06/23/2003

HIT SERIES THE SOPRANO'S SHOOT AT RIVERHEAD RACEWAY

    The actors and staff of the ultra successful HBO series were at Riverhead Raceway this past Monday June 23rd to film a scene with the show's mega star James Gandolfini, the subject of the shoot. Riverhead Raceway hosts NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series stock car racing every Saturday night from April until September.
    The shows producers told Barbara and Jim Cromarty owners and promoters of the quarter mile facility that the basis of the scene will involve Tony Soprano visiting a race track his father owned which is being sold. Soprano brings one of his girlfriends to the track for one last visit before the track closes. The racetrack will have a fictitious name when the show airs during the 2004 season, which starts in March.
    Because of the nature of the scene HBO producers will hang a sign on the back of the Riverhead Dodge message center and scoreboard that reads "Sold, Last race Saturday Night" That sign actually went up Friday but had to be taken down because many racers and fans saw the sign and flooded the track office with frantic calls. The sign will go back up for the shoot, but Barbara and Jim want everyone to know the track has not been sold nor is it for sale now or in the future! The scene should be wrapped up by Monday afternoon.
    With all the rain that has plagued both Riverhead Raceway as well as tracks up and down the east coast in 2003, there is no truth to the rumor that Barbara and Jim are trying to hire Tony Soprano to "whack" Mother Nature.
    In fact the Cromarty family is very proud that Riverhead Raceway was chosen for the shoot among six race facilities the production staff of the Soprano's had looked at.

    For further information please call the Riverhead Raceway office at 631-842-RACE or visit our website at www.riverheadraceway.com.

Sources:  Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted:  June 23, 2003