Early Race Move Pays
Dividends for Timmy Solomito
Popular NASCAR Modified pilot "The Natural" Timmy Solomito of
Islip shook
off a case of the sophomore jinx Saturday evening at Riverhead
Raceway when
he made a bold early race move to lay claim to the 35-lap
feature event for
the Whelen All-American Series. The victory came almost a year
to the day of
Timmy's last of two wins in 2009, August 15th. The win was worth
$1,625,
which included a $200 bonus from Dunkerly's Office Products.
With "Fast" Al Ermmarino and Amber Fortin making up the front
row of the
field, Timmy Solomito, starting third, wasted little time in
making his
presence known. Racing into the first corner Timmy got under
Amber and when
Ermmarino washed up the banking a bit in the middle of the
corner Solomito
threw his car underneath and by the time they exited the second
corner had
the race lead from his third starting position. Ermmarino and
Chris Young
then tested each other for second behind Solomito, but both
drivers went for
the same real estate and Ermmarino's race ended in turn four.
After the
caution for that incident the green light winked on with
Solomito leading
Chris Young and the two drivers who had some early season
run-ins would duel
for the lead with Chris staying right on the rear spoiler of
Timmy.
As the race hit an extended green flag run Young started to
fall off the
pace set by Solomito as the challenger had a tire starting to go
down. Later
in the race Young then had John Fortin to deal with for second
position. All
of this was just fine with leader Timmy Solomito, who was
actually driving
his family owned NASCAR Modified while his normal ride, the WPW
Growers
Chevy has a new front clip installed. Over the final segment of
the race it
would be all Timmy Solomito, the 2009 Rookie of the Year leading
the way.
John Fortin worked his way by Young for second and tried to
erase the lead
Timmy had built up, but to no avail.
At the finish it was one relieved Timmy Solomito in the
Riverhead Building
Supply Corvette sitting in the winners circle. "I can't thank
Dave & Cindy
Brigati enough, they own my regular car and they stepped up as
sponsors on
my family car to get this much needed win tonight" Timmy
revealed. "Of
course my mom & dad make all I do possible and tonight we were
in our family
car, so this win is that much more special" Of course the
victory also ended
what to date has been a nightmarish 2010 campaign for the recent
high school
graduate to which he spoke, "hey, we have five races left, maybe
our
fortunes have changed and we can get another one before it's all
said and
done".
Defending NASCAR Modified champion John Fortin in the SGS
Stone Works Chevy finished second, while Chris Young of
Calverton was third in his Riverhead
Building Supply Chevy, despite having one of his tires register
just five
pounds of air pressure at race end. Bill Park of Manorville and
point leader
Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue completed the top five. Rogers now
leads Chuck
Steuer by 20 markers, 528 to 508 with five scheduled races
remaining.
The career season for Arne Pedersen of Mastic Beach continued
in the 15-lap
Figure Eight feature event as he won his 4th main event of 2010.
"Slim" Jim
Donaldson broke out to the early race lead with Tom Graff giving
chase for
the first two laps before Graff was overtaken by Arne Pedersen
for second on
the third lap. Once to second Arne went right to work on
Donaldson for the
top spot, which he did wrestle away on lap 7. Once out front
Pedersen would
have Donaldson fill his mirror until the 11th lap when his
younger brother
Scott moved by Jim for the position and over the final five laps
of the
contest it would be the brothers Pedersen to show the way. At
the checkers
it was the BNR Home Improvement Dodge of Arne Pedersen earning
his 4th
career win, while brother Scott of Shirley was runner-up in the
Turf
Brothers entry. Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue recovered from an
early race
trip to the pits for third in the S&H Welding Chevy. Arne with
the win took
back the points lead by a mere six over Scott, 404 to 398.
For the first time since September of 2004 Jeremy McDermott
of Stroudsburg,
Pa. found his way to victory lane in the 20-lap Charger event.
Frank
Dumicich Jr. bolted out into the race lead at the throw of the
green flag
and was on his way to building a comfortable lead when lady luck
once again
frowned on the second generation talent. NASCAR Officials had to
wave the
black flag at Frank just prior to the halfway mark as a trail of
water was
streaming off the right rear section of his car which was
overheating. That
propelled Jeremy McDermott who had just overtaken CJ Lehmann for
second into the race lead, with Chris Turbush coming to second
as well on lap 9. These
two veteran Charger stars raced extremely hard the week before
for position
and this week found themselves again fighting for the lead and
race win.
Once again the duo waged a hard fought, but very clean battle
with Jeremy
McDermott in his JDP Mechanical Pontiac coming out on top for
his third
career win. Chris Turbush of Riverhead, the defending Charger
champion was
runner-up in the Eastern Storefronts Pontiac, while his father
"Dynamite"
Dan Turbush of Riverhead was third in the Tuscany Gourmet Foods
entry. Chris
McGuire holds a 6 point lead over Kevin Orlando 652 to 646, with
Chris
Turbush a close third with 642.
Scott Maliszewski of Deer Park notched his second win of the
season when he
topped the 20-lap Blunderbust feature event. Kevin Rommeney from
his outside
pole starting berth raced his way into the lead at the start of
the tilt
with Bill Wegmann Jr. giving chase for the first two laps before
he was
passed by Gary Caldwell on lap 3. Caldwell also spent just two
laps running
second to Rommeney before Scott Maliszewski made an inside pass
for position
racing into the first corner. Kevin Rommeney seeking his first
career
victory admitted later that once Scott got to second he heard
"footsteps"
and knew that if he was going to make that first trip to victory
lane he'd
have his work cut out for him. On lap 14 exiting the fourth turn
Maliszewski, who had tried Rommeney for the lead prior made what
would turn
out to be the winning move with an inside pass. Once out front
Scott
Maliszewski, steering the Thomas J. Stock Attorney At Law Chevy,
never
looked back and drove to his 13th career Blunderbust victory.
Kevin Rommeney
of Maspeth was runner-up in the Hollis Court Collision entry,
while "Turbo"
Tom Sullivan of Massapequa was third in the Lakewood Used Auto
Parts
Lincoln. Tommy Walkowiak leads Tom Pickerell by 72-points in the
fight for
the 2010 title, 648 to 576.
Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma made a late race pass with
three laps
remaining in the 60-lap 4-Cylinder Enduro to collect top honors.
Steve "The
Pitbull" Trimboli took the race lead from Robert Endlekofer
early in the
contest and seemed to be on his way to his third win of the
year, but Pizzo
had other plans. Steering the STS Tires Works entry Anthony
Pizzo worked the
lapped traffic to his advantage in tracking down Trimboli and
eventually
passing him on lap 57 for the eventual win. Steve Trimboli of
Freeport was
runner-up in the Pitbull Motors Mercedes, while Robert
Endlekofer of Miller
Place brought the Family Automotive racer home for third place
money.
Two of the very best slugged it out for the Car Rollover
Contest win as
"Slim" Jim Donaldson of Coram bested returning veteran "Long"
John Silver of
Wantagh. Silver had earned 25 point prior to Donaldson's three
attempts at
the ramp and on his final run Donaldson turned his car over one
and a half
times giving him 27 points to Silver's 27.
The 4-Cylinder Demolition Derby once again boiled down to a
battle of
brotherly love as Jason Savoy and Brian were the last two
standing. After a
long slugfest to determine the winner, Jason Savoy of Lake
Panamoka would
come out on top in his Albin Avenue Auto Salvage "Deathwish"
Racing entry.
Brian, also of Lake Panamoka would be named Judge's Choice, with
"The Killa"
James Kilkenny of Howard Beach voted Fan's Choice.
Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead
Raceway PR
Posted: August
9, 2010
