02/11/2003

DOWN THE BACKSTRETCH
by Peter Milano

It seems we may have broken the cold snap that blew through the Northeast (Actually, depending on when you read this, we just may be back into one, plus snow!), but we're still far away from weekly racing weather. We're on the cusp of Daytona qualifying and the big 500 race. Seems we can feign off watching racing on TV, while we're still months away from feeling and viewing local racing series. All we can do is think of the coming year at Riverhead Raceway, hoping that someone new won't take our territorial seats, well, actually I'm hope you're thinking of competitive racing!

We just came off probably one of the strongest years in car count and closest racing in the Blunderbust division history at Riverhead. As last article I spoke of the coming and goings of drivers and trucks at The Head. The topic that seemed to be at the head of Truck class was that the number of trucks has seemed to dwindle over the years and many trucks are up for sale. Like the Truck division a Blunderbust or two are always up for sale. It also seems that "FOR SALE" has become a sponsor on quite a few of the cars. But for some reason this division keeps moving drivers up and onward to bigger divisions, while drivers keep coming to this division as rookies every year from the Enduros, go-karts, legend cars or among other forms of racing.

With Eugene Malverty in the black #23 taking the title down to the last week of competitive points, he had to battle it out with some of the toughest competitors in #55 Bobby Gardner, #87 Chris Chirico and #88 Anthony Aiello. As the weeks passed we saw the title run get tighter and tighter, what looked like no breathing room for mistakes could have left any one of those drivers out of the picture to capture the championship. Not far behind these guys were #65 Sean Byrne and #34 Bryan Sescila, so a slip up by any of these guys could have easily placed Sean or Bryan in the hunt for the title. Eugene took the title and the win on the same weekend he had his second child as God was smiling down upon him that weekend for sure!

With the upcoming season looming in the near future, what will the run for the title look like this year? That question is going to be hard to answer, because nothing is predictable in racing, as anything can happen on any given Satur…, I mean Saturday or Sunday, as the Blunderbusts will race two weekends on a Sunday afternoon, and it could look like the rough and tough turf we see during the football season, for anything can happen and in this class, it will!!!

As mentioned in last article, I would go into detail of why I see Sunday racing as a double-edged sword. Let me play devil's advocate here for the moment. Not to get the Enduro crowd up in a uproar, but will the Blunderbusts mean anything less as far as being taken "serious" or "legit" division by being almost bare bone and the cheapest weekly division at Riverhead, if placed on Sunday with a field of cars that isn't attracted by most hardcore racing enthusiasts? As we hear around the track, when the Blunderbusts are placed on a card that features the Featherlite Modified Series (FMS), with the other supporting races being the Chargers, many fans that are come out of state downplay the Blunderbust division as being a low class field of drivers and cars. This of course is a very unfair observation, but nonetheless it’s one heard every time that the FMS is run at the track.  This year the Blunderbust division put on the best performance of the evening and made a lot of people change their minds about this class as they saw probably one of the best races they have ever seen at Riverhead. Now will it be memorable as a win taken by Charlie J or Richie Evans back in the day, I highly doubt it, as well as I don't think it would be a story for future cold nights, but it would definitely be a topic for bench racing with the guys for weeks to come.

Would the Blunderbust division lose any drivers by racing on Sunday? I would have to go with a "yes" vote for that question. Why? Simple. The weekend has two days, Saturday and Sunday, and most drivers don't have a wife like Chris Chirico’s that works on the car and supports him 24/7. Do you think Ms. Doe will let the grass grow another week as her husband races around the track? I hope I'm wrong, actually I kind of think I'm wrong for thinking that last statement! I think with lots of time to work things out maybe Mr. Doe can do the lawn on Saturday, he does have a couple of months before they race on Sunday afternoon. As far as this being a con instead of a pro is that there seems to be a implication and a stigma that comes with racing with the big boys on Saturday evening and having something to prove every weekend! This late statement I think would be the biggest "con", for the Blunderbust division, It almost seems as a devalue to the class.

I think the biggest "pro" is not the Blunderbust class, but the entire field of the Enduros.  The Enduro classes get slapped with the label of not being a full-fledged division with the racecar and racecar driver as not the real deal. This thought process is just plain wrong. These guys work hard on their cars, from finding them, to gutting them, to preparing them, to race day. It is not the cleanest of racing and there are a few drivers that just enter to beat and bang, but it almost seems that way in every class, what? Yes, I think you just read what I wrote in clear print! It seems that there are certain drivers that have short fuses and just get back into the field to wipe that same guy out from a prior accident. This happens at every track and when you race one of the smallest tracks in the Northeast, you better believe that tempers will fly quicker at a small bullring than at a larger venue.

It also seems the cream always rises to the top in any division and the same can be said about the Enduro class, as the top racers usually finish up front, unless they got caught up in someone else's mess. With the Blunderbusts racing on two Sundays, it brings in a field that is placed high in car count and high in competition.  Some of the guys that race Enduros might not be able to afford to see competitive racing every weekend, and a lot of drivers race Enduros because of the lack of funds and is the cheapest way to race. In addition, some guys just race it for fun without the headache of weekly racing. I believe the thinking of the offices of The Head is that this will attract drivers to enter some of the other divisions at Riverhead, and I know some of you reading this will think it will deepen the pockets of Riverhead Raceway as well. We've seen many Enduro drivers already get bit by the bug to move up to competitive weekly racing and I believe this may just attract more drivers to the Blunderbusts for next season, which is no doubt a plus for this division and others in years to come.

But for this upcoming season we don't have to look to the future to see great racing, this season could be an even closer battle in points then last year. Who is the odds-on-favorite to win the title in 2003? I can't give you a one-driver answer to that question. Eugene Malverty is going to come back stronger, because he knows that with Gardner looking for the title in 03', he may just be the favorite to win this season. Aiello and Chirico should be back in the battle as well in 2003. These four should be in the quest to take the title this season, with no driver having an advantage over the other. With more than a handful of drivers that could easily step up and begin to fight for the title this season.

Will this be the year the #00 of Tommy Walkowiak, as he begins to mature in his driving skills and will he take the car to victory lane more then once this season? Neal Feola Sr. going to come back and try to get his "large and in charge" 73' Buick into a feature win this season as last year he did come close a few times. We'd all love to see his son come back full time but due to living down in Florida, it isn't possible but he will be back every now and again. Neal Feola Jr. was one of the better drivers on the track and he could have taken the title two seasons ago as when he's behind the wheel, the drivers better watch out, he's moving up front, fast!  We could see improvements of Doug Watson's #3, "Slick Pick" Tom Pickerell's #4 and the #10 of "Slippery' Tom Slee, all three drivers have what it takes to move forward in points.

With one win last season could Jack Handley come back this season with a new car and battle for the title? How could he not, unless the gremlins come out of nowhere and prevent it from happening. Jack is a seasoned veteran and is very well respected at Riverhead. Dale Arnold in the #53 is looking to turn around a disappointing year last season. In 2001, he finished 4th in points but last season he came in 23rd, but this guy is hungry and has been working and thinking of this coming season, could this be his year? What if we got a full season from Ron Langdon and his #90? Two years ago he raced five races, taken the win down three times. Last year Ron raced six times and came away with one win, now if Ron could get together a full season under him, he could easily be in top five in points. Ron is one of the most impressive drivers to watch on the track and races clean on his way to the front. Another driver that could move up in points could be #99 Russell Broy, who took down his first feature win and finished 10th in points, he could move up as well.

Without a doubt the Blunderbust division is ready to go with top competitors coming from the left and right, they are not short handed on talent. It's going to be an interesting season to see who walks away with the title as it’s going to be one long battle all season long. All I can say is whoever will walk away from the battle with a victory will not walk away without any battle scars from this division. God Bless and enjoy the television coverage of NASCAR in the mean time, I'll be down the backstretch watching with enjoyment.

Sources:  Peter Milano/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:  February 11, 2003