Memorial
Day Weekend Heats Up at Riverhead Raceway
by Walter Johnston
On a very warm
Saturday, Riverhead Raceway ran some hot competition in the Modifieds, Late
Models, Chargers and Blunderbusts, along with a Full-Sized School Bus
Figure-8 race, and a 4 cylinder Demo-Derby. Jarrod Hayes set fast time in
Late Model Time Trials in preparation for that 50 lap contest and the other
divisions ran some really tight heat races to round out qualifying for the
nights events.
The Blunderbusts
started of the night’s features, with Scott Sepe’s Sponsors Wanted #6 on the
pole, and Tom Stock’s Stock and Carr, Esq. #72 to his outside. Sepe jumped
out into the lead, as Paul Parisi’s The Vinyl Answer Signs & Graphics #69 came quickly
to 2nd, with Artie Pedersen Jrs. Sherwin Williams Paints #1
coming up to 3rd. Bill Wegmann’s Sponsors Wanted #79 came to an
unexpected stop on the back stretch a lap later, bringing out the caution.
On the restart, Sepe immediately lost the lead to Parisi, as Pedersen tried
to get past Sepe for 2nd, but Sepe held him off, with Tom
Sullivan’s Lakewood Used Auto Parts #7 getting by under both Sepe and
Pedesen to takeover 2nd, while Crazy Ed Mistretta’s BASM Auto
Body #32 also got by to take 3rd spot. On lap 8, Scott
Maliszewski’s Blaze Fuel Oil #22 spun at the start/finish line, bringing out
another yellow. When the race resumed, Parisi had his hands full trying to
hold off Sullivan, as Sepe and Mistretta followed, but Wayne Okula’s Artisan
Appraisers #67 ducked Sepe to move to 4th, but leader Parisi spun
going into turn 3 after contact, as Okula moved up to 2nd. Okula
then got by new leader Sullivan, as Tommy Walkowiak’s Unique Golf Shop #00
came to 2nd. At lap 15, Okula and Walkowiak were battling side by
side for the lead when slight contact in turn 4 sent Okula into a spin while
a blown radiator spread water all over the track behind Walkowiak down the
front stretch, sending cars spinning all over going into turn 1, with
caution coming out again. On the restart, Sullivan chased Walkowiak, looking
for a way by, but Walkowiak hung on to take his record breaking 24th
win in the Blunderbust division.
The Chargers ran
their 20 lap feature next, with Mike Schwarz’s Bud Sexton Site Development
#14 on the pole, and Daryn Miller’s Tarr Home Improvements + #30 to his
outside. After a false start on the 1st attempt, Schwarz and
Miller ran side by side until lap 2, when they went high into turn 2, and
Eric Lutz’s Marjam Supply #36 grabbed the lead, when a moment later, Schwarz
spun, collecting Tom Anderson’s #23 and Kevin Orlando’s Sponsors Wanted #99,
with all 3 spinning off into the infield. Schwarz recovered, while Anderson
and Orlando were far enough off the track that no caution came out.
Meanwhile Jon Ellwood’s Lolly’s Hut #17x had taken over 2nd, and
was running about 7 car lengths behind Lutz. On lap 9, Shawn Solomito and
Daryn Miller came together entering turns 3 & 4, with Miller crashing hard
into the 4th turn concrete, bringing out yellow and then red, as
Miller was dazed by the very hard impact. Miller was able to walk from his
car to the ambulance, which took him to the hospital for a checkup, but was
later seen assessing the severely damaged car in the pits after the races.
Solomito was DQ’d for his part in the incident. When green came back out,
Lutz took off, with Ellwood and Chris Turbush’s Spano Floors #81 in pursuit,
as the two ran side by side, with Turbush getting by a lap later off turn 4
to take 2nd. This set up a 3 car race to the end, but Turbush
couldn’t find a way by Lutz, as Ellwoood hung on looking to repass Turbush,
which gave Chris McGuire in his Gershow Recycling #89x a chance to make it a
four car battle. Turbush tried every way he knew to catch and pass Lutz, but
Lutz held on as all 4 cars came around almost side by side to take the
checkers, with Lutz getting the hard fought win, as Turbush, Ellwood and
McGuire rounded out the top 4.
Next on the program
was the 50 lap Late Model double point feature. After the top 6 in time
trials redrew for starting positions, Ken Matlach’s NY Peterbilt #34 sat on
the pole, with Greg Kleila’s J&R Steakhouse 72 to his outside. Matlach
pulled out front at the start, with Kleila right behind, as Dan Turbush’s
Ideal Cesspool # 81 ran 3rd, followed by Jarrod Hayes’ Big
Brothers-Big Sisters of LI, Roger Oxee’s Helman Group Ltd #39 and Buzzy
Eriksens’ Harley Davidson of Nassau Co. rounding out the top 6, who settled
into a single file. The top 6 began to slowly pull away from the rest of the
field, but all drove a conservative race at this point, wisely trying to
save their tires for the second half of the event. Scott Kulesa’s Ranco Sand
& Stone #10, pulled away from the second group of 6 to join the top 6
running up front. Turbush was now starting to look for a way by Kleila, who
himself was trying to find a way around Matlach for the lead. As Kleila
finally found a spot coming into turn 2 to pass Matlach, the duo rode high
and slowed, allowing Turbush to get by both and assume the lead in the race,
as Matlach and Kleila fell back to 6th and 7th.
Turbush, leading Hayes by a few car lengths, continued to lead, as Eriksen
did a bump and run to pass Oxee for 3rd. By lap 35, Hayes
started to close in on Turbush, as Oxee was also lloking to get by Eriksen,
but a lap later, Doug Wholey’s Ideal Cesspool #98 spun after contact with
Kevin Metzger‘s Sponsor‘s Wanted #23, bringing out the first caution.
Suddenly, just before the restart, Turbush couldn’t get his car to refire
after a stall, and was pushed to the pits, giving the lead to Hayes, who
took off at the drop of the green, with Eriksen, Oxee, Kulesa and Kleila in
pursuit. Hayes continued to pull away lap after lap, as Eriksen had his
hands full momentarily with Oxee, who was trying to get by on the low side.
Hayes continued to dominate the race, as Eriksen finally got a 3 car spread
between himself and Oxee, and Kleila got by Kulesa to takeover 4th
position. Hayes never looked back though, as he sailed home with his 2nd
victory of the 3 week old season, followed by Eriksen, Oxee, Kleila, and
Kulesa.
The Modifieds ran
next, with Gary McDonald’s Sponsor’s Wanted #26 on the pole, and Dan
Jivanelli’s YES Network #44 to the outside. Jivanelli grabbed the lead
coming out of turn 2, as Chris Young’s Riverhead Building Supply #49 and
Dave Sapienza’s SAP Enterprises #36 got by McDonald to take 2nd
and 3rd, while McDonald battled JR Bertucio’s North Fork
Sanitation #2 for 5th. On lap 3, Young clipped the back stretch
wall, severely damaging his right front, and ending his night. On the
restart, Sapienza and Jivanelli ran side by side, with Sapienza getting the
lead 1 lap later, as Bertuccio tried to advance, but was challenged by Wayne
Anderson’s Eastport Feeds #15. Sapienza now had a comfortable 7 car length
lead, as Jivanelli, Bertuccio and Anderson continued their battle, while Sal
Accardi’s Checker’s Hamburger #93, Bill Park’s Smithtown Nissan #20, and Tom
Roger’s Racing Creations #6 tagged along behind them. On lap 12, Ken Heagy’s
Buoy One Restaurant #38 and Bobby Gardner’s NY Peterbilt #45 tangled going
into turn 1, and yellow was out, closing up the field. Sapienza took off
once more on the restart, and JR Bertuccio made a spectacular move up to 2nd,
with Anderson 3rd, and Accardi now 4th. Sapienza held
a steady 3 car length margin over Bertuccio, who had Anderson one car length
in back of him. On lap 19, John Fortin’s J. Murphy Cesspool Service #84 spun
in turn 2 after contact, bringing caution out one more time. On the restart,
Sapienza held his lead over Bertuccio, and slowly built a 4 car length
buffer for himself, as Bertuccio built a 3 car cushion between himself and
Anderson, while Accardi was doing his best to hold off 5th place
running Howie Brode’s Petro Fuel Oil #96. On Lap 30, Brode bobbled a bit
coming off turn 2, allowing Jivanelli to retake 5th, as Sapienza
demonstrated his mount superiority over the rest by sailing hoem to take his
1st victory of the season and the 22nd of his career
at Riverhead, which he celebrated with a smoky donut exhibition before
settling into Victory Lane to celebrate.
News and Notes: Chris
Young’s father, Lester Young, 93, passed away on Friday. A moment of silence
was observed for him and for all veterans in Honor of Memorial Day before
the National Anthem was played. Details of Lester Young’s arrangements can
be found on the message board…Daryn Miller gave race officials and his team
quite a scare when he suffered one of the hardest Charger crashes in recent
memory during the feature. Though momentarily unconscious, Miller was able
to walk to the ambulance under his own power a few minutes later, and was
checked out after a trip to the hospital. His team will need much help to
ready their badly wrecked car for next week’s Charger Double Point
race…That’s it for this week, we have more races to cover with the Memorial
day Enduro’s and Super Pro Truck race today…until next time, live well and
be safe, and if you know or meet a US Military Veteran, don’t forget to say
thanks to them, they more than deserve it for serving you and the country.
Source: Walter
Johnston/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:
May 27, 2007
