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Riverhead, NY May 14th
By Bob Finan
Photos Michael Jaworecki/Myracenews
Saturday afternoon into evening Riverhead Raceway owners Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz showed a never say quit attitude and despite persistent drizzle and light rain their team led by GM John Ellwood ran off an entire NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program in support of the Miller Lite 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
In the 25 lap Crate Modified event Eric Hersey of Ronkonkoma was declared the race winner after last lap contact between racer leader Alex Colasanto of Selden and challenger Michael Berner of Patchogue saw the leader crash hard off turn two on the final lap. Charles Macwhinnie led the early going with Owen Grennan in tow. Grennan moved to the front on lap 4, however Macwhinnie was not giving up the fight, staying alongside Grennan in a fight for the lead. On lap 8 that fight got too close when contact was made and Grennan’s car slowed in a show of sparks. Race control sent Macwhinnie to the rear for his role in the incident and Charles decided to park his car at that point. The turn of events moved Alex Colasanto to the lead with Michael Berner now second. Colasanto, who started 6th in the field seeking his first career win was doing all he could to ward off the threats of Berner who started 10th on the grid. After taking the white flag Berner ducked low on Colasanto exiting the second corner and contact, albeit unintentional was made sending Alex hard into the wall. Berner crossed the line first but was sent to the position behind Colasanto in the finish (13th). The wild last lap action moved Eric Hersey in the Jack Anthony Swimming Pools Chevy into the winners’ circle for the second time in his career. Terry Stiles of Rocky point was runner-up in the G&S Trucking Chevy while Stephen Coleman of East Islip was third in the High End Collision racer.
The scheduled 20-lap INEX Legend Race Car main event was shortened to 13-laps due to both the lateness of the hour and multiple caution flags on a damp night. When the race was deemed official Anthony Marsh of Riverhead, a three-time winner in 2021 grabbed the first win of 2022. Pat Moore had an impressive showing at the front of the field leading the first 8 laps of the tilt. Nick Morabito gave chase for the first three laps before he was passed by teammate Jim Sylvester on lap 4. After four laps of chasing leader Moore it was go time for Sylvester on lap 9 as he raced his way into the lead. However right after the halfway mark Anthony Marsh, who started 8th on the grid made his way by Sylvester for the lead and not a moment too soon. A lap 13 caution waved for a minor spin and race control who announced on the radio on the prior restart that next flag was end the race threw a yellow/checker. That earned Anthony Marsh in his Riverhead Trailer entry the winner, his fourth career win. Jim Sylvester of East Islip was second in the Gershow Recycling entry while defending champion George Tomko Jr. of Aquebogue was third in the Montauk Distilling racer.
Dave Antos of Lindenhurst became the all-time leading winner of Street Stock races at the track when he won a non-stop 20-lap feature event for his 10th career triumph. The win broke a tie Dave was in on top of the win list with Eric Zeh of Selden. With qualifying washed out for all divisions feature line-ups were set by practice times, good news for Dave Antos who was quickest earlier in the day. When the green flag dropped so did Antos’s foot on the throttle as he races is way out to the lead, a lead he’d never surrender in the EP Milling & Sweeping Chevy. Afterwards Dave dedicated the win to his late father-in-law who passed away in the off season. Gerard Lawrence of Miller Place in the Blazin Bagels & Deli Chevy was runner-up while Rhett Fogg of Westhampton was third in the Accu-Rhett Chevy.
Mike Mujsce Jr. of Hampton Bays led all the way to win the 20-lap Mini Stock feature event, the sixth win of his career tying him with Tom Puccia of Shirley and Paul Wojcik of Patchogue for second on the all-time win list. Mike, racing against his father and son in the race wasted no time breaking to the race lead in his Mike’s Auto Service of Quogue machine. James O’Connell of Miller Place chased Mujsce for a majority of the event but in the end Mike Mujsce Jr. drove off to victory. O’Connell was runner-up in his Walls Of Fame mount while Andrew Farnham of Baldwin placed third in his sponsor wanted entry.
Crate Modifieds: 1. Eric Hersey 2. Terry Stiles 3. Stephen Coleman 4. AJ DeSantis 5. Vinny Delaney 6. Mark Wolf 7. Sean Glennon 8. Chase Grennan 9. Mike Albasini 10. Eddie Schutze 11. Dennis Krupski 12. Alex Colasanto 13. Michael Berner 14. Lou Maestri 15. Charles Macwhinnie 16. Owen Grennan 17. Kyle Ellwood 18. Max Handley 19. Rich Gerbe
Legend Race Cars: 1. Anthony Marsh 2. Jim Sylvester 3. George Tomko Jr. 4. Richie Davidowitz 5. Ray Fitzgerald 6. Colin Hoeffner 7. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 8. Mike Benton 9. Chase Van Houten 10. Jayden Glennister 11. Ray Stulz 12. Charlie Hodge 13. Christopher Coleman 14. Mike Van Houten 15. Eric Hersey 16. Michael Metcalf 17. Michael Collier 18. Ed Stadlander 19. Pat Moore 20. Nick Morabito 21. Donald Doran 22. Kendall Van Houten 23. Jason Castaldo 24. Cody Triola 25. Sean McElearney 26. Jerry Curran
Street Stocks: 1. Dave Antos 2. Gerard Lawrence 3. Rhett Fogg 4. Brian McCormack 5. Jarrod Hayes 6. Gregg Harris 7. Chris Lescenski 8. RJ Gage 9. Kyle Curtis 10. Alyssa Paprocky 11. Kyle Halpin 12. Jamie Curtis 13. Dennis Kurras 14. Danny Pizzo 15. James Dipietro
Mini Stocks: 1. Mike Mujsce Jr. 2. James O’Connell 3. Andrew Farnham 4. Justin Squires 5. CJ Zukowski 6. Tony Collinsworth 7. Joe Warren Jr. 8. Chris Elixson 9. Chris Olivari 10. Paul Wojcik 11. Joe Cooke Jr. 12. Mike Mujsce Sr. 13. Scott Phillips 14. Charles Astacio 15. Mike Mujsce III
