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Riverhead, NY Nov. 12th
by Bob Finan
Heading into the 10th Annual Islip 300 Saturday at Riverhead Raceway, there will be one more championship to decide at the historic quarter mile facility, that to determine the 2026 Crown Jewel Series champion for the Ted Christopher Cup. Owen Grennan of Glen Cove, the 2026 Buzz Chew Chevrolet NASCAR Modified champion leads the Crown Jewel rankings heading into the 300, the fifth and final series race with hopes of becoming the first driver to sweep the track title and Ted Christopher Cup in the same season.
When the 22-car field lines up for the $43,000 Islip 300 Saturday, Owen Grennan will carry a 14-point lead over Mark Stewart of Riverhead into the $12,000 to win spectacular while Owen’s younger brother and defending Ted Christopher Cup champion Chase ranks third, 22 points behind Owen. Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills sits fourth, 24 makers behind Owen Grennan with Justin Brown of Manorvile 26 points out of the lead from fifth. Chris Young of Calverton, Chris Rogers of Patchogue, Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead, Roger Turbush of Riverhead and Matt Brode of East Islip fill out sixth through tenth. All ten teams are among the twenty-nine entries for Saturday.
The Crown Jewel Series was introduced in 2021 after then race director Scott Tapley and track GM John Ellwood formatted the series, naming the championship trophy the Ted Christopher Cup honoring “TC” who sadly last his life in an aviation crash commuting to Riverhead Raceway for a NASCAR WMT event. During the inaugural season of the Crown Jewel Series, JB Fortin of Holtsville clinched the Ted Christopher Cup in style when he won the Islip 300. John Beatty of Merrick was the 2022 Crown Jewel Series champion with Kyle Ellwood earning the 2023 Ted Christopher Cup. The 2024 Crown Jewel Series found Chris Rogers topping the championship with Chase Grennan capturing the TC Cup in 2025.
An all star entry list of 29 has registered for the Islip 300 Saturday with qualifying set for 12:30 PM, and opening ceremonies at 2:00 PM. Joining the Modifieds are the Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modifieds, INEX Legend Race Cars, Street Stocks and Eddie Partridge Vintage All Stars. General admission gates open at 10:00 AM, adults are $40, kids 6-12 $20, with 5 & under fee.
To purchase advance tickets or review the complete race day itinerary please visit www.riverhadraceway.com, emails reach the track at office@riverheadraceway.com, our phone number is 631-842-RACE.
