John Fortin Repeats as
N.Y. State NASCAR Champion
Despite falling short of repeating as the Riverhead Raceway
NASCAR Modified
champion, John Fortin of Holtsville won his second consecutive
New York
State Modified championship for the Whelen All-American Series
while
competing at Barbara & Jim Cromarty's historic quarter mile
oval. Fortin
and his SGS Stone Works team will be feted for the New York
State crown on
Friday evening December 10th at NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series awards
banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina.
Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue scored his second career NASCAR
Modified
championship on September 11th, out pointing John Fortin 652 to
646, a mere
six point difference after 18 hard fought races. However the
NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series does not recognize the three double point
races
contested in 2010 at Riverhead Raceway which explains the
difference in the
track and state champions. In 2009 Fortin earned over $12,000 as
the New
York State champion and that figure is expected to be met or
exceeded in
2010.
Keith Rocco of Wallingford, Ct won the 2010 NASCAR Whelen
All-American
Series National championship, clinching his first career WAAS
crown in late
August at his home track, the Waterford Speedbowl in New London,
Connecticut, which sits directly north across the Long Island
sound from
Riverhead Raceway.
John Fortin visited victory lane once during his 2010
campaign at Riverhead
Raceway and he backed up that win with 13 top fives and 16 top
ten finishes
that worked out to an average finish of 5.3 which was tops of
the regular
drivers in the NASCAR Modified ranks. Champion Tom Rogers Jr.
scored a
division leading four feature event wins in his HR Promotions
Chevy and
finished the season with a 6.6 average finish.
Aside from fielding his own powder blue entries weekly at
Riverhead Raceway,
the Fortin family and team field a second car for 18-year old
daughter Amber
who placed 11th in the final Riverhead Raceway point standings
this season
in her Stakey Pumpkin Farms Chevy. "Once again I have to thank
my dedicated
family, crew and our loyal sponsors for all they put into this
two-car
effort". Fortin pointed out. "We're looking forward to going to
Charlotte in
December for the Whelen All-American Series banquet and it sure
is nice to
see a fellow Modified driver take the national championship once
again".
Asked if he plans a visit to the new NASCAR Hall Of Fame while
in town John
quickly replied, "Sure, I can't wait to see Richie Evans car on
display
among all the other NASCAR greats".
The 2010 NASCAR Modified season was indeed a successful one
at Riverhead
Raceway and as per usual a very competitive one among perhaps
the most
talented weekly field in the country which is evident by the
fact that
Riverhead drivers occupy 9 of the top ten final positions in the
New York
State rankings. Tom Rogers Jr., Chuck Steuer of Bohemia, Eddie
Brunnhoelzl
III of Levittown and Bill Park of Manorville all finished second
through
fifth. Completing the state standings from sixth to ninth were,
Dave Brigati
of Calverton, Timmy Solomito of Islip, rookie driver John Beatty
of Valley
Stream and Chris Young of Calverton. Spencer Speedway regular
Kevin
Timmerman placed tenth after a great season at the Williamson,
NY oval
promoted by Long Islander John White.
Can John Fortin score the three-peat in the NASCAR Whelen
All-American New
York State championship chase? The quest for that title will
begin on
Saturday evening May 7th when Barbara & Jim Cromarty open the
Riverhead
Raceway for the 62nd season of great stock car and family
entertainment
events. For all off season news and notes please visit
www.riverheadraceway.com.
Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead
Raceway PR
Posted: September
27, 2010
