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Riverhead, NY Nov. 14th
By Bob Finan
Photo Michael Jaworecki/Myracenews
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. has always stepped up his already impressive game when the late season, big money Tour Type Modified races roll around. Saturday at Riverhead Raceway “Big Money” scored his fourth major event victory in a row of the fall after taking the lead during a late race restart to claim his second career Islip 300 win and the $12,000 payday. Hirschman became only the second driver to call himself a two-time Islip 300 winner, 2023 and 2026 joining Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. winner of the 2018 & 2020 editions of the race.
Twenty-eight cars rolled out for qualifying with Matt Hirschman quickest with a lap of 12.008. Paulie Hartwig III of Galloway, NJ turning his first laps with the Elite Racing WMT group put his new ride for 2027 on the outside pole with a lap of 12.016. When the green flag waved over the field with temperatures in the low 40’s the race would be a rough and tumble affair, dotted with numerous cautions and double file restarts along the way.
For nearly the first third of the race Matt Hirschman showed the way with hopes of extending his three race win streak he kicked off with a Haunted 100 victory October 24th at the Seekonk Speedway in a Monaco Ford Tri-Track Series event. Hirschman promptly backed that win up with his 11th career Race of Champions triumph at the Shangri-La Speedway and just last week won a mind boggling 12th John Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout.
After utilizing the pit strategy he and his Pee Dee Motorsports teams mapped out for the race, Matt put himself right back into the mix for the win late in the contest. Like Hirschman, 2024 Islip 300 winner Chase Grennan was seeking his second Islip 300 win, the 19-year old rising talent seemingly had things in hand, that is until a lap 281 caution flew for a multi-car incident in the third and fourth turn.
With Hirschman to his right elbow, Chase Grennan lined up to the inside with older brother Owen right behind him in third. When the race resumed Hirschman was able to slide in front of Owen Grennan with the hopes of setting Chase up for a crossover move. Matt was able o get behind the leader going into the first turn on lap 282and with a nudge to the race leader slid his car underneath to reclaim the lead some 180-laps after he first led.
After Hirschman took the lead he was able to get away from the Grennan brothers, Patrick Emerling, Chris Rogers and Chris Young who all ran from second back to sixth and were dicing for position. The one thing Matty didn’t want to see was another yellow flag but one would fly with two laps left for a two car incident in the fourth corner. Realizing Chase might attempt the same move to retake the lead, Hirschman executed the perfect restart for the green, white & checker conclusion of the race.
“Winning always makes you feel good” Hirschman proclaimed in the winners circle, “won the pole, led some laps early, but we didn’t have a dominant car”. When quizzed as to the late race restarts Matt offered, “it’s a long race, we were in the car a long time, the later it gets the more agressive it becomes” Hirschman disclosed his team had more than just winning the Islip 300 on their minds post race, “we came here because we weren’t very good here early in the year (WMT races), we threw some things at the car. Can’t thank my Pee Dee guys and Bar Harbor Bank for all they do, it’s a long season”. In concluding Matt added, “we’re on a good roll with these late season races, we got one more to go” referring to the November 28th Turkey Derby at Wall Stadium.
After his runner-up showing, Chase Grennan wasn’t about to hang his head, “we led until 20 to go, we had Matt scared” the driver of the Eastport Feeds Chevy reflected. Looking back in the lap 281 restart Chase shared, “he put in there, kind of gave us the Riverhead treatment, but Matt was lights out, we got beat by the 60, what are you going to do”. With his brother Owen the victim of a last lap tangle, Chase was able to wrestle the 2026 Crown Jewel Series Ted Christopher Cup championship away from his sibling becoming the first repeat series winner with his second consecutive series title.
2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified champion Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, NY completed the podium with his third place effort in the USNE Power entry. “That was quite the race” Emerling said afterwards, “we got hung on the outside, had trouble firing off out there and got shuffled back, probably had a second place car”.
Chris Young of Calverton enjoyed his best Islip 300 finish Saturday with a fourth in the Martin Sendlewski Architects Chevy with Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills bringing the Eastport Feeds machine home fifth. Riely O’Keefe of Manorville, Paulie Hartwig, Carson Loftin of Lexington, NC, Dillon Steuer of Bohemia and Eric Hersey of Commack were sixth through tenth.
Heading into the weekend, 2026 Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified champion Michael Berner of Patchogue nearly withdrew from the 40-lap Crate Mod feature due to illness. However, feeling a bit better Friday night the team decided to race and were they ever glad they did as Berner in the Clear River Environmental Chevy scored his fourth win of 2026, the 13th of his career. Berner and Vinny Delaney of Islip Terrace made up the front row for the feature with Berner showing he was the car to beat, illness not withstanding taking the lead at the throw of the green. Berner would lead wire-to-wire with Vinny Delaney having to settle for second with his Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm racer. AJ DeSantis of Yaphank was third with his Tiana Shore’s Tree & Lawn Service Chevy, while Gerard Giordano of Freeport and Andrew Farnham of Baldwin completed the top five.
Timmy Solomito of Islip led all the way to win the 40-lap INEX Legend Race Car feature event prior to strapping into his Modified for the Islip 300. “The Natural” the 2008, INEX Legend Race Car champion at Riverhead returned to his Legend roots so he could race alongside and mentor his nephews, Landon & Brody’s budding INEX driving careers. Solomito and Chase Van Houten, making his fist 2026 start made up the front row for the race with Solomito breaking to the lead at the start. While Timmy, in the EP Milling & Sweeping 860 Motorsports entry would lead all 40 circuits, having to survive numerous restarts to do so, the battle for second was heated for the entire race. Van Houten was passed during a third lap restart by invader Luke LeBrun, but would reverse the roles on a lap 6 restart passing back LeBrun, the tandem would again swap spots on a lap 11 restart when LeBrun moved back to second. Van Houten, Anthony Marsh and Rely O’Keefe would all dice for positions second through fifth during he tilt while Solomito got away under green. LeBrun and Marsh would become the main combatants in the race for second, with Marsh ducking under LeBrun for the spot entering the first turn on lap 23, Following through the opening created by Marsh, Van Houten raced back to third and soon he and Marsh would swap second back and forth in their Joe Ryan Race Cars machines.
When the checker flags waved Timmy Solomito would bask in the spotlight of his 14th career INEX Legend Race Car win. Anthony Marsh of Riverhead was runner-up, reclaiming the position with two laps to go in his Diamond Edge Landscaping coupe. Chase Van Houten of Wading River completed the podium in his Hotworx of Eastport entry, Luke LeBrun of Hudson, Ma. and Riely O’Keefe of Manorville were fourth and fifth.
All time leading Street Stock winner Dave Antos of Lindenhurst waited until the final race of 2026 to collect his first 2026 victory, the 19th of his illustrious career. Chris McGuire broke to the early lead at the start with Chris Lescenski in pursuit for the first four laps of the 40-lap tilt. On lap 5, both Lescenski and Dave Antos passed McGuire to the inside on the front stretch for the top two positions. After testing Lescenski for a few laps, Antos made a successful bid for the lead on lap 16 passing to the low side of Lescenski off the fourth turn. Once in front the driver of the EP Milling & Sweeping Monte Carlo would lead the rest of the way for the win. Brandon Hubbard of Mastic came to second just prior to halfway where he would wind up finishing in the Top Twenty Motorsports Chevy. Chris Lescenski of Riverhead was third in his Unique Gold Chevy, while Alyssa Paprocky of Rocky Point and Danny Pizzo of Holbrook were fourth and fifth.
A stellar field of 16 Eddie Partridge Vintage All Stars tuned out for the 15-lap feature on Islip 300 day with John Jasinski of Flanders capping off a successful season with another win. Jasinski and Tom Pickerell brought the field to green with Jasinski getting the upper hand. Steering the Gary Cretty tribute Vega, Jasinski would lead all 15-laps for the win. Tom Pickerell of Huntington in the former Tony Hirschman Frenchy’s Auto Body Cavalier was second, Don Howe of Water Mill brought the Carl Zeh Auto Repair Cavalier home third.
Islip 300: 1. Matt Hirschman 2. Chase Grennan 3. Patrick Emerling 4. Chris Young 5. Dylan Slepian 6. Riely O’Keefe 7. Paulie Hartwig III 8. Carson Loftin 9. Dillon Steuer 10. Eric Hersey 11. Timmy Solomito 12. John-Michael Shenette 13. Matt Brode 14. JR Bertuccio 15. Justin Brown 16. Rodney Dowless Jr. 17. Owen Grennan 18. Chris Rogers 19. Mark Stewart 20. Jaden Harman 21. Kyle Ellwood 22. Roger Turbush 23. Cory Midgett 24. Ryan Flores 25. Walter Sutcliffe 26. Joey Braun 27. Michael Rutkoski 28. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III
Crate Modified: 1. Michael Berner 2. Vinny Delaney 3. AJ DeSantis 4. Gerard Giordano 5. Andrew Farnham 6. Eric Zeh 7. Max Handley 8. Thomas Grattan 9. Kim Hyde
Legend Race Cars: 1. Timmy Solomito 2. Anthony Marsh 3. Chase Van Houten 4. Luke LeBrun 5. Riely O’Keefe 6. Colin Hoeffner 7. Dylan Freeman 8. PJ Evans 9. Ray Fitzgerald 10. Jacob Burns 11. Dylan Calabro 12. Riche Davidowitz 13. Jim Sylvester 14. Wade Oemecke 15. Marissa Stewart 16. David Bernier 17. John Noll 18. KJ Rocco 19. Mike Van Houten Jr. 20. Cillian Tennant 21. David Dorr 22. Chance Lutz 23. Nick Hodge 24. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 25. Phillip Alaimo 26. Michael Barry
Street Stocks: 1. Dave Antos 2. Brandon Hubbard 3. Chris Lescenski 4. Alyssa Paprocky 5. Danny Pizzo 6. Jim Laid Jr. 7. Tom Sullivan 8. Kyle Halpin 9. Emily Hubbard 10. Steve Harding 11. Dennis Kurras 12. Luke Foerster 13. Chris McGuire 14. Jarrod Hayes 15. David White 16. Gary Caldwell DNS- Ricky Carman
Vintage All Stars: 1. John Jasinski 2. Tom Pickerell 3. Don Howe 4. Sal Accardi Jr. 5. John Cote 6. Ken Matlach 7. Frank Saladino 8. Jimmy Reed Jr. 9. Rob Lasowski 10. Pat Hughes 11. Don Conradis 12. Mark Miller 13. Mike Siraco 14. Berry Dalton 15. Richard Auer 16. Tony Ferrante Jr.
