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Riverhead, NY Feb 7th.
By Bob Finan
With 2023 officially in the mirror at the conclusion of the Riverhead Raceway Awards Ceremony, track owners Connie Partridge & Tom Gatz have released an energetic and comprehensive schedule of events for the fast-approaching 2024 race season. The 74th year of stock car racing fires off with a doubleheader weekend, Saturday evening May 4th and Sunday afternoon May 5th. While making the schedule release announcement, Partridge & Gatz disclosed the 2024 Islip 300 would pay $10,000 to the race winner with the 8th annual edition set for Saturday November 16th.
Saturday May 4th the 2024 Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series gets under way with the NASCAR Pack the Track night opener. A bustling seven division race card is planned for the lid-lifter featuring the NASCAR Tour Type Modifieds, the Division 1 class of Riverhead in the national and regional Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championships. A 50-lap Modified feature will be complimented by the Late Models, Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modifieds, Figure Eights, Blunderbusts, Super Pro Trucks and INEX Legend Race Cars. During the course of the 2024 campaign those seven classes will see action on Saturday evenings with periodic nights off penciled in.
The Eddie Partridge Vintage All Stars hit the track for their first of seven schedules events in 2024 on May 18th as part of the Miller Lite Tribute to Watne Anderson 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. That event honoring the 30th anniversary of Wayne’s 1004 WMT in 1994 will be the first of two WMT events in ’24, the 3rd annual Eddie Partridge 256 will run on September 14th.
Sunday afternoon May 5th finds the May Meltdown being presented. The Street Stocks and Mini Stocks are joined by the Truck Enduro, 8-Cylinder Enduro, 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go Enduro and INEX Bandolero Bandt and Outlaw racers. The 2024 season marks the 39th consecutive year of Enduro racing at Riverhead since the very first race contested on Memorial Day weekend in 1986. Peter Verwys Jr. of East Rockaway, who still races won that historic race.
The Crown Jewel Series chase for the Ted Christopher Cup enters year four for the NASCAR Tour Type Modifieds, the 2024 series will be made up of five extra distance races. The Crown Jewel Series gets underway with The Bubba 150 June 8th and is followed by the 74th Year Celebration Tribute to the Flying Dutchman June 29th, the Cecil Palm Tree 160 July 6th, the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77 August 17th and concludes with the Islip 300 in November.
Back for 2024 is the Miller Lite Triple Crown Series for the Late Models, Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modifieds, Figure Eights, Blunderbusts, Super Pro Trucks, INEX Legend Race Cars, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks. MLTCS events for all are dotted throughout the 2024 calendar of events.
The annual Sara Sylvester INEX Legend Race Car National Qualifier 50 will be run September 21st, while the second annual Two for TK, Twin 9 Figure Eight races are set for July 27th.
Family fun will be abundant at Riverhead Raceway for 2024, with track management disclosing 10 Big Wheel Races, most ever since their inception. The Big Wheel race is broken down to a male and female winner, with the winners keeping their Big Wheel. Also, there will be 6 events for the JuiceBox Racers who debuted in 2023. The first Juicebox event of the year unfolds on Scout Night May 11th, while Big Wheel racing gets underway on June 1st.
School Buses are going to be busy with no less than six events planned for the upcoming season. The first of three School Bus races goes green on Scout Night May 11th, with the first School Bus Demolition Derby set for July 13th, followed by more smashing July 31st and a special midweek Demo August 21st.
The high-flying, car crushing Monster Trucks of KSR Motorsports return for two dates in 2024, kicking off with the annual Monster Truck Night of Destruction July 20th followed by the Back-to -School Spectacular Wednesday August 21st.
Fireworks shows will thrill young and old alike on the 74th Year Celebration June 29th and again for the annual I Love America Night program August 10th.
Riverhead Raceway will continue to pay tribute to local heroes hosting First Responder Night August 31st. Aside from the entertaining First Responders Enduro race, all First Responders with proper ID receive 50% off general admission for that evening. The National Stock Demo Championship will also be decided during the First Responders Night program.
The complete 2024 schedule can be viewed by visiting http://www.riverheadraceway.com, click on the Events link. Competitors are reminded to register their car number for the 2024 season by visiting the web site and clicking on the Competitors link.
Emails reach the track at office@riverheadraceway.com, the phone number is 631-842-RACE.
