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Riverhead, NY Sept. 24th,
By Bob Finan
The race for the 2025 NASCAR Modifieds championship will feature three main players for the 50-lap regular season finale Saturday at Riverhead Raceway, a mere ten points separating first through third. Additionally, three other 2025 track champions will celebrate a championship by the end of the program. Originally the 2025 champions for all seven divisions of the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series were to be feted, however the September 6th WMT rain out moved the Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modifieds, Blunderbusts and INEX Legend Race Cars championship final to October 4th.
When the field gathers for the 50-lap NASCAR Modified tilt John Beatty Jr. of Merrick looking for a three-peat of championships will sweat out a slim 4-point advantage over Dylan Slepian of Dix Hill with Chase Grennan of Glen Cove lurking in third just 10 markers back of Beatty. Grennan holds the first tiebreaker among the trio scoring three wins in 2025, both Beatty and Slepian have one victory each. If Chase can loop around both and claim the 2025 title, he’d become the youngest NASCAR Modified champion in the 75 years at 18 years old, JR Bertuccio of Centereach to date is the youngest winning the 2002 title at 21-years old.
Still in the mix from fourth and fifth in the championship standings are Chris Young of Calverton, a two-time winner in 2025 who comes to Saturday -24 to Beatty and Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead, who sits -26 to Beatty and authored one victory early in the season. Roger Turbush of Calverton is the last driver among the top ten with a mathematical chance, Roger is -28 to Beatty. For Young, Ellwood and Turbush they’ll need a solid car count of 15 or more and hope many wild scenarios play out to win their first career Modified championship.
Owen Grennan of Glen Cove, Mark Stewart of Riverhead, CJ Lehmann of Lake Grove are seventh through ninth, Chris Rogers of Patchogue and JR Bertuccio of Centereach are knotted for 10th entering the 50-lapper.
The chase for the 2025 Late Model championship is basically a two-man chase between leader Gerard Giordano of Freeport and Keith Rotzi of Islip, both seeking their first career Riverhead Raceway title. When they line up for the 25-lap feature Saturday 12 points will separate Giordano and Rotzi, with Giordano holding the tiebreaker after scoring his second win of 2025 this past Saturday night. Still in the hunt mathematically is tested tough veteran Dave Brigati of Calverton who will have to erase a 24-point advantage Giordano holds over him, as well the 12-marker advantage Rotzi has over Brigati. Ray Minieri of Bay Shore is fourth, -40 and Ryan Zukowski of Riverhead is fifth -52.
All Scott Pedersen of Shirley has to do is show up and take to the track for the 15-lap TK Figure Eight main event Saturday and he’ll sew-up his fifth career championship, four of those over the past five seasons. Nephew Allan Pedersen of Center Moriches will clinch second in the championship when he takes the green Saturday while Kim Hyde of Riverhead will lock up third, a career best when she starts the event. Will Farrell of Mastic and his car owner Bobby Dalke of Mount Sinai will decide fourth in the final ranking as the duo are tied entering the finale.
What was a close, tight championship fight in the Super Pro Trucks for the 2025 championship widened out back on September 13th and coming to the 20-lap season ending race Saturday Jack Handley Jr. of Medford enjoys a 24-point margin over rival Sean Glennon of Northport. Glennon’s title aspirations took a hard hit, literally when he was a DNF two weeks back while Handley finished second. Handley basically has to start the race to lay claim to his fifth SPT crown since 2020, only Glennon interrupted Jack’s championship parade in 2022. Frand Dumicich Jr. of East Quogue, -52, rookie talent Charles Sudano of Merrick, -60, Erin Solomito of East Quogue. -64 and Lou Maestri of Deer Park, -64 will decide third through sixth Saturday.
Three divisions contest penultimate races for 2025 Saturday led by the Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modifieds who go to post for a 25-lap contest, Michael Berner of Patchogue has the slimmest possible lead, two points over Eric Hersey of Commack. Vinny Delaney of East Islip ranks third, -14. The Blunderbusts come to Saturday’s 20-lapper with Joe Densieski of Riverhead holding a 22-point bulge over Cody Triola of Bay Shore, while Jim Laird of Islip Terrace, -32, Tom Sullivan of Massapequa, -36 and Liam McWhinnie of Southampton, -46 give chase from third through fifth. Kyle Ellwood paces the INEX Legend Race Cars title fight by 44 over Riely O’Keefe of Manorville, and 46 over Anthony Marsh of Riverhead. O’Keefe clearly holds the first tiebreaker with five wins to Ellwood’s three victories, while Marsh’s has a single score in 2025.
No matter who comes out on top in the four championships decided Saturday the on-track action will be hot and heavy with close racing while titles hang in the balance at Riverhead Raceway. Qualifying is set for approximately 5:15 PM, opening ceremonies to follow at approximately 6:15 PM. General admission windows open at 4:00 PM, adults $30, kids 6-12 $20, 5 & under free.
To track the 2025 championships and upcoming Islip 300 news, please visit http://www.riverheadraceway.com, emails reach us at office@riverheadraceway.com, our phone number is 631-842-RACE.
