07/25/2009
Dave Sapienza Returns To
Riverhead Victory Lane Saturday
by Bob Finan
Dave Sapienza of Riverhead made his return to NASCAR Modified
racing at Riverhead Raceway worthwhile Saturday night as he won
the 35-lap feature event worth $1,415. Sapienza, who sat out the
latter part of 2007 and all of '08 last visited victory lane at
the quarter mile on May 26th 2007.
Eager to go from his pole starting berth Sapienza quickly
vaulted into the lead with Chuck Steuer in tow along with Bill
Park, Wayne Anderson and John Fortin. An early race tangle saw
Park's night end in turn one with suspension damage and Anderson
later spun leaving Steuer and Fortin to chase the race leader.
Steuer ran second to Sapienza for the first four laps before
Fortin raced his way by on lap 5 to see what he could do with
the leader, while Steuer remained hot on the second place car's
heels.
That running order lasted until the 18th lap when Fortin and
Steuer ran out of real estate resulting in Fortin spinning off
the second turn and moving Steuer back to second. Steuer then
proceeded to stay with Sapienza for a spell but as the race hit
a rhythm Dave was able to pull away and gain some breathing
room, that is until the closing laps when Chuck was able make a
run closing in as the laps clicked off.
At the checker it was one happy Dave Sapienza in the Solar Salon
Tanning entry crossing the line first and afterwards he
reflected, "I can't thank everyone enough for sticking with me,
my girlfriend Debbie, my family, friends and race team. The last
year and a half have been tough being away, but this group with
me never lost faith and I can' thank them enough".
Chuck Steuer of Bohemia was runner-up in the Tennessee Jed's
Barbeque Restaurant Chevy, while Ken Heagy of Calverton made the
run of the night coming from 12th to finish third in the Buoy 1
Seafood Corvette. Heagy won the "Tiger" Tom Baldwin Hard Charger
Award by Fred Bobb worth 5-gallons of Sunoco Race Fuel for his
effort. Dave Brigati of Calverton and Rusty Turbush of
Manorville completed the top five, Brigati leads Steuer by two
points in the title chase, 406 to 404 as the season hits its
final stretch starting August 8th.
Tommy "The Wildchild" Walkowiak of Ridge won his third
Blunderbust feature event of 2009 and 37th of his career in a
20-lap main event that found Tommy having to come from 11th in
the field to turn the trick. The popular "Racing Grandfather"
Bill Wegmann set the pace of the race from the drop of the green
with Bill Portney Sr. chasing him for the first six circuits.
Then on lap seven Bill's stepson Ray Shannon motored by Portney
for second, but his stay in the position lasted only a lap as on
a double file restart "Krazy" Ed Mistretta raced his way to
second. As the field received the halfway signal Mistretta then
worked his way by Bill Wegmann for the race lead, with Walkowiak
slipping by Bill for second at the same time. The two cagey
veterans then went toe-to-toe for the lead and on lap 16 Tommy
was able to wrestle the top spot away from Ed. Once in front the
driver of the Unique Golf Chevy was able to build a slight lead
in the final four laps and at the finish it was Tommy Walkowiak
the race winner who further built his comfortable point lead up
even more. Ed Mistretta of New Hyde Park was second in the Bams
Auto Body racer and now trails Walkowiak by 48-markers, 464 to
416 with a 30-lap double point race this week August 1st. Jarrod
Hayes of Calverton crossed the line third and was in the hunt
over the final half of the race in the Robert's Express Oil
entry.
The 20-lap Legend Race Car main event had plenty of drama, in
fact more than the TV station TNT. Two flips and a wild photo
finish for the win and "The Natural" Timmy Solomito of Islip sat
in victory lane for his first win of 2009. During the first half
of the race both Kevin Nowak of Medford and JD Abrahams of
Howell, N.J. flipped down the backstretch in separate incidents
and both drivers climbed from their battered cars unhurt due to
the INEX safety regulations. Fred Card paced the race for the
first two laps before he was overtaken by Silas Hiscock Jr. for
the lead on lap 3, with Paul Dodorico moving to second when
Silas took the top spot. On lap 7 on a double file restart
defending Legend champion Timmy Solomito raced by Dodorico for
second and the race was on, as he and leader Hiscock would spend
the next 13-laps fighting for the lead. Lap after lap Solomito
would throw a challenge at Hiscock and each time the leader was
able to ward off the threat, that is until they raced off turn
four for the checker flag. Racing off the final corner Hiscock
went too wide, opening the inside lane for Solomito who was more
than willing to drive into the opening and the tandem crossed
the line side by side in nearly a dead heat. By less than a foot
Timmy Solomito was declared the winner in the Albin Avenue Auto
Salvage machine, while Silas Hiscock Jr. of Bridgehampton was
second in the Bridgehampton Tank Cleaning sedan. Paul Dodorico
of Miller Place had the best seat in the house for the exciting
conclusion as he placed third in the RPM Dyno Service entry.
Five states were represented in the Legend Race Car feature with
Kyle Beattie of Charlotte, N.C. placing fifth in Chris Young's
back-up car after a heat race incident shelved his ABS
Insulation #96. Cody Humphreys of Kansas City, Mo. was 11th,
with Andrea Hans of Ft. Wayne, In. a DNF with a broken rear
suspension and credited with 15th. JD Abrahams of Howell, NJ was
20th after the 15-year olds nasty flip.
Matt Brown of Ronkonkoma continued his winning ways in the
60-lap 4-Cylinder Enduro posting another victory in the Stan's
Towing racer. Both Charles Barbeisch Jr. and Steve Trimboli led
early in the race before Brown came along and took the lead and
would proceed to dominate from that point forward. Defending
champion Bob Haeger of Hampton Bays was runner-up in the Hager
Home Improvement mount, while Dennis Nelson of Coram was third
in the Nelson Brothers Racing machine.
"The Cheesebox" Michael Rommeney of Maspeth topped the Full Size
School Bus Demolition Derby in an event that lasted a half an
hour and provided some great family entertainment. The contest
boiled down to Rommeney and the equally as popular "Slim" Jim
Donaldson of Coram and as much punishment the duo doled out to
the buses from Gershow Recycling, they just couldn't kill them.
With the fans roaring with approval Rommeney's bus made a few
last hits on Donaldson after his bus would not refire.
Marty Johnson of Islandia made a triumphant return to the
One-On-One Spectator Drags in his Jeep Cherokee with victory
over Donnie "Boom Boom" Oliver of Flanders. Johnson's Jeep,
which gets off the line like a NHRA Top Fuel car nearly caught
the wall once or twice in the two lap final but would prevail in
the end.
RIVERHEAD RACEWAY SATURDAY JULY 25TH, 2009
NASCAR Modifieds 35-laps: 1. Dave Sapienza 2. Chuck
Steuer 3. Ken Heagy 4. Dave Brigati 5. Rusty Turbush 6. Eric
Goodale 7. Justin Bonsignore 8. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 9. Wayne
Anderson 10. John Fortin 11. Kevin Orlando 12. Amber Fortin 13.
Timmy Solomito 14. Johnny Bush 15. Shawn Solomito 16. Glenn
Tyler 17. Jerry Solomito 18. Bill Park
Blunderbusts 20-laps: 1. Tommy Walkowiak 2. Ed Mistretta
3. Jarrod Hayes 4. Bill Wegmann 5. Paul Parisi 6. Tom Pickerell
7. Ray Shannon 8. Tom Pickerell 9. Scott Sepe 10. Jason Wegmann
11. Kevin Rommeney 12. Matt Pepitone 13. Randy Johnson 14.
Caesar Cunaccia 15. Bill Portney Sr. 16. Russ Kohler 17. Jessica
Cohan 18. Scott Maliszewski 19. Wayne Okula 20. Tim Mulqueen 21.
Russ Skippon
Legend Race Cars 20-laps: 1. Timmy Solomito 2.Silas
Hiscock Jr. 3. Paul Dodorico 4. John Beatty 5. Kyle Beattie 6.
Tony Naglieri 7. Chris Young 8. Bill Hiscock 9. Glenn Maningo
10. Johnny Gloor IV 11. Cody Humphreys 12. Jim Sylvester 13.
Anthony Cacioppo 14. Jeffrey Goodale 15. Andrea Hans 16. Dan
Pace 17. Chris Rogers 18. Fred Card 19. James Pape Jr. 20. JD
Abrahams 21. Joe Sedotto 22. Kevin Nowak 23. Frank Dumicich Jr.
DNQ- Johnny Brand, Steven Booker & John Visconti
4-Cylinder Enduro 60-laps (top five) 1. Matt Brown 2. Bob
Haeger 3. Dennis Nelson 4. Dave Walters 5. Steve Trimboli
Full Size School Bus Demolition Derby: Winner- Michael
Rommeney
One-On-One Spectator Drags: Winner- Marty Johnson
Source: Bob Finan /
Riverhead Raceway
Posted: July 26, 2009
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