JOHN FORTIN TAKES RIVERHEAD POINT LEAD WITH
MILLER LITE 50 VICTORY
John Fortin of Holtsville took over the Riverhead Raceway
NASCAR Modified points lead Saturday night when he won the
Miller Lite night 50-lap main event worth $1,760, it was John's
fourth win of 2009. With one race remaining this Saturday Fortin
has the slimmest of margins over Chuck Steuer and Dave Brigati
who are tied for second, 552 to 550.
For the second time trial race in a row Chuck Steuer set fast
time with a lap of 12.000 barely edging out Bill Park who
clocked in at 12.004, but once again Steuer drew 6th in the
redraw among the top six from time. Justin Bonsignore drew the
pole with John Fortin alongside and it would be Fortin powering
his way into the early race lead. A couple of early race yellows
forced double file restarts and on a 3rd lap restart Dave
Brigati was able to slide under Bonsignore for second, brining
Bill Park and Chuck Steuer with him. Steuer would later slip by
Park for third.
Ironically enough Fortin who came into the double points race
third in points just six back of point leader Steuer and four
back of Brigati in second would lead Brigati and Steuer for the
remainder of the race, which was exactly what he needed to do in
the championship chase. Brigati would pepper Fortin over the
final half of the race, but as the race hit its final 10 lap
cycle Fortin was able to gain a slight advantage, while Brigati
was able to do the same over Steuer for second.
At the finish it was the SGS Stone Works Chevy of John Fortin
taking his 22nd career Riverhead Raceway win, but more
importantly giving the point lead as he seeks his third track
crown. "It's going to be tight for next week" Fortin looked
ahead. "I have to thank my crew chief Butch Capuano, he throws
set-ups at this car that just click. Also all the wives and
girlfriends of my crew, we field two cars weekly and it's nearly
another full-time job, they sacrifice a lot".
Dave Brigati of Calverton was runner-up in the Integra Shocks
Chevy, while Chuck Steuer of Bohemia was third in the Country
Roads Catering Chevy. Bill Park of Manorville and Mike Andrews
Jr. of Ridge in a Steuer team car completed the top five.
John Ellwood of Calverton notched his first Charger win of 2009
when he topped the Miller Lite night 20. Ellwood starting from
the pole in the Lolly's Hut Pontiac jumped to the early lead
with Erin Dumicich giving chase for the first 9 circuits of the
contest. Daryn Miller with an inside pass took second away from
Dumicich exiting turn 4 on lap 9 and Daryn seeking his first
career win started to close the lead Ellwood had built up.
However a caution flag on lap 16 would aid Miller as he'd now be
on the leader's back bumper, but also hurt him as Chris Turbush
roared from a 13th starting berth to run in third was now on
Daryn's tail. When the green waved again Chris dipped under
Miller for second entering turn three and quickly zeroed in on
John Ellwood. However the sand in the hourglass would run out
and John Ellwood would post his 8th career Charger triumph.
Chris Turbush of Riverhead was runner-up in the Chris Mohr
Landscaping Pontiac and Daryn Miller of Franklin Square crossed
the line third in the Tarr's Home Improvement Chevy.
The 20-lap Blunderbusts feature event once again featured a lot
of late race shuffling of positions before all was said and done
and when the dust settled Scott Maliszewski of Deer Park scored
his second win of '09. Veteran Bill Portney Sr. broke out front
at the drop of the green and would lead the race for the first 7
laps before Paul Parisi and Wayne Okula worked their way by in
tandem. Parisi after being challenged by Okula for two laps then
found Kevin Rommeney filling his mirror. However as the class is
known to do in exciting fashion the final five laps are always
action packed and Scott Maliszewski in his Thomas J. Stock
Attorney At Law Chevy make a late race bid for the lead payoff
with his 11th career victory. Tom Pickerell of Huntington also
made some bold late race moves to finish second in the Pickerell
Clam Buick, while Tim Mulqueen of Levittown scored another great
finish with third in the Timmy's Towing entry.
Former Super Pro Truck champion Frank Dumicich Sr. of E. Quogue
earned his 15th career victory in the class when he went wire to
wire in their 20-lap tilt. Dumicich was tested at first by
Kathleen Hallock who ran second the first lap before Shaun
Gouldsbury passed her for position. Gouldsbury on lap 5 was
quickly replaced in second by Frank Dumicich Jr. who once to
second tried to narrow the lead his father built. Frank Jr. late
in the race would have to worry more about a fast closing Danny
Grennan than actually testing his father for the race win and
the battle for second became very intense with Dumicich spinning
with just two laps remaining. That yellow allowed Danny Grennan
to sit on Frank Dumicich Sr's. rear tailgate for a green white
checker finish and the elder patriarch of the racing Dumicich
family was able to prevail in his Wesemann's Sand & Mason
Supplies Ford F-150. Danny Grennan of Glen Cove would settle for
runner-up money in the PCHS Race Engines Chevy, while Roger
Turbush of Riverhead crossed the stripe third in the Rheem Air
Conditioning GMC.
Young upstart driver Brandon Hubbard of Shirley turned the Full
Size School Bus Demolition Derby field on its collective ear
when he took an upset victory. Hubbard in order to win his first
career event had to endure a marathon event and top the likes of
"Slim" Jim Donaldson of Coram and Michael "Cheesebox" Rommeney
of Maspeth. After nearly 45-minutes Hubbard would lay a final
blow on Donaldson that felled Jim's bus and Brandon can now move
onto college at the University of Northern Ohio in October with
a trophy for his dorm room.
Source: Bob Finan / Riverhead
Raceway
Posted: September
7, 2009
