05/04/2002

CHUCK STEUER TAKES NEW MODIFIED TO VICTORY LANE
by Bob Finan

    This Saturday night, in just his second outing with his brand new NASCAR Modified, Chuck Steuer of Bohemia drove to victory lane in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge program at Riverhead Raceway. The triumph was worth $1,450 to the former track champion.

    The initial start of the race saw a first turn skirmish that involved the front row cars of Wayne Anderson and Joe Hartmann along with several others who got swept up. Both Anderson and Hartmann continued after the incident but had to start at the rear. On the next attempt at getting the race going on this cool evening, Chuck Steuer and Bill Park now occupied the front row. When the green light came on, Steuer quickly moved into the lead and Bill Park settled into second. Park, who has long been known to prefer the outside line, did indeed try that line, but each time he did Steuer was equal to the task. Sitting back and watching all this was Lenny Fischer who raced his way to third early in the tilt.

    Not even several double file or single file restarts could rattle the soft-spoken talent. On cooler tires Steuer's car was better suited than if the race had a longer green flag spell. With the top three running nose to tail for the most part, attention turned to J.R. Bertuccio and Chris Young who tested each other for the fourth position. Chris tried lap after lap to gather up an inside run on J.R. during this intense duel.

    At victory lane an emotional Chuck Steuer commented, "First off I have to dedicate this win to my wife Chrissie, she's had some health concerns recently but thankfully she's with us here tonight."  I can't thank Grant Williams of Northeastern Office Equipment enough.  He, along with Muratec Facsimile, gave us the funding for the new car and Jack Merkel gave us an awesome amount of power". Steuer's team is crew chiefed by 2001 True Value National Gold Wrench award winner Robert Demling.

     Veteran Bill Park of Manorville collected runner-up honors in the Smithtown Nissan Monte Carlo while Lenny Fischer of Medford turned in another solid ride with a third in his sponsor wanted Buick. J.R. Bertuccio of Centereach and Chris Young of Riverhead completed the top five.

    All Greg Kleila forgot to bring to the track for the Snap-On Tools Series opener for the Late Models was a broom, but that was okay because he swept up without one. After winning the $100 fast time bonus from JYD Enterprises for his fast time of 12.587, Greg then had the happy fortune of drawing the pole when the top six redrew. Instantly Kleila motored out front at the start of the contest in his un-sponsored entry, with Jim Pape second for the first lap. If Greg had any thoughts to himself that his picture perfect night was drawing to a close it might have come on lap 2 when defending champion Peter "Buzzy" Eriksen raced by Pape for second. "Buzzy" went right to work on drawing close to Kleila but as the race wore on it became evident that about all Eriksen was going to do was get close. When the checkered flag waved Greg Kleila's clean sweep was indeed a reality, but earlier in the day thought otherwise, "we struggled all day with our tires in practice, but I guess we got it right" Greg boasted.

    In another rough and tumble Figure Eight feature Roger Maynor of Bay Shore, the 2001 champion of the class, was leading when the time limit ran out on the event after 15 laps of a scheduled 20 were in the books. Bill Farrell led the first circuit before Ron Harrison muscled his way by for the lead on lap 2 with Farrell now in pursuit. Roger Maynor burst upon the scene on lap 6 when he raced his way to second and, just laps later racing into turn three, moved under Harrison for the lead. During a caution flag on lap 15 the race was declared complete and Roger Maynor took home the win in his all new Barrasso & Sons Mason Supplies Dodge. George Sprague of North Patchogue claimed runner-up money in the NASCAR Collectibles ESP Racing Chevy, while Bill Batsche of Central Islip had a solid night with a third place in the Island Moving Supplies Chevy.

    Out to avenge an opening night DNF, Jack Orlando of Riverhead did just that in the 20 lap Charger feature event when he led wire to wire to claim the win. With brother-in-law Dave Brigati loaning Jack his engine for the night, Orlando wasted little time in taking control of the race. Chris Busick chased Jack for the first seven circuits of the race before he began to suffer some mechanical woes just after Richie Carman passed Chris on a double file restart on lap 8. Once to second Carman, a former champion in the class, had to be content with the position as there was no stopping the Orlando effort on this night. At the finish it was the Glamour Transportation Olds of Jack Orlando scoring the win.  Richie Carman of Port Jefferson placed third in the U-Rent All of Rocky Point Chevy. Eric Lutz of Miller Place in the Smith-McCord Constructors entry drove to a solid third place tally.

    Defending Blunderbust champion Chris Chirico of Huntington executed a daring but pivotal three wide move to score the win in the 20 lap main event. "Wild Child" Tommy Walkowiak took the point at the drop of the green flag with Chris Chirico in tow at the drop of the green. For the first 11 laps they ran one-two but just past the halfway mark in the race, lapped traffic was waiting in this non-stop event. Racing into turn three Chirico saw enough room between Walkowiak and a lapped car and was able to slip his Eddy's Trailer Sales Chevy through for the lead and the eventual win. Tommy Walkowiak of Maspeth chased Chirico hoping to have lapped traffic work in his favor, but the Hampton Fleet Service driver wound up second. In a career best finish, Scott Maliszewski of Deer Park was third in the AA Yore Lime entry.

    Larry Costa of College Point scored the win in the 20 lap Super Pro Truck feature event. After Hank Hallock set the tone for the first lap of the race Larry Costa used an outside pass in turn 3 & 4 to move to the front. Costa then built himself a large cushion as several drivers ran and tested each other for second before Danny Grennan took the spot on lap 11. However by that time Larry was long gone and with the race going non-stop, all Danny could do was shrink the lead. At the finish the New York Metro Peterbilt Dodge of Larry Costa took the win, while Danny Grennan of Glen Cove was runner-up in the PCHS Race Engines entry. Rich Giordano of Lindenhurst in the Gliptone Car Wax Dodge raced to a third place tally.

Sources:  Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted:  May 7, 2002