08/09/2003

ED BRUNNHOELZL JR TAKES RIVERHEAD RACEWAY MODIFIED GOLD

    Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. of Levittown drove to his first NASCAR Modified victory of the season this past Saturday night when he won the Bob's Stores night feature event at Riverhead Raceway. The 35-lap conquest on Glidden Paint night was worth $1,450 to the second generation driver.
    Kevin Goodale set the pace of the race for the first three laps with Eddie Brunnhoelzl III and Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. on his heels. On lap 4 Goodale spun in the first and second corner dropping a yellow over the field. On the ensuing restart Eddie Brunnhoelzl III got the jump on his father who was busy fighting off Lenny Fischer's attempt for second to the inside. Ed Jr. ran Lenny low heading to turn one with neither one giving or asking for any quarter. On the fifth lap the duo got right on the back bumper of leader Brunnhoelzl III who spun on lap 6 in the second turn.
    After a quick caution Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. and Lenny Fischer lined up for the restart with Brunnhoelzl getting the nod when the green flag re-appeared. Lenny Fischer came to second with Ken Heagy sitting third. Heagy tested Fischer for second for a spell which allowed Brunnhoelzl to build what would be an insurmountable lead. Fischer would later free himself from Heagy but it was too little, too late.
    At the checker flag it was Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. steering the Jamaica Brake & Clutch entry to victory lane. "It was nice to restart on the front row with my son" Eddie remarked. "Maybe next week is his week, he's getting close". Lenny Fischer of Medford in the Unique Golf Dodge was a solid runner-up, while Ken Heagy of Riverhead was third in the One Fish, Two Fish Seafood Restaurant Chevy. Wayne Anderson of Yaphank and Dan Jivanelli of Hampton Bays completed the top five.
    Glenn Tyler of Hampton Bays collected his first win of 2003 when he won the 25-lap Late Model feature. "Fast " Eddie Stein set the tone for the first dozen laps chased, at first, by Keith Rotzi for six laps. Kevin Metzger replaced Stein in second on lap 7 and spent the following 4 laps in the spot before Glenn Tyler
came along on lap 12, passing both Stein and Metzger. Once to the lead Tyler's night by
no means was a cake walk as Peter Eriksen raced his way to second past Metzger on lap 17 to the inside after a restart. Eriksen then set his radar on leader Tyler drawing close at times, but that would be as good as it got.
    At the finish it was Glenn Tyler, who described his car as "the worst car I've had all year," taking the win in the Mark Sypher Construction Pontiac. Peter Eriksen of Baldwin was second in the Harley-Davidson of Nassau County machine, with "Mighty" Mike Mortimer of Mastic Beach third in the Davis Fuel Oil Pontiac. Mortimer drove a stellar race as he barnstormed his way from the rear of the field after a first lap crash in turn three.
    Kevin Clarke of Rocky Point scored his second win of the year when he won the 20 lap Blunderbust feature. After three weeks of racing a borrowed car Clarke was back in his own East Coast Well Drilling machine and there is truly no place like home. Bryan Sescila led the way for the first four laps of the race before being passed by Scott Maliszewski on the fifth circuit. Maliszewski led the way up until lap 15 when he was overhauled by Doug Watson to the inside on lap 15. Watson's stay in the lead was short lived, just one lap as a matter of fact as Kevin Clarke zipped by to the inside on lap 16. With just four laps to go Kevin Clarke would not be denied in his own car which had a new Chuck Deon power plant under the hood. Dale Arnold of East Rockaway made a late race purge for second in the Onlinevinylgraphics.com racer, while  Doug Watson of Islip Terrace was third in the Over The Hill Racing entry.
    The "Fancy Farmer" Dave Brigati of Baiting Hollow drove to his second Super Pro Truck victory of 2003 in the Auto Tech Diagnostic night main event. This perhaps was the best race of the night as there were no less than ten position changes among the top two spots. Brian Schwarz and Lou Maestri were involved in a see-saw battle for the lead for the first seven laps of the tilt with Lenny Costa throwing his hat into the ring on lap 8. Also moving toward the front were Danny Grennan and Dave Brigati with the latter moving to the lead on lap 18 overtaking Costa for the lead on the inside racing to turn three. Once in the lead Brigati in the Formula 113 Car Wax GMC then wheeled his way to victory lane. Danny Grennan of Glen Cove was runner-up in the Gulfway Marine Chevy, while Lenny Costa of College Point was third in the Rizzo Motors Chevy.
    In the 12-lap Train race Stan Wangenstein of Holtsville and Kevin Clarke of Rocky Point were the class of the field as they won the wild event in the Stan's Towing Train.
    Former Car Rollover champion Jeff Wolfe of Selden was the class of the field in the School Bus Figure Eight Race. The "Greenhornet" took the lead early and never looked back.

Sources:  Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted:  August 12, 2003