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Riverhead, NY Aug. 21st
By Bob Finan
The annual Monster Truck Back to School program filled Riverhead Raceway Wednesday evening, during the program Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge was declared the 20-lap Mini Stock winner, while Brandon Hubbard scored his third Truck Enduro win of 2024. After seven action packed stock car events unfolded the KSR Monster Trucks took to the track and did not disappoint. Bad News Travels Fast got the fans on their feet when he slow rolled his truck.
The Mini Stocks turned in a non-stop 20-lap main event with Tony Collinsworth of Calverton leading green to checker. Tony, during his post-race comments noted this was probably his last race of 2024 due to as he put it, “life getting in the way”. Not long after those remarks technical inspection got in the way when Tony’s winning car was found with unapproved camber disqualifying him from the victory. Joe Warren Jr. made a pass of teammate CJ Zukowski for second on lap 17, that wound up being the winning move of the race. For Warren in the Schmidt’s Country Market Cavalier, the win is his fourth in the six races run by the Mini Stocks in ’24, and Joe pads his lead on the all-time win list to 16. CJ Zukowski of Riverhead was second in the Walls of Fames Cavalier, Chris Olivari of Coram was third in the Middle Country Automotive entry.
The Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Outlaw 15-lap main event fell to Will Sipala of Manorville, his third win of the season, 5th overall career triumph. Michael Barry paced the race over the first four laps before being overtaken by Thomas Grattan on lap 5. Grattan and Barry were soon joined by a hard charging Will Sipala with the trio often battling three wide for the lead and win. ducking to the inside entering the first turn on lap 8, Will Sipala put the River Walk Bar & Grill racer out front for good. Thomas Grattan of Southold was runner-up in the Reeve Farm Stand Outlaw, third went to Michael Barry of Patchogue in the Grease Garage Motorsports racer.
For the second time in 2024 John Alaimo of Miller Place sat in victory lane when the 15-lap Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Bandit event was complete. Alaimo came to the race with a game plan of getting to the lead as quick as he could, a plan that saw him lead green to checker. Not even a midrace restart could foil Alaimo’s plan in his Turf King Bandit, although defending champion Reid Halpin of Wading River wasn’t going away without making some noise. Halpin in the Nick & Dano Auto Clinic took a few runs at eventual winner Alaimo before settling for second. Mason Goodale of Riverhead was third in the GAF Roofing machine.
For the third time this year Daxx Halpin of Wading River parked the Couch Racer Beginner Bandolero in victory lane capturing the 10-lap Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Beginner feature. Daxx was chased to the finish by Wyatt Goodale of Riverhead in the Riverhead Building Supply mount, third went to Mackenzie Ulmet of Riverhead in the Mark Davis Builders entry. The “Daxx Attack” led all 10-circuits.
Reining Blunderbust champion Brandon Hubbard of Mastic is batting .500 in Truck Enduro competition in 2024, winning for the third time in six races contested to date. The 30-lap race got off to a rocky start early when championship leader Mariah Lawrence and Gary Voight got swept up on the backstretch drawing a red flag. Newcomer Brandon Anderson paced the race until the interruption would lose the lead to the more seasoned Brandon Hubbard when the green waved. Once in the lead Hubbard in the United Exhaust Shops “grocery getter” drove off to victory. Bobby Pease Sr. of Medford was runner-up in the Fit Spot Gym Chevy, taking over the championship lead. Phil LaManna of Smithtown was third in the EP Milling & Sweeping S-10.
It had been a couple of seasons since former 8-Cylinder Enduro champion took to the track, in fact “Hot Rod” sold his championship car. Like happens so often in racing Brian got the itch, and with the family still possessing his wife Stacey’s car it was “honey, can I borrow your car” Wednesday night. End result was Halsey passing Eric Germuth down the backstretch on lap 22 to score the 30-lap triumph in the PC Truck & Equipment Monte Carlo. Germuth of Hicksville was runner-up in the HAM Racing machine, Christian Kalbfleisch of Ridge had a stellar effort for third in the Trainsmoke Motorsports Chevy.
Hands down the race of the night belonged to the 30-lap 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go Enduro troops. Joey Palmeri Jr. took advantage of a rare up front starting berth to take command early. In fact, Palmeri would lead 29 and 1/4 laps of the race before Ryan Warren of Ridge passed a slipping leader off the second turn on the white flag lap. A blown engine coupled with a stalled car midway up the backstretch made for some wild action as Palmeri led and Warren closed in. The duo tip-toed through the obstacles before Warren made the winning move in his brother Joey’s Newtown Landscaping car. Palmeri of Lindenhurst was a disappointed second in the J&J Towing racer, Chris Olivari of Coram scored his second third place finish of the night.
Mini Stocks: 1. Joe Warren Jr. 2. CJ Zukowski 3. Chris Olivari 4. Tyler Farrell 5. Paul Wojcik 6. Marissa Stewart 7. Ryan Warren 8. Shawn Wanat DNS-Charles Astacio DQ- Tony Collinsworth, Joe Cooke Jr.
Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Will Sipala 2. Thomas Grattan 3. Michael Barry 4. Tucker Bock 5. Madison Tomaszewski 6. Madison White 7. Kix Bock 8. Jordan Ryan 9. Cillian Tennant
Bandolero Bandit: 1. John Alaimo 2. Reid Halpin 3. Mason Goodale 4. Aria Ligon 5. Emmett Grattan 6. Blake Grattan 7. Layla Quilliam 8. Christian Ryan 9. Tyler Oxee 10. Antonio D’Alonzo 11. Brooke Meyer
Bandolero Beginners: 1. Daxx Halpin 2. Wyatt Goodale 3. Mackenzie Ulmet
Truck Enduro: 1. Brandon Hubbard 2. Bobby Pease Sr. 3. Phil LaManna 4. Bobby Pease Jr. 5. Don Nelson Jr. 6. Brandon LaManna 7. Brandon Anderson 8. Jim Kelly 9. Kevin Feeney 10. James Kelly 11. Chris Ward 12. Vinny Pease 13. Justin McGrady 14. Mariah Lawrence 15. Gary Voight
8-Cylinder Enduro: 1. Brian Halsey 2. Eric Germuth 3. Christian Kalbfleisch 4. Richie Carman 5. Jack McCarthy Jr. 6. Kevin Feeney 7. Woot Lawrence 8. Pat Collins 9. Greg Harris 10. Roger Tramm 11. David Verbeck 12. Justin Squires 13. Pat Collins Jr. 14. Ricky Carman 15. Sean Fitzpatrick 16. Donny Oliver 17. Jimmy Muench 18. Tim Healy 19. Steve Jones 20. James Heym 21. Cutter Gera 22. Anthony Capobianco 23. Steve Neenan 24. Carmine Ragusa 25. Jody Fickeissen 26. Robert Eggers
4/6-Cylinder Enduro: 1. Ryan Warren 2. Joey Palmeri Jr. 3. Chris Olivari 4. John Palmeri 5. David Olivari 6. Mike Mujsce III 7. Tony Collinsworth 8. Vinny Abbatiello 9. Anthony Paretta 10. Jeremy Rand 11. Chris Smith 12. Mike Fragola 13. Ryan T. Warren 14. Jacob Hartard 15. Mike Kowalski 16. Steve Jappell 17. Charles Sherry 18. Taylor Schewire 19. Aiden Farrell 20. Robert Kramer 21. Wendy Rommeney 22. Mike Mujsce Jr. 23. Franky Abbatiello
