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Myracenews File Photo
Riverhead, NY July 19th
By Bob Finan
A couple of familiar faces returned to victory lane at Riverhead Raceway Saturday evening when “The Fancy Farmer” Dave Brigati of Calverton won the 40-lap Late Model feature event while Erin Solomito of East Quogue topped the Super Pro Truck 20-lap event. A large crowd on hand for the Monster Truck Night of Destruction greeted both upon exiting their winning machines.
When the Late Model contest got underway NASCAR Modified veteran CJ Lehmann making his first start in the Paprocky Motorports entry raced to the early advantage over Ray Minieri over the first 12-laps. A double file restart to start the 13th circuit would change the look of the race as Brigati, a NASCAR Modified standout in his own right slipped by Minieri for second. Carrying a ton of momentum Dave wasn’t done just yet passing early leader Lehmann to the inside off the fourth corner to start the 15th cycle. Minieri, a cagey veteran saw the opening Brigati left under Lehmann and made his way to second on lap 16.
Over the second half of the race Brigati would have to endure numerous double file restarts as the second half of the tilt was slowed by a case of yellow flag fever. Earle leader Lehmann post a lower radiator hose on lap and amazingly kept the car off the wall; Russ Jansen spun in the fluid with little to no damage during the lap 31 incident. Three laps later opening night winner Brandon Turbush, who already had a rough go of it caught the first turn wall on lap 34. Over the final 6-lap segment of the race, Brigati was able to pull away in his JDL Environmental Chevy with Ray Minieri under attack from defending champion Jeremy McDermott. Coming to the white flag McDermott made a run to the inside of Minieri entering turn three, but Minieri started to defend the move, Jeremy hit the brakes and looped his machine dropping him in the finish. Ray Minieri of Bay Shore was runner-up in the Zaremba & Brown Construction Injury Lawyers machine; Gerard Giordano of Freeport completed the podium in third with his Excelsior Lodge racer.
The triumph was the 9th Late Model win for Brigati tying him with Kyle Soper and Shawn Patrick for 20th on the all-time win list, a point that made Brigati emotional during his interview, “I’ve been doing this 30-years, the wins aren’t as easy as you get older” his voice cracking. Asked about his two-for-one restart on lap 13 Dave replied, “I had a race to win, so I went”.
Erin Solomito has had a fast truck all of 2025 and Saturday her return to full time Super Pro Truck racing came full circle as she won for the first time since 2014. When the green light blinked on Erin, starting on the pole had to contend with all-time leading winner Lou Maestri over the first half of the contest. After a short side by side battle, Solomito and Maestri ran nose to tail before Sean Glennon passed Maestri for second on lap 11. The theme in 2025 has been where you see Glennon, you’ll find defending champion Jack Handley Jr. and that was the case Saturday. On lap 13 Handley slipped by Glennon for second as their battle intensified and that was just fine with leader Solomito. While Jack and Sean traded paint getting after each other, Erin just kept pulling away, only one thing could ruin her big advantage, a caution. No yellow flags were in the offering and as the checker flag flew Erin Solomito brought The Hydrant Hotel RAM home a winner, her 5th career win ranking her 20th on the track win list. Sean Glennon of Northport would claim second in the Glennon Construction Chevy, with Jack Handley Jr. of Medford third in the Spider Webb Racing Toyota.
Jarrod Hayes of Calverton started on the pole and led all 20-laps of a caution free Street Stock feature earning his second win of 2025, easy night at the office, right? Not so fast. For the entire five miles of the race Jarrod’s neighbor, Brian Brown gave the eventual winner all he could handle, especially over the final 5-lap segment of the race. Brown as the laps clicked off kept tapping the rear bumper of Hayes entering the corner trying to force him up the track, Hayes, a crafty driver with wins in Blunderbusts and Late Models under his belt did a masterful job of backing up the corners, shutting down any momentum Brown tried to gain exiting the turns. After a hard-fought battle Jarrod Hayes would prevail in the North Fork Sanitation Chevy earning his 6th career win moving him to sole possession of 5th on the all-time win list. Brian Brown of Calverton, not from a lack of effort was runner-up in the Eastport Feeds Chevy, Dave Antos of Lindenhurst came home third in the JTEC Electric Monte Carlo.
For the third time in 2025 Paul Wojcik of Patchogue came home the winner of the 20-lap Mini Stock feature, a milestone 10th career victory. Marissa Stewart broke to the early lead at the throw of the green chased by Tyler Farrell. Suddenly, and without warning Stewart’s car faltered off the second turn sending the field scrambling. Farrell led the second lap before Wojcik came calling on lap 3 for the race lead. Unfortunately for Farrell, his night also went south on lap 7, entering the first turn the car got away from Tyler, who tried to correct the machine and in doing so hit the first turn wall, He was okay. When the race resumed so did Paul Wojcik in his Superior Business Solutions Honda as he led the remainder of the race for his 10th career victory tying him for second all-time with runner-up CJ Zukowski of Riverhead in the Walls of Fame Cavalier. Eoughan Heyward of Westhampton drove the Joe Warren Rentals Cavalier to a third-place tally.
Starting 21st for the 40-lap 8-Cylinder Enduro couldn’t stop Woot Lawrence of Southampton from taking down the win, his second of 2025 in the “Batmobile” Camaro. The race was a competitive affair with four lead changes prior to the halfway point. Former champion Brian Halsey paced the race over the first 3-lap before Ricky Carman took the lead and led until lap 12. On lucky lap 13, Woot’s sister Mariah Lawrence broke out front but just for three laps as Roger Tramm took the top spot on lap 17. While all these lead changes unfolded Woot Lawrence was on the march, breaking into the top ten on lap 11 and just four laps later racing into the top five on lap 14. When Woot reached leader Tramm, he wasted no time in wrestling the lead away on alp 19, just one lap short of the halfway signal. Once in the lead the Gregor Well Drilling driver never looked back taking down another win. Defending champion Kevin Feeney of Quogue in the Ham Racing Chevy also came from deep in the field rallying for second place honors, Ricky Carman of Port Jefferson was third in the United Exhaust machine.
Late Models: 1. Dave Brigati 2. Ray Minieri 3. Gerard Giordano 4. Keith Rotzi 5. Ryan Zukowski 6. Brandon Turbush 7. Russ Jansen 8. Jeremy McDermott 9. CJ Lehmann 10. Kevin Metzger
Super Pro Trucks: 1. Erin Solomito 2. Sean Glennon 3. Jack Handley Jr. 4. Lou Maestri 5. Chares Sudano 6. Frank Dumicich Jr. 7. Joe Densieski 8. Cillian Tennant 9. Frank Dumicich Sr. 10. Dave Koenig 11. Tony Naglieri 12, Liam Patrick
Street Stocks: 1. Jarrod Hayes 2. Brian Brown 3. Dave Antos 4. Ricky Carman 5. Danny Pizzo 6. Brandon Hubbard 7. Tom Sullivan 8. John Harley 9. PJ McGay 10. Kyle Halpin 11. Bob Dalke 12. Alyssa Paprocky 13. Luke Foerster 14. James DiPietro 15. Dennis Kurras 16. Chris McGuire 17. Chris Lescenski
Mini Stocks: 1. Paul Wojcik 2. CJ Zukowski 3. Eoughan Heyward 4. Charles Astacio 5. Marissa Stewart 6. George Astacio 7. Tyler Farrell
8-Cylinder Enduro (top ten): 1. Woot Lawrence 2. Kevin Feeney 3. Ricky Carman 4. Brian Halsey 5. Justin Squires 6. Anthony Pizzo 7. Sean Fitzpatrick 8. Don Carasiti 9. Pat Collins Jr. 10. Steve Jones
