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Riverhead, NY Aug. 27th
By Bob Finan
When Joey Braun of Manorville rolled into the pit area Wednesday afternoon to make his NASCAR Modified debut with car owner Rich Gerbe, not even Joey, who exudes confidence could have predicted what was about to happen a few hours later. Executing a last lap pass coming to the checker flag, Joey Braun making his NASCAR Tour Type Modified debut at his home track put the new formed team in victory lane before a large midweek crowd. Braun’s win makes it eight different winners in ten 2025 NASCAR Modified events run to date.
JR Bertuccio and Owen Grennan made up the front row for the 50-lap tilt with Bertuccio, a 30-time winner at the bullring taking the early lead over Grennan. Owen would take a look now and then at trying an inside run on the race leader, but JR was equal to the challenges. Right behind them was Roger Turbush in third, the veteran staying close in case the leaders slipped up. The first 39-laps of the race ran off incident free, with the drivers looking as though they wanted to get it over with as they have work in the morning, plus another race looming Saturday. However, the smooth race was about to hit some rough patches that would eventually change the outcome.
On lap 39 Chase Grennan got loose in turn two with Timmy Solomito having nowhere to go collecting him with Timmy getting some air. Solomito was done, Grennan continued. When the race resumed after caution, Bertuccio was able to stay in front of Owen Grennan, with defending champion John Beatty able to wrestle third away from Turbush. A lap 43 Chris Rogers fourth turn spin would slow the race and call for another double file restart, but when the race resumed it would only be for a lap after Roger Turbush spun on lap 44. On the ensuing restart Bertuccio remained the leader with Beatty racing under Grennan for second on lap 45, but moments after Turbush slowed again, this time with a flat tire. Just after the yellow waved, Beatty and Grennan made contact with each other under caution and were immediately disqualified by race control. The penalty is massive hit for Beatty who came to the race with a comfortable point lead but will now fall to second.
When the dust settled Bertuccio found himself with a new challenger in Joey Braun who had run within the top five since the halfway mark. The final six lap dash for the cash saw Bertuccio able to keep Braun at bay, whether the challenger was looking outside or down low. With two to go Braun was now committed to the inside hoping to gain momentum off the corner, but Bertuccio had good drive off. On the white flag lap, the tandem charged into turn three nearly side-by-side and exiting fourth and final corner Bertuccio drifted up the hill slightly allowing Braun to turn down and make a run to the checkers winning by just 0.168.
“I am the luckiest human who gets to drive these cars” Braun proclaimed after exiting the HighMark Building Efficiency Chevy. “My sponsor, now car owner Rich Gerbe of HighMark, his father Lee have done so much for my career, I can never thank them enough. They bought this car from Ken Matlach few weeks ago and Kenny was my crew chief tonight; man did he give me a bullet”. For Braun there was little time to celebrate, “we’ve got the Beach Weekend with the SMART Modified Tour this weekend with David Hill and Hillbilly Racing, maybe with the momentum we can win one of those for them and HighMark Building Efficiency”.
JR Bertuccio of Centereach was runner-up in the Gershow Recycling Chevy just yards short of career win thirty-one, Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills brought the Eastport Feeds Chevy home third. Besides completing the podium, with the penalty assessed to Beatty, Slepian now leads the championship chase by 8 markers over the two-time defending champion. Chris Young of Calverton was fourth and is now 18-points back of Slepian for the championship entering the last few races of 2025. Chris Rogers of Patchogue recovered nicely from his spin with 7-laps left to finish fifth.
The only thing hotter than the late summer weather has been defending INEX Legend Race Car champion Riely O’Keefe of Manorville who took home his fourth win of the season in a 20-lap affair Wednesday, all four wins coming over the past seven races dating back to July 12th. Enjoying his best season to date, Chris Sinatro broke to the early lead over Jayden Glennerster who was replaced by Riely O’Keefe in second on lap 2. After hounding Sinatro for a lap or two, O’Keefe made a successful bid for the lead passing Sinatro to the inside exiting the fourth corner to start lap 4. Once he had the Joe Ryan Race Cars coupe out front O’Keefe would have the likes of Sinatro, Ben Morabito and championship leader Kyle Ellwood filled his mirror over the remainder of the race but there would be no stopping the red-hot Riely O’Keefe in the Hotworx of Eastport entry from his 7th career win. Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead was runner-up with the Millennium Limited Contracting racer, Ben Morabito of Miller Place completed the podium in the Nowak Motorsports coupe. Ellwood leads Anthony Marsh of Riverhead by 48-points for the title; O’Keefe is third 50 back.
Phil LaManna of Smithtown did not let starting last on the Truck Enduro field for their 40-lap feature deter him from scoring his third win of the season. The race was competitive from the throw of the green with Brandon Anderson, former champion Don Nelson Jr. and Chris Ward all leading at one point or another. They however were just keeping the chair warm for LaManna who broke to the lead in the EP Milling & Sweeping Chevy on lap 15, passing Ward to the inside off turn four. Chris Ward of Centereach was an impressive second at the finish, Kevin Feeney of Quogue placed third in the HAM Racing machine.
Another perennial winner who turned in a last to first performance was 8-Cylinder Enduro 40-lap victor Woot Lawrence of Southampton claiming his fourth win of 2025. Like the Truck Enduro, this race featured numerous leaders early including Eric Germuth, Pat Collins Sr., Ricky Carman and Mariah Lawrence. It would be a lap 21 tango between Mariah Lawrence and Ricky Carman who spun off the track in the second corner that allowed Woot Lawrence in the Gregor Well Drilling Camaro to take the lead for good on lap 22. Defending champion Kevin Feeney was runner-up while Brian Halsey of Southampton was third in the PC Truck & Equipment entry.
Finally able to get some mechanical gremlins off his back, second generation driver Mike Mujsce Jr. of Hampton Bays raced his way from deep in the field, 24th to win the 40-lap 4/6-Cylinder Enduro. Eoughan Heyward paced the race over the first 15-circuits before Mujsce tip toed his way through traffic to challenge for the lead. On lap 16 Musjce out his sponsor wanted Honda into the lead, a lead he’d never surrender dedicating the victory to his girlfriend Robin. Tyler Farrell of Shirley scored a career best second place tally in the Boom Burger entry, veteran John Palmeri of Lindenhurst was third in the J&J Towing racer.
NASCAR Modifieds: 1. Joey Braun 2. JR Bertuccio 3. Dylan Slepian 4. Chris Young 5. Chris Rogers 6. Howie Brode 7. Kyle Ellwood 8. CJ Lehmann 9. Mark Stewart 10. Chase Grennan 11. Roger Turbush 12. Timmy Solomito DQ- John Beatty, Owen Grennan
Legend Race Cars: 1. Riely O’Keefe 2. Kyle Ellwood 3. Ben Morabito 4. Chris Sinatro 5. Anthony Marsh 6. Chevy Rommeney 7. Jayden Glennerster 8. Jim Sylvester 9. Pat Moore 10. Jeff Farruggia 11. Alex Halinar 12. Phillip Alaimo 13. Nick Hodge 14. Will Sipala 15. Mike Van Houten Jr. 16. Joe Cooke Jr. 17. Ed Stadtlander 18. Charles Hodge 19. Marissa Stewart 20. Rich Braun 21. Billy King Jr. 22. Mike Renn 23. John Alaimo 24. Kevin Ohrnberger 25. Michael Barry
Truck Enduro (top ten): 1. Phil LaManna 2. Chris Ward 3. Kevin Feeney 4. Bobby Pease Sr. 5. Don Nelson Jr. 6. Brandon LaManna 7. Brandon Anderson 8. Vinny Pease 9. Jackie Germuth 10. Bobby Pease Jr.
8-Cylinder Enduro (top ten) 1. Woot Lawrence 2. Kevin Feeney 3. Brian Halsey 4. Richie Carman 5. Roger Tramm 6. Pat Collins Sr. 7. Mariah Lawrence 8. Ricky Carman 9. John McCarthy 10. Sean Fitzpatrick
4/6-Cylinder Enduro (top ten): 1. Mike Mujsce Jr. 2. Tyler Farrell 3. John Palmeri 4. David Olivari 5. Anthony Paretta 6. Eoughan Heyward 7. Zach Tyler 8. William Kennedy 9. Charles Sherry 10. Robin Schewire
