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Riverhead, NY Oct. 4th
By Bob Finan
Championship Sunday dawned gloomy with an ever-growing threat of afternoon rain at Riverhead Raceway forcing track officials and race teams alike to run off a quick running program and with an obvious spirit of cooperation in the air the entire show was completed before the wet stuff arrived. In the Hot Rod Shop of Venice, Florida 30 for the Street Stocks Brandon Hubbard won his 5th feature event of 2026 while popular veteran Jarrod Hayes of Calverton secured his first career track championship. In the companion 20-lap Mini Stock feature CJ Zukowski of Riverhead notched his second win the season while his younger brother Ryan Zukowski of Riverhead earned his first championship.
With John Cozza of the Hot Rod Shop of Venice, Florida adding podium money ($250-$150-$100) for the extra distance 30-lapper the racing was intense but clean with the race going the distance without a caution flag. Cody Triola broke from the pole to lead Dennis Kurras over the first three circuits before Dave Anotos moved by Kurras for second on lap 4. Riding momentum from his pass for second Antos, the all-time leading Street Stock winner also slipped by Triola for the lead on lap 5 with an inside pass up the backstretch. With Antos leading the driver on the march was Brandon Hubbard who started further back in the field charging his way to second after passing Triola on lap 10. It took Hubbard awhile to make his way to Antos which he started to accomplish with 7 laps left. Hubbard really made some gains with 4 to go as he was now all over Antos for the lead with lapped traffic ahead. Seconds after receiving the two to go signal, Hubbard used the lapped cars as a pick, shooting under Antos exiting he second turn for the race lead.
Over the final lap Brandon Hubbard was able to keep his Top Twenty Motorsports Chevy out front to score his fifth win in eleven starts this season, Dave Antos of Lindenhurst had to settle for second with his EP Milling & Sweeping Monte Carlo left to wonder what would have been if not for the lapped cars. Dennis Kurras of Selden weas third with his Stress-Free Home Buyers Chevy.
With his 4th place tally, Jarrod Hayes secured the 2026 Street Stock title with his Roger Oxee led, North Fork Sanitation team. As happy as “J-Rod” was about winning the championship he was even more so about an hour before his race when his 7-year-old son Silas won his first career INEX Bandolero Beginner feature. Hayes has raced previously with success in the Blunderbusts and Late Models at Riverhead, even having a cup of coffee in the NASCAR Modified ranks.
The 20-lap Mini Stock main event once again boiled down to a battle of brotherly love between eventual race winner CJ Zukowski and his younger brother “The Z-Man” Ryan. Ryan Warren showed the way early after starting from the pole chased early by Eoughan Hayward. It didn’t take Ryan Zukowski long to burst upon the scene up front passing Hayward for second on lap 3. Hayward’s race would take a turn for the worse on lap 7 when he spun drawing the yellow. On the ensuing restart the race for the lead intensified with Warren now feeling pressure not just from Ryan Zukowski, but now also CJ Zukowski with the top three cars racing in a knot. At the halfway mark the Zukowski brothers got after each other pretty good, pushing Warren back to third leaving it up to them to decide the winner. The final half of the race was filled with bumper shots and attempted crossovers. The intensity only ramped up as the laps clicked off as the brothers were leaning heavily on each other as the checker flag waved. When the dust settled CJ Zukowski in the Wall of Fame Cavalier was the race winner over Ryan Zukowski in the Busy Bee Pest Control Chevy. Ryan Warren of Ridge watched it all unfold from third where he’d finish in the Quinn’s Auto Service entry.
With his five wins in eight Mini Stock events in 2026, four of which were in a row to start the season, Ryan Zukowski dethroned his brother CJ as champion of the class, just another topic of conversation during holiday dinners.
In the Hot Rod Shop 59 for the Truck Enduro teams, Jarrett Campbell of Yaphank dusted off his truck a former John Cozza machine and won the race earning not just $250 from Cozza, but also a $200 bonus John put up if his former truck could win the event. Charles Sherry broke to the early lead pacing the race over the first 7-laps before giving way to veteran and former champion Bobby Pease, but the tested tough “Peaseman” didn’t stay in the lead long as Jarrett Campbell came calling on lap 8. Campbell slipped under Pease for the lead to start the 9th lap and he’d never look back in a truck built and raced to many a victory by the race sponsor John Cozza. At the conclusion Jarrett Campbell and his Lake Masonry team enjoyed their first Truck Enduro win of 2026 and the $450 in bonus money from the Hot Rod Shop of Venice, Florida. Bobby Pease of Medford came home second in the Fit Spot Gym Chevy, Mariah Lawrence of Southampton completed the podium third with her Total Dental Care General Lee.
With rain pushing the Truck Enduro and Championship Sunday back a week, championship leader Phil LaManna was forced to miss the race as he was celebrating his 35th wedding anniversary with wife Tracy in south Florida. For a while it appeared Kevin Feeney of East Quogue would leapfrog the idle LaManna for the 2026 championship, but Kevin got a flat early and was the first truck out of the race. The wild turn f events and circumstance saw Brandon LaManna of Smithtown win the 2026 Truck Enduro championship with his EP Milling & Sweeping Chevy, a great present for his parents.
In the 15-lap INEX Bandolero Outlaw event Madison White of Southampton survived a myriad of caution flags and subsequent restarts to score her first career Riverhead Raceway victory. Madison, a multiple time winner at the Bethel Motor Speedway in upstate New York took the lead from outside pole sitter and defending champion Thomas Grattan after he led the first lap by inches. Grattan chased White for the first 7-laps of the contest before Michael Barry worked his way by a loose Grattan with an outside pass. At first, it looked as though Barry might be able to wrestle the lead away from White, but Madison kept hitting her marks keeping her challenger at bay. Despite intense pressure over the final two laps Madison White withstood it all to bring the Blazin Bee Pest Control Outlaw home a winner. Michael Barry of Patchogue had to be content with runner-up honors with his Grease Garage entry, John Alaimo of Miller Place was third and with that podium finish sewing up the 2026 Outlaw championship. Alaimo and his Turf king team scored one win and seven top three finishes to secure the title.
Brooke Meyer and her family-owned Meyer Construction INEX Bandolero Bandit team have chased races up and down the east coast and beyond over the past few seasons experiencing many highs and lows along the way. Sunday afternoon at the track where it all began in their hometown of Riverhead the family team experienced the highest of highs when Brooke won the 15-lap Bandit feature leading from green to checker. Starting from the pole Meyer out the W.E.S. Trailer Sales & Service Bandit our front, chased at first by the youngest of the Solomito brothers Brody. On lap 4 Landon Solomito darted to the inside of his brother to take second, a very important pass on so many levels for Landon who is chasing a national title. The three-day Solomito family odyssey started in Seekonk, Mass. Friday night with a rain out, an impromptu trips to Nashville, Tenn. Saturday with an early morning flight to Long Island Sunday. However, none of that fazed, or even concerned Brooke Meyer who drove a flawless race to win her first career feature right in the family’s backyard of Riverhead Raceway. Landon Solomito of Little Compton, RI was runner-up in the Acme Sanitary Service Bandit, younger brother Brody completed the podium third with his Kennedy L.I. Realty entry.
Second generation driver Mason Goodale of Riverhead earned his first career track championship with a fourth-place effort in the Riverhead Building Supply Bandit. Mason won three of the seven races contested in 2026 tying him at the top of the all-time Bandolero win list at 10 with Ben Morabito.
Silas Hayes of Calverton has been gearing up for his debit with the INEX Bandolero Beginners for over a year and once he turned 7 in August he made his debut, an impressive one at that. Sunday the son of 2026 Street Stock champion Jarrod Hayes took the lead at the halfway mark from early leader Liam McNamara and Silas never looked back from the cockpit of his JDL Environmental racer earning his first career win. It was a big day for Scarlett Dumicich of East Quogue who crossed the line second with her Okpetroleummarketplace.com machine clinching the 2026 Beginner championship on her 10th birthday! James White III was third in the final rundown with the Blazin Bee Pest Control mount.
How deep did Greg Harris start in the 40-lap 8-Cylinder Enduro field? He was nearly on Route 58 that runs past the track, well almost. Rookie driver Mike Fragola led the first lap before being passed by Richie Carman on lap 2. Once out-front Carman, the 1998 Charger champion at the track was able to build a comfortable lead. Greg Harris despite starting so deep made his way to second on lap 12 but still had some work to do to reel in race leader Carman. The Trainsmoke Motorsports driver was able to reel in Carman and while working lapped traffic Harris was able to duck under Richie on lap 27 exiting the fourth turn taking control of the race. Unfortunately for Carman his race would end suddenly a few laps later on lap 40 with mechanical woes moving championship contender Woot Lawrence to second. At the checker Greg Harris and his SGS Stone Works team had pocketed their second win of 2026 while popular Woot Lawrence of Southampton came home second in the Gregor Well Drilling Camaro clinching the 2026 championship in the process. 2025 champion Kevin Feeney of East Quogue was third in the HAM Racing Chevy.
John Palmeri of Lindenhurst hasn’t run the full schedule of 4/6-Cylinder Enduro in 2026, but he made it count Sunday when he competed in their 40-lap finale scoring the victory. Joey Palmeri Jr. bolted to the early race lead setting the pace over the first 7-laps before Crate Modified standout AJ DeSantis moved out front. DeSantis less than 24-hours prior lost the 2026 Crate Modified championship in a tiebreaker was looking to heal those wounds and would lead up until the 22nd lap. On lap 23 John Palmeri, who started 23rd on the grid made his way to the front in his Autism Awareness machine passing DeSantis in lapped traffic. DeSantis stayed glued to Palmeri’s bumper hoping to return the favor but, in the end the J&J Towing entry came home the winner. DeSantis of Yaphank was runner-up in the Strong Oil racer; Chris Olivari of Coram was third with his Middle Country Automotive machine earning Chris the 2026 3/6-Cylinder Enduro championship.
Densie Carman of Ridge won the special 20-lap Ladies 8-Cylinder Enduro in the United Exhaust Shop Chevy besting Chrissy Collins of Southampton in the PC Truck & Equipment racer. Kerry Herbst of Farmingville was third in the Flowrite Exhaust Systems Chevy.
Street Stocks: 1 Brandon Hubbard 2. Dave Antos 3. Dennis Kurras 4. Jarrod Hayes 5. Danny Pizzo 6. Chris Lescenski 7. Cody Triola 8. Alyssa Paprocky 9. Ricky Carman 10. Kyle Halpin 11. PJ McGay 12. Emily Hubbard 13. Bob Dalke 14. Luke Foerster 15. Rich Braun 16. David White 17. Marc Godnick
Mini Stocks: 1. CJ Zukowski 2. Ryan Zukowski 3. Ryan Warren 4. Madison Tomaszewski 5. Andrew Coll 6. Hunter Cummings 7. Brooklyn Devito 8. Eoughan Hayward 9. George Astacio DNS-Charles Astacio
INEX Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Madison White 2. Michael Barry 3. John Alaimo 4. Thomas Grattan 5. Tyler Oxee 6. Aria Ligon 7. Antonio D’Alonzo 8. Grace Cheslak 9. Mason Dickerson 10. Tyler Ross 11. Megan Cummings
INEX Bandolero Bandits: 1. Brooke Meyer 2. Landon Solomito 3. Brody Solomito 4. Mason Goodale 5. Mackenzie Ulmet 6. Emily Gatz 7. Wyatt Goodale
INEX Bandolero Beginners: 1. Silas Hayes 2. Scarlett Dumicich 3. James White III 4. Liam McNamara 5. Carissa Busam 6. Bradley Borsett 7. Brianna D’Alonzo 8. Jardyn DeFriest 9. Autumn Rommeney
Truck Enduro (top ten) 1. Jarrett Campbell 2. Bobby Pease 3. Mariah Lawrence 4. Brandon LaManna 5. Brandon Anderson 6. Aiden Farrell 7. Charles Sherry 8. Nikki Giordano 9. Alexis Mullally 10. Chris Ward
8-Cylinder Enduro (top ten): 1. Greg Harris 2. Woot Lawrence 3. Kevin Feeney 4. Justin Squires 5. Pat Collins Jr. 6. Mariah Lawrence 7. Richie Carman 8. Justin Ferreri 9. Don Carasiti 10. Anthony Pizzo
4/6-Cylinder Enduro: 1. John Palmeri 2. AJ DeSantis 3. Chris Olivari 4. Mike Mujsce Jr. 5. Robert Kraemer 6. David Olivari 7. Joey Palmeri Jr. 8. Robin Schewire 9. Mike Kowalski 10. Charles Sherry
Women’s Enduro: 1. Denise Carman 2. Chrissy Collins 3. Kerry Herbst 4. Laina Cancilla 5. Mariah Lawrence
