05/17/2003

J.R. BERTUCCIO CONTINUES RIVERHEAD RACEWAY HOT STREAK
By Bob Finan

    Marching from a 12th place starting berth J.R. Bertuccio made it three for three on the 2003 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series.  Bertuccio won the 35 lap NASCAR Modified feature Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway and earned $1,460 for the night's work.
    "We had to ride the outside to come through the field, but that's okay I'll take the long way around" J.R. smiled in victory lane. Bertuccio's ride to the front was aided when a 17th lap caution flag waved. Bertuccio was riding third at that time, but was a straight away off the top two cars of Tom Rogers Jr. and Mike Andrews. Rogers moved by Eddie Brunnhoelzl III on lap 2 for the top spot with Andrews following his lead for second. With no stoppages in the first 17 circuits the two former go-kart standouts built a nice cushion until the yellow bunched the field back up.
    On the ensuing restart Bertuccio now utilized the inside lane, first to pass Andrews off the second turn on lap 18 and moments later raced under Rogers for the lead. Once in command J.R. Bertuccio was able to distance himself from the field in the Long Island Truck Parts Chevy.
    Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue scored runner-up honors in the Corvette Parts Headquarters entry, with Frank Vigliarolo Jr. of Mt. Sinai racing his way to third in the Empire Water Dodge. Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. of Levittown and John Fortin of Holtsville both made late race surges for fourth and fifth.
    Roger Oxee of Peconic gave himself an early 51st birthday present when he scored a clean sweep in the 50 lap Late Model feature event for his first triumph of 2003. "RJ" set fast time in time trials with 12.705 and in the redraw picked the pole, while Peter "Buzzy" Eriksen drew the outside pole. At the drop of the green Roger Oxee quickly bolted out front in the Helman Group Pontiac with Glenn Tyler able to race under Eriksen from his third starting spot for second. With Oxee leading the race wire to wire, the race between Tyler and Eriksen was the one to watch as they stayed close to the leader while testing each other.
    Roger Oxee was happy that his rivals would worry more about each other than tracking him down and he earned the victory, which carried a $250 Sunoco Race Fuels bonus. Glenn Tyler of Hampton Bays in the Spring & Summer Activities Pontiac held on for second, while Peter Eriksen of Baldwin took home third in the Rose Fence machine.
    Another driver batting 1,000% in 2003 is defending Figure Eight champion Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue who scored his third win of the year in the Cromarty Cup 25. After following leader Will Farrell for the first lap, Tom Kraft took the lead on lap 2 with Bill Batsche in pursuit. Batsche was able to move by Kraft on the 6th lap, with Tom Rogers Jr. racing his way to second on lap 7. It took Tom and his Ford Swimming Pools Dodge all of one lap to mount a successful challenge on Batsche for the lead on the 8th cycle, with Roger Maynor charging to second on lap 9. For the final 16 laps of the contest Maynor once again stayed close to Rogers, with heavy traffic at the intersection playing havoc with the leaders. In the end however Tom Rogers Jr. sat in victory lane once again, while Roger Maynor of Bay Shore had to settle for second in the Winkiel Roofing Dodge. George Sprague of N. Patchogue had a solid outing for third in the ESP Racing Collectibles Monte Carlo.
    Sophomore talent Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead turned in a wire-to-wire performance to score his first ever Charger feature event win in a caution free race. McDermott, steering the sponsorless ER Racing Pontiac, broke quickly from the front row to take control of the race leading Brad Van Houten into turn one. Van Houten, like McDermott is a second year driver.  He was able to stay within car lengths of the leader for the entire race, but never really zero in for a challenge. Youth would be served in this event, as at the checker it was Jeremy McDermott enjoying the thrill of a first career victory. Brad Van Houten of Jamesport was runner-up in the Golfo Development Chevy, while Chris Beutler of Medford scored a season best third in the NDA Construction racer.
    The "Rocket" George Crockett of Deer Park had his boosters burning fully as he scored the win in the 20 lap Blunderbust feature contest. After Scott Sepe led the first lap, Scott Maliszewski raced his way into the lead on lap 2. On the 3rd circuit Tom Sullivan moved by Sepe for second and went right to work on leader Maliszewski with the tandem dicing until lap 8 for the lead. At that time George Crockett raced by Sullivan for second and glued himself to Maliszewski's rear bumper. The pressure would payoff on lap 14 as Crockett drove under Maliszewski in the third and fourth turn for the lead. Once out front there was no derailing the Ace Auto Wreckers Cadillac of George Crockett as he took the checker flag. "Jumping" Jack Handley of Medford made a late race surge for second in the Jamaica Brake & Clutch Chevy, with Eugene Malverty of Lindenhurst third in the Allstock Auto Parts Buick.
    In a hotly contested Trailer Transport night Super Pro Truck feature Danny Grennan of Glen Cove notched his first win of 2003. The story of the race would be the three truck duel for the lead among John Denniston, Lou Maestri and Danny Grennan. Denniston would lead; with Maestri to his outside and Danny Grennan right behind him swapping second three times in close quarters for the first half of the tilt. Lap 12 found Maestri gaining a nice run on Denniston for the lead to the outside exiting turn two, with Denniston all the while keeping his nose under Lou for the next five laps. In a textbook side-by-side battle Denniston raced back into the lead on lap 18 with Maestri now second and Danny Grennan watching it all from third. On lap 19 Denniston got a right front flat slowing him in turn three and Maestri had to brake, which opened an alley for Danny Grennan who raced his Gulfway Marine Chevy by for the lead and eventual victory. Dave Brigati of Baiting Hollow turned in a runner-up performance in the Formula 113 Car Wax GMC, with Mike Jurkowski of Brentwood third in the LMS Engineering entry. Lou Maestri recovered for fourth.

Sources:  Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted:  May 20, 2003