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09/11/2010

Justin Bonsignore Tops Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modifieds; Tom Rogers Jr. Takes 2010 Championship

Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville the leading rookie driver on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour enjoyed some home cooking Saturday night when he topped the 35-lap NASCAR Modified feature event at Riverhead Raceway posting the
$1,425 victory. With a 5th place finish Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue sewed up the 2010 NASCAR Modified championship giving him two titles in the class with his first coming in 2004.

Amber Fortin paced the race for the first two circuits before Chris Young made an outside pass for the lead on lap 3 to take over the lead with Amber holding down second until lap five when a faulty MSD box started to affect her effort. Justin Bonsignore moved to second on lap 6 and would chase Chris Young for the lead over the following 14 laps, including several double file restarts. Young, looking for his second win in a row was able to thwart the efforts of Bonsignore each time but on lap 21 a lapped car would play havoc with the race leader. As he exited the second corner Chris Young, lapping a slower car got clipped ever so slightly by the right front wheel of Frank Saladino sending him into a spin of the second corner which effectively ended his bid for victory. That turn of events moved Bonsignore out front with John Fortin now sitting second with 15-laps remaining

When the green flag waved Fortin tried to gain a run on Bonsignore to the outside on the double file restart, but Justin was having none of it and was able to hold John off not only on the lap 20 restart, but also five laps later on lap 25. Fortin, who came to the race with championship hopes still alive chased Bonsignore for the remainder of the race, but with Tom Rogers Jr. moving into fifth those title hopes were being dashed.

At the finish it was Justin Bonsignore crossing the line first for his third career victory to which he commented afterwards, "I'm so happy to give my new M3 Technologies team our first win together. This one is for Ken and my entire crew who have worked so very hard to run on the tour as well as the races we ran here this year."

John Fortin of Holtsville was runner-up in the SGS Stone Works Chevy and although he didn't win the Riverhead title he still leads the New York State rankings for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series which does not recognize the three double point races contested at the quarter mile oval in 2010. Bill Park of Manorville was third in the JAD Carpet Showcase Chevy with Wayne Anderson of Yaphank and Tommy Rogers Jr. of Patchogue fifth.

After Bonsignore was done taking photos Tom Rogers Jr. moved his HR Promotions entry in victory lane and praised his team for their efforts towards the title, "my guys, most of whom have been with me for my Figure Eights and Late Model championships stepped it up this year. After last year I had something to prove and I think we did that with this championship".

For the first time since 2004 Shawn Patrick of Brightwaters was a Late Model winner as he topped their 25 lap main event. After Artie Pedersen showed the way for the first three laps Patrick moved out front on lap 4 with Roger Oxee racing his way to second two laps later. Oxee glued himself to Patrick's rear bumper with Mike Bologna close behind with this duo trying to track down Kevin Metzger for the championship. On lap 5 disaster struck the tandem as Bologna got into Oxee for Roger into a spin in turn two, with NASCAR Officials placing Bologna to the rear for aggressive driving. That turn of events moved Kevin Metzger alongside Patrick for the double file restart with Patrick out running Metzger to the first turn for the race lead, a lead the driver of the Steve Mehner Race Engines Chevy would not surrender as he drove to his third career win. Kevin Metzger of Massapequa was runner-up in the VJ Auto Body Chevy, while Scott Kulesa of Georgetown, Ma crossed the line third in the Ranco Sand & Stone Pontiac. Metzger leads Oxee by 18 points and Bologna by 20 with one race to go in 2010.

Just minutes after celebrating his Modified title, Tom Rogers Jr. jumped into the Ralph Tasso owned Chevy and drove to his second Figure Eight win of 2010 in a 15-lap contest. Tom Graff led the first lap of the tilt before he was passed by Mike Mujsce on the second lap of the race dropping Graff to second. Tom's night would get worse on lap 4 during a yellow flag when he was forced to give up second to make a visit to the pits moving Arne Pedersen to second alongside Mujsce. Arne who came to the race as the point leader and Mujsce who is third in the standings battled hard for the lead and that fight got too close as they got together in turn one drawing a yellow light. That moved Tom Rogers Jr. to the race lead in the S&H Welding machine, a lead he not give up over the final half of the race to post his 16th career win in the class. Scott Pedersen of Shirley moved by his brother Arne for the points lead with his second place finish giving him a 4-point lead going into next Saturday's double point race. Ken Hyde Jr. of Medford was third in the Gershow Recycling Dodge.

Brian Doyle of Ronkonkoma notched his second Charger win of 2010 when he won the 20-lap main event for the class for his 3rd career win. Daryn Miller jumped out front of the field leading Eric Zeh over the first 8 circuits of the race before Zeh was passed by Doyle on lap 9. Brian went right to work on Miller for the race lead as the duo entered a game of cat and mouse with Miller protecting the inside lane forcing Doyle to take a look outside from time to time. With the laps waning down Doyle entering turn three gave Miller a nudge moving Daryn up the hill some which allowed Doyle to slip underneath for the race lead. Once out front Brian Doyle in the Creative Craftsman Chevy never looked back and drove to victory lane a multiple time winner in 2010. Point leader Chris Turbush of Riverhead was second in the National Fire Safety Pontiac with Daryn Miller of Franklin Square third in the Business Brokers Chevy. With one race to go Chris Turbush has a 14-point margin over Chris McGuire for the championship.

Rob Bader was in the right place at the right time to win his second consecutive Blunderbust main event for his third win of the season. "Racing" Ray Shannon and Gary Caldwell ran one-two for the first 8 laps before Tommy "The Wildchild" Walkowiak slipped under Caldwell for second on lap 9. Tommy not only looking to win the race but also clinch the 2010 championship went right to work on Shannon for the race lead. Ray was protecting the inside lane on Tommy which forced the challenger to look outside from lap to lap but on the 14th lap contact was made in turn four slowing the two long enough to allow Rob Bader to slip by for the lead. Walkowiak remained second with Shannon unfortunately dropping the infield with a left rear flat. Over the final five laps Rob Bader in the Robert's Express Oil entry would lead the remainder of the race to score his 6th career victory. Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge seemingly finished second to secure the 2010 championship, but NASCAR Officials placed him last of the lead lap cars for his incident with Shannon on lap 14. That moved Scott Maliszewski of Deer Park to second in the FB Transmission Chevy, with Tom Pickerell of Huntington third in the Pickerell Clam Buick. Walkowiak still has a healthy lead, 38 point over Pickerell going into the finale next Saturday.

The 20-lap Super Pro Truck event turned out to be a Dumicich family affair with Frank Dumicich Jr. of E. Quogue out gunning dear old dad Frank Sr. for the 20-lap victory. For the entire first half of the race and then some the Dumicich tandem ran side by side for the race lead, a position they'd swap numerous times over the first 12 laps. On lap 13 Frank Jr. moved out front in his Gregg's Landscaping Chevy with father Frank giving chase in his Wesemann's Sand & Mason Supplies Ford over the final seven laps. Moving to third to break-up the Dumicich family reunion was point leader Roger Turbush, who in turn had the third member of the racing Dumicich family Erin not too far behind in fourth. When the dust settled youth was served with Frank Dumicich Jr. posting his 11th career win moving him into a tie with Pat Smith for fourth on the all-time win list. Frank Dumicich Sr. was second with Roger Turbush of Riverhead third in the Allied Air Conditioning Chevy.

That finish gives Roger a 26-point lead over Frank Dumicich Jr. going into the Golden Auto Body finale Saturday.

The 20-lap Legend Race Car main event featured a battle between 68-year old Silas Hiscock Sr. and "The Natural" Timmy Solomito for the race lead with youth once again prevailing as Solomito scored his third win of 2010.

Hiscock broke out front at the throw of the green and the winner of a Modified feature on July 8th, 1961 was out to take his first Legend Race Car triumph. Chris Turbush chased Silas for the first two laps before Jimmy Byrne moved by on lap 3, a position Byrne would hold down for the following 6 laps as at the halfway point Timmy Solomito moved by Byrne and set sail for leader Hiscock. Silas did not go away without a fight as Timmy had to try multiple times to race his way by for the lead which he finally did for good on lap 14 with an inside pass in turn three. Once out front Timmy Solomito in his Riverhead Building Supply racer drove to the popular win.

Jim Byrne of Selden had his best effort of 2010 with second in the First Class Video Productions entry, while Silas Hiscock Sr. of Bridgehampton held on for third in the Hampton Tank Gas Service machine. Kevin Nowak of Medford clinched the 2010 Legends championship when he crossed the line 6th in his Racing Creations racer, his first career track title.

Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted: 
September 13, 2010

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