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Riverhead, NY August 8th
By Bob Finan
A standing room only crowd filed into Riverhead Raceway Saturday for the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet I Love America night Fireworks and School Bus Demolition Derby program and were treated to some great stock car racing prior to the family entertainment events. Second generation TK Figure Eight talent Will “The Thrill” Farrell of Mastic led the list of NASCAR Local Racing Series powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts winners after he scored his first career feature event win in a 15-lap contest.
Kim Hyde paced the TK Figure Eight feature for the first 3 laps with Will Farrell testing her from second. On lap 3 the caution waved for a minor spin setting up a double file restart. On that restart Farrell put his coupe to the race lead with Gary Fritz Jr. also moving by Hyde for second. It wasn’t long before Allan Pedersen raced his way to third. Fritz and Pedersen were after their second wins of 2026 while Farrell was hungry for his long awaited first career triumph. In the waning laps Fritz pulled up to Farrell’s back bumper and at one-point racing towards the white flag got into Will pretty good, but Gary eased off the gas allowing Farrell to collect and correct. With Jim Kelly’s twin checker flags waving before him, Will Farrell in the Bobby’s One Stop Custom Exhaust & Automotive coupe finally grabbed the brass ring.
“Bobby (Dalke) gave me an awesome car, I was out of this for 15-years before he called me and asked me if I wanted to drive this car. Big thanks to my wife who supported my return and my family, this is great” Farrell calmly reflected, Gary Fritz Jr. of Mastic was runner-up in the Goodfellas Auto Repair Cadillac, Allan Pedersen of Center Moriches completed the podium in third with the Unted Exhaust Shop Camaro.
The 20-lap INEX legend Race Car event was a thriller from the throw of the green flag, featuring five lead changes, numerous passes for position and a late pass for the race lead by Riely O’Keefe of Manorville for his sixth win of 2026. Earl on veteran Ray Fitzgerald and rising talent Chevy Rommeney ran one-two with Ray setting the pace for four laps before Chevy moved by to lead the next two circuits. With cars at times three and four wide positions were changing rapidly and on lap 7 Jeff Farruggia Jr. slipped into the lead, but only for a lap as Rommeney came back to lead the 8th lap. Not long after Rommeney took the lead back a yellow flag waved for a Mike Renn spin setting up a double file restart. When Rommeney looked to his right for the double file restart he saw Timmy Solomito who slipped by Farruggia for second when Chevy took the lead.
When the race resumed Solomito, a 13-time INEX Legend Race Car winner at Riverhead powered his way to the race lead on the outside with Rommeney now second. On lap 12 Chris Sinatro threw his hat in the ring passing Rommeney for second behind leader Solomito. However, just two laps after racing to second Sinatro spun off the fourth corner on lap 13 drawing a caution, race control moved Anthony Marsh to the rear for his role in the incident. When the field lined up for the resumption Solomito looked to his right and found Riely O’Keefe to his right. For the final six laps of the event the large crowd was treated to a great battle for the lead and win, O’Keefe trying to pinch his car under Solomito exiting the corners, Timmy backing the corners up to break those runs. As the duo raced through the third and fourth turn coming to the white flag O’Keefe found enough room under Solomito to take the lead to start the 20th and final lap.
When it was all said and done Riely O’Keefe for the 12th time since July 12th, 2025, enjoyed another Legend Race Car win, the 15th overall of his career, sixth on the all-time list. Timmy Solomito of Islip was runner-up in the Kings Park Contracting entry, one lap shy of his 14th career triumph. Ray Fitzgerald of Manorville scored a hard fought third place finish in the EP Milling & Sweeping machine.
Another event with a late race pass that led to victory came during the 20-lap Street Stock feature event with Barndon Hubbard of Mastic pocketing his third win of 2026. Danny Pizzo broke to the lead at the drop of the green chased by Cody Triola over the first 8-lpas of the contest. Pizzo, who has been fast and around the front of the pack weekly started to approach lapped traffic and that would be his demise as coming off the fourth turn to start the 9th circuit Triola was able to trap Pizzo in traffic to take the lead, Danny now ran second. The one thing Cody didn’t want to see was a late race caution to erase his lead, but unfortunately on lap 16 the yellow did wave bunching up the field. On the restart Brandon Hubbard, who had just wrestled third away from Jarrod Hayes was able to drive under Pizzo for second leaving him four laps to try and pass leader Triola. On lap 18 entering the third and fourth corner Hubbard moved his way under Triola and as they raced to the white flag Hubbard was the new race leader in his Top Twenty Motorsports Chevy and would win his 6th career Street Stock feature, moving him to sixth on the all-time list. Jarrod Hayes of Calverton made some late race moves of his own to claim second in the North Fork Sanitation Chevy, Cody Triola of Bay Shore was left to wonder what could’ve been if not for the late race caution finishing third in the Cesspool Pros mount.
John Alaimo of Miller Place scored his first INEX bandolero Outlaw win of 2026 capturing their 15-lap feature. Alaimo raced to the lead when the race got underway and would have several suitors along the way in second. Tyler Ross, Antonio D’Alonzo, Tyler Oxee and Michael Barry all ran in the tire tracks of Alaimo during the caution plagued affair. Oxee had the longest stint in second behind Alaimo for 11-laps. When the checker did wave John Alaimo, or as his friends call him “Rockets” was the victor in the Turf King entry, the win was the 5th of Alaimo’s Bandolero career. Michael Barry of Patchogue made a pass for second on lap 17 work out for a runner-up tally in the Grease Garage Motorsports Outlaw, Tyler Oxee of Carmel, NY was third in his North Fork Sanitation entry.
Mason Goodale of Riverhead, racing in his third race as in as many nights took home the 15-lap Bandolero Bandit victory for his second win of the season. After trips to the Waterford Speedbowl on Thursday night where he finished third and a second place showing at Seekonk Speedway Friday night, Mason took the lead on lap 5 from younger brother Wyatt with an inside pass Saturday. Once out front with his GAF Roofing Bandit Mason Goodale was able to stay out front the rest of the way earning his 9th career win. The 9th win for Mason ties him with Darren Krantz Jr. for second on the all-time INEX Bandolero win list at Riverhead, one shy of Ben Morabito’s 10 wins tops al-time. Brooke Meyer of Riverhead rebounded strongly for second place honors in the Meyer Construction Bandit, Mackenzie Ulmet of Mattituck did likewise for a third place showing with her Eastport Feeds racer.
How much did Cullen DiSalvo of Fairfield, Ct. enjoy his first ever INEX Bandolero Beginner race at Riverhead Raceway in late July, a race he won? He loved it so much he bypassed a Quarter Midget race in Meriden, Ct. closer to home to cross the Long Island Sound due south for Long Island. When the 10-lap Beginner event was over Cullen DiSalvo was two-for-two at his new favorite racetrack with his DDM Maintenance & Set-Ups machine. DiSalvo as able to pass early leader Brianna D’Alonzo as the field took the halfway signal when D’Alonso’s car got out of shape and offline momentarily. Championship leader Scarlett Dumicich of East Quogue turned a late race rally into a second-place finish in the Rapid Recovery Towing mount, while Brianna D’Alonzo of Carle Place completed the podium in third with her sponsor wanted car.
Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge notched his second 4/6-Cylinder Figure Eight feature win of 2026 taking the lead early and never looking back from his Viper Trucking Cavalier. Eoughan Hayward of Westhampton was runner-up with his Ace Cleaning & Restoration entry while Robert Kraemer of Bohemia was third.
Current Super Pro Truck championship leader Frank “The Tank” Dumicich Jr. of East Quogue outlasted all comers in a hard-hitting School Bus Demolition Derby. Before he could claim the win with his Rapid Recovery Towing bus, Frank had to survive a closing battle with “The Z-Man” Ryan Zukowski of Riverhead whose machine would not start back-up after a hard hit from Dumicich.
Figure Eights: 1. Will Farrell 2. Gary Fritz Jr 3. Allan Pedersen 4. Kim Hyde 5. Tyler Farrell 6. Bob Dalke 7. Rich Braun 8. Eoughan Hayward
Legend Race Cars: 1. Riely O’Keefe 2. Timmy Solomito 3. Ray Fitzgerald 4. Jim Sylvester 5. Richie Davidowitz 6. Chevy Rommeney 7. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 8. Phillip Alaimo 9. Nick Hodge 10. Christopher Coleman 11. Michael Barry 12. Kendall Van Houten 13. Charles Hodge 14. Alex Halinar 15. Anthony Marsh 16. Chance Lutz 17. Joe Cooke Jr. 18. Ed Stadtlander 19. John Noll 20. Rob Destefano Jr. 21. Billy King Jr. 22. Marissa Stewart 23. Mike Renn 24. Colin McNamara 25. Chris Sinatro 26. Michael Metcalf 27. Steve Renn DNS-Cillian Tennant
Street Stocks: 1. Brandon Hubbard 2. Jarrod Hayes 3. Cody Triola 4. Chris McGuire 5. Danny Pizzo 6. Ricky Carman 7. Chris Lescenski 8. Alyssa Paprocky 9. Kyle Halpin 10. Marc Godnick 11. Rich Braun 12. David White 13. Luke Foerster 14. Bob Dalke DNS- PJ McGay
Bandolero Outlaws: 1. John Alaimo 2. Michael Barry 3. Tyler Oxee 4. Aria Ligon 5. Mason Dickerson 6. Madison White 7. Christian Ryan 8. Antonio D’Alonzo 9. Tyler Ross 10. Jordan Ryan 11. Megan Cummings 12. Grace Cheslak 12. Thomas Grattan
Bandolero Bandits: 1. Mason Goodale 2. Brooke Meyer 3. Mackenzie Ulmet 4. Wyatt Goodale 5. Emily Gatz
Bandolero Beginners: 1. Cullen DiSalvo 2. Scarlett Dumicich 3. Brianna D’Alonzo 4. James White III 5. Carissa Busam 6. Bradley Borsett 7. Liam McNamara
4/6-Cylinder Figure Eights: 1. Joe Warren Jr. 2. Eoughan Hayward 3. Robert Kraemer 4. Mark Kraemer 5. Ryan Warren 6. William Van Dyke 7. Billman Griffing 8. Robert Sherry 9. Chris Ward DNS- Charles Sherry
School Bus Demolition Derby winner- Frank Dumicich Jr.
