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Riverhead, NY July 20th
By Bob Finan
After two consecutive rainouts, a packed house of race hu+ngry fans greeted Riverhead Raceway Saturday for the annual Monster Truck Night of Destruction and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series stock car excitement. In the headlining 40-lap Miller Lite Triple Crown Series Late Model event, veteran “Radiant” Ray Minieri of Bay Shore enjoyed his second straight win of the 2024 campaign.
The Late Model contest would produce several plot twists along the way before Minieri, who has also won two straight Limited Late Model races at Wall Stadium was declared the winner. Brandon Turbush and Gerard Giordano made up the front row for the event and when the race got underway Turbush took the lead over Giordano. The two young talents got after each other up front while others behind them tried to make their way to the front. The first stoppage came on lap 18 when Shawn Patrick got into Jeremy McDermott in the third turn while racing for third. Both cars spun and had to go to the rear. When the race resumed the green stayed out only for a lap as Kevin Metzger and Keith Rotzi tangled off the fourth turn, with the right-side sheet metal torn off the Rotzi machine. Both continued at the rear. With all this happening behind them, both Turbush and Giordano were relieved to be up front, that is until the 21st lap.
During a double file restart on lap 21 the lead duo took the green flag, as the leaders raced off the second corner Turbush began his progression up the track, unfortunately Giordano was right there, the result was Brandon’s fine ride coming to an end in the wall. That left Giordano the new race leader over Jeremy McDermott and Ray Minieri, the latter feeling as though he should have been second for the restart When the race resumed McDermott immediately put the pressure on Giordano for the lead, but “G-Rod” was equal to the task. With laps winding down McDermott ratcheted up the heat. Just as the leaders raced off turn four to take the two to go signal McDermott went for broke squeezing between a lapped car and Giordano. Off the fourth corner McDermott had a slight advantage, Giordano kept his foot in the throttle got into McDermott with the latter spinning. Giordano led the final two laps, took the checker first but sat in victory lane while the incident was reviewed. After a lengthy review Giordano for his role in McDermott’s spin was placed in the position behind the defending LM champion McDermott who finished fifth in the final order of finish.
The wild finish saw Ray Minieri earn his third career win in his 1683 Sports Bar & Grill of West Islip entry. Afterwards “Radiant” Ray waxed philosophically, “sometimes it’s just your day, sometimes it’s not” Minieri noted before explaining further, “this week my washer machine, then my dryer both quit and needed replacing, it wasn’t my day. Then we come here, and this happens, guess it was my day after all”.
Shawn Patrick of Brightwaters with a valiant effort from the rear after his spin was second in the Mehner Race Engines Chevy, Chris McGuire of Miller Place was third in the Gershow Recycling machine. McGuire pitted during the first yellow with team member JR Bertuccio making chassis adjustments allowing for the podium finish.
Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead took full advantage of a outside pole starting position for the 25-lap Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified event to score his second win of 2024. A caution free race allowed Kyle to double down. Vinny Delaney sat on the pole alongside Ellwood for the start with Kyle quickly motoring out front in the Kelco Construction Chevy. Kyle, who is also enjoying success in the INEX Legend Race Cars in 2024 having own four times was able to get away from Delaney as the laps began to click off. Vinny had his hands full with both Joey Braun and Max Handley as the trio raced in close quarters for second. That allowed Kyle Ellwood, driving for former Charger champion Steve Ratti & Rat Pack Racing to pull away to collect his 7th career Eagle Chevrolet Crate Mod victory. “Mad” Max Handley of Medford got by Delaney for second on lap 9 to finish there in the Hydro Action Chevy. Vinny Delaney of Islip Terrace was third in the Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm racer.
Jim Laird Jr. of Islip Terrace had a game plan for the 20-lap Blunderbust feature event. Feeling that his car was not right after practice and qualifying, Jimmy wanted to jump out to an early lead and pray for no cautions. Vince Lombardi could not have drawn it up any better. When the green flag dropped, Laird, like he was shot out of a cannon, shot put himself into the race lead early. Bill Wegmann Sr. gave chase over the first six circuits before he was passed by Cody Triola, who possessed a fast hot rod. Problem for Triola, former multi-time champ was the huge lead Laird had built. Cody was able to chip away at Laird’s advantage, however Jim’s prayers were answered when the race went caution free. In the end Jim Laird Jr. earned his first win of 2024 in the Hampton Car Storage Caprice, a car Jim noted “still isn’t where I want it”. Jim’s win was the second on the night for the Laird family, as daughter Ellah won the JuiceBox Racers event. Cody Triola of Bay Shore was runner-up in the C&L Aluminum & Glass entry, with Tom Pickerell of Huntington third in the Encore Rentals Chevy.
Hands down the most competitive and exciting event of the night as the 20-lap Street Stock race win by veteran Jarrod Hayes of Calverton. Danny Pizzo and Hayes made up the front row for the start of the race and over the entire distance of the tilt, never got away from each other. Throw in Max Handley and the recipe for a great race was formulated. From the throw of the green Pizzo ran the inside line while Hayes was forced to the top. The duo race side by side until a lap 5 caution for CJ Lehmann was needed after CJ had right front damage after a scuffle with Tom Sullivan on the home chute. Would Pizzo and Hayes pick up where they left off before the yellow? The answer was yes! Same scenario, Pizzo preferred the inside, giving Hayes the outside and leaving him plenty of room to operate. With just under 10-laps to go, Max Handley entered the fray and on lap 15 was able to work his way by Pizzo for second, but Pizzo hung tough making it a three-car tussle over the final segment. With the SRO crowd on their feet Jarrod Hayes brought the North Fork Sanitation Chevy home for a popular win, his third career triumph with the SS. “Have to thank Danny for giving me the outside and not running me into the wall, that’s the way to race” Hayes boasted post-race. Handley was runner-up in the Rosenberg & Gluck machine with Danny Pizzo of Holbrook third in the sponsor wanted racer.
The Mini Stock “mafia” took no prisoners Saturday in the 30-lap Miller Lite Triple Crown Series event with the non-stop affair falling to Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge. Warren and Chris Olivari made up the front row for the race with Warren breaking out front early. Olivari soon found himself in the clutches of CJ Zukowski for second, CJ made the pass for position on lap 3. Quickly the self-proclaimed Mini Stock “mafia” teammates ran away and his from the pack, leaving it up to them to decide the winner. Zukowski zeroed in on Warren more than once, but each time Joe was able to remain out front. At the finish Joe Warren in the Schmidt’s Country Market Cavalier scored his second win in three races to date in 2024, his division leading 14th career win. Zukowski of Riverhead was runner-up with the Walls of Fame Cavalier, Chris Olivari of Coram placed third in the Middle Country Automotive machine.
It was girls’ night out in the 40-lap Truck Enduro when former champion Mariah Lawrence of Southampton scored the popular win steering the Total Dental Care of Mattituck entry. Bobby Pease Sr. of Medford was runner-up in the Fit Spot Gym Chevy with Don Nelson Jr. of Rocky Point third in the Nelson Brothers Racing S-10.
By his calculations, Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma earned his 40th career 8-Cylinder Enduro win Saturday in a 40-lap affair. For Pizzo in the A. Voight Towing Chevy, it was his 50th overall win at the track. Carmine Ragusa of Medford led a good portion of the race before settling for second in the Travers Tools machine, Woot Lawrence of Southampton brought the Gregor Well Drilling Camaro home third.
Late Models: 1. Ray Minieri 2. Shawn Patrick 3. Chris McGuire 4. Kevin Metzger 5. Jeremy McDermott 6. Gerard Giordano 7. Brian Doyle 8. Ed Cheslak 9. Keith Rotzi 10. Jenn Krpata 11. Brandon Turbush 12. Scott Cheslak
Crate Modifieds: 1. Kyle Ellwood 2. Max Handley 3. Vinny Delaney 4. Chase Grennan 5. Joey Braun 6. Michael Berner 7. AJ DeSantis 8. Stephen Coleman 9. Andrew Farnham 10. Mike Albasini 11. Chevy Rommeney 12. Justin Brown 13. Tom Sekulski
Blunderbusts: 1. Jim Laird Jr. 2. Cody Triola 3. Tom Pickerell 4. Joe Densieski 5. Bill Wegmann Sr. 6. Tom Sullivan 7. Emily Hubbard 8. Joe Boccia 9. Jarrett Campbell 10. Tom Puccia 11. Liam Macwhinnie 12. Rob Bader 13. Brad Bess 14. Jaden Owens-Bader
Street Stocks: 1. Jarrod Hayes 2. Max Handley 3. Danny Pizzo 4. Gerard Lawrence 5. Tom Sullivan 6. Chris Lescenski 7. John Harley 8. Ricky Carman 9. Charles Sudano 10. Alyssa Paprocky 11. Kyle Halpin 12. CJ Lehmann 13. Anthony Caccioppo 14. James DiPietro 15. PJ McGay 16. Bob Dalke 17. Henry Cuesta 18. Luke Foerster
Mini Stocks: 1. Joe Warren Jr. 2. CJ Zukowski 3. Chris Olivari 4. Paul Wojcik 5. Tyler Farrell 6. Ryan Warren 7. Joe Cooke Jr. 8. Jake Innes 9. Eoughan Hayward 10. William Garcia 11. Charles Astacio 12. Marissa Stewart 13. Hunter Cummings
Truck Enduro: 1. Mariah Lawrence 2. Bobby Pease Sr. 3. Don Nelson Jr. 4. Bobby Pease Jr. 5. Gary Voight 6. Whitney Williams 7. Jackie Germuth 8. Chris Ward 9. Danielle Creegan 10. Vinny Pease 11. Brandon Anderson 12. Jimmy Kelly
8-Cylinder Enduro- 1. Anthony Pizzo 2. Carmine Ragusa 3. Woot Lawrence 4. Sean Fitzpatrick 5. Kevin Feeney 6. Brian Halsey 7. Joe Boccia 8. Ricky Carman 9. Richie Carman 10. Pat Collins 11. Christian Kalbfleisch 12. Roger Tramm 13. Pat Collins Jr. 14. Steve Jones 15. James Heym 16. Donny Oliver 17. Jody Fickeissen 18. Paul Casatiglione 19. David Verbeek 20. Will Ebert 21. Cutter Gera 22. Jeremy Rand 23. Moody Enaya 24. Anthony Capobianco 25. Justin Squires 26. James McCarthy Jr. 27. Greg Harris 28. Andy Denninger 29. Eric Germuth
