan, but just when it seemed they would expand the lead, they started to encounter slower cars, which closed up the margin separating the top 3, putting them all within a car length of one another. But the lapped cars showed due courtesy to the leaders, pulling down out of their way as the 3 car battle continued, with Pickerell holding off Maliszewski’s attempts to get by, while Maliszewski had Walkowiak right on his bumper lap after lap. By lap 13, the top 3 were running 5 car lengths or more in front of Sullivan in 4th, but still all over each other’s bumpers as the wove their way through traffic, but getting clear of lapped cars for the moment by lap 14. On lap 18, things got interesting, as Pickerell, Maliszewski and Walkowiak still ran in a tight pack. Walkowiak made a move to Maliszewski’s outside on lap 20, but Maliszewski was able to hold off the challenge, and Walkowiak fell back behind him once more. 2 laps later, traffic became an issue again, but Pickerell took to the high side, getting by a large group of lapped car cleanly as Maliszewski and Walkowiak followed behind, but Jimmy White was now between Pickerell and Maliszewski, allowing Pickerell a little time to breathe for a moment. But Maliszewski and Walkowiak finally got by White and started chasing Pickerell down once more on lap 24.
On lap 27, things got interesting. Pickerell got a little high, allowing Maliszewski to get a fender under him, but Pickerell was able to use a lapped car to hold him off, while Walkowiak got along side Maliszewski to challenge him for 2nd. They ran side by side down the back stretch, and got almost 3 wide entering turn 4 after they all got by the lapped car, with Walkowiak grabbing the lead from Pickerell off turn 2, as Maliszewski backed out of the 3 wide configuration. Maliszewski charged back to mount a challenge, with the trio getting 2 wide once more, with Maliszewski pushing through to 2nd as they took the white flag. Maliszewski then muscled his way under Walkowiak as they ran side by side down the back stretch and continued that way through turns 3 & 4, with Scott Maliszewski, in a car he borrowed from Ron Langdon, beating Walkowiak to the checkered flag by about 1 foot to take the win in a spectacular finish that had the whole crowd on their feet cheering through the last 2 laps. Tommy Walkowiak settled for 2nd, while Tom Pickerell was a very close 3rd, followed by Tom Sullivan and Terry Stiles to round out the top 5. Many of his fellow competitors drove slowly by Victory Lane to give Scott Maliszewski a thumbs up salute on his tremendous win. 2nd place finisher Tommy Walkowiak parked his car nearby and gave Maliszewski a big congratulatory hug in Victory Lane. If you missed this race, you missed the best race in any division this season so far.
The Legends rolled out for their feature next, led by Glenn Maningo and Chris Turbush. Maningo took the lead at the start, but Turbush battled back, taking the lead at the completion of lap 1. Maningo followed in 2nd, with Silas Hiscock, Sr. in 3rd, while Anthony Cacioppo and Wild Bill Hiscock battled side by side for 4th. On the next lap, Hiscock, Sr. went high, giving 3rd to Cacioppo, with Paul Dodorico quickly taking 4th from Hiscock, Sr., who then lost 5th to Johnny Gloor IV. Turbush by then had a 5 car length lead over Maningo, as the field stretched out to a single file formation, with Turbush stretching his lead even more as the laps ticked off. The battle for positions further back saw Gloor and Dodorico battle for 4th, with Gloor taking 4th, while Tommy Rogers, Jr. had worked his way to 6th from his 12th starting position. But up front, Turbush was simply running away with the race, enjoying a 10 car length lead, when suddenly Cacioppo and Tom Sherman collided when Cacioppo got loose, with Sherman and Paul Dodorico locked together against Cacioppo as the trio slid into the infield, causing the first yellow of the race a lap later on lap 11, and wiping out Tarbush’s tremendous lead.
On the restart, Turbush and Maningo lead Rogers and Gloor to the line, with Turbush holding the lead as Rogers moved quickly to 2nd, banging on Turbush’s rear bumper, as Timmy Solomito and Chris A. Young banged their way through into 3rd and 4th, but half a lap later, Young got punted and spun in turn 4, while Solomito moved into 2nd, with Rogers dropping to 4th, and Tony Naglieri moving up into 5th as the action heated up. Solomito was working hard to take the lead from Turbush, as those behind them were banging on their rear bumpers, with Rogers taking 3rd from Gloor, while Solomito still worked the outside to get by Turbush, when Turbush got punted by Rogers in turn 4, spinning from the lead as Gloor shot to the front as Solomito slowed to avoid contact with Turbush, but Solomito recovered to take the lead from Gloor on the back stretch, while Naglieri and Rogers battled for 3rd spot, while Kevin Nowak rode in 5th spot. Solomito pulled away out front as Gloor followed, with Rogers, Naglieri and Nowak filling out the top 5. Rogers then took 2nd away from Gloor, leaving Gloor to contend with Naglieri for 3rd, with Gloor holding the spot as Solomito pulled away up front as they got the one lap to go signal. Timmy Solomito held on to take the win, with Rogers crossing the line in 2nd, only to have race officials move him to last on the lead lap in the final finish (18th) after ruling he was rough riding for the Chris Young incident, giving 2nd to John Gloor IV, while Tony Naglieri, Kevin Nowak, and Wild Bill Hiscock rounded out the top 5.
Legends Video is here Legends Video
The Chargers were next with a 15 car field ready to take the green, led by Tom Anderson and Frank Dumicich, Jr. When the green came out, Anderson took a slight lead, but F. Dumicich battled back, with no clear leader after the 1st lap. On the next lap, Anderson nosed out in front of F. Dumicich to take sole possession of the lead, with F. Dumicich following, while Brian Doyle and Erin Dumicich battled side by side for 3rd. Anderson now led F. Dumicich by a couple of car lengths as the battle for 3rd continued, while further back, Chris Turbush was starting to move up from his 9th starting spot, picking off one car at a time. E. Dumicich finally took sole possession of 3rd by lap 5 as Doyle got shuffled back while riding in the outside groove, eventually settling into 7th spot, as Kevin Orlando, Chris McGuire, and Turbush all got by on the low side. Anderson continued to hold the lead by about 3 car lengths over F. Dumicich, as E. Dumicich, Orlando and McGuire rounded out the top five by lap 9. By lap 11, C. Turbush had worked his way into 4th behind E. Dumicich as the top 7 ran single file around the track. C. Turbush got loose after getting a shove from Orlando, but C. Turbush recovered to fall in behind Orlando in 5th, then shot by Orlando on the outside, a lap before McGuire’s car blew a motor, going off in a huge cloud of steam into the infield, as C. Turbush then went to the high side of E. Dumicich 3 laps later as they traveled down the back stretch, but E. Dumicich squeezed him high, forcing him up near the wall as they neared turn 3, but E. Dumicich then spun on her own in turn 4, as the race continued under green while she tried to recover and rejoin the field. As Anderson came down the back stretch with a big lead going into turn 3 on lap 17, E. Dumicich suddenly accelerated, heading the wrong way into turn 3, colliding hard with leader Anderson, mangling the whole right side of his car, tearing off his rear wheel, as she continued and hit the wall in turn 3, bringing out an immediate caution as Anderson’s wounded car stopped in the infield, and the rest of the field took evasive action to miss hitting both cars. Track officials called for a momentary red flag to clean up Anderson’s and E. Dumicich’s cars and reset the field for a restart, while the chatter in the stands was about why E. Dumicich had not properly corrected her car before it took off in the wrong direction. Stuck throttle or trying to get to C. Turbush thinking he was responsible for her spin? Only she knows for sure, so we will not speculate here.
With F. Dumicich now on the pole, and C. Turbush to his outside, the green waved once again, and F. Dumicich took C. Turbush high through turns 1 & 2 as C. Turbush battled him for the lead side by side, and they repeated this going through turns 3 & 4 before C. Turbush took the lead entering turn 1 as F. Dumicich tried to hook him entering the turn, but C. Turbush was clear and he pulled away cleanly to take the lead. Orlando now got under F. Dumicich to take 2nd as F. Dumicich bounced off Orlando’s side and hit the wall in turns 1 & 2 after getting hit in the rear bumper, while the race continued under green, with Chris Turbush continuing to the yellow/checker finish, and victory, as Kevin Orlando, Jay Henschel, Eric Lutz, and Jeremy McDermott rounded out the top 5. F. Dumicich wasn’t done yet, as he rolled off his position against the wall and attempted to clip C. Turbush as he went by on the cool down lap, but missed him as Turbush went way low onto the track apron to avoid contact.
Charger Video is here
Next up was the Modified double point, 50 lap event, with Tom Rogers, Jr. on the pole, and Justin Bonsignore to his outside. Rogers took off at the green, but Bonsignore stayed right with him all the way around for the first lap, with Jimmy Blewett applying pressure to Rogers from behind, but Rogers hung on, battling with Bonsignore until he pulled ahead and Bonsignore tucked in behind him. Eddie Brunnhoelzl took third away from Blewett on the next lap, as Rogers continued to hold the lead. Timmy Solomito and Chuck Steuer were behind all this, battling for 5th side by side, when suddenly Steuer wheel hopped Solomito’s car, but Steuer recovered nicely, missing the third turn wall and he settled back in to 10th spot for the moment. Up front, Bonsignore took a look under Rogers as Rogers came off the corner a little high, but Rogers held him off once more. The leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 11, as Rogers brushed Tommy Sekulski’s car going down the back stretch, trying to get between Sekulski and Frank Saladino. Unfortunately, Sekulski’s contact with the wall caused the first caution of the race, as Sekulski’s night ended early. When the green flew once more, Rogers and Bonsignore took off side by side, but Rogers quickly moved out front again, but a lap later, Howie Brode spun in turn 4 after contact, and the yellow was displayed a lap later (lap 13) when he couldn’t get restarted.
The green flew again, with the same result as Rogers pulled away once more with Bonsignore right on his bumper, with Brunnhoelzl in 3rd, while Blewett and Chris Young battled for 4th, with Young taking it while Blewett dropped to 5th. Young and Blewett’s battle was not done yet, as Young faltered momentarily, causing Blewett to slow and drop back to 7th as Bill Park and Steuer moved by into 5th and 6th. Rogers, Bonsignore and Brunnhoelzl continued to run 1-2-3 as the laps mounted up, as everyone on the lead lap ran single file by lap 19, and at half way (lap 25), Rogers and Bonsignore had pulled 5 car lengths ahead of Brunnhoelzl, but were about to encounter slower cars once more. On lap 26, Steuer got by Park to take 5th spot, while Rogers and Bonsignore stretched their lead over Brunnhoelzl to about 7 car lengths. Young tried to get by Brunnhoelzl on the outside, and Steuer quickly moved up onto Brunnhoelzl’s bumper, leaving Young hung up on the outside, dropping Young to 5th as Steuer got by on the low side. While that battle raged, Rogers and Bonsignore continued to motor on, extending their lead to 15 car lengths ahead of Brunnhoelzl by lap 30. By lap 35, Rogers pulled away from Bonsignore by about a car length, which was significant because Bonsignore had run no more than 5 feet away most of the race. On lap 38, John Beatty spun in turn 4, but quickly recovered and rejoined the race without a caution coming out. By lap 39, Rogers was now 3 car lengths ahead of Bonsignore, with Rogers looking just as strong as he’d been from the start. Behind them, Steuer had gotten by Brunnhoelzl to takeover 3rd spot, but he was at least a quarter lap behind the leaders and posed no threat. Brunnhoelzl now had Young to contend with again, and Blewett had come back to 6th to ride Young’s bumper. On lap 44, Young got loose off turn 4, spinning into the infield as Blewett moved to 5th. Young recovered quickly and rejoined the race, and again, no caution. By lap 46, Rogers had pulled away to a 7 car length margin over Bonsignore. On lap 48, Brode spun again in turn 2 after contact, with no caution, as Tom Rogers cruised across the line to take the win, with Justin Bonsignore, Chuck Steuer, Jimmy Blewett, and John Fortin rounding out the top 5.
Modified Video is at the top of the page. New format, enjoy!
The previously scheduled mini-school bus raced morphed into a full sized school bus race, with 6 buses in the field, but Mike ‘Cheesebox’ Rommeney showed everyone how it’s done, taking the win easily.
News and Notes: Co-Chief Steward Mike Cappiello made his return to the track as he continues to recover from the injuries suffered in a freak racing accident at the track a few weeks back. Mike reported he’s feeling much better, and he appreciates all the well wishes he’s gotten from competitors and fans alike. While walking is still off in his future after some physical therapy, Mike was able to perform his duties via golf cart for the evening and will be at the track weekly from now on. Good to have you back, Mike, continue to do what your doctors tell you to…. Dave Brigati missing the racing this week for the first time in a long time. Dave has a new Troyer Modified, just not ready to race yet despite hard work by his team, and the older car needed repairs, so Dave opted to sit out the night.... Jimmy Blewett drove Wayne Anderson’s #15 to a fine 4th place finish in Jimmy’s 2nd stint in the car. Wayne still hoping to drive again some time next month if he gets clearance…. No Mike Andrews or Ambrose team out for the double pointer, and no reason given… Gershow Recycling #2 Modified arrived late on a rollback truck, but never entered into competition. Strange is the best guess on that one, since the driver was there…. Ken Heagy out for a shakedown of his new motor in his WMT #18 mount. Kenny very happy with the way it’s running, heading into NHMS tour race next week…. Good sized crowd on hand to witness the night’s racing, biggest of the season so far, I’d guess…. Tom Rogers, Jr. took off his driving suit and shoes before entering victory lane to supposedly prove he isn’t using traction control in his very hot Modified. Tom did his interview in his T-shirt and shorts, a first for Victory Lane interviews…. Tom Anderson to be congratulated on maintaining his composure after being taken out of a sure win in the Chargers in the incident with Erin Dumicich. Glad both drivers are fine, though Anderson will have an especially long week doing extensive repairs to his damaged race car… Roger Turbush drove his Dad's # 8 very conservatively in the Charger race. Guess he didn't want to mess it up for Dan's return next week.... Kind of odd rule not allowing pitting for Legends cars during the feature. I know it speeds up the show, but it seems a bit unfair to not allow even changing a flat. Add to that, no one in the Legends buys welding insurance, having a tough effect on Iron Man welding…. As always, check back for videos that may be posted as Steve LaFountaine from LaFilms Productions sends them along.... That’s it for this week. Join us again next week for more reports on the action at Riverhead Raceway. Until next time, live well and be safe. WJ
