Whelen Night
NASCAR Modified 50 to Streaking Tom Rogers Jr.
For the third time in 2010 Tom
Rogers Jr. of Patchogue scored the NASCAR
Modified victory at Riverhead Raceway when he topped the Whelen
Night 50-lap
feature event leading all the way to score his 12th career
victory in the
process. Rogers earned $1,475 for his efforts and moved to
within 20-points
of John Fortin in the chase for the 2010 championship.
Once again Chuck Steuer of
Bohemia was tops in the pre-race time trials
turning a lap of 11.937 just edging out Justin Bonsignore who
clocked in at
12.977. Steuer earned the Brigandi Brothers Automotive $100 fast
time award
for the effort, but in the redraw picked 4th. Tom Rogers Jr. and
Justin
Bonsignore made up the front row of the 21-car field and when
the green
Whelen light turned on Rogers quickly moved out front with
Bonsignore and
Jimmy Blewett in tow early. As the race moved on Rogers and
Bonsignore were
able to pull away some from the remainder of the pack as Eddie
Brunnhoelzl
Jr. tussled with Blewett for third, taking the spot with an
inside pass off
turn two.
Some double file restarts were
needed along the way during the 50-laps with
Bonsignore trying to gain an advantage on Rogers each time, but
the race
leader was equal to every challenge and Justin had to protect
his inside and
tucked back into second. The battle of the race would be for
third almost
the entire distance with Chuck Steuer making a textbook move on
Brunnhoelzl
late in the contest to take the position, this after being
shuffled to
mid-pack early in the race. Chuck needed the aid of a late race
yellow in
the final ten laps to try and make a run at Rogers and
Bonsignore but the
race would remain green.
At the conclusion it was Tom
Rogers Jr. in the Bellecon Acrylic Asphalt
Sealing Chevy sitting in victory lane and answering some critics
along the
way. "I hear that people think I have traction control" Rogers
noted, "I
don't and they can go through this car if they'd like. My wins
and six
straight top three finishes are a product of good old fashioned
hard work".
Indeed the top five cars were summoned to the tech area after
the race to
pull rear ends, all five were deemed legal.
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville
scored his best Riverhead effort of 2010 in
the M3 Technologies Chevy with a runner-up finish, while Chuck
Steuer passed
perhaps the most cars in the race to collect third place money
in the
Northeastern Office Equipment entry. Jimmy "Showtime" Blewett of
Howell, NJ
and John Fortin of Holtsville completed the top five, Fortin
leads Rogers in
points, 364 to 344.
The Charger 20-lap feature event
saw Chris Turbush of Riverhead come back
after a one race suspension to post his third win of the season
and 22nd
overall in his career. Frank Dumicich Jr. and Tom Anderson raced
for the
early lead with Anderson coming out on top on the second lap.
Anderson once
to the front seemed to be on his way to victory lane when things
turned very
sour for him on lap 17, just three away from the win. Erin
Dumicich had spun
in turn four and when she attempted to re-enter the track in
turn three her
brakes reportedly failed and she made heavy contact with
Anderson doing
heavy damage to both cars. That moved Frank Dumicich Jr. into
the race lead
with Chris Turbush second and outside for the double file
restart. When the
green flag waved Turbush in the Let It Shine Detailing Pontiac
rode the
outside lane to the eventual victory. Kevin Orlando of Calverton
took over
the points lead with his second place showing in the RP
Landscaping Dodge
and Jay Henschel of Levittown crossed the line third in the
Rossiello Truck
& Auto Salvage Chevy. Frank Dumicich had late race issues that
dropped him
down in the finish.
The Blunderbust division once
again had the fans on the edge of their seats
with a three car race for the lead in the closing laps. The win
went to
Scott Maliszewski of Deer Park, who was in a borrowed car for
the 30-lap
main event. Tommy Walkowiak had set fast time in time trials
with a lap of
15.093 earning $50 from Brigandi Brothers Automotive but in the
redraw he
picked 6th. Tom Pickerell jumped from the pole starting position
to the race
lead at the throw of the green with "Turbo" Tom Sullivan giving
chase for
the first three laps. Scott Maliszewski, steering the Ron
Langdon entry
while his car is repaired, moved by Sullivan on lap 4 with
Walkowiak soon to
come to third. At first the top three ran nose to tail but as
the laps
clicked off during the non-stop race things began to heat-up
with just five
to go. For nearly an entire lap with the white flag flying
Pickerell,
Maliszewski and Walkowiak ran three wide for the lead with
Pickerell in the
middle and Walkowiak on the outside in a battle that looked like
a scene
from an old racing movie. At the checker it was Scott
Maliszewski in the
Langdon's Automotive Chevy taking home his 12th career victory
after a very
exciting finish. By a whisker Tommy Walkowiak of Ride was
runner-up in the
Blaze Fuel Oil entry, while Tom Pickerell of Huntington was
third in his
Pickerell Clam Buick.
"The Natural" Timmy Solomito of
Islip started his high school graduation
week off in fine fashion Saturday when he won the 20-lap Legend
Race Car
feature event for his first win of 2010. Defending Charger
champion Chris
Turbush moved his machine out front when the green flag was
displayed with
veteran Glenn Maningo chasing Chris over the first 11 laps. On
the 12th lap
Solomito, who started the race back in 14th moved under Maningo
for second
and quickly closed in on race leader Turbush. A great battle was
now shaping
up for the lead as Solomito pressed Turbush for two laps and as
the duo
raced off turn four to start the 15th lap Turbush started to get
loose on
his own and spun after Solomito with no place to go made some
contact. Once
in the lead Timmy Solomito steering the Riverhead Building
Supply racer
drove to victory lane. A wild late race battle took place for
second and
when the dust settled Johnny Gloor IV of Flanders was runner-up
in the TS
Motorsports machine, with defending champion Tony Naglieri of
Lindenhurst
third in the Eveready Racing mount.
"The Cheesebox" Michael Rommeney
of Maspeth won the 12-lap Full Size School Bus Race taking
control of the race right from the outset. Rommeney would have
to survive numerous close calls at the intersection of the
Figure Eight
course before he could lay claim to the popular victory over the
likes of "The Wildchild" Tommy Walkowiak, "Slim" Jim Donaldson,
"Hubcap" Brandon
Hubbard and Ken Hyde Jr.
"The Killa" James Killkenny of
Howard Beach won the 8-Cylinder Demolition
Derby in a hotly contested event over Jason Savoy. The event
boiled own to
James and Jason, both running under the Albin Avenue Auto
Salvage banner
with Savoy losing a driveshaft after heavy impact from Killkenny
late in the
contest. Savoy was awarded Judge's Choice for his effort. The
new "back to
basics" Demolition Derby rules paid dividends instantly as
Preston Scott
Prydatko of Ronkonkoma was named Fan's Choice in his very first
Demo,
proving the division is back in the hands of the backyard
mechanic.
Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead
Raceway
Posted: June
21, 2010
