NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR GEARS-UP FOR RIVERHEAD MILLER LITE 200 SATURDAY AUGUST 5TH

    The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will make its one and only stop of the 2006 campaign at Barbara and Jim Cromarty’s Riverhead Raceway on Saturday night August 5th for the $74,993 Miller Lite 200. A star studded 28-car starting grid will go to post and battle for a $6,000 winners share of the rich purse.
    Donny Lia of Jericho has been dubbed “Mr. August” due to his recent win streak in the August Whelen Modified Tour races at the demanding quarter mile oval and comes to the race as the defending champion. Without question the driver of the Huntington Honda machine is the odds on favorite to sit in victory lane once the race is complete.
    Several drivers on the 2006 WMT will bring a Long Island accent to the 50-mile race, which pays $1,500 per mile. They include Ted Christopher of Plainville, Ct, who now drives for L.I. based car owner Ed Whelan and is a former winner at Riverhead. WMT regulars Kevin Goodale of Riverhead and Jimmy Blewett of Howell, N.J. who drives for Calverton based car owner Ed Partridge are entered along with WMT rookies Joe Hartmann of Calverton and Glenn Tyler of Hampton Bays.
    As of press time for champions of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Todd Szegedy of Greenwich, Ct., Jerry Marquis of Broad Brook, Ct., Wayne Anderson of Yaphank, L.I., Mike Stefanik of Coventry, R.I. and Jamie Tomaino of Howell, N.J. are pre-entered into the Miller Lite 200.
    Among the other entrants as of Thursday morning July 20th include Ed Flemke Jr. of Southington, Ct., Zach Sylvester of Lebanon, Ct., Ken Barry of Griswold, Ct., James Civali of Meriden, Ct. and Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y.
    The Riverhead Raceway contingent of NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series drivers are also gearing-up for the invasion of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and among the pre-entered are defending champion Bill Park of Manorville, J.R. Bertuccio of Centereach, Ken Heagy of Riverhead and Howie Brode of east Islip.
    With just 23 cars advancing from the pre-race time trials the race against the clock to make the 28-car field will be every bit as exciting in its own right. Five provisional starting positions will be made available to WMT regulars based on owner and driver points and for a past champion if needed. Time trials are slated for 5:45 pm according to the entry blank for the Miller Lite 200, with heat races for the Chargers and Blunderbusts preceding the WMT qualifying at 4:30 pm.
    The Chargers and Blunderbusts will then run 30-lap main events right after the WMT time trials prior to the Miller Lite 200. Both those races pay double points towards the 2006 championship.
    To contact the Riverhead Raceway please call 631-842-RACE or visit our website at www.riverheadraceway.com.