Father's Day
Enduro Victories to Jimmy Denis and Kevin Nowak
The traditional Father's Day
Enduro card at Riverhead Raceway Sunday
afternoon provided one of the most exciting finishes in Grand
Enduro history
when Jimmy Denis of Middle Island survived a wild final 10-lap
duel to post
his first victory of 2010. Kevin Nowak of Medford collected his
second win
of the season in the 4/6-Cylinder Truck Enduro with both races
going a
distance of 50-laps.
David Antos searching for his
first career win in the Grand Enduro ranks
jumped to the early lead and was chased by Anthony Foerster and
Michael
Retus over the first four laps before Jimmy Denis worked his way
both both
for second on the fifth circuit. Once to second Denis first had
to erase a
big early race lead that Antos was able to build in those four
short laps
which he did to ride on the rear bumper of the race leader. On
lap 37 while
working lapped traffic Denis passed Antos and led six laps
before Antos
reclaimed the top spot on lap 43 using lapped traffic as well.
With the
leaders working the heavy congestion, the third and fourth place
cars of
Walter Stroud and James Charrier were able to close in while
they raced hard
for third. By the time the race hit five laps to go the four
cars ran in
extremely tight quarters and the swapping of positions came fast
and furious
among the top four.
Denis and Antos both tried to
figure out which lane would be quickest and on
the final lap entered the third turn dead even, while Charrier
and Stroud
sat in waiting. Off turn four it would be a race to the finish
line with
Jimmy Denis in the All American Machine Chevy posting his second
career win,
just five days prior to his high school graduation. "This is my
Father's day
gift for my dad, Scott" Jimmy boasted in victory lane, "I also
want to thank
David for racing really clean with me with all that was on the
line".
Post race tech would snatch a
fine runner-up finish away from David Antos,
which moved James Charrier of Shirley to second in his Clear
Beer Draft
Chevy. Walter Stroud of Yaphank crossed the line third in the
United Exhaust
Shop Monte Carlo.
In the 50-lap 4/6-Cylinder Truck
Enduro Dennis Nelson and newcomer Eric Zeh
wrestled for the lead at the drop of the green for the first lap
before Zeh
took the top spot on lap 2. However tested tough veteran Kevin
Nowak who
raced his way to second on the second lap as well wasted no time
moving out
front putting his "grocery getter" into the lead on lap four
with Zeh now
second. Jeff Gregor would soon move to second and at times was
able to hang
with Nowak as the race wore on, but in the end Kevin Nowak in
the Racing
Creations 4X4 drove to an impressive second straight victory in
the class.
Jeff Gregor of Bridgehampton was runner-up in the Gregor Well
Drilling
entry, while "The Racer" Rob McCormick of Wading River was third
in the
Ramirez Landscaping Chevy.
Two time defending 8-Cylinder
Enduro champion Dege Russell of Rocky Point
notched the victory in the first of two races for the class, a
75-lap
contest. Once Russell moved the Kelly Russell Realty Chevy out
front he
never looked back. Bob Baker of Shirley in the Lost Boys Racing
Chevy was
runner-up, while veteran Bob Haeger of Hampton Bays placed third
in the
Haeger Home Improvement machine. In the 50-lap nightcap Bob
Baker scored his first win of 2010 after being chased by
eventual runner-up Anthony Pizzo of
Lake Ronkonkoma in his STS Tire Works Chevy. Third place went to
Jess
Martines of Shirley in the Safeguard Security mount.
Shawn Wanat of Riverhead won the
6-Cylinder Enduro dominating that 50-lap
race in his Iron Man Welding backed racer. Runner-up Bob Haeger
and third
place finisher Mitchell Patern of Southold could only watch as
Wanat drove
away.
In another dominating performance
Anthony Pizzo topped the 75-lap 4-Cylinder
Enduro in his A. Voight Towing entry and like Wanat before him
he ran away
and hid from his competitors. Steve "The Pitbull" Trimboli of
Freeport made
a nice recovery from an early race spin for runner-up honors in
the Pitbull
Motors Mercedes, while Robert Endlekofer of Miller Place was
third in the
Family Automotive machine, he too having to survive numerous
close calls.
Grand Enduro 50-laps (top five)
1. Jimmy Denis 2. James Charrier 3. Walter
Stroud 4. Bob Engelfried 5. Joe Parcelluzzi
4/6-Cylinder Truck Enduro 50-laps
(top five) 1. Kevin Nowak 2. Jeff Gregor
3. Rob McCormick 4. Eric Zeh 5. Robin Vollmoeller Sr.
1st 8-Cylinder Enduro 75-laps
(top five) 1. Dege Russell 2. Bob Baker 3.
Anthony Pizzo 4. Jason Carpenter 5. Jess Martines
2nd 8-Cylinder Enduro 50-laps
(top five) 1. Bob Baker 2. Anthony Pizzo 3.
Jess Martines 4. Dominic Ranieri 5. Michael Wahl
6-Cylinder Enduro 50-laps (top
five) 1. Shawn Wanat 2. Bob Haeger 3.
Mitchell Patern 4. Tom St. Clair 5. Christian Conklin
4-Cylinder Enduro 75-laps (top
five) 1. Anthony Pizzo 2. Steve Trimboli 3.
Robert Endlekofer 4. Michael Wahl 5. Ed Primavera III
Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead
Raceway
Posted: June
21, 2010
