How do you satisfy a race fan's appetite after a long
off-season on Long Island? Well if you're Riverhead Raceway
owners and promoters Barbara and Jim Cromarty, you greet 2008
with an action packed doubleheader opening weekend Saturday
evening May 3rd and Sunday afternoon May 4th.
The chase for the 2008 championships will begin for the
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers Saturday evening May
3rd, when six divisions will usher in the new season of racing.
The NASCAR Modifieds will race 35 laps in their first contest of
'08, while the Late Models will battle for 25 circuits. The
Figure Eights, Chargers, Blunderbusts and Super Pro Trucks will
all run 20-lap main events during the opening night festivities.
Bill Park of Manorville, on the eve of his 61st birthday,
will start his NASCAR Modified title defense, while another
tested tough veteran, "Dynamite" Dan Turbush of Riverhead, will
be back to try and earn his second straight Late Model crown.
Roger Maynor of Bay Shore, the all-time leading winner of
feature events at Riverhead, will be back in the Figure Eights
ranks seeking another title, with John Ellwood of Riverhead, the
2007 Charger champion, expected to battle for another
championship. Tommy "The Wildchild" Walkowiak of Ridge will be
going for a three-peat in Blunderbust action in 2008, with Danny
Grennan of Glen Cove the 2007 Super Pro Truck champion.
Once all the racing Saturday evening has been completed,
Riverhead Raceway will be right back at it Sunday afternoon May
4th with the first Enduro program of 2008 starting at 12:30 pm.
Bobby Pease of Medford will be back to start his Grand Enduro
championship defense, while Ed Brown Jr. of Mastic tries for two
in a row in the 8-Cylinder Enduro ranks.
Shawn Wanat of Riverhead accomplished a rare fete in 2007 at
Riverhead Raceway when he won both the 6-Cylinder and 4-Cylinder
Enduro championships, and he's expected in both those races May
4th, while Russ Jansen of Medford will be back as the defending
4/6-Cylinder Truck Enduro champion.
Sunday afternoon May 4th will also see a welcome home party
of sorts as the Legend Race Cars will return after many seasons
away from the quarter mile oval and a full field of cars, not
just from Long Island, but New Jersey as well are expected.
A Car Rollover Contest and One-On-One Spectator Drags, two
extremely popular events, will round out a busy Sunday afternoon
of racing.
Saturday May 3rd will find the pit gates opening two hours
earlier than normal at 10:00 am to assign 2008 parking and for
Safety Tech Inspection. After opening day, the pits will
open at 12:00 noon weekly. General admissions gates will open at
3:00 pm every Saturday in 2008. Heat races are at 4:30 pm with
the first feature set for approximately 5:30 pm.
Sunday May 4th the pits will open at 10:00 am with spectator
gates opening at 12:00 noon.
For further information please call us at 631-842-RACE or
visit our website at
www.riverheadraceway.com.
Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead
Raceway PR
Posted:
April 14, 2008
