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Riverhead, June 29th
By Bob Finan
Jack Handley Jr. of Medford didn’t allow losing the NASCAR Modified feature lead during a 45th lap restart to rain on his parade Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway. Instead, with some perseverance combined with some good racing fortune, Handley reclaimed the lead 16-laps later during another restart to earn “The Flying Dutchman Tribute” to Fred Harbach 74. It was Jack’s first Modified win of 2024, third of his career,
Slated to start on the pole Jack Handley decided to choose the outside lane for the start of the 74th Year Celebration, JB Fortin joined hm on the front row to the inside. At the throw of the green Handley and Fortin battled side by side over the first three circuits of the contest before Fortin tucked in behind Handley to start the fourth lap. The race would run non-stop over the first 45 laps with Fortin all over the back bumper of the race leader. At times it appeared as if JB was actually pushing leader Handley down the chutes. A Tom Sekulski solo spin on lap 45 slowed the race setting up a double file restart. With the event part of the Crown Jewel Series the choose cone was in play with Handley, to the surprise of many sticking to the outside allowing Fortin back to the inside. Many felt the challenger would have more control and they were right. When the race resumed Fortin would muscle his way under Handley in the first turn, moving Jack up the hill allowing Timmy Solomito to come to second to start the 46th circuit.
Fortin and Solomito were running one-two when Glen Steger, making his first start of 2024 spun off the front stretch drawing the second caution of the race on lap 61. When it came time for the choose Fortin took the inside moving Solomito to the outside. When the race resumed Solomito, with a good drive off the fourth corner was able to edge out front of Fortin with JB reacting by throwing his car into the first turn to the inside of Timmy. The result was contact between the duo for the third caution of the race forcing them to the rear. That turn of events moved Handley who fell to third back into the race lead with Tom Rogers Jr. now second and Dylan Slepian third.
On what would be the final restart of the race Jack Handley Jr. indeed, changed his choice game plan picking the inside, a choice that took the driver of the Hydro Action Chevy to victory lane as he led the final 13-laps. “There is a popular thought about Modified racing at Riverhead that says the driver you think is going to win the race almost never does” Jack quipped before receiving awards and bonus money from Alex and Joanne Kitzen and the X-90 team.
Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills made his way to second on the final restart to earn he and his Eastport Feeds team their best effort, ditto for third place finisher Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead and the Precision Water Works group. Chris Young of Calverton and Justin Brown of Manorville crossed the line fourth and fifth.
Chase Grennan of Glen Cove didn’t let a rare pole position starting berth go to waste as he won his second Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified event of 2024. Grennan zipped directly to the race lead at the start chased early by Joey Braun. After pressuring Braun for second for the first mile of the race, Max Handley made his way to second to start the 5th lap. That would be as good as it got for the younger brother of the Modified winner as Chase Grennan hit his marks and drove his Dillner Precast Chevy to a career 8th victory. Max Handley of Medford would have to be content with second place money in the Hydro Action Chevy, Joey Braun of Manorville was third in the Goodfellas Auto Repair entry.
The late Long Island Figure Eight icon “TK” Tommy Kraft saw something special in Ryan Warren of Ridge a few years ago. Enough that Kraft would tap Warren to drive one of the cars he and wife Kathy owned. Saturday night with “TK” beaming down from above with pride, and probably a “I told you so” thrown in, Warren of Ridge rewarded that faith with his first career win. After Tommy’s passing last summer Ryan was able to purchase the car from the Kraft family. Kim Hyde led Johnny Vullo over the first two laps before Vullo got into Hyde spinning her from the lead. Vullo was sent to the rear for his part in the spin. That moved Ryan Warren into the race lead, a lead he never surrendered. After taking the checker Warren stopped his Crazy Cones entry at the gate in turn four where Kraft worked as a NASCAR Official to salute his mentor. Gary Frtiz Jr. of Mastic Beach was runner-up in the Goodfellas Auto Repair Cadillac while Bryan Quilliam of Shirley was third in the Pop ‘N Play Daycare entry.
If Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead were a baseball player, he’d be batting .500 after winning his fourth of eight INEX Legend Race Car feature events on the season Saturday. Joey Braun led the first lap at the start before Ray Fitzgerald got by on the second cycle. Braun gave chase until he was passed to the outside by a high-flying Chevy Rommeney on lap 6. However, two laps later Braun was able to get back by Rommeney for second, the trio raced under a blanket until disaster struck on an unlucky lap 13. Rommeney once again got a good drive off the second turn, gaining a run to leader Fitzgerald. Unaware his challenger was outside, Ray moved up the track and Chevy was hard into the wall ending his race. Kevin Nowak and Jason Castaldo were innocent victims of the crash, Fitzgerald was sent to the rear for his role, he parked his car instead. Kyle Ellwood suddenly found himself in the right place at the right time and assumed the lead for the restart. When the race resumed Ellwood kept the Star Metal Buildings machine out front, notching his 23rd career win, tying him with Kevin Nowak for second all-time. Braun was runner-up in his HighMark Building Efficiency coupe while Anthony Marsh of Riverhead collected third place money in his Riverhead Trailer mount.
Former INEX Legend Race Car competitor Don Conradis of Patchogue won the 15-lap Eddie Partridge All-Star Vintage feature. Conradis, in the Bob Polverari tribute 711 led Mark Miller for the first 8-laps before the race was slowed when Frank Saladino hit the wall in his Richie Evans tribute coupe. Frank was okay. When racing resumed Conradis remained the race leader with Don Howe of Water Mill giving chase. Howe in the Corwith’s Auto Body Cavalier would finish there with Tony Ferrante Jr. of New Hyde Park third in the Anthony Ferrante & Son Chevy.
2023 Blunderbust champion Brandon Hubbard of Mastic scored the win in the 50-lap Truck Enduro with his United Exhaust Shops machine. Phil LaManna of Smithtown was runner-up in the EP Milling & Sweeping Chevy S-10 with Bobby Pease Sr. of Medford third in the Fit Spot Gym truck. Don Nelson of Rocky Point and Woot Lawrence of Southampton completed the top five.
NASCAR Modifieds 1. Jack Handley Jr. 2. Dylan Slepian 3. Tom Rogers Jr. 4. Chris Young 5. Justin Brown 6. Mark Stewart 7. Chris Rogers 8. John Beatty Jr. 9. Owen Grennan 10. Dave Brigati 11. CJ Lehmann 12. JB Fortin 13. JR Bertuccio 14. Glen Steger 15. Timmy Solomito 16. Tom Sekulski 17. Michael Rutkoski
Crate Modifieds 1. Chase Grennan 2. Max Handley 3. Joey Braun 4. Michael Berner 5. AJ DeSantis 6. Mike Albasini 7. Kyle Ellwood 8. Andrew Farnham 9. Eric Hersey 10. Vinny Delaney 11. Tom Sekulski
Figure Eights 1. Ryan Warren 2. Gary Fritz Jr. 3. Bryan Quilliam 4. Will Farrell 5. Paulo Miquel 6. Kim Hyde 7. Bob Dalke 8. Johnny Vullo 9. Scott Pedersen 10. Richie Carman
Legend Race Cars 1. Kyle Ellwood 2. Joey Braun 3. Anthony Marsh 4. Riely O’Keefe 5. Jim Sylvester 6. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 7. Jayden Glennerster 8. Ryan Lutz 9. Alex Halinar 10. Chris Sinatro 11. Ryan Barbieri 12. Mike Van Houten Jr. 13. Rodney Dowless 14. Charkes Hodge 15. Kevin Ohrnberger 16. Ed Stadtlander 17. Ray Stulz 18. Michael Metcalf 19. Will Sipala 20. Rich Braun 21. Marc Godnick 22. Phillip Alaimo 23. Ray Fitzgerald 24. Chevy Rommeney 25. Kevin Nowak 26. Jason Castaldo
Eddie Partridge Vintage All-Stars feature 1. Don Conradis 2. Don Howe 3. Tony Ferrante Jr.4. John Jasinski 5. Mark Miller 6. Bill Auer 7. Jimmy Reed Sr. 8. Vinny Siraco 9. Mike Siraco 10. Alex Kttzen 11. Sal Accardi Jr. 12. Pat Hughes 13. Frank Saladino
Truck Enduro 1. Brandon Hubbard 2. Phil LaManna 3. Bobby Pease Sr. 4. Don Nelson 5. Woot Lawrence 6. Mariah Lawrence 7. Chris Grover 8. Jackie Germuth 9. Danielle Creegan 10. Brandon LaManna 11. Jim Kelly 12. Brandon Anderson 13. Chris Ward 14. Kevin Feeney 15. Chloe Phillips 16. Jarrett Campbell 17. Mike Fragola 18 Justin McGrady
