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Riverhead, NY July 15th
By Bob Finan
Myracenews File Photo
A large and enthusiastic crowd gathered Saturday evening at Riverhead Raceway to witness another popular School Bus Demolition Derby. Prior to Michael “Cheesebox” Rommeney of Bohemia winning the Bus Demo, Jack Handley Jr. (Super Pro Trucks), Jarrod Hayes (Street Stocks) and Tom Puccia of Shirley (Mini Stocks) scored NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series victories.
The Super Pro Trucks ran the second in their Miller Lite Triple Crown Series with Matt Triola and Jack Handley making up the front row for the 30-lap tilt. Triola, who won for the first time in the most recent Super Pro Truck event and Handley were even at the throw of the green, but it didn’t take long for Handley, seeking his third win of 2023 to power out front just before the tandem started lap 2. Once out in clean air Handley was able to keep his East End Builders Toyota out front, while unfortunately Triola’s race would later end on the back of the wrecker. At the finish Jack Handley Jr. scored his 19th career Super Pro Truck victory further padding his championship pints lead. Defending champion Sean Glennon of Northport was runner-up in the LTE Drainage Chevy with Lou Maestri of Deer Park third in the Hunter Business School machine.
Jarrod Hayes of Calverton took full advantage of the pole starting position for the 20-lap Street Stock main event to notch his first career victory. Hayes, who has compiled victories in the Blunderbusts (5) and Late Models (20) at Riverhead, got a great launch on the initial start to take command of the race over Brian McCormack. The race was only slowed by one caution flag and once again Hayes wheeling the North Fork Sanitation owned Chevy got the measure of challenger McCormack. Jarrod Hayes would lead the rest of the way to score the victory just one week after his son Silas won the Kids Big Wheel race at the track. The Robo Car Wash Monte Carlo of Brian McCormack of Holbrook was second with defending champion Dave Antos of Lindenhurst third in the EP Milling & Sweeping Chevy.
The Mini Stocks also ran their second race of the Miller Lite Triple Crown Series, a 30-lap affair won by Tom Puccia of Shirley. Puccia, a heavy equipment operator by trade made the decision to bring his Mini Stock out for the first time in 2023 payoff. Former champion CJ Zukowski paced the race for the first 9 circuits before Tom Puccia ducked under him exiting turn four to take the lead to start lap 10. Once in the lead, Tom Puccia was able to stay there in his Ferrandino & Sons Contracting racer, earning his 7th career win. CJ Zukowski of Riverhead crossed the line second but came up light at the scale so runner-up honors went to Paul Wojcik of Patchogue in the RFG Electrical Contracting entry while defending champion Andrew Farnham of Baldwin was third in the Matlach Motorsports Honda.
In the 15-lap Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Bandit feature Reid Halpin of Wading River executed a game plan of controlled aggression to come from 6th starting position to win his second feature of 2023. Early on Aria Ligon led the way for the first three laps, chased by Emmett Grattan and Halpin who made a bold move at the start of the race to quickly come to third on the first lap. Two laps later, committed to running the outside lane, Halpin went four wide with Ligon and two lapped cars exiting the second corner to move to the race lead. Once out front in the Steven’s 112 Ford Bandit, Halpin,10, did not dial back on his driving style leading him to the winner’s circle for the second time in four races. KIx Bock of East Hampton made a last lap pass in his Bock Auto entry to claim second over Emmett Grattan of Southold who settled for third in his IGA Food Market of Southold machine.
Just days removed from victory during the Cook Out Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ben Morabito of Miller Place continued his winning ways in the Bick Auto Bandolero Outlaws capturing their 15-lap main event. Phillip Alaimo broke to the early race lead and over the first 8 laps of the contest appeared headed for victory lane. However Morabito, who like Halpin on the Bandits started deep in the field was on the march. Cillian Tennant chased Alaimo over the first 4 circuits before being involved in a heavy crash in turn two with Will Sipala. Once the field was reset Tucker Bock chased leader Alaimo until the 8th lap when Morabito decided it was go time. Within a lap Morabito, steering the 860 Motorsports Northeast Outlaw broke to the race lead. However, Alaimo was not finished with his quest for victory. Phillip draped himself onto Ben’s back bumper hoping to reclaim the lead. In the end Morabito would post his 6th career win and has now won three of the four races contested to date. Alaimo of Miller Place was runner-up in the Alaimo Contracting mount. Jayden Owens-Bader of Selden collected a career best third place finish in his Robert’s Express Oil Outlaw.
Typically, if you hear or read about a driver spinning out a half dozen times during a race, the assumption is that driver had a horrible night. Such was not the case for John Palmeri of Lindenhurst who survived hard early race contact that smashed in his driver’s door and damaging John’s front suspension as well. Despite spinning out no less than six times while leading the 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go Enduro, John Palmeri in the J&J Towing entry won the 50-lap feature event. Within minutes of the win broadcast on Flo Racing, social media lit up with cries for some car owners to give Palmeri, a second-generation driver a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified driver AJ DeSantis of Yaphank closed in after Palmeri’s last spin and nearly edged John out for the win but finished second in the Mastic Wheel Alignment car. Joey Palmeri of Lindenhurst was third in the JP Automotive entry.
Super Pro Trucks: 1. Jack Handley Jr. 2. Sean Glennon 3. Lou Maestri 4. Joe Cerabino 5. Rob Corwin 6. Frank Dumicich Sr. 7. Erin Solomito 8. Liam Patrick 9. Matt triola DNS- Chris Lescenski
Street Stocks: 1. Jarrod Hayes 2. Brian McCormack 3. Dave Antos 4. Greg Harris 5. Gerard Lawrence 6. Danny Pizzo 7. Rhett Fogg 8. James DiPietro 9. Alyssa Paprocky 10. Ricky Carman 11. PJ McGay 12. Luke Foerster 13. Kyle Halpin 14. Tom Sullivan
Mini Stocks: 1. Tom Puccia 2. Paul Wojcik 3. Andrew Farnham 4. Joe Warren Jr. 5. Chris Olivari 6. John Harley 7. Charles Astacio 8. Ryan T. Warren 9. Shawn Wanat 10. Jake Inness DQ- CJ Zukowski
Bock Auto Bandolero Bandits: 1. Reid Halpin 2. Kix Bock 3. Emmett Grattan 4. Aria Ligon 5. Layle Quilliam 6. Blake Grattan 7. Jordan Ryan 8. Christian Ryan 9. Brooke Meyer 10. Mason Goodale 11. Antonio D’Alonzo
Bock Auto Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Ben Morabito 2. Phillip Alaimo 3. Jayden Owens-Bader 4. Giavanna Agugliaro 5. Nick Hodge 6. Madison Tomaszewski 7. Gavin Romano 8. Cillian Tennant 9. Will Sipala
Gut & Go Enduro: 1. John Palmeri 2. AJ DeSantis 3. Joey Palmeri 4. Frank Raynor 5. Chris Olivari 6. Charles Astacio 7. George Astacio 8. Steven Jappell 9. Jesse Bischel 10. Mike Mujsce III 11. David Olivari 12. Anthony Paretta 13. Franky Abbatiello 14. Ed LaSpina 15. Jack Tessa 16. Greg Spano 17. Michael Fragola 18. Zach Tyler 19. Jeremy Rand 20. Talen Russell 21. Sean Neenan 22. Chris Constantine 23. Anthony Fiorgilio 24. Mariah Lawrence 25. Alex Scherwire 26. Jacob Hartard 27. William Kennedy 28. Rob Izzo 29. Ryan T Warren 30. Joe Rodriquez 31. Tyler Farrell 32. Megan Williams 33. Mitch Halfin 34. Hans Kiesling 35. Liam Macwhinnie 36. Will Raynor 37. Brian Moore 38. Myles Murray 39. Joe Warren Jr. 40. Willie Burns 41. Jake Rivera 42. Keri Handley 43. Will Farrell 44. David Duran
