Island Insight
by Greg
Berkowitz
Riverhead fought the rain
Saturday night to get through the entire seven-event schedule.
Throughout the night, ominous clouds lingered above and around
the racetrack, at times dropping a few raindrops. Perhaps it was
Darrell Waltrip’s Vortex theory that kept the track dry – that
the air currents and heat created by cars driving around in
circles can keep a track dry. But, what most contributed most to
getting the full schedule completed was the professional
performance by many of the Riverhead drivers themselves. Both
the Charger and Modified divisions went caution-free during
their races while the Late Models and Super Pro Trucks had only
a few cautions.
The Turbush family continues to dominate at Riverhead. This
weekend it was Roger Turbush making the trip to victory in the
Super Pro Trucks. Turbush put on a stellar performance as he
drove from a deep starting position to the front in his No. 88.
The win was Turbush’s third in what he is calling a “dream
season.” Turbush has won half of the races so far and leads the
championship standings by 22 points. Turbush’s great performance
this season is a big step up from last season. While Turbush ran
well last year, he at times struggled to close the deal.
However, over the offseason, Turbush and his crew discovered
several problems with his truck. Bent suspension components in
the front end and an abnormal trailing arm setup left over from
the previous owner greatly hampered the truck’s speed. With
those items corrected, Turbush is the driver to beat every
weekend. But, in order to maintain that status, Turbush and his
crew are constantly working on the truck to ensure it stays as
fast as it is. Even after last night’s win, Turbush says there’s
work to be done on the truck. Car-to-car contact that normally
occurs during a race may damage the truck or cause a shift in
the setup. By staying on top of the truck’s condition, the 88
crew ensures it stays as fast as it is. If the performance of
the 88 team stays at the level it is, Turbush will be hard to
beat for the championship. However, Turbush says he does not
focus on the points. Instead, he goes into every race weekend
simply looking to win. So far that strategy seems to be working
quite well. Turbush also has a win in the Chargers while driving
his brother’s No. 81.
Saturday night’s Figure 8 event was the annual tribute to Long
Island legend Ernie “The Wrench” Maynor. Ernie Maynor lost his
life 28 years ago in a crash at Islip Speedway. This race has
always held a special importance to Ernie’s son Roger Maynor, a
legend in his own right. Roger Maynor is one of Long Island’s
most accomplished race car drivers. Last season, Roger Maynor
earned his 100th career Figure 8 win. Winning the tribute to his
father would be huge for Maynor, who credits his dad for getting
him into racing. Maynor races today to keep the memory of his
father alive. However, despite all his success, Maynor has
struggled with bad luck and bad breaks during the yearly Ernie
Maynor Memorial. Maynor came into Saturday’s event as determined
as ever to win, however it would be difficult as Maynor was
slated to start 11th in a 14-car field with only 15 laps to get
to the front. Maynor showed his determination as he made move
after move on the racetrack, driving all the way to second place
prior to the final restart on lap 14. In a mad, last-lap dash,
Maynor lost to Mike Mujsce by a nose in another Riverhead photo
finish. While the second-place finish was great for points, it
was another heartbreaking disappointment for Maynor who longs to
win the event memorializing the man responsible for his racing
career.
The 4-cylinder Enduros made a rare Saturday night appearance at
Riverhead Raceway. The division had a strong showing, with over
30 cars entered. This was a welcome sight for the division that
like its fellow Enduro classes has seen lower than average car
counts throughout the first half of the season. However, it
appears that as schools start to let out and summer officially
rolls in, more drivers are dusting off their helmets and coming
to the races. The 4-cylinder Enduros, along with their cousins,
the 8-cylinder, 6-cylinder, Grand and Truck Enduros, are
grassroots racing at its purest. The Enduros are meant to
provide an affordable way to race. The division uses stock
street cars modified for safety purposes only, meaning that
anyone can race. However the 4 cylinder division’s low budget
did not stop it from putting one of the best races of the night
as Steve Trimboli made a late race pass on Enduro veteran
Anthony Pizzo for his second win this season.
Source: Greg Berkowitz/LongIslandJam.com
Posted: June
27, 2010
