01/28/2007

Riverhead Holds Annual Drivers Meetings
by Walter Johnston

      Riverhead Raceway Officials today held their annual informational meeting at the Polish Hall in Riverhead. The meeting were broken into four separate segments, to better deal with particular divisions more directly. The first two meeting were held in the morning for the Blunderbust and Super Pro Truck drivers/owners, and the meeting for the Charger drivers/owners followed before a break for lunch. In the afternoon, the Late Model & Figure-8 drivers/owners meeting kicked things off, and the proceedings closed out with a meeting with all interested Modified drivers/owners. Each meeting started with a tribute and a moment of silence to remember the late Wayne Schortemeyer, who passed away suddenly last November. Wayne will be missed by many, and no replacement has yet been named.

      In general news, the track has had the apron around turns 3 & 4 rebuilt to incorporate a new go-kart track, with the entire infield area there paved. In turns 1 & 2, the area has been excavated to remove the rocky, sandy mix and will be filled in with a special clay mixture, providing a better ‘landing area’ for the Rollover contests, while also reducing the amount of loose rocks that end up on the track when regular racecars take a ‘shortcut’ through that area.

      In the Blunderbust division, it was announced that with the large number of rookies expected this season, their starting positions will be based on experience. That means those who ran a few races previously will start at the back of the field, but ahead of those with no prior experience. There were no major changes announced for the Super Pro Truck division.

      In the Chargers, it has been decided that the controversy over altered cross members will be dealt with from a list of those cars that have already cut them, all of whom are ‘grandfathered’, with no one allowed to do any unapproved cutting to cars not on that list. All drivers were also reminded to look into obtaining a HANS device, which is not yet mandatory, but will be in the near future. 

      The Late Model/Figure-8 meeting held little in the way of changes, but it was brought up that the Figure-8 drivers would like to see uniform bumper heights enforced for the safety of all involved, checking to see that all bumpers fit the current rule of 14 inches from the ground. Track officials also said they would look into a modification of the rule to investigate whether ‘hoops’ were needed to compensate for the front end drop experienced during hard braking that causes the cars to nose under a car in front of them if it stops faster.

     The Modified meeting had little in the way of rules discussion, since NASCAR has yet to officially release any changes for 2007, but drivers were reminded that a 2005 or newer Snell rated helmet is required, and rookies who are moving into the division were also reminded to bring their helmets, driver suits, and HANS devices for approval at inspection. It was also announced that this is the last year a 5 point harness will be used, as in 2008, a safer, 6 point harness will be required. Also starting next year, roll cage padding will be changed to a heavier type, which drivers are free to switch to this year for safety purposes.

    Lastly, Enduro participants and demolition derby drivers will be getting a point system for 2007. The winner in each Enduro will be awarded 100 pts., with 2^nd getting 95, 3^rd 90, etc, down to 55 points for 10^th spot. All drivers STARTING the race will receive 50 points. In the demo derby, the top 3 will receive points, and totals will be kept for both divisions throughout the season. The actual demo derby breakdown will be officially announced later. The track also will NO LONGER provide cars for the demo, as entrants will have to have their own.

   News and Notes: One last piece of good new is that the tracks scales have been sent out to be refurbished and calibrated. Many in attendance were very happy to hear that...It was nice to see so many of the competitors after their being off too long…attendance was good, though not everyone eligible attended…Bob Finan announced that track officials are discussing a restructuring of the purses, and that news is anxiously awaited, but it has not been officially formulated yet. They are trying to do the best they can to work within the budget, so everyone please be patient…All track officials from 2006 will be returning to their duties in the 2007 season. All official rule changes are listed under their respective divisions as www.riverheadraceway.com for anyone who needs to refresh their memory….That’s all from us for now, but stay with us as we grow and improve to bring you the best racing coverage you can find anywhere on the Internet. Everyone be safe and healthy for the rest of the Winter, and we’ll see you all in the Spring at Riverhead Raceway.

Source: Walter Johnston/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:  January 28, 2007