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Riverhead, NY Oct. 1st
By Bob Finan
Contested a week later than planned due to weather, Championship Sunday rolled into action at Riverhead Raceway Sunday afternoon under sunny skies. Leading the way to victory lane were Dave Antos of Lindenhurst who topped the 30-lap Street Stock event clinching his 4th track championship in the process, while Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge prevailed in the 30-lap Mini Stock main event.
Jarrod Hayes broke to the early Stret Stock lead chased over the first four laps by Alyssa Paprocky before a caution flag slowed the race. With the event the final leg of the Miller Lite Triple Crown Series the choose cone was in place and for the early restart Hayes chose the inside as did second place runner Paprocky, allowing Dave Antos to roll from third to the outside of the front row. When the race resume Hayes and Antos dueled for the lead often side by side. On lap 13 Antos was able to gain the run he needed on Hayes to take over the lead with Hayes now in a battle for second with Max Handley. On lap 16 Handley was able to move by Hayes for second. With his 15th career win and another track championship on the horizon, Dave Antos in the EP Milling & Sweeping Chevy drove to his third win of the 2023 season. Aside from accumulating SS championships in 2018, 2020, 2022 & 2023, Antos is a former three-time Grand Enduro champion at Riverhead having won in 2011. 2011 & 2016. The victory also secured Dave the 2023 Miller Lite Triple Crown Series championship in a tie breaker. Max Handley of Medford was second in the Amish Electric Monte Carlo while Jarod Hayes of Calverton completed the podium in the North Fork Sanitation Chevy.
When the 16 Mini Stocks lined up for their 30-lap Miller Lite Triple Crown Series finale, many on hand thought the race was over before it started with all-time leading winner Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge starting from the pole. However, 2022 MS champion Andrew Farnham had other ideas. At the throw of the green Warren broke to the lead over Farnham for the first two laps before Andrew go by to lead laps 3 through 6. Both drivers were equally as good inside or outside and on lap 7 Warren reclaimed the lead over Farnham. The raging battle continued as the tandem threw crossover moves at each other with Farnham rallying back to the lead on lap 11. Two laps later Warren reclaimed the lead and son there after Farnham’s hopes to victory were dashed with a flat tire forcing him to the infield ending the torrid fight for the lead. Once left by himself out front, Joe Warren Jr in the Schmidt’s Country Market Cavalier drove off to his 4th win of 2023, the 12th of his career. Paul Wojcik of Patchogue was runner-up in the RFG Electrical Contracting Honda, securing the Miller Lite Triple Crown Series title. By virtue of his third-place finish, Joe Cooke Jr. of Shirley earned his first career Mini Stock track championship in the Island Technology entry. The 2023 title was built on consistency by Cooke who did not visit victory lane once in 2023 in route to the title.
In the 15-lap Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Bandits 15-lap feature event budding star Aria Ligon of Center Moriches scored her first career win in her Chesterfield Associates machine. Aria, who started racing during the 2022 campaign had been making positive advances throughout the 2023 season, took the race lead at the drop of the green and led all the way to the finish. Christian Ryan of Riverhead was runner-up in the sponsor wanted entry, while Blake Grattan of Southold placed third in the Southold IGA Market mount. Four-time feature event winner Reid Halpin of Wading River was on the march right from the throw of the green and appeared to be on his way to a 5th win. Unfortunately for Halpin two cars got together underneath him entering the first turn and he made hard contact with the wall in turn two ending his race. However, when Reid took the green in the Florida Connection/Baldwin Automotive racer he secured the 2023 Bandits championship. Halpin’s story is one of perseverance after suffering a hard crash at Waterford Speedbowl in the summer of 2021. The then 8-year-old Halpin wasn’t certain he wanted to race again after that incident, but with the support of his family and crew he did enjoying a career and championship season.
In the Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Outlaws event, also 15-laps Gavin Romano of Riverhead drove to his first career victory surviving a torrid battle with Will Sipala of Manorville on the final lap. Romano broke to the early lead over Ben Morabito, who by taking the green flag clinched the 2023 Outlaws championship. On lap 7 Morabito, the 2022 Bandits champion looped around Romano for the lead, bringing Cillian Tennant with him. Tennant stayed right with Morabito once the duo got to the front and on lap 8 the challenger dove low on the leader with contact ensuing. That moved Romano back to the race lead with Will Sipala second for the restart. It all boiled down to the last turn of the final lap as the checker flag was waving in the breeze, Sipala threw a bottom shot on leader Romano off turn four, contact was made with Sipala the apparent winner in a photo finish. Race control intervened moving Sipala one spot back for the last turn contact making Gavin Romano a first-time winner in the Mil-Aero Solutions Outlaw. Sipala and his JD Posillico Contracting machine were second with Phillip Alaimo of Miller Place third in the Alaimo Contracting racer. The early part of Sunday was trying for Ben Morabito and his family as they nearly did not make it to the track after racing in Kingsport, Tn. Saturday. A connecting flight out of Charlotte was in peril but in the end the travel plans worked out in their favor.
For the third time this season “The Quiet Man” Phil LaManna of Smithtown topped the 40-lap Truck Enduro in his EP Milling & Sweeping S-10. Phil, despite all his trips to the winner’s circle is a man a very few, if any words post-race as he’d rather accept the trophy and handshake and head pit side. The Pease family completed the podium as Bobby Pease Jr. of Medford was runner-up and his father Bobby Sr, third. The third-place tally earned Bobby, the owner of Fit Spot Gym his second career Truck Enduro championship led by crew chief John Cozza.
Entering the 2033 8-Cylinder Enduro season Woot Lawrence of Southampton had some personal unfinished business with a Camaro he built for competition a few years back. Woot sold the car and moved to the Truck Enduro ranks where he won multiple championships, including the 2022 title. However. Woot was able to reacquire the Camaro and focus on the 2023 8-Cylinder Enduro championship. Sunday when the 50-lap finale for the 8-Cylinders was complete Woot Lawrence and his Gregor Well Drilling Camaro sat in victory lane for the third time in 2023 earning the championship in the process, unfinished business completed. Richie Carman of Port Jefferson was runner-up in the 50-lap tilt in his United Exhaust machine, while Roger Tramm of Yaphank also in a United Exhaust backed Chevy was third.
Second generation driver Mike Mujsce Jr. of Hampton Bays notched his third 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go feature event win of 2023 Sunday topping a 50-lap contest. While Mujsce enjoyed his three wins during the summer it would be Zach Tyler of Cutchogue collecting the 2023 championship. Tyler, a third-generation driver was second to Mujsce Sunday in his Miller & Caggiano Attorney at Law machine earning him the crown. Tyler took home one win during his championship season on August 2nd. Chris Olivari of Selden was third in his Middle Country Automotive racer.
While Riverhead Raceway tracks championship points for the Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Bock Auto INEX Bandoleros, racer Eric Germuth tracks the points for the three Enduro classes and a big thank you to him for his efforts. For the third year, JCR Motorsports, Jimmy & Angela Rennick sullied the championship and top five trophies for the three Enduro classes as well the Bock Auto INEX Bandoleros, thank you.
Street Stocks: 1. Dave Antos 2. Max Handley 3. Jarrod Hayes 4. Greg Harris 5. Brian Brown 6. Alyssa Paprocky 7. Brian McCormack 8. Dennis Kurras 9. Tom Sullivan 10. Rhett Fogg 11. Ricky Carman 12. Kyle Curtis 13. James DiPietro 14. Justin Ferreri 15. Luke Foerster 16. Kyle Halpin 17. Danny Pizzo 18. PJ McGay
Mini Stocks: 1. Joe Warren Jr. 2. Paul Wojcik 3. Joe Cooke Jr. 4. Tony Collinsworth 5. Chris Olivari 6. Woot Lawrence 7. James O’Connell 8. Jake Innes 9. John Harley 10. Charles Astacio 11. AJ DeSantis 12. Eoughan Heyward 13. Andrew Farnham 14. Ryan Warren DNS- Dillon Reid, Ryan T. Warren
Bock Auto Bandolero Bandits: 1. Aria Ligon 2. Christian Ryan 3. Blake Grattan 4. Emmett Grattan 5. Reid Halpin 6. Mason Goodale 7. Brooke Meyer 8. Layla Quilliam 9. Jordan Ryan 10. Antonio D’Alonzo
Bock Auto Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Gavin Romano 2. Will Sipala 3. Phillip Alaimo 4. Nick Hodge 5. Jayden Owens-Bader 6. Cillian Tennant 7. Madison Tomaszewski 8. Ben Morabito
Truck Enduro: 1. Phil LaManna 2. Bobby Pease Jr. 3. Bobby Pease Sr. 4. Kerry Botts 5. Mariah Lawrence 6. Ben Gregor 7. Chris Grover 8. Emily Hubbard 9. Don Nelson Jr. 10. William Kennedy 11. Chris Olsen 12. James Kelly 13. Hallie Campo 14. Jimmy Kelly 15. Justin McGrady 16. Brandon LaManna 17. Whitney Williams 18. Vinny Pease 19. Chloe Phillips 20. Gary Voight
8-Cylinder Enduro: 1. Woot Lawrence 2. Richie Carman 3. Roger Tramm 4. Carmine Ragusa 5. Pat Collins 6. Kevin Feeney 7. David Verbeeck 8. Ricky Carman 9. Steve Jones 10. Justin Squires 11. Christian Kalbfleisch 12. Eric Germuth 13. Dusty Cole 14. Anthony Capobianco 15. Tim Healy 16. Dwayne Sipila 17. Jess Martines Jr. 18. James Heym 19. Cutter Gera 20. Joe Boccia 21. Kale Buckley 22. Greg Harris 23. Anthony Pizzo 24. Pat Collins Jr. 25. Jack McCarthy Jr. 26. David Sandel 27. Dennis Jones
4/6-Cylinder Enduro: 1. Mike Mujsce Jr. 2. Zach Tyler 3. Chris Olivari 4. Joey Palmeri Jr. 5. Peter Verwys Jr. 6. Frank Raynor 7. Jesse Bichsel 8. Dillon Reid 9. Jacob Hartard 10. Steven Jappell 11. Jeremy Rand 12. Charles Astacio 13. Franky Abbatiello 14. Mitch Halfin 15. Vinny Abbatiello 16. Chris Constantine 17. CJ Zukowski 18. Tyler Farrell 19. Mike Fragola 20. Ryan T Warren 21. Anthony Paretta 22. Will Farrell 23. Will Garcia 24. Raymond Rau 25. David Duran 26. Hans Kiessing 27. Anthony Fioriglio 28. Joe Rodriquez 29. Moody Enaya 30. David Olivari 31. Tallon Russell 32. Will Raynor 33. George Astacio
