07/29/2002

RIVERHEAD 200 NOTES

* The 11th Featherlite Modified Series, NASCAR Touring race of 2002, the Riverhead 200, is scheduled for Saturday, August 3, 2002 at Riverhead Raceway in Riverhead, N.Y. Posted awards are $64,625.

* Bud Pole Qualifying is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. with the fastest 23 cars advancing to the feature. The remaining 5 positions will be determined by provisional starting positions (2 FMS owner provisionals, 2 FMS driver provisionals and one past champion provisional.) The Riverhead 200 will start 28 cars.

* The race is scheduled to begin at approximately 8:30 p.m.

* The Riverhead 200 will be the 38th series race at Riverhead. This NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge track has hosted at least two races each season since the series inception in 1985.

* The Riverhead 200 will be the second of two series races to be held at Riverhead in 2002. Ted Christopher won the Miller Lite 200 in June. Mike Stefanik is the defending champion of the Riverhead 200. Stefanik swept both events in 2001 and has six series victories at the 1/4 mile oval. 

* The series qualifying record at Riverhead is 77.949 mph (11.562 seconds) set by Chuck Steuer on 6/10/00.

* Mike Ewanitsko has 11 series victories at Riverhead (2 in 1987,88,89,90,92,95 97, 2 in 1998 and 00). 

* Other current series drivers with victories at Riverhead are: Tom Baldwin (2: 1986 & 91), John Blewett, III (99) & Rick Fuller (2: 91 & 96). 

* Bob Park won his only series race in 1988 at Riverhead. Other drivers who recorded Featherlite Modified Series victories only at Riverhead are: Dan Jivanelli (2: 1986 & 1987), Don Howe (1994) and Ed Brunnhoelzl (1995). 

* The series record for 200 laps is 57.784 mph, (51 minutes, 55 seconds) set by Richie Evans in 1985.

* The Riverhead 200 will be the fifth of six races to be contested on tracks less than 1/2 mile in length during the 2002 season. There have been 110 series races on short tracks since 1985. 31 different drivers have won short track races.

* To date, 75 different drivers have attempted to qualify for at least one Featherlite Modified Series race in 2002. 

* As of July 28, 39 drivers have filed entries. 

* With 10 races completed and 9 remaining, the Featherlite Modified Series has reached the halfway mark. Former series champion Jerry Marquis has 1493 points and leads the standings by only 29 s over defending champion Mike Stefanik. Rookie Todd Szegedy trails Marquis by only 39 markers. Rick Fuller, who sits in fourth with 1399 points, trails by 94. Dave Berghman, having the best year of his career, is fifth only 119 points behind Marquis.

* Todd Szegedy has a comfortable lead over Eric Beers in the Butler Built Rookie of the Year standings (98 points to 69). Renee Dupuis sits third in the standings with 65 points. Ken Woolley, Jr. and Nevin George are the only drivers to collect two Bud Pole Awards during the 2002 season and are tied for first in the season standings. Ted Christopher has amassed 10 Gatorade Front Runner points, one more than Szegedy. Rick Fuller is third in the Gatorade Front Runner standings with six points.

Sources:  NASCAR PR/Mark Mockovak
Posted:  July 29, 2002