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Riverhead, NY May 17th
By Bob Finan
Another exciting night of family fun was planned at Riverhead Raceway Saturday evening, what unfolded however during the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program looked more like an episode of Family Feud. All that was missing was Steve Harvey. During three of the feature events contested, family members went toe-to-toe during their main events. When the dust settled after the 50-lap NASCAR Modified event, “The Real Deal” Mark Stewart of Riverhead earned his first career victory after battling among others his uncle Roger Turbush of Calverton.
Turbush and Kyle Ellwood brought the field to Jim Kelly’s green flag with Turbush gaining the early advantage over Ellwood and nephew Mark Stewart. Racing off the second corner on the 10th lap, Stewart found daylight under Ellwood moving to second in a race that ran clean over the first 25-laps. The first stoppage came on lap 25 when defending champion John Beatty Jr. went for a spin off turn four. On the double file restart that followed Dylan Slepian, who had raced his way by Ellwood for third, soon ducked under Stewart for second on lap 27. The race slowed again on lap 35 when Timmy Solomito was facing the wrong way of the second turn setting up another double file restart.
When the race resumed Stewart, took a page out of Slepian’s playbook sliding under Dylan to reclaim second behind his leading uncle. A 25-time winner in the Super Pro Truck ranks, Stewart, family ties not withstanding knew he had to make his move soon with Slepian all over him for second. A Kyle Ellwood spin in turn four on lap 38 was just what Stewart needed. When the green light winked back on, Stewart rode the outside lane with his foot mashed on the throttle to take the lead from Turbush who moved to second and into a battle of his own with Slepian. The final caution of the contest waved on lap 44 for a multi-car, minor spin off the fourth turn, on the restart following Slepian was able to duck under Turbush for third leaving him a mile and a half to try and pass the hungry Stewart.
In the end however it was Mark Stewart in the Cromer’s Market Chevy tasking home the victory, one of redemption for his team who lost a car late in the season opening NASCAR WMT event at New Smyrna Speedway in February. “Nobody works harder than my uncle Bub (Chris Turbush), we could have packed it in after the Florida crash, but no sir, he and my aunt Heather made sure we had a new car with a big assist from Cromer’s Market”. the elated winner reviewed. “No doubt this one is for Buddy, he was spotting from above tonight” When pressed about the race with his uncle Roger the winner just smiled, “it’s great to get a first career win, even better to race family for it”.
Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills, who during the race had to feel like Swiss cheese in a Turbush family hoagie, drove the Eastport Feeds entry home for second place money, while Roger Turbush in the Rheem Air Conditioning machine enjoyed a satisfying third place finish of his career. Over the final 25-circuits John Beatty Jr of Merrick rallied back for fourth, while Chris Young of Calverton staged a rally of his own driving back to a fifth-place finish after a lap 38 penalty.
In the second installment of Family Feud, Allan Pedersen of Center Moriches topped his uncle Scott Pedersen of Shirley, this episode during their 15-lap Figure Eight event was a repeat having unfolded in the past. Allan broke to the lead at the start with Will Farrell giving chase. The race was slowed on lap 4 for a stalled car and when it went back to green, Scott Pedersen moved by Farrell for second. For the balance of the race Scott kept his car on the rear spoiler of Allan’s with the youngster able to stay out front in the Elite Towing Chevy earning his 7th career win. Scott Pedersen was runner-up in the Land, Air & Water Environmental Camaro, Will Farrell of Mastic rounded out the podium in the Bobby’s One Stop Custom Exhaust & Auto coupe.
During the opening night 20-lap Super Pro Truck event, veteran Riverhead broadcaster Stephen Halpin noted he couldn’t remember the last time multi-time champion Jack Handley Jr. was passed for the lead after taking it. Saturday Halpin was again uttering those same words when Sean Glennon of Northport became the first repeat winner of 2025 taking the lead with just over two laps left in the race from Handley. Erin Solomito and her brother Frank Dumicich Jr. brought the pack to green with Erin gaining the advantage. Lap 3 saw all-time leading SPT winner Lou Maestri slip by Frank for second but one Dumicich would be all Lou was able to pass in this tilt. As the field received the halfway signal, Jack Handley Jr. nursing a sore wrist from an opening night Modified crash slipped under Maestri for second to start lap 11. Two laps later the caution waved for a minor spin, but it was the restart that ensued that did Solomito in as Handley powered his to the front seeking career win number 25. Two laps later Sean Glennon made his to the top three, passing Solomito on lap 15 for second. Family Feud episode three occurred just moments later when Erin and her brother Frand Dumicich Jr. got locked together racing for third off turn four drawing a late race yellow. When the race resumed Glennon used the outside lane to his advantage putting the Glennon Construction entry out front for his 12th career victory moving him into sole possession of 10th all-time. Jack Handley Jr. was runner-up in the East Side Building Toyota, Charkes Sudano of Merrick, a rookie driver was third in the Long Island debris machine.
Mere minutes after his son Silas won the JuiceBox Racers opening event, “J-Rod” Jarrod Hayes went out and turned in a dominating performance of his own in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Jarrod and Alyssa Paprocky made up the front row with Hayes gaining quite an early advantage when Paprocky balked at first coming to take the green. Never one to turn down a gift, Hayes got away fast and with a non-stop race on the horizon was not going to be caught. Hayes in the North Fork Sanitation Chevy would drive on to an emotional win for he and Roger Oxee, as Oxee relied on McBetts Racing Engines during his 64-career Late Model wins, tops all-time. Sadly, Richie Gottfried of McBetts passed away during the off-season. Danny Pizzo of Holbrook broke to second at the start but was unable to erase the advantage Hayes built settling for second in his sponsor wanted racer. Opening day winner Brian Brown of Calverton was third in the Eastport Feeds Chevy.
In a spirited 20–lap Mini Stock event Chris Olivari of Coram took home the win, his first of 2025 and fourth of his career. Olivari and CJ Zukowski made up the front row and would wind-up the main combatants over the entire race distance. Olivari led the first 8 circuits before Zukowski got by during a 8th lap double file restart. Undaunted Olivari raced his way back to the lead on lap 12 ducking under Zukowski on the front chute. This time Olivari not only kept the lead over the final seven laps, but he was also able to pull away in his Middle Country Automotive entry. CJ Zukowski of Riverhead was second in the Walls of fame Cavalier, Paul Wojcik of Patchogue was third in the Superior Business Solutions Honda.
The 50-lap 4/6-Cylinder Enduro was dominated by both Ryan Warren of Ridge, the eventual winner in the Joe Warren Motorsports Cavalier and Ryan Zukowski of Riverhead. How dominating were they? They lapped the entire field. “The Z-Man” Ryan Zukowski led early with Ryan Warren having to do some work to get through the field. Once he got to Zukowski, the two good friends off-track danced through lapped traffic with Warren using a lapped car as a pick to take the lead and eventual win. Zukowski, front brake rotors glowing was second in the Busy Bee Pest Control mount, Bob Dalke of Mount Sinai was third in the Bobby’s One Stop Custom Exhaust & Auto machine.
While racing his INEX Legend Race Car at Riverhead weekly, “V-Ride” Mike Van Houten over the year has become a very popular personality, one who still seeks that elusive first career win. The Jamesport resident also perhaps does more charity work than most through racing, highlighted by his annual holiday Toy Drive for Ronald McDonald House of New Hyde Park. Saturday in his Van Houten Trucking bus, Mike Van Houten Jr. held his first checker flag after winning the 15-lap School Bus Figure Eight race. Van Houten had to withstand a race long duel with eventual runner-up, Frank “The Tank” Dumicich Jr. of East Quogue in his Rapid Recovery Towing bus.
NASCAR Modifieds: 1. Mark Stewart 2. Dylan Slepian 3. Roger Turbush 4. John Beatty Jr. 5. Chris Young 6. Cory Midgett 7. Owen Grennan 8. Michael Rutkoski 9. Timmy Solomito 10. JR Bertuccio 11. Matt Brode 12. Allan Pedersen 13. Kyle Ellwood 14. Chris Rogers 15. Chase Grennan 16. CJ Lehmann
Figure Eights: 1. Allan Pedersen 2. Scott Pedersen 3. Will Farrell 4. Kim Hyde 5. Bob Dalke 6. Tyler Farrell
Super Pro Trucks: 1. Sean Glennon 2. Jack Handley Jr. 3. Charles Sudano 4. Dave Koenig 5. Cillian Tennant 6. Lou Maestri 7. Frank Dumicich Jr. 8. Liam Patrick 9. Erin Solomito 10. Tony Naglieri 11. Frank Dumicich Sr.
Street Stocks: 1. Jarrod Hayes 2. Danny Pizzo 3. Brian Brown 4. Brandon Hubbard 5. Jake Curran 6. Alyssa Paprocky 7. John Harley 8. Tom Sullivan 9. Kyle Halpin 10. James DiPietro 11. Ricky Carman 12. Anthony Caccioppo 13. Bob Dalke 14. Ed Fontana 15. Dave Antos 16. Chris McGuire 17. Luke Foerster
Mini Stocks: 1. Chris Olivari 2. CJ Zukowski 3. Paul Wojcik 4. Tyler Farrell 5. Eoughan Heyward 6. Charles Astacio 7. Daniel Sylla 8. Marissa Stewart
4/6-Cylinder Enduro (top ten): 1. Ryan Warren 2. Ryan Zukowski 3. Bob Dalke 4. Dave Olivari 5. Chris Smith 6. Mike Fragola 7. Taylor Schewire 8. Dave Stewart 9. Kyler Driscoll 10. Charles Sherry
School Bus Figure Eight race: Winner- Mike Van Houten Jr.
