04/27/2002

WILD START TO 2002 SEASON
by J.A. Ackley

A beautiful but chilly day greeted fans and competitors who have been waiting all off-season for this day of the season.  Opening Night…  A lot were anxious for this day and it showed in many of the features:

Super Pro Trucks
            In perhaps one of the wildest races of the night, the Super Pro Trucks would have quite a few swaps for the lead as well as swaps of paint.
            Two sophomore drivers would start from the front row, as Hank Hallock would start from the pole in his #10 Dantona Chevrolet with the revamped #66 Major Fire and Police Supply Chevrolet of Mike Albasini on the outside.  When the first green flag would wave, Hank Hallock would take the first lead of the year with the #55 Golden Auto Body Chevrolet of Lenny Costa in hot pursuit.  Lenny Costa and Hallock would do battle for a few laps, but Lenny Costa would eventually take his #55 to the front.
            However, heartbreak would strike the young and upcoming Lenny Costa, as his driveshaft would let go, ending his nice run.  Taking over the lead would be the elder Costa, Larry Costa in the #46 NY Metro Peterbilt Dodge.
            Meanwhile in the back of the pack the #7 of Rich Giordano, the #2x Trailer Transport Chevy of John Denniston, and the #1 Schwing Electrical Supply Ford of Lou Maestri were going three wide at times, battling for position.  However the situation would get a little hairy with Maestri letting off after the battle and the #2x of John Denniston would get into the #1 bringing out the first caution of 2002.
            Once the field was reset, the green would wave once again with the #46 of Larry Costa in the lead with the blue and white #38 Chevrolet of Danny Grennan in hot pursuit.  After a few hotly contested laps, Grennan would find an opening and take the lead with a hanging bumper as result from the contest.
            The #7 of Rich Giordano and #46 of Larry Costa would continue to contest for second as well as the lead, but Larry Costa’s day would end early as well with a flat left front tire.
            When the dust settled on this twenty lap rumble, Dan Grennan would earn his first Super Pro Truck feature win and celebrated with a huge burnout on the back straightaway.
            Following Grennan to the line would be the #7 Dodge of Rich Giordano.  In third it would be the #2x Trailer Transport Chevrolet of John Denniston.  Coming in fourth would be another impressive sophomore driver, Mike Albasini in the #66 Major Fire and Police Supply Chevrolet and rounding out the top five would be the #42 LMS Engineering Ford of Mike Jurkowski.

Blunderbusts
To begin the 2002 Blunderbust season, Scott Maliszewski in the newly painted green and black #22 with the #99 Island Trees Automotive Chevy of Russell Broy on the outside.
            Upon the waving of the green, Russell Broy would grab the lead with the #22 of Scott Maliszewski slow on the start.  The #88 Wesemann’s Sand & Mason Supply Buick of Anthony Aiello would quickly be on the back bumper of the #99, but before Aiello could make the move caution would wave for the #82 of rookie Adam St. Lawrence which spun off of turn two.
            On the restart, Russell Broy would get the lead once again with the #88 of Anthony Aiello hot on his trail.  Caution would pause this battle once again on lap 9, as the bumper of the #53 Firefighter Plus Olds of Dale Arnolds would be carless in turn 2.
            On the restart the #99 of Russell Broy would once again get a good start.  Behind Broy, Eugene Malverty in his new #23 Buick would overtake the #88 of Anthony Aiello for second and would quickly move up to the rear bumper of Broy.  Malverty would try his all to get by Broy, even tapping the #99 to get Broy loose, but Russell Broy would do a good job of saving it and would still retain the lead until the very end, as Russell Broy and the #99 Island Trees Automotive Chevy would ward off Malverty’s attempts and would earn his first career Blunderbust win.
            Following Broy to the line would be a pack of hungry Blunderbust veterans, all eager for the win but would have to settle for less this night.  Coming in second would be a good run for the #23 All Stock Auto Buick of Eugene Malverty.  Bobby Gardner and his #55 Outlaw Motorsports Cadillac would get off to a good start in 2002 with a third place finish.  In fourth would be the #49 Landsend Abstract/Invesco Chevrolet of Jack Handley and rounding out the top five would be the #88 Wesemann’s Sand & Mason Supply Buick of Anthony Aiello.

Chargers
            The first Charger race of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series by Dodge season would also be the first Charger race of the Snap-On Tools Mini-Series as well, resulting in a double-point, 30-lap, time trial event.  Taking fast time would be the sophomore sensation of Chris Beutler in the #21 NDA Construction Pontiac with the seasoned veteran of Rusty Turbush in the #17x Northeastern Office Equipment Pontiac taking second.
            After the redraw the two would start in the same places as they would time trial and on the start, the #21 of Chris Beutler would take the lead.  However Beutler’s time in the lead would be a brief one, as the #17x of Rusty Turbush would go on the high side and pass the young and upcoming racer, with the #43 ALP Computer Dynamics Pontiac of Ray Minieri taking second as well.
            However before the two could do battle caution would wave for the stalled #99 Olds of Jack Orlando, which had come to a stop in turn 4.
            Once the #99 was cleared, the race would go green again with Turbush and Minieri one and two, but before the two could do battle caution would wave again as the #24 of Barry Stanchio and #58 of Rich Hubbard would tangle in turn 2 and the #84 of Andy Lokkeberg would spin to the infield the avoid the incident.
            After the track was cleared once again, the battle for the lead would remain the same, as the two veterans of Rusty Turbush and Ray Minieri would do battle once again.
            After a lengthy battle, caution would wave on lap 19, as the #61 SPONSORS WANTED Dodge of Chris Busick and the #7 Pontiac of Bill Rosskamp would tangle off turn 4.
            Once the two were cleared, the race would restart again but after a few laps the caution would wave again as the #58 Hubbard’s Repair Shop Pontiac would lose a wheel in turn 2.
            After Hubbard’s handicapped #58 was taken to the pits, the race would resume and Minieri would give it his all to pass the stout #17x Northeastern Office Equipment Pontiac of Rusty Turbush, but it wouldn’t be enough and Turbush would start off his 2002 championship campaign in grand style, with a win.
            Following the #17x to the line would be defending champion, Ray Minieri in the #43 ALP Computer Dynamics Pontiac.  Taking down third would be a strong run for the #21 NDA Construction Pontiac of Chris Beutler.  In fourth would be the colorful #1x White Post Wholesale Growers Chevrolet of Dave Brigati and rounding out the top five would be #00 of Mike Bologna.

Late Models
            The Late Models would begin the new-year with a near full field of cars ready for action.  On the pole would be the #93 SPONSORS WANTED Chevrolet of Walt DeMorris and on his outside would be the #10 Ranco Sand & Stone Pontiac of Scott Kulesa.
            Before the race would commence, the race would experience two cautions.  The first caution would result as the #25 Fairway Motorsports Ford of newcomer Joe Daly would get loose off turn 2 and tangle head on into the passenger side of the #77 SPONSORS WANTED Pontiac of James Vaccaro.
            After that was cleaned up, hot laps would resume and the #21 PHR Construction Chevrolet of rookie Keith Rotzi would glance the wall and then bounce back into turn one bringing out the caution once again.
            After the jitters were worked out, the green would wave and the #93 of Walt DeMorris and Scott Kulesa would go side-by-side across the line.  DeMorris and Kulesa would duke it out for a couple of laps, but when the dust settled, the ultra-fast #10 of Kulesa would take the lead.
            After Kulesa would extend his lead a great length, the caution would wave for the #28 Spring & Summer Activities Pools & Spas Pontiac of Glenn Tyler, as it would tangle with the #14 Tobay Printing Pontiac of Mike Mortimer going into turn 3 and would leapfrog over the #14, rendering the #28 some heavy damage upon the return to the ground.
            When the green would wave again, Kulesa would once again gain a considerable lead, but before he could enjoy it caution would wave once again for the #98 Doug Wholey Excavating Pontiac of Doug Wholey which had spun in turn 4, along with the #08 SPONSORS WANTED Dodge of Jarrod Hayes which had spun to avoid the #98.
            After the field was reset, the green would wave again and the #10 Ranco Sand & Stone Pontiac of Scott Kulesa would ride into the sunset with the win.
            Taking up runner-up money would be the defending Late Model champion of Buzzy Eriksen, in the #68 Harley Davidson of Nassau County Pontiac.  In third would be the #39 The Helman Group Pontiac of RJ Oxee.  Taking down fourth would be the #6 Dodge of Chris Mangels and rounding out the field would be the #72 SPONSORS WANTED Pontiac of Greg Kleila.

Modifieds
            Riverhead’s feature division returned to action in 2002 with action being emphasized.
            Starting from pole would be the #42 of Ron Hlatky and on the outside would be the sophomore driver Mike Andrews, Jr. in the #10x RG Hann & Son Fuel Oil Chevrolet.
            However, as with the Late Models, problems would occur before the race even started.
            Three separate incidents would bring out the yellow before the green, which were for the three separate spins of the #24 JAD Carpet Showcase Chevrolet of Ed Densieski, the #15 Eastport Feeds Chevrolet of Wayne Anderson, and the #31 SPONSORS WANTED Chevrolet of sophomore driver Henry Cataldo.
            Once the prerace cautions finished, the race would start with the #10x of Mike Andrews, Jr. taking the lead with the #85 of Lenny Fischer hot on his trail.  But before the two could battle, caution would wave for and incident on the back straightaway which involved the #15 of Wayne Anderson, #11x Muratec Chevrolet of Chuck Steuer, and #17 of Lew Hallock tangling before turn 3.  In addition the #31 of Henry Cataldo and the #40 of Bob Zurawski would spin into the infield as well to avoid the incident and bring out the first caution.
            After the mess was cleared the race would resume with the #10x getting a good start and the #8x of Eddie Brunnhoelzl Jr. and #85 of Lenny Fischer on Andrews bumper, looking a way to the lead.  After a few laps of battling, the #8x of Eddie Brunnhoelzl Jr. would take the lead, but within a few laps later, the #49 Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet of Chris Young would take the lead away from the #8x and take away from the field as well.
            After a long green run, caution would wave, as the #19 of John Shortell would spin.  The race would restart and the #49 of Chris Young would take off once again but before he could enjoy the lead, caution would wave again for the #42 of Ron Hlatky which had spun in turn 2.
            Upon the restart, the #49 of Chris Young would take off with the lead once again and would seal the first place standing in stone on lap 35 and would be the first Modified winner of 2002.  Following Young to the line would be a great run for the veteran Eddie Brunnhoelzl Jr., in the #8x Jamaica Brake and Clutch Chevrolet.
            Meanwhile, further back in the pack, the #12 of Dan Jivanelli, the #85 of Lenny Fischer, and the #2 Gershow Recycling Chevy of J.R. Bertuccio would duke it out.  Bertuccio would make some daring moves, exciting fans and putting drivers on the edge of their seat.  When the dust settled, J.R. Bertuccio would wind up victor of the battle, taking down third position.  In fourth would be veteran Dan Jivanelli in the orange #12.  And winding up taking five and crossing the line in the wall, would be the #85 of Lenny Fischer.

Figure 8’s
            The Figure 8’s would open the new season in grand fashion with 19 cars on hand, but unfortunately the race would see quite a few bent up and out of shape cars as well as drivers.
            On the start, Bill Batsche, Jr. in the #22 Island Moving Supplies Chevrolet would take the early lead.  However, Batsche would swap the lead a couple times with returning Figure 8 racer, Ron Harrison in the #8 Jamaica Brake & Clutch Dodge.  During a mid-race caution however, the #22 of Bill Batsche, Jr. would be forced to pit due to a flat tire, which would end his chances for winning for the night.
            Taking over the lead would be the “Dean” Bill Steen in the colorful #23 Ideal Cesspool/Euro Tech Auto Body Dodge.  Steen would battle with Harrison for a few laps but Harrison’s day would end when something broke which caused Harrison’s immaculate #8 to hit turn 1 at full force upon a restart, ending his day early.
            However, Bill Steen, 2000 Figure 8 Champion, would survive the carnage and would take down his first win in over a year, starting off the 2002 championship campaign on a great note.
            Following Steen to the line would be the 2001 Figure 8 Champion of Roger Maynor, in the #28 Barrasso & Sons Mason Supply Dodge.  In third would be the #58 Maples Bar & Grill Chevrolet of Kenny Hyde.  In fourth would be the #10 Golden Auto Body Chevrolet of George Sprague and rounding out the top five would be the #27 of Ed Mistretta.

Sources:  J.A. Ackley/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:  April 29, 2002