Howie Brode
Wheels 7NY to Victory in Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77
Howie Brode of East Islip paid tribute
to his friend and mentor "Tiger" Tom
Baldwin by running Tom's famed #7NY on his NASCAR Modified for
the Baldwin,
Evans & Jarzombek 77 by Northeastern Office Equipment and at the
end of a
grueling 77-laps Brode furthered that tribute by scoring a hard
fought
victory at Riverhead Raceway. With the victory Brode became the
first repeat
winner of the 77 and scored $1,600 for his 11th career victory
on Buzz Chew
Chevrolet & Cadillac night.
Chuck Steuer of Bohemia for the fourth
time this year won the Brigandi
Brothers Automotive fast time bonus with a lap of 11.964 but
would draw 5th
in the redraw, while Glenn Tyler and Howie Brode drew the front
row. At the
throw of the green flag Brode was able to get the measure of
Tyler for the
race lead by the time the field had completed the first lap and
in fact
Tyler was quickly under pressure for second as Dave Brigati
followed in
Brode's path. By the time lap 2 was being contested Brode and
Brigati, who
together came through the support classes at Riverhead, would
settle into
first and second with Tyler waiting in the wings. As in past
Baldwin Evans &
Jarzombek 77 memorials, emotions run at a fever pitch and
numerous caution
flags waved for a combination of minor spins, as well as some
multi car
tangles. This set up several double file restarts between leader
Brode and
challenger Brigati. However, each and every time Dave tried to
work the
outside for a shot at the lead for a lap or two he had to tuck
back in
behind Howie to protect his second place position. After NASCAR
Officials
felt there were too many yellow flags in part to the double file
restarts
the call was made to go single file with some 37-laps left in
the race.
When the race did hit some green flag
runs Brigati glued himself to Brode
who had a tight racecar from the center of the corner to exiting
the turn.
This would open the inside lane from time to time as Dave tried
to sneak in
a few times but Howie thwarted the challenge. in the meantime
Tom Rogers Jr.
who started the race 9th was on the march and after passing
Tyler for third
set his radar for leader Brode and Brigati and on lap 68 he
threw his car
under Brigati going into the first corner with just eight laps
to go. The
duel between Rogers and Brigati did allow for some breathing
room for Brode,
but a 71st lap caution flag wiped away any advantage he had
built. The 77
now became a 6-lap dash for the cash and Rogers, who was driving
with a
broken right wrist wasted no time on trying to score his 4th win
of the 2010
campaign. Tom, sensing Howie's car was tight, tried to pitch his
car to the
low side of the track exiting the corners, but Howie with the
7NY on the
doors of his Long Island Frieghtliner Chevy was having none of
it and
protected the inside lane all the way until the checker flag
waved.
With tears welling in his eyes Howie
Brode exited his car in victory lane
after his victory lap and noted how special this win was to him,
"Tom was my
buddy, when I got my first Modified he opened up his set-up book
to me and
guided me along" Brode fondly recalled. "With his voice cracking
with
emotion Howie furthered, "I miss him, I miss him everyday" In
two ironic
twists Brode's last victory came when he first won the 77 in
July of 2006
and it also ties Howie with Tom Baldwin with 11 wins on the
all-time
Riverhead Raceway win list.
Although Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue
didn't score the victory it was still a
good night for the driver of the Bellecon Acrylic Asphalt
Sealing Chevy as
his runner-up finish propelled him into the NASCAR Modified
point lead, Dave
Brigati of Calverton crossed the line third in his JDL
Environmental
Services Chevy. Glenn Tyler of Hampton Bays passed up the WMT
race in New
England and finished fourth, while Eddie Brunnhoelzl III of
Levittown
rounded out the top five. Rogers now has a slim 6-point lead
over Chuck
Steuer 470 to 464 in the chase for the NASCAR Modified title,
Steuer was 6th
in the 77 after a late race pit stop.
It may have taken Arne Pedersen of
Mastic Beach several seasons to win his
first career Figure Eight feature event, but now that he enjoyed
the taste
of victory he can't get enough as he drove to his third win of
2010 in the
Buzz Chew Chevy-Cadillac night 20-lap main event. Rookie Dennis
Scott paced
the field over the first three laps with Will Farrell and Ken
Hyde Jr.
testing him early, but it would be a third lap restart that
would change the
complexion of the race. During that restart Arne Pedersen looked
like he was
shot out of a cannon as he raced his way out front with Scott
now giving
chase. Veteran Mike Mujsce worked his way by Scott for second on
lap 6 and
he then tried his hand at leader Pedersen. Roger Maynor came
along and got
by Mujsce for second and it was now his turn to try and track
down Pedersen
and it looked like a late race caution might play right into
Maynor's hands.
However during that yellow Maynor had a right front go down and
was forced
to pit, moving Mujsce back to second. Over the final laps it
didn't matter
to Arne Pedersen in the BNR Home Improvement Intrepid who was
running second as he marched to victory. Mike Mujsce of
Westhampton Beach was runner-up in the Bill Beener Tree Service
racer, while Roger Maynor of Bay Shore
barnstormed his way back to a third place finish in the Barrasso
& Sons
Mason Supplies Chevy.
Armed with his regular race engine back
under the hood Chris McGuire of
Shirley roared to his third Charger victory as he topped the
Buzz Chew
Chevy-Cadillac night 20-lap feature event. The first three laps
of the race
saw Cory Comiskey challenge pole sitter Erin Dumicich for the
lead in a side
by side battle before Comiskey was overtaken for second by Chris
McGuire on
the 4th lap. Once to second McGuire went right to work on Erin
Dumicich for
the race lead and would eventually take the top spot during a
double file
restart as the field started the 8th lap of the contest, with
Dumicich now
second. As the laps wore on McGuire was able to pull away during
green flag
runs, while Kevin Orlando tested Erin Dumicich for second, which
he was able
to wrestle away from her on lap 14 but Kevin's stay in second
was to be
short lived as Jeremy McDermott worked his way by. Ironically
the trio of
McGuire, Orlando and McDermott occupy the top three spots of the
Charger
point standings and were also doing some big picture racing. At
the finish
it was the 11th career Charger triumph for Chris McGuire in the
Gershow
Recycling Ford, while Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead was second
in the
Gabrielsen Builders Chevy after starting 7th. Kevin Orlando of
Calverton
crossed the line third in his Sujecki Farms Dodge and he and
McGuire are now
tied for the point lead with 522, with McDermott third with 512.
Blunderbust point leader Tommy "The
Wildchild" Walkowiak of Ridge padded his
advantage in the championship chase when he won the Buzz Chew
Chevy-Cadillac night 20-lap Blunderbust feature, his 41st career
victory. Newcomer Fred Nolan paced the race for the first two
laps before Ray Shannon and Rob Bader both worked their way by
on lap 3. During a 4th lap restart Rob Bader outran Shannon to
the first turn on the outside to take the lead as Rob was
seeking his second straight victory. Tim Mulqueen and Tom
Pickerell moved into
second and third and were racing hard for second right behind
Bader as the
top three cars ran under a blanket. Lap 13 would indeed not be
lucky for
Bader nor Mulqueen or Pickerell, as Pickerell and Mulqueen made
contact in
turn four sending them right into Bader with all three going
around
shuffling the running order of the race. When the dust settled
Tommy
Walkowiak who was running fourth found himself the new race
leader on the
ensuing restart with Bill Wegmann Sr now sitting second. Over
the final 6
laps Tommy Walkowiak in his Blaze Fuel Oil Chevy was able to
drive to
victory and in the process increase his point lead to 52 over
Pickerell, 472
to 420. Bill Wegmann Sr. of N. Bellmore was runner-up in his
Crackerjack
Auto Stores Olds, while his stepson "Racing" Ray Shannon of
Centereach was
third in the Centereach Transmissions Chevy.
Former Super Pro Truck champion Lou
Maestri of Deer Park got back to his
winning ways by winning his first 20-lap main event to collect
his 20th
career victory. From the outside pole Lou Maestri wasted no time
in taking
command of the race with Frank Dumicich Sr. in tow for the first
four
circuits. Lap 5 found "Dangerous" Dave Koenig working his way by
Dumicich,
who later fell out with an engine problem. Once Koenig caught
Maestri the
race was on between two tested tough veterans of the class, with
Dave
looking high and low for an alley by Lou. However Lou Maestri
was not going
to be denied victory in the Buzz Chew Chevy-Cadillac night
feature event as
he drove his 5 Star Kennels Chevy to victory, a much needed win
for Lou and
his team. Dave Koenig of Freeport was runner-up in his Nelson's
Auto Salvage
Chevy, while defending SPT champion Mike Albasini of Flushing
placed third
in his Hollis Court Collision entry.
James Charier of Shirley continued his
2010 hot streak in Grand Enduro
action as he won his fourth race of the season in a 50-lap
contest. Michael
Retus set the tone early leading the first 4 laps before James
Charier raced
by for the lead. Walter Strode, one of all-time leading winners
in
8-Cylinder Enduros moved to second on lap 7 and chased Charier
until the
other lap when Jimmy Denis got around Strode for second. Denis
lap after lap
was trying to cut into the lead Charier had built up but a
broken right
front brake rotor ended Denis' night at the halfway mark and he
lost his
right front tire as a result. That moved Walter Strode back to
second, but
on this night it really didn't matter who ran in what positions
as James
Charier lapped all but the second and third place cars on his
way to victory
in his Clear Beer Draft Chevy. Walter Strode of Yaphank was
second in the
Gene's 112 Service Center Monte Carlo, with Frank Dummied Sr. of
E. Quote
third in the Buddies Chevy.
Shawn Wanat of Riverhead became the
first repeat winner in the new Skid
Plate Racing event as he won their 10-lap main event in his
Westhampton Auto
Salvage machine. Wanat, a tested tough Enduro veteran took the
lead early in
the race and never looked back.
Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead
Raceway PR
Posted: July
19, 2010
