08/23/2009
Bill Park Notches 30th
Career
Riverhead Raceway Victory
by Bob Finan
Four time and defending Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modified
champion Bill Park of Manorville recorded a milestone victory
Saturday night at the historic quarter mile oval when he earned
his 30th career victory. The Donaldsons VW-Subaru night win in a
35-lap main event was worth $1,415 to Park, who won his first
race on July 2nd, 1982 at Riverhead.
The first ten laps of the race saw three drivers fight it out
early on as Eddie Brunnhoelzl III, Eric Goodale and Chris Young
went at it and with several early race cautions the double file
restarts proved to be interesting. Brunnhoelzl led Goodale for
the first lap before Young snuck by Eric on a lap 2 restart, but
just one lap later Goodale would reclaim the position in the
same manner. Finally on lap 5, again on a restart Young took
second from Goodale and set sail for leader Brunnhoelzl and
their tussle for the lead would also involve a double file
restart. It was lap 11 when the two touched down the front
stretch and again going into turn one that saw the tandem draw
their own caution flag.
Bill Park who was running third now found himself the race
leader with Dave Brigati second and John Fortin, who roared from
the back of the pack after an early spin, sitting third. The top
three cars broke away when the race finally hit a green flag run
and Brigati glued himself to Park's rear spoiler. If not for the
fact Fortin was hot on Brigati's heels, Dave might have been a
touch more aggressive about a pass for the lead, but he knew
Fortin would fill the hole he would leave open. Park was not at
all fazed by the heavy pressure from Brigati and Fortin and held
his line all the way to the checker flag.
"This track is all about patience," Park noted after exiting his
Smithtown Nissan Chevy. "I just sat back waiting for something
to happen and it did. I have to thank Dave Wheeler, he threw the
set-up in the car tonight and it was spot on". The win now ties
Bill with Mike Ewanitsko for 7th on the all-time Riverhead
raceway win list.
With his runner-up finish Dave Brigati in the Integra Shocks
Chevy moved to within four points of Chuck Steuer of Bohemia for
the championship, while John Fortin of Holtsville with his third
place tally in the SGS Stone Works Chevy is just two back of
Brigati and six behind Steuer. Wayne Anderson of Yaphank and
Timmy Solomito of Islip completed the top five, while Steuer of
Bohemia was 6th.
Just an hour or so after a special ceremony was held for his
100th career Figure Eight win, Roger Maynor of Bay Shore started
on the second one hundred with victory in a 20-lap contest. Ken
Hyde Sr. broke to the front early and was chased by Will Farrell
and Tom Kraft early on before Maynor moved to second on lap 8.
After chasing Hyde for four circuits Maynor in the Edward Horton
Builders Ford made his bid for the lead on lap 12, which indeed
would turn out to be the winning pass. Ken Hyde of Medford was
second in the All Out Fire Protection Chevy, while Tom Kraft of
Bellport crossed the line third in the Vecchio Racing '57 Chevy.
Jarrod Hayes of Calverton romped to his second Blunderbust win
of 2009 when he won their 20-lap feature event. "Pistol" Paul
Parisi showed the way for the first two laps before Bill Wegmann
Sr. slipped by on lap three. "The Racing Grandfather" would then
pace the race until lap 7 when Hayes got the measure of Wegmann
on a double file restart. Once out front in the Flanders
Automotive entry Jarrod Hayes never looked back and took the
win. Tim Mulqueen of Levittown in The Demo Man machine had a
career best effort with a second place finish and if he could
have gotten a caution in the final laps might just have had
something for Hayes. Third place went to Bill Wegmann Sr. of N.
Bellmore in the Crackerjack Auto Stores Olds.
The 20-lap Legend Race Car event for the second race in a row
fell to the time limit at 14 laps complete and when it was
checkered 15-year old JD Abrahams of Howell, NJ earned his first
career win. Chris Rogers jumped out front at the throw of the
green and was chased by Bill Hiscock early on, but on lap 3
Hiscock suddenly veered to the infield. That moved Abrahams to
second and over the following nine laps the two young talents
raced hard for the lead. On lap 13 Abrahams made his way by
Rogers when Chris lost the handle off turn two and after the
14th lap was completed, another yellow, one of many, ended the
race on time. At the finish it was JD Abrahams in the DeVmont
Drilling entry the race winner making his trip from the Garden
State well worthwhile. Glenn Maningo of E. Moriches was
runner-up in the Jack Anthony Pools racer, while Paul Dodorico
of Miller Place was third in the RPM Dyno Service machine.
Ray Fitzgerald of Manorville despite starting 18th in a 23-car
Grand Enduro field went on to score the win in a 50-lap tilt.
Michael Wahl set the tone of the race over Jamie Meyer for the
first 5 laps before Walter Stroud made his presence known moving
to second on lap 6 and one lap later taking the lead. Stroud
seemed to be on his way to his first Grand Enduro win until a
late race red flag. On the ensuing restart Stroud, one of the
all-time leading winners of 8-Cylinder races got caught-up in a
skirmish among lapped cars moving James Charrier out front on
lap 35 with Fitzgerald breathing down his neck in second. On the
39th lap Ray steering the Oakfield Leasing Chevy made the
winning pass and led the final 11-laps of the race. James
Charrier of Shirley crossed the line second in the Clear Draft
Beer.com Chevy, while Walter Stroud of Yaphank placed third in
the Gene's 112 Service Center entry.
Tim Mulqueen of Levittown won his first career Riverhead Raceway
Demolition Derby when he topped a 4-Cylinder Demo. The event
boiled down to Mulqueen, Scott McNamee, Michael Wahl and Tony
Anello. After many hard hits Mulqueen and McNamee were the last
two standing and a fire under the hood of McNamee's car finally
did him in. That left Tim Mulqueen, who had won Demolition
Derbies at Freeport Stadium in the past, taking his first
Riverhead win. Scott McNamee of Raleigh, NC was Judge's Choice
in the Tom O'Keefe & Sons entry. Joe DiVillio of Hauppauge
racing for Cub Pack 598 was voted Fan's Choice.
RIVERHEAD RACEWAY AUGUST 22ND, 2009
Donaldsons VW-Subaru NASCAR Modifieds 35-laps: 1. Bill
Park 2. Dave Brigati 3. John Fortin 4. Wayne Anderson 5. Timmy
Solomito 6. Chuck Steuer 7. Chris Young 8. Kevin Orlando 9.
Eddie Brunnhoelzl III 10. Rusty Turbush 11. Amber Fortin 12.
Dennis Scott 13. Tony Anello 14. Eric Goodale 15. Frank Saladino
16. Sal Accardi Jr.
Donaldsons VW-Subaru Figure Eights 20-laps: 1. Roger
Maynor 2. Ken Hyde Sr. 3. Tom Kraft 4. Scott Pedersen 5. Tom
Ferrara 6. Johnny Vullo 7. Will Farrell 8. Arne Pedersen 9. Ken
Hyde Jr. 10. Michael Rommeney 11. Bob Dalke 12. Mike Herbst 13.
Mike Mujsce
Donaldsons VW-Subaru Blunderbusts 20-laps: 1. Jarrod
Hayes 2. Tim Mulqueen 3. Bill Wegmann Sr. 4. Scott Maliszewski
5. Tom Pickerell 6. Tommy Walkowiak 7. Tom Sullivan 8. Ray
Shannon 9. Ed Mistretta 10. Wayne Okula 11. Paul Parisi 12.
Kevin Rommeney 13. Bill Wegmann Jr. 14. Terry Stiles 15. Scott
Sepe 16. Jessica Cohan 17. Bill Portney Sr. 18. Ralph Corsini
19. Bryan Quilliam 20. Russ Skippon
Donaldsons VW-Subaru Legend Race Cars 20-laps: 1. JD
Abrahams 2. Glenn Maningo 3. Paul Dodorico 4. Timmy Solomito 5.
Tony Naglieri 6. Silas Hiscock Sr. 7. Kevin Nowak 8. Chris Young
9. Jay Sendlewski 10. Jim Sylvester 11. Art Marrero 12. Steve
Booker 13. Chris Rogers 14. Dan Pace 15. Frank Dumicich Jr. 16.
Johnny Gloor IV 17. Johnny Brand 18. Jeffrey Goodale 19. Bill
Hiscock DNS- Jim Pape Jr.
Donaldsons VW-Subaru Grand Enduro 50-laps: (top five): 1.
Ray Fitzgerald 2. James Charrier 3. Walter Stroud 4. Donny
Oliver 5. Jimmy Denis
4-Cylinder Demolition Derby: Winner: Tim Mulqueen
Source: Bob Finan /
Riverhead Raceway
Posted: August 23, 2009
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