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Riverhead, NY May 31st
By Bob Finan
Mark Stewart of Riverhead has enjoyed many successes in his young racing career, race wins and championships among them. However, Saturday at Riverhead Raceway will forever be etched in the 28-year-old Stewart’s memory. Shortly after notching his 26th career Super Pro Truck victory, Stewart, a fourth-generation racer of the Turbush family went on to win the Miller Lite Salutes Don Howe 200 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event. Riely O’Keefe of Manorville won the 20-lap INEX Legend Race Car feature, with Cody Triola of Bay Shore the Street Stock winner while John Jasinski of Flanders won the Eddie Partridge Vintage All Stars event prior to the 200.
First things first, in the 20-lap Super Pro Truck contest Stewart lined up 3rd behind front row starters, and brother and sister Frank Dumicich Jr. and Erin Solomito. At the throw of the green Dumicich quickly bolted out front while Stewart drove under Solomito to challenge for second. The short duel for second allowed Dumicich to slip away, but Stewart went right to work on reeling in the leader. Once to the rear deck of Dumicich it took Stewart a while to size Frank up for a pass, which he was able to execute on lap 16 with an inside pass exiting the second turn. Dumicich quickly tried a crossover move to take the lead back, but Stewart in the Andre Vega owned, East End Building Toyota thwarted the effort and raced to his 26th win in the class tying him with Vega’s former driver Jack Handley Jr. for third all-time. Frank Dumicich Jr, of East Quogue brought the Okpetroleummarketplace.com Chevy home second while Erin Solomito of East Quogue completed the podium in The Hydrant Dodge RAM.
The best however was yet to come for Mark Stewart a couple of hours later. After his uncle, Roger Turbush who won the pole for the 200 and WMT championship leader Stephen Kopcik tangled while up front, Stewart quickly found himself at the front of the field. During the race Mark found himself in a back-and-forth battle up front with Justin Bonsignore, the all-time WMT winner at Riverhead with 12 victories. If Stewart was to claim his first career WMT win he’d have to ward off Bonsignore’s challenges, under green as well a restart with 28-laps remaining in the contest. The driver they call “The Real Deal” lived up to his moniker checked all the boxes to earn his first trip to WMT victory lane.
After popping out of his Keith Grimes Excavating/Eastern Fuel racer under a shower of confetti to enjoy dueling Miller Lite beers, Mark was quickly greeted by his uncle and team owner Chris Turbush, who along with his wife Heather have guided Mark’s career. “This win is for everyone here, it’s not event for me, I just drive the damn car” Stewart boasted after posing with Don Howe for winner’s circle photos. As to his battle with Bonsignore, Mark complimented the former multi-time champ, “Every time Justin comes here or anywhere, he’s just the best”
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville was second in the Ken Massa Motorsports/Phoenix Communications Chevy, with Owen Grennan of Glen Cove third over the line with the Eastport Feeds Chevy. Tommy Catalano of Ontario, NY and Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park were fourth and fifth in the WMT 200.
In the INEX Legend Race Car ranks at Riverhead Raceway the question might not be when somebody will beat Riely O’Keefe of Manorville in 2026, but rather will anyone beat Riely O’Keefe in 2026. O’Keefe won the month of May by sweeping all three 20-lap main events contested to date in 2026, even throwing in a win off Long Island at the Evergreen Raceway for good measure. Starting 10th on the grid, O’Keefe started making his way towards the front early while Michael Metcalf led former champion Kevin Nowak. By lap 5 O’Keefe broke into the top five behind his car owner Jim Sylvester and Ray Fitzgerald who were third and fourth. Shortly after O’Keefe made his way to third, the yellow waved on lap 7 for a Matt Duncovich spin at the exit of the second turn. Metcalf, seeking his first career win had Nowak a 23-time career winner lined up alongside, with O’Keefe right behind him in third. When the race resumed it took O’Keefe two laps to sneak under Nowak for second on lap 9 and then one lap later Riely ducked under Metcalf for the race lead exiting the second turn at the halfway point of the race. Once out-front Riely O’Keefe pulled away in his Crystal Clear Window Cleaning entry to another convincing victory. Ray Fitzgerald made some late race moves in his EP Milling & Sweeping coupe for runner-up honors, while Jim Sylvester of Massapequa was third in the Joe Ryan Race Cars machine.
Cody Triola, former two-time Blunderbust champion enjoyed his first career Street Stock feature win Saturday as he topped a non-stop 20-lap main event. Cody, a 20-time winner with the Blunderbusts lined up alongside Dave Antos, the all-time leading Street Stock winner at 18 for the start with Triola quickly gaining the advantage. With Antos, a 4-time SS champion in his own right nipping at his heels, Triola realized he had to be perfect out front. The only challenge for the leading duo would be some lapped traffic that at times got two-by-two in front of them, but cooler heads prevailed. At the checker it was the Cesspool Pros Monte Carlo of Cody Triola basking in the light of a first career Street Stock victory over runner-up Dave Antos of Lindenhurst in his EP Milling & Sweeping Monte Carlo. Most recent winner Brandon Hubbard of Mastic drove to third place money with his Top Twenty Motorsports team.
In a perfect world, or perhaps a Hallmark movie scenario, Don Howe of Water Mill would have won the 15-lap Eddie Partridge Vintage All Stars feature. Alas, that was not the case as John Jasinski of Flanders wheeled his Gary Cretty tribute Vega to the win after taking the lead from Sal Accardi Jr. on lap 6 exiting the second corner after the leader lost the handle monetarily. Tony Ferrante Jr. of New Hyde Park as able to race his way to a second-place tally in the Ferrante & Co. entry, while Sal Accardi of Deer Park was third in the A-Plus Auto Salvage Pontiac, a former Tom Baldwin Modified. Howe in the Carl Zeh Auto Repair Cavalier placed fourth in the same car that took him to the 1984 Islip Speedway & 1984 Riverhead Raceway championships.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour: 1. Mark Stewart 2. Justin Bonsignore 3. Owen Grennan 4. Tommy Caralano 5. Patrick Emerling 6. Ron Silk 7. Austin Beers 8. Jon McKennedy 9. Stephen Kopcik 10. Eric Goodale 11. Chase Grennan 12. Paulie Hartwig III 13. Trevor Catalano 14. Andrew Molleur 15 Roger Turbush 16. Teddy Hodgdon 17. Matt Hirschman 18. Ken Heagy 19. Micael Christopher Jr. 20. John-Michael Shenette 21. Cory Plummer 22. Matt Brode 23. Craig Lutz 24. Tyler Rypkema 25. Chris Rogers
Super Pro Trucks: 1, Mark Stewart 2. Frank Dumicich Jr. 3. Erin Solomito 4. Charles Sudano 5. Lou Maestri 6. Rich Bruce 7. Rob Corwin 8. Frank Dumicich Sr. 9. Tony Naglieri 10. Liam Patrick
Legend Race Cars: 1. Riely O’Keefe 2. Ray Fitzgerald 3. Jim Sylvester 4. Jayden Glennerster 5. Brad Van Houten 6. Richie Davidowitz 7. Anthony Marsh 8. Chris Sinatro 9. Michael Metcalf 10. Charles Hodge 11. Chevy Rommeney 12. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 13. Christopher Coleman 14. Will Sipala 15. Ed Stadtlander 16. Marissa Stewart 17. Nick Hodge 18. Phillip Alaimo 19. Alex Halinar 20. Cillian Tennant 21. Joe Cooke Jr. 22. Kendall Van Houten 23. Kevin Ohrnberger 24. Matt Duncovich 25. Billy King Jr. 26. Kevin Nowak
Street Stocks: 1. Cody Triola 2. Dave Antos 3. Brandon Hubbard 4. Jarrod Hayes 5. Chris Lescenski 6. Chris McGuire 7. Dennis Kurras 8. PJ McGay 9. Rob Bader 10. Ricky Carman 11. Alyssa Paprocky 12. Kyle Halpin 13. Rich Braun 14. Steve Harding 15. Mark Godnick 16. Luke Foerster 17. Bob Dalke 18. Danny Pizzo
Vintage All Stars: 1. John Jasinski 2. Tony Ferrante Jr. 3. Sal Accardi Jr. 4. Don Howe 5. Tom Pickerell 6. Paul Dodrico 7. John Cote 8. Jimmy Reed Sr. 9. Jimmy Reed Jr. 10. Mike Siraco 11. Vinny Siraco 12. Pat Hughes
