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Riverhead, NY Sept. 25th
By Bob Finan
The curtain came down on the regular race season at Riverhead Raceway in grand fashion Sunday afternoon with nine wild feature events presented. Allan Pedersen of Center Moriches won his second Figure Eight feature in a 24-hour span when he topped the 15-lap finale while Gerard Lawrence of Miller Place survived a side-by-side battle for the win in the 30-lap Street Stock event and Andrew Farnham of Baldwin topped the 30-lap Mini Stock contest, earning the 2022 championship in the process.
Ken Hyde Jr. showed the way over the first 8 laps of the Figure Eight event and again seemed destined to tie his father Ken Sr. on the track all time win list at 12, however second year driver Ryan Warren worked his way by on lap 9 seemingly catching Hyde off guard. Warren would lead until Allan Pedersen, who started 10th on the grid came calling and passed Warren with under five laps to go. Pedersen came to the race trailing his Uncle Scott by 4 markers for the 2022 title and knew the only way he could have a shot at the championship was to win and that is exactly what he did in the Puma Law Group, PC Chevy. However, Scott Pedersen of Shirley had the same game plan as his nephew making his way from 9th and finished second in his Land, Air & Water Environmental Chevy giving him his second straight championship by a mere two points over Allan. Ryan Warren of Ridge held on for third in the Sayville South Bay Auto Repair Cadillac.
Gerard Lawrence set a new Street Stock qualifying track record when he went a 14.082, while the driver whose record he broke and was chasing for the 2022 SS crown Dave Antos was second quick with a 14.152. That put the championship contenders on the front row for the Miller Lite Triple Crown Series finale and they did not disappoint the crowd on hand. For nearly the first half of the race the duo raced side by side with Lawrence leading lap 1 from the inside and then Antos to the outside would lead laps 2 through 12. It was lucky lap 13 that Lawrence found some forward bite off turn four and was able to take sole possession of the race lead. While winning the battle leading the rest of the way in the Elsasser Race Engines Chevy Gerard Lawrence scored his 6th career win, 3rd of ’22. By finishing right on the winners bumper Dave Antos of Lindenhurst for the second year in a row won the 2022 track championship as well the Miller Lite Triple Crown Series title in his JTEC Electric Monte Carlo. Kyle Curtis of Hampton Bays placed third in the Wilson Distributors entry.
In Mini Stock qualifying Andrew Farnham set fast time with a lap of 14.776 and with the 5 points he earned for the pole trimmed CJ Zukowski’s lead for the championship down to 7 prior to the 30-lap main event. Knowing winning was his only option for a shot at the title Farnham, who runs a sleek looking Honda without sponsorship broke to the early lead and hoped for the best. Meanwhile Zukowski who qualified 6th was never able to advance his position in the non-stop race and with that his championship hopes were dashed. When the race concluded it was a clean sweep for Andrew Farnham setting fast time, winning the race leading all the way and sewing up both the 2022 track championship and the Miller Lite triple Crown Series title. Paul Wojcik of Patchogue was runner-up in the RFG Electrical Contractors racer while Joe Cooke Jr. of Shirley was third in the Island Technology machine.
In the 15-lap Bandolero Bandit finale Ben Morabito of Miller Place survived a late race close call with lapped traffic to score his third win of 2022 securing the track championship for the driver of the Benimax Trucking entry. Rodney Dowless of Dix Hills who was challenging Morabito for the win when he got caught up with those lap cars with just a few laps remaining rallied back strongly for runner-up honors in his sponsor wanted racer. Emmett Grattan of Southold had a solid showing finishing third in the Southold IGA Food Market Bandit.
Chevy Rommeney of Bohemia, a winner less than 24 hours prior at Bethel Motor Speedway backed that win up with a victory Sunday in the 15-lap Bandolero Outlaw main event. Marissa Stewart broke to the early lead and the fourth generation driver looked strong until Rommeney came calling for the race lead. Once out front Chevy Rommeney in the Hollis Court Collision Outlaw led the remainder of the way for his 6th win of ’22 earning him the 2022 track championship in the process. Wayne Meyer Jr. of Calverton was second in the L.I. Poultry racer, while Gavin Romano of Riverhead placed third in his Mil-Aero Solutions machine.
Phil LaManna of Smithtown scored his third win of the year when he triumphed in the 40-lap Truck Enduro. The starting line-up for all Truck Enduro events are via luck of the draw with LaManna drawing the third slot. When the race took the green Phil wasted no time moving around the front row trucks of Jackie Germuth and Kayla Kelly for the race lead and from there dominated the race in his EP Milling & Sweeping Chevy. Jarrett Campbell of Yaphank was second in the Lake Mason Supplies truck while former champion Justin McGrady of Stony Brook made his first start of the year placing third. By virtue of his fifth place finish Woot Lawrence of Southampton secured the 2022 Truck Enduro championship in the Gregor Well Drilling 4X4.
Two 8-Cylinder Enduro events were presented, one a holdover from an earlier season rain out and the regularly scheduled one. In the holdover 30-lap tilt Joe Boccia of Northport took home the win in his East Coast Capital entry after being in the right place at the right time. Former Charger champion Richie Carman looked like a sure winner until a lapped car clipped him in the first turn sending him for a loop. Kevin Feeney of Southampton was runner-up, while Carman of Port Jefferson recovered for third.
In the 30-lap 8-Cylinder nightcap second generation driver Ricky Carman showed the way over the first 11 circuits before 2022 Truck Enduro champion Woot Lawrence made his way by for the race lead and eventual win in the Travers Tools car owned by Carmine Ragusa. Greg Harris of Riverhead was second in the SGS Stone Works Chevy, Ricky Carman of Port Jefferson third in the United Exhaust Shop machine. Pat Collins of Southampton clinched the 2022 8-Cylinder championship after borrowing his son’s car for the second race finishing 9th. It is the first championship for the driver of the PC Truck & Equipment Repair Chevy.
John Palmeri of Lindenhurst scored the win and 2022 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go championship when he won their 40-lap feature event. Chris Olivari, Peter Verwys Jr., Joe Warren Jr. and Rob Izzo all took turns leading the race at one point or another before John Palmeri who started 15th in the 35-car field took the lead in his J&J Towing Acura with just four laps left in the race. The win was John’s first of 2022 and came just two weeks removed from his win in the National Stock Demolition Derby at Riverhead. Rob Izzo of Shirley was runner-up while Peter Verwys of East Rockaway placed third. Verwys has the distinction of being the first driver to ever win a Enduro in May of 1986 at Riverhead Raceway.
Figure Eights: 1. Allan Pedersen 2. Scott Pedersen 3. Ryan Warren 4. Ken Hyde Jr. 5. Joe Warren Jr. 6. Bryan Quilliam 7. Cody Triola 8. Vinny Delaney 9. Gary Fritz Jr. 10. Kim Hyde 11. Paulo Miguel
Street Stocks: 1. Gerard Lawrence 2. Dave Antos 3. Kyle Curtis 4. Rhett Fogg 5. Chris Lescenski 6. Jarrod Hayes 7. Danny Pizzo 8. Brian McCormack 9. Jamie Curtis 10. Alyssa Paprocky 11. Kyle Halpin 12. Tom Sullivan 13. Greg Harris 14. Justin Ferreri 15. Luke Foerster
Mini Stocks: 1. Andrew Farnham 2. Paul Wojcik 3. Joe Cooke Jr. 4. Chris Olivari 5. James O’Connell 6. CJ Zukowski 7. Shawn Wanat 8. Scott Phillips 9. Charles Astacio 10. Nick Johnson
Bandolero Bandits: 1. Ben Morabito 2. Rodney Dowless Jr. 3. Emmett Grattan 4. Nick Hodge 5. Giavanna Agugliaro 6. Jordan Ryan 7. Reid Halpin 8. Brooke Meyer 9. Kix Bock 10. Aria Ligon 11. Phillip Alaimo 12. Layla Quilliam 13. Nora Schelin
Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Chevy Rommeney 2. Wayne Meyer Jr. 3. Gavin Romano 4. Will Sipala 5. Tucker Bock 6. Haylie Denis 7. Marissa Stewart DNS- Julianna Kramer
Truck Enduro (top ten): 1. Phil LaManna 2. Jarrett Campbell 3. Justin McGrady 4. Kerry Botts 5. Woot Lawrence 6. Gary Voight 7. Whitney Williams 8. Mariah Lawrence 9. Chris Grover 10. Steve Reisert
1st 8-Cylinder (top ten): 1. Joe Boccia 2. Kevin Feeney 3. Richie Carman 4. Roger Tramm 5. Pat Collins 6. Greg Harris 7. Brandon Hubbard 8. Carmine Ragusa 9. Christian Kalbfleisch 10. Ricky Carman
2nd 8-Cylinder Enduro (top ten) 1. Woot Lawrence 2. Greg Harris 3. Ricky Carman 4. Anthony Pizzo 5. Kevin Feeney 6. Richie Carman 7. Joe Boccia 8. Donny Oliver 9. Pat Collins 10. Jody Fickeissen
4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go (top ten) 1. John Palmeri 2. Robert Izzo 3. Peter Verwys Jr. 4. Frank Raynor 5. Chris Constantine 6. Joe Warren Jr. 7. Joey Palmeri Jr. 8. Pat Collins Jr. 9. Mike Mujsce Jr. 10. Franky Abbatiello
