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Riverhead, NY Aug. 31st.
By Bob Finan
All Photos by Michael Jaworecki/Myracnews
NASCAR Modified talent Michael Rutkoski of Mattituck turned his 2024 season around Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway leading wire-to-wire to win the 50-lap First Responders Night event. Rutkoski has endured a rough season up until the calendar flipped from July to August, it was then the 2018 Crate Modified champion felt a shift in fortune that led to his 2nd career win Saturday.
Michael Rutkoski and Chris Rogers made up the front row for the race with Rutkoski breaking to the lead over Rogers. On lap 3, fresh off a victory in the Crate Mods, Owen Grennan flashed under Rogers for second and set his radar for leader Rutkoski. With a light field of 10-cars on hand the race featured a long sustained green flag run with most battles for position taking place behind the lead duo. One of those battles got too close on lap 44 with Chris Rogers spinning off the bumper of defending champion John Beatty Jr. drawing the yellow. Dylan Slepian was an innocent victim of the incident when his car made the slightest of contact with Rogers deeming him involved in the caution. Rogers and Slepian had to file in at the rear and were joined by Beatty at the request of race control.
With only six laps left in the tilt, the last thing leader Rutkoski wanted to see was a double file restart with Grennan, who had just won the Crate Modified 40 lapper. When the green light came back on Rutkoski, hungry to right the ship that has been the 2024 season was able to maintain his lead, hit his marks and drove to a popular victory in the Buzz Chew Chevrolet/United Rentals entry. “Boy we needed this” Rutkoski exulted in the winner’s circle, “my team, my family and everyone that is part of this never let me give-up, stood behind me all the way” , When asked if he felt there was a turning point leading up to the win Michael quickly responded, “while we’ve been building towards over the last month, when we finished third in the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77, I knew we were close”.
Owen Grennan of Glen Cove was runner-up in the Eastport Feeds Chevy, Owen gave it all he had on the final restart to pocket his first career NASCAR Modified win and is knocking on the door. Jack Handley Jr. of Medford had a solid third place finish in the Suffolk Cement Chevy and with championship leader John Beatty Jr. ninth at the finish made up some ground in the 2024 title chase. JB Fortin of Holtsville was fourth over the line, followed by Chris Yung of Calverton in fifth.
“G-Rod” Gerard Giordano of Freeport scored his first Late Model win of the season in a 25-lap event. Starting alongside polesitter Shawn Patrick at the outset, Giordano filed into second at the throw of the green behind Patrick. On lap 9 Brandon Turbush made an inside pass on the frontstretch to wrestle second from Giordano, that momentum took him under Patrick for the lead exiting the fourth turn to start the 10th circuit. Once out front Turbush was able to get away from the pack, but a lap 14 caution for a Shawn Patrick spin would become the undoing of Brandon’s race. While circling the track the leader’s car developed a fueling issue and Turbush was pushed behind the wall. That moved Giordano into the race lead with rival Jeremy McDermott alongside for the restart. When the race resumed Giordano was able to keep McDermott at bay for four laps before another caution waved for a vicious Chris McGuire crash on the backstretch. Chris was okay, his car was totaled. During that caution period McDermott surrendered second with a left front flat forcing him to out and return at the rear. When the final six laps were run off Gerard Giordano remained out front in his K1 Logistics Chevy to earn his second career win. Ryan Zukowski of Riverhead crossed the line second but was light at the scales moving Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead to the runner-up finish in the My Guy NAPA Auto Parts Chevy. Keith Rotzi of Islip completed the podium of the wild event in his Acura of Bay Shore machine.
The Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modifieds completed their 2024 Miller Lite Triple Crown Series with a 40-lap event in which Owen Grennan hit a milestone taking his 20th career victory. By virtue of advancing from sixth to second in his qualifying heat, Owen earned enough passing points slotting him onto the pole for the feature with rookie Andrew Farnham alongside. At the throw of the green to nobody’s surprise Grennan leaped out front, while Farnham held serve in second for a lap before being passed by Eric Hersey to the inside off turn four. Unfortunately for Farnham his race got turned around on lap 4, spinning to the infield drawing a caution. On the ensuing restart Chase Grennan, younger brother to the leader slipped under Hersey for second and the Grennan family would be left decide the outcome. Chase stayed right on Owen’s heels for the remainder of the distance with big brother prevailing for his second win of 2024 in the Dillner Precast Chevy. While Owen won the battle, Chase won the Miller Lite Triple Crown Series championship with his runner-up finish in the Black Forest Auto Chevy, the youngster also leads in the overall chase for the track championship. Eric Hersey of Commack brought the Jack Anthony Pools racer home third.
Redemption came for INEX Legend Race Car veteran Anthony Marsh of Riverhead when he scored his first win of 2024 in their 20-lap main event. Like Modified winner Rutkoski, Marsh has suffered through a rough 2024 campaign. Lined-up to the outside of 13-year-old Rodney Dowless Jr. for the start, Marsh would ride second behind the impressive teenager for the first three laps before ducking under for the race lead on lap 4. Undaunted in losing the lead, Dowless stayed right in Marsh’s tire tracks until he surrendered second to Riely O’Keefe on lap 13. Like Dowless before his, O’Keefe would have to be content riding behind Marsh as the laps clicked off. Not even a few late race double file restarts could get in the way of Anthony Marsh notching his 5th career win in the GT Power Systems coupe. Riely O’Keefe of Manorville was runner-up in the Crystal Clear Window Cleaning racer, while Rodney Dowless Jr. rounded out the podium in third with his Island Thrift entry.
What a weekend for Mini Stock winner CJ Zukoski of Riverhead who won the 20-lap feature event, his second win of 2024. Friday, CJ and his team ventured up to the famed Oswego Speedway for a Compact event part of the Classic Weekend in the far reaches of upstate New York. He would cross the line 7th Friday night in his first visit ever to the Home of Supermodifieds, load up his car to start the long journey home. After defending champion Joe Cooke Jr. led the first cycle, a sleep depraved Zukowski roared out front on lap 2. Once out front as if he were speeding down the New York State Thruway, Zukowski remained out front until the checker flag waved over the Walls of Fame Cavalier. Championship leader Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge moved to second on lap six where he’d finish in the Schmidt’s Country Market Chevy. Chris Olivari of Coram charged his way from the back to a solid third place tally in the Middle Country Automotive racer.
Johnny Cricchio of Ridge, a member of the Terryville Volunteer Fire Department borrowed his neighbor Joe Warren’s 4/6-Cylinder Enduro car to win the First Responders Enduro. Johnny “Drama” has been taking a break from regular racing to get married and start a family, but he showed no signs of rust scoring the popular win. Fred Grover of Huntington, retired NYPD was runner-up, Donny Oliver of Riverhead (affiliation unknown) was third.
NASCAR Modifieds: 1. Michael Rutkoski 2. Owen Grennan 3. Jack Handley Jr. 4. JB Fortin 5. Chris Young 6. Tom Rogers Jr. 7. Chris Rogers 8. Mark Stewart 9. John Beatty Jr. 10. Dylan Slepian
Late Models: 1. Gerard Giordano 2. Jeremy McDermott 3. Keith Rotzi 4. Kevin Metzger 5. Ed Cheslak 6. Ray Minieri 7. Shawn Patrick 8. Chris McGuire 9. Brandon Turbush 10. Scott Cheslak 11. Ryan Zukowski
Crate Modifieds: 1. Owen Grennan 2. Chase Grennan 3. Eric Hersey 4. AJ DeSantis 5. Joey Braun 6. Max Handley 7. Kyle Ellwood 8. Vinny Delaney 9. Rich Gerbe 10. Charkes Macwhinnie 11. Tom Sekulski 12. Mike Albasini 13. Andrew Farnham 14. Michael Berner
Legend Race Cars: 1. Anthony Marsh 2. Riely O’Keefe 3. Rodney Dowless Jr. 4. Joey Braun 5. Chase Van Houten 6. Christopher Coleman 7. Brad Van Houten 8. Chris Sinatro 9. Will Sipala 10. Kyle Ellwood 11. Jim Sylvester 12. Phillip Alaimo 13. Pat Moore 14. Nick Hodge 15. Jayden Glennerster 16. Ed Stadtlander 17. Ray Stulz 18. Charles Hodge 19. Mike Van Houten Jr. 20. Marc Godnick 21. Tucker Bock 22. Chevy Rommeney 23. Kevin Nowak 24. Rodney Dowless Sr. 25. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 26. Alex Halinar
Mini Stocks: 1. CJ Zukowski 2. Joe Warren Jr. 3. Chris Olivari 4. Paul Wojcik 5. Joe Cooke Jr. 6. Marissa Stewart 7. Eoughan Hayward 8. Anthony Moran Jr. 9. Chares Astacio 10. Tyler Farrell 11. Scott Setek
First Responders Race: winner-Johnny Cricchio
