The Championships of Modifieds, Late Models,
Chargers and Blunderbusts were all settled in racing last night at Riverhead
Raceway, as Bill Park (Mod), Dan Turbush (LM), Jon Ellwood (Chargers), and
Tommy Walkowiak (Blunderbusts) all wrapped up the 2007 point chases in their
respective divisions. Turbush did his with a convincing win in his feature,
while Park, Ellwood, and Walkowiak each scored top 5 placements in their
features to clinch their respective titles. The Figure-8 title will be
decided next week, along with the Super Pro Trucks.
The first feature was the Blunderbusts, with Tom
Sullivan’s Lakewood Used Auto Parts #7 on the pole, and Gary Caldwell’s
Accent Mortgage Consultants #21 on the outside, leading the 25 car starting
field. Caldwell jumped out front at the green, but spun in turn 1, bringing
out the yellow, and putting him out of the race after he was hit numerous
times during the incident. On the restart, Sullivan faltered and Bill Wegmann’s Crackerjack Auto Supply #79 took the lead, with Chris Busick’s
LaFilms #61 coming to 2nd, while Artie Pedersen’s Sherwin-Williams #1 and
Scott Maliszewski’s Blaze Fuel Oil #22 followed. Busick wasted no time
passing Wegmann for the lead, and taking off, leaving the field behind to
battle for 2nd amongst themselves. Pedersen got up to 2nd briefly, as
Walkowiak took 3rd, but Walkowiak quickly passed Pedersen for 2nd, while
behind them, Ed Mistretta’s BAM’s Auto Body #32, Paul Parisi’s James Becht
Builders #69, and Wegmann battled for 4th, with Mistretta finally getting
the spot. Busick by now had a 10 car length lead over Walkowiak, as Pedersen
ran 5 car lengths behind him, and Mistretta was 3 cars back. Pedersen
dropped from contention with a flat on lap 12, just before his brother,
Scott Pedersen, in the Generation Renovation #27, came to a halt against the
wall in turn 4, also with a flat, bringing out the caution flag, and closing
up the field. On the restart, Busick took off once more, stretching his lead
over Walkowiak bit by bit each lap. Without further incident, Busick went on
to victory, with Walkowiak finishing 2nd and wrapping up the Blunderbust
2007 Champions title.
Next out were the Chargers, with the 17 car field led
by Mike Schwarz’s B. Sexton Site Development #14 and Jim Donaldson’s Mike’s
Place Too #48 on the outside. Donaldson took the lead at the green, but Alan
Reeves’ Sandy Shore Builders #51 seemed to suffer from a stuck throttle, as
he careened down the front stretch wall, stopping in turn 1, bringing out an
immediate caution. Reeves was okay, but the car was done for the night. On
the restart, Donaldson pulled out in front of Schwarz off turn 2, as Eric
Lutz’s Marjam Supply #36 came up to 3rd, with Chris McGuire’s Gershow
Recycling #89x 4th, and Jon Ellwood’s Lolly’s Hut #17 x 5th. On lap 3, Tom
St. Clair’s B. Sexton Site Development #15 and Daryn Miller’s Tarr Home
Improvements + #30 came together in turn 4, and yellow flew again. On the
restart, Donaldson took the lead, as Lutz got under Schwarz to take 2nd, and
Ellwood moved to 3rd, while Chris Turbush’s Ideal Cesspool #81 came to 4th.
Lutz got alongside Donaldson to battle for the lead, but Schwarz spun in
turn 4, and was hit by Robert Durand’s Eatern L.I> Automotive #07, bringing
out the caution once more. On the restart, Donaldson held the point, with
Lutz getting alongside him, but yellow flew yet again as Frank Scimeca Jr’s
P & M Door #88 spun in turn 1. On the next restart, Lutz got his nose past
Donaldson in turn 1, taking the lead solidly by turn 3, as Turbush passed
Ellwood for 3rd. A lap later, Turbush got by Donaldson for 2nd, with Ellwood
retaking 3rd spot, as Donaldson slipped to 4th. Lutz held a 3 car length
lead by now over Turbush, as Ellwood, McGuire and Kevin Orlando’s Neat &
Complete Drywall rounded out the top 5. As the laps wound down, McGurie
slipped under Ellwood to take 3rd, as Orlando followed for 4th, and Ellwood
dropped to 5th. Lutz held his lead up front as Turbush tried valiantly to
catch him, but Lutz held on for the win, as Ellwood, finishing 5th, clinched
the 2007 Charger Championship. For Lutz, it was his 4th victory of the
season and it fell on his 6th wedding anniversary, so he had much to
celebrate.
Next were the Late Models, with Kevin Metzger’s Metzger
Racing #23 on the pole, and Doug Wholey’s Ideal Cesspool #98 to the outside.
Metzger grabbed the early lead, as Roger Oxee's WPW Grower’s 1x came to 2nd,
but Jarrod Hayes’ Big Brothers Big Sisters of LI #08 quickly passed Oxee for
2nd a lap later, as Dan Turbush now battled Oxee for 3rd. Turbush took the
spot, and quickly got by Hayes for 2nd a lap after that. Hayes bobbled
momentarily, and Oxee seized the chance to take 3rd spot back, as Wholey,
who’d slipped to 5th from his 2nd starting spot, got 4th. Turbush was now
pressuring Metzger for the lead, and easily took the spot from Metzger, who
then had Oxee on his bumper, as Turbush motored away. Behind Oxee, Wholey
and Ken Matlach contended for 4th. Turbush built a comfortable lead, as Oxee
looked for, but could not find, a way around Metzger. Suddenly, on the last
lap, Wholey and Matlach came together in turn 1 & 2, spinning off the
pavement, giving 4th and 5th spots to Greg Kleila and Scott Kulesa, as
Wholey and Matlach recovered to rejoin the race. Turbush, meanwhile, sailed
on to victory and the Late Model 2007 Championship, as well as the victory
in the race.
Spectator drags came out next, 17 cars and trucks
strong, but it came down to multi-time winner Don Carasiti against Mike
Sarzay, with Carasiti taking the trophy home after leading the two lap
contest beginning to end.
The PDI Most Popular Driver awards were announced and
presented next, with the following winners: Jessica Larsen - Blunderbusts,
Chris Turbush - Chargers, Dan Turbush- Late Models, Tom Kraft- Figure-8’s,
Dan Grennan - Super Pro Trucks and Justin Bonsignore- Modifieds. Long Island
Jam congratulates all the recipients on their awards.
Now came the 50 lap Modified feature. Qualifying took
place through time trials, with Dave Brigati setting fast time, but the top
6 redrew for position, and Chris Young’s Riverhead Building Supply #49 sat
on the pole, with Brigati’s WPW Growers #3 on the outside. Young pulled out
front off turn 2 at the green, as Brigati followed in 2nd and John Fortin’s
J. Murphy Cesspool #84 came to 3rd , with Chuck Steuer’s Savin Copiers #11
in 4th. On lap 2, Don Howe’s Gershow Recycling #02 spun, bringing out the
caution. On the restart, Young raced out front, but a multi-car tangle off
turn 4 collected Justin Bonsignore’s Double Diamond Realty #23, Sal
Accardi’s Checkers Burgers & Fries #93, and Jr Bertuccio’s Gershow Recycling
#2, and yellow was out again. Only Accardi was unable to continue, and Young
jumped to the point once more, as Fortin took over 2nd, with Steuer getting
by 3rd place Brigati a lap later. Young continued to hold the lead as the
field ran mostly single file, but Tom Rogers’ Rooms Unlimited #6 challenged
Bill Park’s Smithtown Nissan for 6th spot, with Rogers getting by on the
outside of Park on lap 20. Young continued to hold the lead at the halfway
mark, as Fortin is only able to pace him and not mount a challenge at this
point. Brigati meanwhile was pressuring Steuer for 3rd, but couldn’t get by,
as Rogers was closing on Jivanelli for 5th spot. Rogers caught Jivanelli by
lap 38, and passed him for 5th on lap 40, with JR Bertuccio following
through with Rogers, dropping Jivanelli to 7th. Bertuccio passed Rogers for
5th 2 laps later, and set off after Brigati in 4th, but Chris Beutler’s ADM
Productions #21 spun on lap 43, bringing out the caution and closing up the
field. On the restart, Young held his lead, with Fortin right on his bumper,
with Steuer and Brigati right there. On lap 45, as Bertuccio got by Brigati,
Brigati suffered a flat, and yellow came out as Brigati limped to the pits.
On the restart, Young held the point once more, with Fortin in tow, as
Steuer spun in the backstretch after a bump from Bertuccio, but Steuer
recovered, no yellow flew, and the race continued. On the last lap,
Bertuccio got under Fortin going into turn 3, with the duo sliding up the
track and spinning, as Rogers went under to take 2nd, and Bertuccio
recovered from the spin to race across the infield to cross the finish line
3rd, as Young took the victory, the 30th of his career at Riverhead, and
Bill Park, who survived the mayhem at the end to finish 5th, won the 2007
Modified Championship, the 3rd of his career.
Last on the night were the Figure-8’s, putting 13
cars out for their feature. With Kenny Hyde’s Maples Bar #58 on the pole,
and Slim Jim Donaldson’s Slim’s Body Piercing #47 on the outside. Hyde
grabbed the early lead, but was involved in a 5 car pile-up after he spun on
lap 2, bringing out the 1st caution. Hyde went to the pits on 2 wreckers for
repairs, but was able to return after fixing 2 flats, and Donaldson took the
lead on the restart, with Carl Baxter now running 2nd, as Will Farrell’s #16
Four Seasons Sunrooms #16 held 3rd, and Roger Maynor’s Barrasso & Sons Mason
Supply #28 ran 4th. Maynor passed Farrell for 3rd 1 lap later, as Tom
Ferrara’s Demartino Enterprises #0x ran 5th. Donaldson and Baxter were
running a strong race together, but Hyde suddenly spun at the X, and yellow
flew once more. On the restart, Donaldson held his lead, but Maynor came
quickly to 2nd as Baxter dropped to 3rd, but caution was thrown when Arne
Pedersen’s Maple’s Bar #85 stopped in turn 4. On the next restart, Donaldson
held his lead over Maynor, but not for long, as Maynor passed him 1 lap
later to take the top spot and Baxter followed him by into 2nd once more.
Maynor set up a good pace in front, but yellow fever began to strike once
more, as Mujsce suffered a cut tire and spun. With the officials calling for
a single file restart, Maynor took off once more as Baxter and Tom Kraft’s
Four Season’s Sunrooms #8 followed, but yellow flew again on lap 15 as Will
Farrell drilled Mujsce going into turn 1, with yellow out again. The track
officials put Farrell down for rough riding at this point, as Mujsce pitted
to change yeat another flat. On the restart, Maynor took off once more, and
the remaining cares managed to avoid each other for the final 5 laps as
Maynor went on to take the victory, and his 87th Riverhead win. Next weeks
World Championship Figure-8 race will decide the seasons champion, with only
Maynor and Mujsce having a mathematical chance at it.
News and Notes: Late season antics and outright bad behavior marred
victory and championship celebrations in the pits after the races, with one
drivers wife, an innocent bystander to a big brawl, removed by ambulance and
taken to the hospital. More updates on the condition of this woman may be
found on the message board…Let’s all remember one of the most important
rules in existence at Riverhead: you are NOT allowed in another’s pit area
unless invited. Observation of this rule would have prevented an number of
ugly disputes that have occurred this season. Like making a stop at a red
light at 3 AM on a lonely road, self enforcement of this is the best thing.
The officials can’t be everywhere at once, so please act maturely and
observe the rule….We would once again like to congratulate all the 2007
Champions on their fine seasons…other than that, it’s time to get this off
to my boss, Tracy Chirico, and thank her for doing such a good job filling
in last week as I covered the WMT race at Martinsville…until next time. Live
well, be safe, and respect others.
Source: Walter
Johnston/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:
September 9, 2007
