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Riverhead, NY May 7th
By Bob Finan
The second half of opening weekend Sunday at Riverhead Raceway was contested under beautiful sunny skies and temperatures with the Street Stocks and Mini Stocks highlighting the card with 30-lap Miller Lite Triple Crown Series feature events. When the dust settled Brian Brown of Calverton collected his 9th career Street Stock win tying him with Eric Zeh on the all-time win list while defending Mini Stock champion Andrew Farnham of Baldwin scored his 7th career victory tying him with CJ Zukowski for third all time.
In the Street Stock contest former Blunderbust and Late Model winner Jarrod Hayes of Calverton seemingly has things in hand leading all 30 circuits of the race that went caution free. Brian Brown, a driver with vast experience at Riverhead as well, including Late Model and Crate Mods chased Hayes the entire distance but could never get to the back bumper of J-Rod. Hayes took the checker flag, did the post-race interview and was ready to rush to a family event. However, in tech the car was found with unapproved brake modifications stripping Hayes of the win.
“Not the way we like to win them, but we’ll take it” Brown noted after being presented the trophy pit side, “can’t thank Doug & Maura of Eastport Feeds enough and of course my wife Jamie, she drives me to be better every day”.
Greg Harris of Riverhead placed second in his SGS Stone Works Chevy while Rhett Fogg of Westhampton crossed the line third in the McBetts Racing Engines Chevy.
No better way for a defending champion to start a title defense season off with a win which is exactly what Andrew Farnham did Sunday in the non-stop Mini Stock 30-lap feature. Farnham in the Ken Matlach Motorsports Honda broke to the early lead as the green dropped. Along the way Andrew had stiff competition, the toughest of which came from eventual runner-up Paul Wojcik of Patchogue. Wojcik, a former champion himself pressured Farnham every turn of every laps over the final 10-lap segment. However, Wojcik in the RFG Electrical Contracting entry would have to be content with second while Chris Olivari of Coram in his sponsor wanted racer was third.
In the 15-lap Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Bandit event, Kix Bock of East Hampton enjoyed the thrill of a first career feature event win Sunday. Bock broke to the lead where he’d stay the entire distance in the Bock Auto entry but had pressure early from Emmett Grattan. Shortly after a late race restart, Bock continued to lead but a battle was brewing for second as Grattan had his mirror fill up with a quick closing Reid Halpin. With just a handful of laps left in the tilt Halpin made a textbook inside pass of Grattan for second exiting the fourth corner. By the time Reid got to second Kix Bock was long gone and drove off to the victory. Halpin, of Wading River turned in a stellar runner-up performance in the Nick & Dano’s Auto Clinic Bando while Emmett Grattan of Southold was third in the Southold PBA racer.
2022 Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Bandit champion Ben Morabito of Miller Place topped the 15-lap Outlaw feature event in his first Outlaw. Morabito turned out to be a quick learner as he won the event after taking the lead just past halfway from Gavin Romano. Once in front Ben, steering the Benimax Trucking Bando never looked back notching his 4th overall Riverhead Bock Auto Bandolero victory. Will Sipala of Manorville made a late race charge to second where he’d finish in the Riteway Automotive Center entry while early leader Gavin Romano of Riverhead was third in the Mil-Aero Solutions machine.
The “Quiet Man” Phil LaManna of Smithtown dominated, as he so often does the 50-lap Truck Enduro. LaManna, owner of EP Milling & Sweeping that sponsors a fleet of cars at the track simply pulled away from the field to score yet another win. Bobby Pease of Medford in the Fit Spot Gym Chevy was second while Whitney Williams of Huntington was third.
Some years, ago Don Carasiti of St. James won his share of Spectator Drag events at Riverhead with his red Pontiac Firebird, always sporting his Fred Harbach X-90 -shirt. After taking some time away from the game Carasiti returned Sunday in a big way as he won the 50-lap 8-Cylinder Enduro steering his sponsor wanted Chevy. Woot Lawrence of Southampton was runner-up in the Gregor Well Drilling Camaro while David Verbeeck of Levittown placed third in his self funded racer.
Mike Mujsce Jr. of Hampton Bays made a triumphant return to the 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go Enduro by winning their 50-lap main event. Mujsce moved up to the Mini Stocks successfully winning 8 times tying him with Joe Warren Jr. for all-time wins in the division. Mujsce drove the East & West Pest Control mount Sunday and was followed by Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge in the Newtown Landscaping Chevy and Chris Olivari of Coram in the sponsor wanted entry.
Street Stocks: 1. Brian Brown 2. Greg Harris 3. Rhett Fogg 4. Alyssa Paprocky 5. Tom Sullivan 6. Brian McCormack 7. Kyle Curtis 8. Dave Antos 8. Gerard Lawrence 9. Danny Pizzo 10. Dennis Kurras 11. Kyle Halpin 12. Luke Foerster 13. Chris Mancz 14. James DiPietro DQ- Jarrod Hayes DNS Henry Cuesta
Mini Stocks: 1. Andrew Farnham 2. Paul Wojcik 3. Chris Olivari 4. CJ Zukowski 5. Joe Cooke Jr. 6. Jay Innes 7. John Marchia 8. Charles Astacio 9. Ryan Warren 10. Nick Johnson DQ-Joe Warren Jr.
Bock Auto Bandolero Bandits: 1. Kix Bock 2. Reid Halpin 3. Emmett Grattan 4. Mason Goodale 5. Layla Quilliam 6. Aria Ligon 7. Anthony D’Alonzo 8. Brooke Meyer 9. Blake Grattan
Bock Auto Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Ben Morabito 2. Will Sipala 3. Gavin Romano 4. Phil Alaimo 5. Tucker Bock 6. Giavanna Agugliaro 7. Jayden Owen-Bader 8. Cillian Tennant 9. Nick Hodge 10. Madison Tomaszewski
Truck Enduro: 1. Phil LaManna 2. Bobby Pease 3, Whitney Williams 4. Mariah Lawrence 5. Don Nelson 6. Kerry Botts 7. Brandon LaManna 8. Justin McGrady 9. Chris Grover 10. William Kennedy 11. Emily Hubbard 12. Jackie Germuth 13. Bob Pease Jr. 14. James Kelly 15. Danielle Cohen 16. Dusty Cole 17. John Schult 18. Chloe Phillips 19. Jarrett Campbell 20. Vinny Pease 21. Eoughan Hayward 22. Gary Voight
8-Cylinder Enduro: 1. Don Carasiti 2. Woot Lawrence 3. David Verbeeck 4. Richie Craman 5. Kale Buckley 6. Anthony Pizzo 7. Pat Collins 8. Kevin Coyle 9. Christian Kalbfleisch 10. Justin Squires 11. Roger Tramm 12. Carmine Ragusa 13. James McCarthy 14. Jess Martines 15. Dave Sandel 16. Paul Casatiglione 17. James Hyem 18. Jody Fickeissen 19. Chris Smith 20. Joe Boccia 21. Ed Graef 22. Dennis Jones 23. Eric Germuth 24. Pat Collins Jr. 25. Anthony Copobianco 26. James McCarthy Jr. 27. Greg Harris 28. Kevin Feeney 29. Steven Brooks 30. Moody Enaya 31. Ricky Carman
Gut & Go Enduro: 1. Mike Mujsce Jr. 2. Joe Warren Jr. 3. Zach Tyler 4. Jennifer Siebert 5. Mike Mujsce III 6. John Palmeri 7. Rob Izzo 8. Frank Raynor 9. David Olivari 10. Anthony Paretta 11. David Duran 12. Michael Doherty 13. Jose Garcia 14. Jeremy Rand 15. Steve Vogel 16. Patrick McGay 17. Joey Palmeri Jr. 18. Frank Abbatiello 19. Jesse Bischel 20. Jake Rivera 21. Michael Fragola 22. Jacob Hartard 23. Ally Turbush 24. Anthony Fiorigilo 25. Chris Olivari 26. Brandon Turbush 27. Jack Tessa
