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Riverhead, NY Oct. 19th
After rain washed out the Championship Night for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Series at Riverhead Raceway the event was pushed back to the third weekend in October. In the 50-lap NASCAR Modified feature Owen Grennan of Glen Cove avoided all that was going on around him to collect his first career victory. Earlier Grennan romped to his 21st career triumph in the Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modifieds.
In the case of the final regular season Modified event, the division perhaps saved their worst for last. The race ran clean and green over the first half and beyond with Roger Turbush showing the way over Timmy Solomito and his nephew Mark Stewart. The fight for second went back and forth and was physical at times, which was just fine with leader Turbush. A chain of events that surfaced on the 44th lap would find Turbush spinning off turn four during a restart he felt he was jumped on, Stewart winding up in the wall with right front damage after contact, Solomito retiring from the event after being sent to the rear for the contact.
When the race went back green Owen Grennan, who was fourth when all the craziness started was the new race leader with Chris Young and John Beatty in tow, Beatty coming from dead last in the field. Beatty and Young worked their way by Grennan for a hot minute before they had their own altercation. After passing Grennan, Young tried to slide in front of Owen but when he did his left front wheel caught the right rear of Beatty’s car, sending John headlong into the wall entering the third turn. Beatty had a wrecked race car, and Young was sent to the pits for his role.
That chain of events put Owen Grennan back out front for a restart with a handful of laps remaining with Justin Brown now second. Grennan was not going to let this opportunity to win his first NASCAR Modified event slip through his fingers again taking the popular win. “I cannot say enough about Rob Pelis, his family, Eastport Feeds for believing in me, giving me this opportunity, this is what is all about, winning a Modified race” the elated winner boasted.
Justin Brown of Manorville was runner-up in the Motorcycle Mike Attorney At Law Chevy, Jack Handley Jr of Medford third in the Hydro Action Chevy. Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills was fourth, CJ Lehmann of Lake Grove fifth.
In his championship interview John Beatty Jr. wasn’t going to focus on what just transpired, “that’s a conversation for another day” the 2024 champion noted while standing alongside his backup car. “Have to dedicate this one to Glenn Dixon, I owe a lot to the big guy, wish my parents were with us tonight but they couldn’t be” Beatty noted, “this is for my team, Mark S. Mina our owner gives us all we need with MSM Elite Motorsports and Elite Sound Studios and I am privileged and humbled to be a champion for the second year in a row, happy to have my wife and children here, we are going to have a party”.
For the 8th time in his illustrious career Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead officially clinched the 2024 Late Model championship with his 34th career victory Saturday. Ryan Zukowski led early on after returning from Florida where he was working as a lineman to restore power after two hurricanes. At first it looked like Ryan would blow into victory lane but then along came McDermott who passed Zukowski to the outside off the second corner on lap 10. Once to front McDermott never looked back scoring his third win in route to the title. For car owner Rob Pelis the championship is his 7th over the past eight years. “This Eastport Feeds team is simply the best, but as good as we might be they never stop working” McDermott boasted. Ryan Zukowski of Riverhead brought the Busy Bee Pest Control racer home second with Gerard Giordano of Freeport third in the Venture Auto Body machine.
The Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified 25-lap event was truly a Grennan family affair with Owen scoring his division leading 21st career win, while younger brother Chase became the youngest champion in the class when he clinched his first career championship. Owen, who “dabbled” with the Crates this year led in the Dillner Precast Chevy from green to checker for his third win of ’24, he was chased the entire distance by eventual runner-up Sean Glennon of Northport. Glennon was making his first start for car owner John Kirk in the Goodfellas Auto Chevy, third went to Michael Berner of Patchogue who was racing for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. With a fourth-place tally Chase Grennan became the latest champion of the Glen Cove based family at just 17-years old, “have to thank my father Danny, he’s the brains of the operation, fabricator, set-up guy, you name it” Chase noted after exiting the Eastport Feeds championship car.
For the third time over the past four seasons Scott Pedersen of Shirley won the TK Tommy Kraft Figure Eight championship and this year in convincing fashion. Pedersen won 6 of the 9 Figure Eight contests this season, the last four of those in a row! Kim Hyde paced the race for the first 8-laps seeking to become the first female winner in the 61-year history of the division. However, Pedersen burst upon the scene coming to second by Gary Fritz Jr. on lap 7, two laps later working by Hyde for the lead. Once out-front Scott Pedersen in the Booby’s One Stop Custom Exhaust & Auto Camaro drove to victory and fourth career championship. “This is all about my team, they work and work, they win these races and title” the soft-spoken Pedersen reflected by his car that is for sale. Kim Hyde of Riverhead was second in the East End Builders entry, Gary Fritz Jr. of Mastic Beach completed the podium in his Goodfellas Auto Cadillac.
Tom Pickerell of Huntington brought out his championship Blunderbust car opening night for the sole purpose of selling the car, low and behold he won that 20-lap feature back in May. Saturday, “Slick Pick” book ended the season with his third win of the year earning his 8th career championship. Starting from the pole Tom quickly took command of the race over his nearest championship rival Joe Densieski. Pickerell would prevail in the race and title fight with his Pickerell Clam Chevy, choking back tears afterwards, “this is for my father who we lost last off season, I feel very fortunate & lucky to win another title and the car is still for sale, see me with money later and it goes home with you tonight”. Densieski of Riverhead was second in the Hydro Action Caprice, with Tom Sullivan of Massapequa third in the Island Trees Automotive entry.
Entering the 20-lap Super Pro Truck finale Frank Dumicich Jr. of East Quogue was 8 markers behind Jack Handley Jr. of Medford for the championship. Frank knew his best play was to get out front and win the race in the Okpetroleummarketplace.com truck and hope Handley would finish6th or worse. Well, Dumicich did his part leading all 20-laps of the event, but nobody gave Handley the script, although Jack did have an early race close call. Matt Triola came off the wall on the front stretch and veered into the right rear wheel of Handley’s truck. The contact scraped the Hoosier logo off the tire, but Jack kept on trucking. Withe the championship on the line Handley raced his way to second on lap 3 and pressured Dumicich for the remainder of the race. Dumicich would win his 17th career feature, first of 2024 but with Jack Handley Jr. placing third, he won the war. “There are three things certain in life” Handley shouted in his championship interview, “death, taxes and that this truck can win every race. It’s just so much fun to drive this thing, heck it drives itself, works on itself, can’t thank Andre Vega enough”. For the Handley. Vega combination it’s their fourth championship over the past five years. Sean Glennon of Northport was runner-up to race winner Dumicich as he was able to pass Handley with his Glennon Construction Chevy late in the race. As is tradition Lou & Tracy Maestri presented the Joe DiGangi Crew Chief of the Race award to the winning team, $150 and a handsome trophy. This year JP Gallagher doubled that figure with Randy Murray and Goodfellas Auto kicking in too, upping the award to $400 for Scarlette Dumicich, Frank’s young daughter.
Chase Van Houten of Wading River came to the track with plenty on his mind with the patriarch of the Van Houten racing family Mike Van Houten Sr. fighting for his health at a local hospital. Chase knew what would put a smile on “Pop Pops” face, a win in the 20-lap INEX Legend Race Car feature. That’s exactly what the 17-year-old rising talent did. Rodney Dowless Jr. broke out front in the Tomko Racing machine leading the first two circuits before a determined Chase Van Houten passed him for the lead on the third circuit. Dowless soon found himself in a tussle with championship leader Riely O’Keefe for second, with Riely taking the spot on lap 8. Despite championship implications. O’Keefe was out to win the race as he pressured Van Houten once he got to him. It was a duel that would continue to the checker flag with an emotional Chase Van Houten prevailing in the Mike Van Houten Trucking coupe, ” this win is for my grandfather, he’s the reason we do this, he puts so much into it, it means so much to us to win” Chase said from the heart. With his hard fought second in the Pat Moore owned, Crystal Clear Window Cleaning machine Riely O’Keefe of Manorville clinched the 2024 INEX Legend Race Car championship, a first for the owner/driver combination. Anthony Marsh of Riverhead was third in the Riverhead Trailer racer.
NASCAR Modifieds: 1. Owen Grennan 2. Justin Brown 3. Jack Handley Jr. 4. Dylan Slepian 5. CJ Lehmann 6. Matt Brode 7. Ed Brunnhoelzl III 8. Chris Rogers 9. Michael Berner 10. Chris Young 11. John Beatty Jr. 12. Roger Turbush 13. Mark Stewart 14. Timmy Solomito 15. Tom Rogers Jr.
Late Models: 1. Jeremy McDermott 2. Ryan Zukowski 3. Gerard Giordano 4. Keith Rotzi 5. Kevin Metzger 6. Ray Minieri 7. Brandon Turbush 8. Roger Turbush
Crate Modifieds: 1. Owen Grennan 2. Sean Glennon 3. Michael Berner 4. Chase Grennan 5. Max Handley 6. AJ DeSantis 7. Michael Rutkoski 8. Andrew Farnham 9. Mike Albasini 10. Terry Stiles 11. Tom Sekulski
Figure Eights: 1. Scott Pedersen 2. Kim Hyde 3. Gary Fritz Jr. 4. Ryan Warren 5. Bryan Quilliam 6. Bob Dalke 7. Richie Carman 8. Paulo Miquel 9. Will Farrell
Blunderbusts: 1. Tom Pickerell 2. Joe Densieski 3. Tom Sullivan 4. Emily Hubbard 5. Jim Laird Jr. 6. Bill Wegmann 7. Steve Fried DQ- Jarrett Campbell
Super Pro Trucks: 1. Frank Dumicich Jr. 2. Sean Glennon 3. Jack Handley Jr. 4. Rhett Fogg 5. Cillian Tennant 6. Tony Naglieri 7. Liam Patrick 8. Erin Solomito 9. Dave Koenog 10. Frank Dumicich Sr. 11. Lou Maestri 12. Matt Triola
Legend Race Cars: 1. Chase Van Houten 2. Riely O’Keefe 3. Anthony Marsh 4. Joey Braun 5. Rodeny Dowless Jr. 6. Richie Davidowitz 7. Brad Van Houten 8. Christopher Coleman 9. Jayden Glennerster 10. Jim Sylvester 11. Colin Volpe 12. Will Sipala 13. Mike Van Houten Jr. 14. Charles Hodge 15. Phillip Alaimo 16. Nick Hodge 17. Ed Stadtlander 18. Steve Harding 19. Rich Braun 20. Madison Stewart 21. Billy King 22. Chevy Rommeney 23. Alex Halinar 24. Mike Renn 25. Kevin Nowak
