08/03/2009
Ryan Preece Clean Sweep
Riverhead 175
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Stop
by Bob Finan
Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct scored a clean sweep of the NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour Riverhead 175 when he captured his second
career win Saturday night at the demanding Riverhead Raceway.
Preece won the Coors Light Pole award and led all 150-laps of
the event on his way to a $4,100 payday wheeling the Mizzy
Construction Chevy.
During the qualifying session Ryan Preece was the second to last
car among 32-entrants to go up against the clock and he clicked
off an impressive lap of 12.001 to beat out Ted Christopher,
12.088 for the pole. Aside from the Coors Light Pole Award, Ryan
pocketed an extra $100 from Brigandi Brothers Automotive of
Nesconset.
At the throw of the green flag it was Preece getting an edge
over Christopher but the race had a very quick caution with one
lap complete with a multi-car tangle in turn one involving
several cars. Once the race resumed Preece again would lead
Christopher, with several Riverhead Raceway regulars all in hot
pursuit of the WMT regulars as Howie Brode, Dave Brigati, John
Fortin and Bill Park were all in the mix at one time or another.
The top two would remain unchanged for the first 82-laps of the
race, this despite several double file restarts that found Howie
Brode trying to sneak under Christopher for second. That
strategy would finally payoff for the former Riverhead Raceway
champion on lap 83 when he snuck under the defending WMT
champion for second. A few circuits later Christopher's night
would go from bad to worse as he suffered a right front flat
which eventually put his machine, hard into the wall under the
starters stand. Ted would be done for the night and drop from
the WMT points lead.
As the race closed in on its final 50-laps Howie Brode was a
driver on a mission trying to find a groove past Preece, as
Brode hoped to become the first Riverhead regular to win a WMT
race since Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. turned the trick in 1995. Howie
would pull up to the rear spoiler of the race leader and on one
occasion on a double file restart Brode gained a run on Ryan in
the first corner, but Preece ran him out of racing room exiting
turn two. Not too long after that another player made his
presence felt as Dave Brigati, the current Riverhead point
leader started to put pressure on Brode for second, which was a
sight Preece did not mind at all.
With just under twenty laps remaining in the race Brigati was
able to work his way by Brode for second and with the laps
clicking off was hoping to make a run for the race victory,
perhaps with the aid of lapped traffic. However Ryan Preece
remained cool, calm and collected and drove to his second career
NASCAR WMT victory, his first coming last year at Martinsville
Speedway.
Upon exiting his car Ryan Preece was greeted by Barbara & Jim
Cromarty who presented him with a Tissot wristwatch and Jim
Schaefer who not only handed Ryan the winners trophy, but $1,400
to make the win worth $4,100. "We never qualified good here in
the past, but today we just clicked off a great lap and to start
up front here is a plus" Preece reflected afterwards. Ryan, who
turns 19 in October and will head off to college, was concerned
about all the double file restarts, "I surely didn't want too
many more of them, but actually with the two Riverhead drivers
behind me I didn't want a last few laps in lapped traffic
either".
Dave Brigati of Calverton was runner-up in the Integra Shocks
Chevy and looked back on his night, "maybe if we didn't have to
use our car up to get into the top three, who knows but this is
still great for us". Brigati and Howie Brode of East Islip who
crossed the line third in the Freightliner Trucks Chevy did not
enter the race until Saturday morning. Brode especially wanted
this one and afterwards said, "Ryan ran me out of room in two on
that one restart, but that's what he's supposed to do and I
enjoyed racing with him".
Another Riverhead Raceway talent Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville
had a great run with a fourth place effort in the Freightliner
Trucks Chevy and was pleased with his run, "we used our stuff up
getting around the 17 and with lapped cars, if that didn't
happen it might be a different story. Glen Reen of Wilbraham, Ma
very well could have turned in the ride of the race coming from
22nd to finish 5th in the Reen Orthodontics racer. Reen had to
run the 25-lap qualifying race to make the show.
Completing the top ten were Eric Beers of Northampton, Pa.,
Jamie Tomaino of Howell, NJ, Todd Szegedy of Bethel, Ct., Chris
Pasteryak of Jewett City, Ct. and Rowan Pennink of Huntington
Valley, Pa.
In the 25-lap qualifying race Ken Heagy of Calverton led wire to
wire to win that event in his Buoy One Seafood Corvette and
would wind-up 21st in the 28-car rundown after losing many laps
in the pits due to front suspension damage.
Among the Riverhead Raceway regulars in the event besides the
three drivers who placed in the top five, Bill Park of
Manorville was 11th after running early on in the top five.
Chuck Steuer of Bohemia broke a brake caliper and spun in turn
one, he wound-up 25th. John Fortin of Holtsville was fast early
in the race in his new machine, but an overheating issue dropped
John to 26th in the final rundown. Frank Vigliarolo Jr. of Mt.
Sinai was a victim of that first lap tangle and was 28th.
Source: Bob Finan / Riverhead
Raceway
Posted: August 3, 2009
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