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Riverhead, NY Aug. 14th
By Bob Finan
Third time was the charm for a twice postponed program at Riverhead Raceway Wednesday night as another large crowd gathered for some Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing featuring a School Bus Demolition Derby. Scott Pederson of Shirley winning his second TK Figure Eight feature in four days, Jack Handley of Medford topping the Super Pro Truck event and Jarrod Hayes of Calverton collecting his second Street Stock win of 2024 took the headlines. Wednesday night kicked off a string of three consecutive midweek programs at the track.
In the 15-lap TK Figure Eights Bryan Quilliam once again paced the race early, as he did Saturday. Scott Pedersen chased Bryan for the first three laps before zeroing in on the leader. Racing off the second corner Scott got into Quilliam sending the soon to be former leader into a spin cycle. Caution was waved but race control allowed the pass to stand sighting in their opinion Quilliam didn’t give Pedersen enough racing room. The race resumed with Pedersen leading over Ryan Warren with the challenger making a last-minute decision to even race the midweek event. In the end the Bobby’s One Stop Custom Exhaust & Auto Chevy collected another win, 15th of Scott’s career tying him with Tom Ryan for 12th all-time. Ryan Warren of Ridge in the sponsor wanted racer was second, while versatile Frank Dumicich Jr. of East Quogue was third in the Bobby’s One Stop Custom Exhaust & Auto Coupe. It was Frank’s first start ever in the class.
Due to a scheduling quirk and weather, the Super Pro Trucks had not raced since June, and it showed. Their scheduled 30-lap Miller Lite Triple Crown Series event was shortened to 15-laps after a case of yellow fever struck the troops during their return. Erin Solomito and Jack Handley made up the front row of a healthy 15-truck field, Handley took a slight advantage at the throw of the green with Solomito hanging tough. It didn’t take long for the cautions to fall but each and every restart that followed, Solomito hung right with Handley. With time ticking, race control announced just before halfway the final restart was about to take place. On that restart former champion Sean Glennon worked his way by Solomito on lap 14, sadly one lap later Erin through no fault of her own was that final caution with a fourth turn spin. Jack Handley Jr. was leading in his East Side Building Toyota earning his third win of 2024, 23rd of his career moving him into sole possession of third all-time. Sean Glennon of Northport was second in the Glennon Construction Chevy, Lou Maestri of Deer Park, the all-time leading winner was third in his Hunter Business School entry.
Saturday night found Jarrod Hayes suffering major engine issues with his Street Stock prior to the feature won by Alyssa Paprocky. Instead of scrapping plans to race the midweek race, the North Fork Sanitation team drove to their race shop and worked until 3:30 am Sunday morning swapping engines. The sleepless night and intense labor paid off Wednesday when Hayes walked the dog in a 30-lap Miller Lite Triple Crown Series event. At the throw of the green Hayes with a new bullet under the hood took off in the race lead with Max Handley and Gerard Lawrence second and third. It would be a race long duel for second between Handley and Lawrence that caught the fans attention and played right into leader Hayes hands. As Jarrod Hayes drove to his second win of the season, fourth of his career. Max Handley of Medford was second in his Rosenberg & Gluck machine, while Brian Brown of Calverton made some late race moves to claim third in the Eastport Feeds entry.
Cillian Tennant of Manorville returned to his Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Outlaw racing roots in a big way Wednesday when he took a hotly contested 15-lap win over defending champion Ben Morabito of Miller Place. Tennant, who is a freshman in the Super Pro Trucks this year took the early race lead over Giavanna Agugliaro at the drop of the green. Agugliaro was passed to the inside off turn four on lap 3 by Ben Morabito for second and the Tennant/Morabito battle was on. On lap 7 Morabito took over the race lead with Tennant now draped all over him as the challenger. The race would come down to a double file restart on lap 17, there Tennant was able to put his MC-11 prepared machine out front over Morabito in his Benimax Trucking for the lead and his first career win. Morabito was second, Will Sipala of Manorville placed third in the Riteway Auto mount.
The 15-lap Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Bandit race was also a thriller with defending champion Reid Halpin of Wading River scoring his third consecutive win. Layla Quilliam paced the first circuit of the race before being passed by another second-generation talent Tyler Oxee. The Grattan brothers drew a caution just before starting the second lap with their tangle off turn four. On the restart John Alaimo races his way to second behind Oxee but another quick yellow waved. On that restart Reid Halpin got by Alaimo for second behind leader Oxee. For the remainder of the race Oxee, who was back in action after a heavy crash Saturday and Halpin raced side by side for the lead. Right up until the final turn. Oxee, running the low to middle groove looked as though he’d score a career first win. However, Hapin was having none of it as Reid rode the outside lane to a last turn victory, the 7th of his career in the Florida Connection Bandit. Tyler Oxee, knocking on the door of that first win was a close runner-up in the North Fork Sanitation entry, Aria Ligon of Center Moriches was third in the Chesterfield Associates Bandit.
After coming close to taking her first win two races ago, Mackenzie Ulmet of Riverhead made her own last lap pass to take her first career Bock Auto INEX Bandolero Beginner win in a 10-lap thriller. Emily Gatz led the first lap of the race that was slowed by a first lap yellow when Leighton Van Houten and Ulmet got together, Van Houten was finished for the race. Ulmet continued. On the restart, Daxx Halpin powered his way to the lead seeking his third win of 2024 with Gatz now second. As the laps clicked off Halpin ran away and his from the field, or so it seemed. Mackenzie Ulmet, who after her early race tangle worked her way back to second was shaving time off Halpin’s lead, lap after lap. With the white flag waving in the summer breeze Ulmet closed in on Halpin for the lead and win. By the time the tandem raced towards the checker flag Ulmet, the granddaughter of former racer Wes Zaleski, drove her Mark Davis Builders machine to victory. Afterwards she proclaimed, “I had the time of my life”. Daxx Halpin of Wading River brought the Baldwin Automotive racer home second while Alexis Gatz of Riverhead scored an impressive third place tally in the TS Haulers machine.
Mike Mujsce Jr. of Hampton Bays took the lead on the 5th lap of the 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go race and never looked back scoring his second win of 2024 in the Westhampton Auto Salvage entry. Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge drove from deep in the field for second place money in his Newtown Landscaping Chevy, CJ Zukowski of Riverhead was third in the Walls of Famer racer.
Lightening rod personality Johnny Vullo of Bay Shore won the School Bus Demolition Derby, the first of his career. Johnny “Electric” made the last hit on Chris Lescenski of Riverhead to secure the win.
Silas Hayes of Calverton pocketed his third JuiceBox Racers win of 2024 just after opening ceremonies.
Figure Eights: 1. Scott Pedersen 2. Ryan Warren 3. Frank Dumicich Jr. 4. Bryan Quilliam 5. Paulo Miquel 6. Kim Hyde 7. Bob Dalke 8. Gary Fritz Jr.
Super Pro Trucks: 1. Jack Handley Jr. 2. Sean Glennon 3. Lou Maestri 4. Frank Dumicich Jr. 5. Jef Farruggia Jr. 6. Cillian Tennant 7. Liam Patrick 8. Erin Solomito 9. Phil LaManna 10. Rob Corwin 11. Matt Triola 12. Tony Naglieri 13. Frank Dumicich Sr. 14. Brandon Hubbard 15. Dave Koenig
Street Stocks: 1. Jarrod Hayes 2. Max Handley 3. Brian Brown 4. Gerard Lawrence 5. Tom Sullivan 6. Dennis Kurras 7. Alyssa Paprocky 8. Rocky Carman 9. Charles Sudano 10. Kyle Halpin 11. Bob Dalke 12. John Harley 13. Danny Pizzo 14. Luke Foerster 15. Jake Curran 16. Anthony Caccioppo 17. PJ McGay
Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Cillian Tennant 2. Ben Morabito 3. Will Sipala 4. Thomas Grattan 5. Madison White 6. Madison Tomaszewski 7. Grace Cheslak 8. Michael Barry 9. Giavanna Agugliaro 10. Jordan Ryan
Bandolero Bandits: 1. Reid Halpin 2. Tyler Oxee 3. Aria Ligon 4. Blake Grattan 5. Brooke Meyer 6. Antonio D’Alonzo 7. Christian Ryan 8. Layla Quilliam 9. John Alaimo 10. Emmett Grattan
Bandolero Beginners: 1. Mackenzie Ulmet 2. Daxx Halpin 3. Alexis Gatz 4. Emily Gatz 5. Leighton Van Houten
4/6-Cylinder Enduro: 1. Mike Mujsce Jr. 2. Joe Warren Jr. 3. CJ Zukowski 4. John Palmeri 5. Chris Olivari 6. Joey Palmeri Jr. 7. Dave Olivari 8. Jesse Bichsel 9. Franky Abbatiello 10. Eric Germuth 11. Anthony Paretta 12. Vinny Abbatiello 13. Jeremy Rand 14. Robert Kramer 15. Zach Tyler 16. Mike Fragola 17. Eoughan Hayward 18. Michael Kowalski 19. Mike Mujsce III 20. Robert Sherry 21. Chris Smith 22. Taylor Schewire 23. Mark Duerwald 24. Charkes Astacio 25. Wendy Rommeney 26. Charles Sherry 27. Jamie Cafaro 28. Ryan T Warren 29. Jack Tessa
School Bus Demolition Derby: Winner- Johnny Vullo
JuiceBox Racers: Winner- Silas Hayes
