PEDERSEN, MUJSCE, ORLANDO, STILES, TURBUSH
& KILKENNY
SHARE RIVERHEAD MILLER LITE NIGHT SPOTLIGHT
Saturday night Riverhead Raceway hosted Miller Lite Night
races which included the National Demolition Derby Championship.
Tom "The Madhatter" Kilkenny of Babylon made his first start in
nearly 20-years worthwhile when he won the $1,500 top prize. In
the Late Models Artie Pedersen Jr. scored his first career win
and Terry Stiles of Rocky Point did the same in the
Blunderbusts.
Right from the start of the Late Model contest Artie Pedersen
served notice he had the car to beat taking the early lead with
Jarrod Hayes moving to second on lap 2. The tandem ran one-two
for the following 16 circuits when Hayes tried to dip under
Pedersen exiting turn two. Hayes tapped his brakes exiting the
turn feeling he had run out of racing room and that forced his
car into a spin and drew a late race yellow on lap 19. That
moved Peter "Buzzy" Eriksen into second and the third all-time
leading winner in the division was right on Pedersen's rear
spoiler for a six lap shootout. Undaunted by Eriksen's presence
Artie Pedersen would show the way for the final six laps to
secure his first ever win in the Sherwin Williams Paints entry.
Peter Eriksen of Baldwin crossed the line second in the Nassau
Harley-Davidson Chevy, while Kevin Metzger of Massapequa in the
V&J Auto Body Chevy placed third.
With that third place finish Kevin Metzger, a 19-year veteran of
Late Model racing won his first career championship by a mere
eight points over Scott Kulesa of Georgetown, Ma.
The Figure Eight race would be a very rough and tumble affair
with the race only going 12-laps of a scheduled 25 due to the
time limit. Mike Mujsce of Westhampton Beach raced his way by
Will "the Thrill' Farrell on lap 2 and that would prove to be
the winning move. Tom Kraft gave chase from lap 2 until the 6th
circuit when Roger Maynor on the 7th lap overhauled him. With
numerous caution flags Mujsce and Maynor tested each other on
several restarts with Mike Mujsce in the Bill Beener Tree
Service machine leading when the race hit its time limit during
a caution flag period. The win was Mujsce's 10th career triumph.
Roger Maynor of Bay Shore, who came to the race having already
sewn up his eighth career championship was runner-up in the
Barrasso *& Sons Mason Supplies Ford, while the leading rookie
on the season Johnny Vullo of Islip was third in the Blue Point
Auto Body racer.
In the 30-lap Charger race Rusty Turbush of Manorville set fast
time in pre-race time trials with a lap 13.464 earning $50 from
Brigandi Brothers Automotive, however Rusty redrew 6th in the
redraw. Chris Turbush would set the pace for the first five laps
with Kevin Orlando and Jeremy McDermott in tow. With a tire
going down Turbush would spin off turn two while racing the duo
for the lead, giving the advantage over to McDermott with
Orlando in tow. Just two laps later on another double file
restart Kevin Orlando would rim ride the outside lane of
McDermott and the tandem raced side by side for several laps
before Kevin took the lead on lap 9. Once out front there was no
stopping the driver of the RP Landscaping entry as he pulled
away from McDermott, who now found himself in a battle for
second with Dan Turbush. When the race was checkered Kevin
Orlando of Calverton crossed the line first, while Jeremy
McDermott of Riverhead was runner-up in the Riverhead Brake
Service Pontiac. Dan Turbush of Riverhead settled for third in
the Lobes & Gordon Poolcrafts Pontiac.
After pitting for that early race flat tire, Chris Turbush of
Riverhead rallied for an 8th place finish in his Carpet Express
Pontiac to clinch his second consecutive Charger championship.
Once again the Blunderbust division provided the most exciting
finish of the night as the lead changed hands no less than five
times in the final 5 laps of the race. After Jarrod Hayes pf
Calverton set a new track record in time trials with a lap of
15.015, worth $50 from Brigandi Brothers, it would be Terry
Stiles drawing the pole in the redraw and taking the early race
lead. Hayes chased Stiles for the first third of the race before
Tommy Walkowiak snuck under Jarrod in turn one for the position.
As the race wore on lapped traffic played havoc with Stiles and
Walkowiak with Tommy taking the lead with an outside pass on lap
26 off the fourth corner. Stiles, unfazed by the pass went right
back to work and surprised Walkowiak with an inside pass on lap
28 to take back the lead, with Tommy now fighting with Ron
Langdon for second. That indeed was music to Terry Stiles in the
I Trade Direct #41 as he was able to the lead the last lap and a
half to score a popular first career win. Ron Langdon of Wantagh
got as close as the race winner's back bumper but was runner-up
in the Langdon's Automotive Chevy with Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge
third in the Unique Golf Chevy. Walkowiak came to the race
already having clinched his third Blunderbust title.
In Super Pro Truck action Anthony Vecchio and Frank Dumicich Jr.
battled early for the lead, but that fight got too close on lap
2 when they made contact under the starters stand forcing both
to the pits. That put Rob "The Racer" McCormick out front with
Kathleen Hallock in tow until lap 5 when Chris Turbush on a
double file restart took second away from Kathleen on lap 6.
What ensued after Turbush came to second was a great
side-by-side race for the lead between McCormick and Turbush who
ran less than an inch apart for several laps without ever
touching. Using an outside pass on lap 12 Chris Turbush put his
Bill Lyons Equipment Sales Chevy out front for good taking his
third win of 2009. Danny Grennan of Glen Cove came to second
very late in the contest and was closing in on Turbush when the
checkers waved and was runner-up in the PCHS Race Engines Chevy.
Rob McCormick of Calverton was third in the Pete's Landscaping
Dodge.
Heading into this Saturday's (9-26) final SPT race of the year
Mike Albasini has a 14-point lead over second year driver Roger
Turbush for the championship, 532 to 518. Turbush will need to
be eight positions better than Albasini Saturday to wrestle the
title away.
Tom Kilkenny of Babylon hadn't competed in the Demolition Derby
in 20-years before his brother in law Bobby Bennison of Albin
Avenue Auto Salvage found him a car for the National Demolition
Derby. Kilkenny, whose son James is a newcomer to the sport, out
slugged the likes of Mike "Gravel" Buksa, Scott McNamee, Timmy
Mulqueen, Tommy Walkowiak and yes even his own son to lay claim
to the $1,500 top prize. The event had the fans on the edge of
their seats, as it was truly an "old school" Demolition Derby in
many aspects as the hits came fast and furious. Mike Buksa of
Islip Terrace was named Judge's Choice, while James Kilkenny of
Howard Beach was voted Fan's Choice.
In the 12-lap Blindfolded Taxi Cab Race Scott Graham of Holbrook
and Stan Wangenstein of Holtsville dominated the race for their
second win of 2009 in the Family Automotive Taxi.
RIVERHEAD RACEWAY SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2009
Miller Lite Late Models 25-laps: 1. Artie Pedersen 2.
Peter Eriksen 3. Kevin Metzger 4. Ken Alfano 5. Scott Kulesa 6.
Mike Bologna 7. Mike Mortimer 8. Roger Oxee 9. Greg Kleila 10.
James Becht 11. Jarrod Hayes 12. Chris LaSpisa 13. Doug Renalds
14. Dave Brigati 15. Ralph Stanzione DNS-Shawn Patrick
Miller Lite Figure Eights 12-laps (time limit) 1. Mike
Mujsce 2. Roger Maynor 3. Johnny Vullo 4. George Brown 5.
Michael Rommeney 6. Will Farrell 7. Jim Donaldson 8. Scott
Pedersen 9. Tom Ferrara 10. Tom Kraft 11. Ken Hyde Jr. 12. Ken
Hyde Sr. 13. Arne Pedersen 14. Mike Herbst 15. Bob Dalke
Miller Lite Chargers 30-laps: 1. Kevin Orlando 2. Jeremy
McDermott 3. Dan Turbush 4. Frank Dumicich Jr. 5. Rusty Turbush
6. Chris McGuire 7. Daryn Miller 8. Chris Turbush 9. Brian Doyle
10. Jay Henschel 11. Jerry Solomito 12. Tom Anderson 13. Erin
Dumicich 14. Allen Reeves 15. Daryl Baker 16. Frank Scimeca Sr.
17. Frank Scimeca Jr. 18. Kory Comiskey
Miller Lite Blunderbusts 30-laps: 1. Terry Stiles 2. Ron
Langdon 3. Tommy Walkowiak 4. Tom Pickerell 5. Rob Bader 6.
Chris Turbush 7. Scott Maliszewski 8. Ed Mistretta 9. Tom
Sullivan 10. Kevin Rommeney 11. Paul Parisi 12. Bill Portney Sr.
13. Fred Nolan 14. Jessica Cohan 15. Jarrod Hayes 16. Randy
Johnson 17. Tim Mulqueen 18. Bill Wegmann 19. Scott Sepe 20. Ray
Shannon 21. Ralph Corsini 22. Joe Pingitore 23. Matt Pepitone
24. Jason Wegmann
Golden Auto Body Super Pro Trucks 30-laps: 1. Chris
Turbush 2. Danny Grennan 3. Rob McCormick 4. Dave Koenig 5. Lou
Maestri 6. Roger Turbush 7. Erin Dumicich 8. Mike Albasini 9.
Kathleen Hallock 10. Keith Rotzi 11. Anthony Daleo 12. Peter
Rotzi 13. Frank Dumicich Sr, 14. John Denniston 15. Frank
Dumicich Jr.
Miller Lite National Demolition Derby Championship:
Winner-Tom Kilkenny Judge's Choice- Mike Buksa Fan's
Choice- James Kilkenny
Miller Lite Blindfolded Taxi Cab Race 12-laps: Winners-
Scott Graham & Stan Wangenstein
Source: Bob Finan /
Riverhead Raceway
Posted: September
20, 2009
