Island Insight
by Greg
Berkowitz
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour made its
annual pilgrimage to Riverhead Raceway for the Riverhead 200.
Riverhead’s event serves as the eighth race of the 2010 NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour season and marked the 26th consecutive year
that Riverhead has hosted the Tour. Riverhead is one of two
tracks to have hosted a Tour race every year since the Tour's
inception, the other being Thompson (Conn.) International
Speedway.
Many Riverhead fans view the Tour’s
visit as the highlight of their season. Thirty-plus Modifieds
filled the pits. Through time trials and a 25-lap heat race,
that group was whittled down to 28 cars to take the green flag
for Riverhead’s 49th Modified Tour race. As in the past, several
Riverhead regulars attempted to make the Tour event. This year’s
local challengers included Chuck Steuer, Howie Brode, and Dave
Brigati. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side as all
experienced trouble during the event. Brigati, who raced his way
into the main event via the 25-lap heat race, was the highest
finishing Riverhead Regular in 11th.
For several of the Tour regulars, the
Riverhead 200 was a sort of homecoming. In fact, the starting
lineup’s front row consisted of two former East End Kart Racing
(EEKR) drivers – George Brunnhoelzl III and Justin Bonsignore.
Bonsignore, who currently leads the Tour’s Rookie of the Year
points, got his start racing go-karts and then moved on to
Riverhead's Chargers and then Modifieds. Bonsignore was a
sentimental favorite among his hometown crowd and said that he
would like to win at Riverhead more than any other track.
Bonsignore led the first lap, much to the delight of the crowd,
however his dream would not come true as an unspecified issue
late in the race forced him off track.
One of the biggest storylines of the
night didn’t come from the action on the track. Instead, Jim
Schaefer, better known as the “limodmaniac,” helped raise money
to raise the race purse for the Riverhead 200 to an astounding
$53,000. In the past, Riverhead 200 race winners earned
$2,000-$2,500, but the 2010 winner received more than double
that. The extra money also helped ensure every driver who
started the race received at least $300 and guaranteed tow money
to those drivers who did not qualify.
While the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour served as the night’s
headliner, the Blunderbusts and Chargers each held 30-lap,
double point races with time trials. In the Blunderbusts, the
No. 90 car visited victory lane for the second time this year,
with a second different driver. Ron Langdon dominated the event
after setting a track record during time trials. Langdon, who is
running a partial schedule, credited fellow competitors Tommy
“Wild Child” Walkowiak and Scott Maliszewski for helping him
earn the win. Walkowiak and Maliszewski, whom Langdon considers
unofficial teammates, helped set up the No. 90 as well as
assisted in towing it out to the track. This is why Langdon had
no problem lending Maliszewski his car earlier in the season
when Maliszewski’s own car was too damaged to race. It was that
night that the No. 90 first rolled into victory lane this year,
but with Maliszewski behind the wheel. Langdon also praised his
Scorpion Race Engines power plant, which he says he has never
had any problems with since the engine was first built in 1999.
Walkowiak and Maliszewski also run Scorpion engines and finished
second and third, respectively.
Chris Turbush earned what might have been the hardest win of his
career. The lead was swapped several times between numerous
drivers during the 30-lap feature, which was one of the more
memorable races of 2010. It appeared drivers Chris McGuire,
Jeremy McDermott, Chris Turbush, and Dan Turbush have taken the
saying “Rubbin’s Racin’” to heart, as they banged fenders
fighting for the win. But, it was Chris Turbush who survived and
crossed the finish line first. This was Turbush’s fourth win of
the season but his first since he renumbered his car Lazy 1 in
honor of his Grandfather Charlie Turbush, who passed away
earlier this summer. Lazy 1 was Charlie Turbush’s number when he
raced at Riverhead. In victory lane, Turbush dedicated his win
not only to his own grandfather but to all those who have lost a
loved one recently.
Source: Greg Berkowitz/LongIslandJam.com
Posted: August
1, 2010
