04/17/2004

NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES:  WEEK TWO
by Walter Johnston

We were greeted by an even better day for the second open practice at Riverhead. If only we could be guaranteed this weather each scheduled race day all season long!

Many drivers took advantage of the opportunity to test their cars on this second day of open practice, some out for the first time, others giving it a second try, fine tuning their cars from what they learned last week. At least this week, you could identify more cars, as there were a few more that actually had their numbers affixed, and some that still are "phantoms". I'm sure all will be finished by opening night next Saturday.

It was a pretty good day overall, with only a few mishaps, the worst of which was the Tom D'Atre #40 Mod hitting the first/second turn wall hard enough to destroy the right front, in what was a single car accident. Also not having a good day, RJ Oxee, who had fuel pick-up probelms, and never really got them worked out, despite great effort on the part of his team. At least for these teams, it's only practice.

Some good times turned by the Mods, as reported by Bob Finan and Jeff Bressler, recorded by hand held stop-watches, so not official. Mike Andrews turned in a best time of 12.03, followed by Chris Young, with a 12.07. Chuck Steuer, in one of his two cars, put up a 12.25. THere were quite a few in the 12.3 range, and all in all, it looks to be a really competitive season coming up for the Mod Squad. If today's numbers mean anything, there will be a very full field of Mods on hand each week, vying for good starting positions. We also saw some very impressive runs by some rookies today, notable the 93 of Sal Accardi Jr., whose car was dialed in by Frank Vigliarolo, and when Sal took the wheel, he looked like he'd beeen driving a Mod for a while already. He definitely will be one of the top contenders for the Rookie of the Year honors. Also looking good today was Doug Wholey in his 96 Mod. Looks like Doug will get the hang of the more powerful modified in a hurry.

There was a nice turnout today in the Late Models, with 18 on hand, and other than the trouble experienced by RJ, nothing of any major proportions took place, and a good practice was had by all. These cars are mostly all numbered and ready to go, and there are some really nice paint jobs throughout the field. It was good to see that the ranks of the Late Models will grow this year, as some drivers have moved to this division, and others are planning on running full time after running part-time schedules last season. Among the "new guys" is Matty Higgins in the 05 LM. Matty was a prt-timer last year in the Mods, deciding to move to LM's and give them a try this year. Dave Brigati states that he will try to concentrate his efforts on the LM's this year, with the decision on whether to run any of the other classes he owns vehicles for still to be made.

A nice showing of the Chargers this week, too. Some did not come back from last week, being satisfied with what they learned about their cars and opting to leave them home, ready to run opening night. Others did some fine tuning to what they learned last week, and some cars were there for the very first time today. The 38 Charger of Danny Grennan was there, as was the 73 of Brian Doyle, and the 13 of Garrett Frabizio. Some of the Charger drivers did a little bumping and rubbing in practice, but hey, maybe a little practice doing that will help keep the yellow flag rolled up this year.

The Fig-8 drivers were the smallest group out today, but there was still some news to report here. Roger Maynor has built himself a Ford Taurus for this season, and was testing the car today for the first time. Kenny and Dorothea Hyde were out, both looking good going through the X, as was Slim Jim Donaldson is his newly painted car. Though only 8 or 9 Fig-8 cars were there, they entertained as always practicing through the X. Let's hope this is a good year for these drivers.

The tailgate guys showed in decent numbers today, with 11 Super-Pro Trucks on hand, and more to come, as not all have been to the practice sessions this week or last. There are a few rookies running trucks this year, and they already run well with the veterans, at least in practice. We'll see next week when the real racing starts. 

The Blunderbust gang numbered over 21 today, and they are still looking to be the most evenly contested division, with so many potential drivers poised to win each week. It will all depend on starting position and luck, just like always, but these cars provide some of the best side by side racing we see each week, and this year shows promise that it will continue to be that way. There are a few rookies here, too, but this division seems to absorb them quite well, and they will be an added factor to a season long battle for the championship.

After the regular Saturday night divisions finished their practice,over 35 enduro cars and trucks took to the track for their practice. NO, not all at once, but in groups that fit the class they will be running in. It certainly is nice of Riverhead to give them time to fine tune these cars, which though they may not look like sophisticated race cars, are dependant on being set up properly to run a good and safe race. 

And so another pre-season practice session comes to a close, and we all look forward to next weeks season opener, and the first green flag. Good luck to all and please, have a safe season. 
Lastly, let's watch the speeding in the pits, you might hurt a friend. 

Sources:  Walter Johnston/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:  April 17, 2004