Sunshine, Racing, More Sunshine, More Racing, Still Sunshine,
and Plenty of Racing

If that doesn’t sum up the day today, I don’t know what else would. It was a beautiful day to be out in the sun and enjoy the program on Riverhead Raceway’s schedule for the day. With barely a cloud in the sky, a gentle North breeze to keep things cool, and hot competition on the track, it turned out to be a very fine experience.

Stating the program off were the one on one spectator drags, with 14 entrants. When all eliminations were over, Brian Bellone took on Rich Drager in the final, with Bellone coming out on top after two laps, for his 2^nd victory in as many tries this season.

Next up was the Super Pro Truck race. Frank Dumicich Sr. Wesemann’s Sand and Mason Supply #5 sat on the pole, with Bobby Jones in the Sponsors Wanted #43 on the outside. At the drop of the green, Dumicich Sr. bolted to the lead, with Dave Xavier’s Cystinosis Research Network 11x coming to 2^nd, while Dave Koenig’s 97 Nelson’s Auto Salvage moved to 3^rd, and Danny Grennan’s Sponsors Wanted #38 moved to 4^th spot. On lap 3, Koenig moved up to 2^nd, bringing Grennan with him past Xavier to take 3^rd. On lap 6, Grennan got by Koenig to move up to 2^nd, and begin his chase of Dumicich Sr. By lap 13, Grennan caught Dumicich Sr. and passed him for the lead. Meanwhile Bobby Gardner, in the Auction Depot #45, was chasing Dumicich Sr., and passed him for 2^nd spot with 3 laps to go, while Dan Turbush, in the DANTONA Industries #8, moved up past Dumicich Sr. to take 3^rd spot. Turbush tried to pass Garner in the few remaining laps, but Gardner held firm, as Grennan went on to score the victory, with Gardner, Turbush, Dumicich Sr. and Koenig rounding out the top 5.

The Grand Enduro cars were next, with #20 Bobby Pease picking the pole, and #02 Shawn Wanat starting to his outside. Pease shot into the lead right at the start, but it quickly became clear that if Pease could avoid any problems, this race would end up being for 2^nd. By lap 5, Pease was already beginning to lap cars, and Wanat put in a great effort in 2^nd spot, which came to an end on lap 14 with a flat tire, which then moved #59 John Cozza into 2^nd, but ½ a lap behind Pease. #9 Walkowiak was now 3^rd, about ¼ lap behind Cozza, but closing ever so slightly each lap. By lap 21, Walkowiak caught Cozza and passed him for 2^nd, but he was still over ½ lap behind Pease, who was setting a blistering pace. By lap 30, Pease caught up to and passed Cozza, but then Pease seemed to back off a bit, as Cozza re-passed him on lap 40. Two laps later, Pease picked up the pace once more, and passed Cozza again, and began pulling away from him. As the final laps ticked off, only Tommy Walkowiak was on the lead lap with Pease, who sailed home in dominant fashion to take the win, which he dedicated to his friend, the late Racin’ Rich Johnson.

In the first 8 cylinder Enduro, Eddie Primavera III took the early lead, but was quickly passed by Dege Russell for the lead, as Walter Stroud moved up to 3^rd spot. It was mayhem in the beginning, with cars 5 wide out of turn 4 at one point. Two cars spun in the back stretch in separate incidents, but couldn’t re-fire, leaving them facing oncoming traffic, and making the race just a bit harder for those still running. Stroud had gotten by Russell at this point, but Russell was hanging with him all the way around, lap after lap. By the 20^th lap, attrition had thinned traffic, and only about 40 cars were still running. The two cars sitting on the back stretch continue to force the remaining racers to use their considerable skills to get by, since only the low groove is passable. Happily, no one hit either of the 2 stranded racers, and by lap 37, Stroud had finally stretched his lead and found all the openings he needed around the track to build on it. Russell dropped out with car trouble by lap 50, and now Anthony Pizzo was reported as the 2^nd place runner, and Stroud was only a ¼ lap behind him, about to add him to all the others he’d lapped so far. With just 12 laps to go, Pizzo is involved in a multi-car crash, dropping him from 2^nd, and the lead lap, and Stroud then coasts home to victory in the 75 lapper.

The 4/6 cylinder truck race came next, with #46 Kevin King on the pole, and #43 Jeffrey Gregor outside. Gregor grabbed the lead at the drop of the green, until #17 Rob McCormick shot past him to take the lead, while King, #02 Shawn Wanat, and #38 Don Nelson Jr. rounded out the top 5. #7 Rich Onorati was quickly slicing his way through the field to move up to 2^nd, but McCormick managed to maintain a 3 to 5 truck length margin over him, as the two trucks seem equal at this point. With only 8 laps left, Onorati catches up to McCormick in turn 4, getting along side, and they even touched hard once, but McCormick was able to pull back up in front of Onorati, who left the race 2 laps later with a flat tire, leaving McCormick to take the hard earned win.

Next out was the 6 cylinder race, with 18 cars. #2 Walt Stroud, jumped to the early lead, but #1 Steve Elicati quickly assumed command on lap 7, while #9 Pete Mikos and #8 Stan Wangenstein watched the action ¼ lap back from 3^rd and 4^th respectively. By lap 10, Elicati stretched his lead out to 15 truck lengths as Stroud hung on in 2^nd, but Elicati clearly had the best car, as he catches then 4^th place car, #11 Patrick Hallock, on lap 19, and has a ½ lap lead over 2^nd place Stroud. By lap 35, Elicati passed 3^rd running Scott Brown, making a shambles of the field while taking down a dominating win in the 40 lapper.

The 4 Cylinder cars were next on the program, with 31 cars for 50 laps. #1 Anthony Russo and #2 Tim Fontana ran side by side at the start, but Fontana shot past Russo on the high side coming out of turn 4, and took the lead, as #8 Robert Endlekofer moved into 2^nd a lap later, while Woot Lawrence ran 4^th. Endlekofer took over the lead as Lawrence and Fontana battled for 2^nd, with Lawrence getting the spot on lap 9. Fontana battled back to take 2^nd once more, but Lawrence gets by once again and holds the spot. Lawrence then takes on Endlekofer for the lead, and takes it. Meanwhile, Kyle Wright, who started 30^th on the field, is passing cars all over and working his way to the front. He gets by Lawrence late in the race, and holds on to take the win, as Lawrence comes home 2^nd, and Endlekofer takes 3^rd.

The last event of the day for the Enduros is the 2^nd 8 cylinder race. Dominic Ranieri took the early lead in his #1 car, as #2 Robert Endlekofer battled for 2^nd with #7 of Tom Lacoste, while #3 Walt Stroud and #6 Tommy Walkowiak watch from 4^th and 5^th. Stroud gets up into 3^rd, but LaCoste and Walkowiak battle back, and soon it is a 3 car race for the 3^rd spot, with LaCoste finally taking it. Endlekofer suddenly fades from the top 5, and LaCoste, now 2^nd, has Walkowiak, who has gotten by from Stroud, to battle with. Stroud fights his way back, and passes Walkowiak for 3^rd again 2 laps later. LaCoste finally catches up to Ranieiri, and as Ranieri goes high around lapped cars, LaCoste takes the lead, with Stroud following him through, as now Ranieri and Walkowiak battle for 3^rd. LaCoste and Stroud are now clear of traffic, and pull away, with Stroud able to close on LaCoste by lap 24, and while Stroud rides his bumper, literally pushing him around the track. On lap 26 Stroud makes his move, and passes LaCoste to take the lead on lap 27, as LaCoste over drives and spins going into turn 1. He recovers to rejoin the field, but by now Ranieri is back in 2^nd, and Walkowiak is 3^rd, and Stroud is running way with the race. Walkowiak finally finds a way around Ranieri on lap 33 to move to 2^nd, but Stroud has checked out and only needs to avoid trouble to take his second win of the day. He streaks around the track, running a perfect line, and wins by over ½ a lap over Walkowiak, who settles for 2^nd, while Ranieri comes home 3^rd.

In the blind taxi cab race, 6 cars stumbled around the track with their navigators telling them, sometimes not so well, when to turn accelerate and brake. The worst mistake of the day belongs to ‘Bumper Boy’ Ed LaSpina, who drove right into the 3^rd and 4^th turn safety zone, hitting the pylon that holds the fire extinguishers, and scattering his frightened co-workers. Stan Wangenstein was doing well leading the race near the end, but suffered a cut tire and being black flagged, giving the victory to (driver) Chris Ramocki and (navigator) Bill Dugan.

News and Notes: As noted earlier, it was a beautiful day for racing from both sides of the fence, and many turned out to enjoy an afternoon of great entertainment…Each winner received a Racin’ Rich Johnson hat along with their trophies, compliments of Cindy Johnson in Rich’s memory…Rick Todd, AKA Captain Video, took a rough tumble coming on the track for an early photo, but wasn’t seriously injured…‘Recorded musical entertainment’, while it is a nice touch, was provided once again between events, but still needs to ratchet down a notch, as the PA system isn’t really set up for loud music…All events were completed by 5PM, allowing everyone to beat the Hampton Day-Trippers traffic home, or on their trip to the Mountain Speedway party being held before tomorrow’s NEETS Holiday Stock Car Series races there…Everyone please enjoy the rest of this great weekend, and don’t forget to keep in your hearts the true meaning of this holiday, memorializing those who’ve given some or all to protect the freedom we enjoy in this world today… Until next time, live well and be safe.