"Comeback Kid" Don Howe Visits Riverhead Raceway Modified
Victory Lane for First Time Since 1996
Former five-time Riverhead Raceway
NASCAR Modified champion Don Howe of Water Mill completed his
return to racing after a decade and a half retirement with a
popular victory this past Saturday night when he won the 35-lap
Safelite Auto Glass night feature event. Howe, driving for car
owners Joe & Terri Bertuccio earned $1,450 for the victory which
was the 28th of his illustrious career that ironically ties him
with JR Bertuccio for 9th on the all-time win list.
Starting from the pole Don Howe was
joined in the front row by rookie driver Jason Agugliaro and
when the green flag waved it was the teacher Howe taking the
early race lead from the student Agugliaro who ran second for
the first five laps of the contest. On lap 6 it was 2010 NASCAR
Modified Rookie of the Year John Beatty Jr. working his way by
Agugliaro for second and Howe soon found himself under attack
from another member of the growing Riverhead Raceway NASCAR
Modified youth movement. Once to second Beatty went into attack
mode on the race leader but Howe with his many laps of
experience was able to thwart the advances of Beatty off every
corner.
As the race moved forward Dave Brigati
threw his hat into the ring as he reeled in both Howe and Beatty
after racing his way to third and the trio would soon distance
themselves from the remainder of the 20-car field. Once Brigati
glued himself to Beatty's rear spoiler the sophomore driver had
to take a more conservative approach in his challenges to Don
Howe for the race lead and victory, which was music to the ears
of the eventual race winner.
At the checkers it was the Gershow
Recycling Chevy of Don Howe crossing the line first. Howe and
his team debuted a new truck-arm rear suspension racer for the
2011 season at Riverhead Raceway and at first struggled early on
in the year and it was the constant hard work of his crew that
won the race in Howe's opinion, "we had a difficult time at
first, but this team just kept thrashing away and this is the
result". As for his race with a first and second year driver for
the race win Howe complimented both drivers, "the students
treated the teacher really good tonight and ran me clean all the
way and I thank them for that".
John Beatty Jr. of Merrick wheeled his
North Shore Recycling Chevy over the line second, while "The
Fancy Farmer" Dave Brigati of Calverton placed third in the JDL
Environmental entry. Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville who flew
for the NASCAR WMT race at New Hampshire Speedway earlier in the
day drove from 12th to a 4th place finish while Shawn Solomito
of Islip completed the top five.
Mike Bologna of Melville scored his
second Late Model win of the 2011 campaign when he topped their
25-lap main event. Artie Pedersen Jr. paced the race over the
first four laps of the tilt, chased at first by Dennis Krupski
and then Chris LaSpisa. LaSpisa moved by Pedersen for the top
spot on lap 4 with Mike Bologna and Roger Oxee quickly came to
second and third. On the 7th lap racing through the first and
second turn LaSpisa left the inside lane open a tad too much and
Bologna and Oxee both raced under him for the top two positions.
Over the final 18 laps of the race Bologna was hounded by Oxee
who was seeking his second straight win just one week removed
from his 60th career victory. However Mike Bologna steering the
Schlaugies Fuel Oil Chevy would have the field covered and drove
to his 7th career Late Model win while Roger Oxee of Peconic had
to settle for second in the Southold IGA Pontiac. Just two days
after the birth of his first child Jarrod Hayes of Calverton
made a late race charge to third which is where he finished in
the Apple Auto Parts Chevy.
Chris McGuire of Shirley was one of
three drivers who scored their third win of 2011 when the point
leader topped the 20-lap Charger feature event. Second year
talent Eric Zeh jumped to the race lead at the drop of the green
and was chased for the first lap by Brian Doyle before he was
over taken by CJ Lehmann on lap 2. Lehmann once to second set
his sights on race leader Zeh, but soon that plan went out the
window when Chris McGuire burst upon the scene and started
testing CJ for second. On lap 12 McGuire was able to work his
way by Lehmann for second and after spending the following five
laps reeling in Zeh he would pass Eric with just three laps
remaining to take over the lead. Those final three circuits were
not easy ones for McGuire who had his nearest championship
rivals in Jeremy McDermott and Chris Turbush filling his mirror,
but the driver of the Long Island Fiber Exchange Ford would hold
on for his 14th career win. Jeremy McDermott of E. Stroudsburg,
pa was runner-up in the JDP Mechanical Pontiac, while Chris
Turbush of Riverhead was third in the Scotty O Motorsports
entry.
In order to win his third Blunderbust
feature of the season and the 46th overall in his career Tommy
"The Wildchild" Walkowiak of Ridge would have to come from dead
last, 19th in the field to accomplish the fete. Mission
accomplished. Tim "Lightening" Mulqueen roared out to the race
lead at the start and would lead the first dozen laps of the
race which was slowed by several cautions early on, a rarity for
the class. Those cautions allowed Walkowiak and Tom Pickerell
who came to the race tied for the points lead and started the
race 18th, ample time to weave their way towards the front.
Jessica Cohan, Brandon Hubbard and "Krazy" Ed Mistretta at one
time or another all chased Mulqueen for the lead before
Walkowiak moved to second on lap 11. With Mulqueen out front on
lap 12 he bobbled ever so slightly exiting the fourth corner and
with barely enough room to fit his Blaze Fuel Oil Chevy through
Walkowiak threaded the needle to the outside to take the race
lead and eventual victory, while his championship foe Tom
Pickerell looked on from the infield done in by a broken rocker
arm. "Pistol" Paul Parisi of Riverhead made a nice charge to a
second place finish in his Tidewater Dock Building Chevy, while
Ed Mistretta of New Hyde Park placed third in the Busy Bee Pest
Control racer. Jack Handley Jr. of Medford had actually crossed
the line second but came up light in the post race weigh-in and
was disqualified.
Chris Turbush notched his third Super
Pro Truck victory of 2011 when he topped their 20-lap main
event. Defending champion Roger Turbush would be the man with
the plan early on as he led Brian McElearney at the drop of the
green. Lap 3 found Mike Albasini moving around McElearney for
second behind race leader Roger Turbush and for the second week
in a row Roger suddenly veered into the infield with mechanical
woes surrendering the lead to Albasini. The new race leader was
another driver seeking his second straight win but Chris Turbush
who moved to second when his brother had his misfortune had
other ideas. On lap 10 racing into the third turn Turbush
wrestled the lead away from Albasini with an inside pass. Once
out front Chris Turbush would then drive to his 6th career Super
Pro Truck victory in his East-West Marine Chevy. Mike Albasini
of Flushing would have to be content with runner-up money in his
Hollis Court Collision Chevy while Brian McElearney of N.
Babylon was third in his Fun & Food Deli Chevy.
Later this fall Michael "Cheesebox"
Rommeney will marry his fiancé' Cindy Scott, but this past
Saturday he first had to contend with his future father-in-law
Dennis Scott in a Full Size School Bus Demolition Derby as the
duo were the last two buses standing. After the likes of
"Hubcap" Brandon Hubbard, Donny Fox, Ken Darch, Chris Van Cott
and Billy Faas were eliminated the event boiled down to Rommeney
and Scott, who duked it out for quite sometime before Rommeney
made the last hit to score the win in the Able Auto Salvage Bus.
The rivalry between the in-laws will be renewed Saturday August
6th when the Night of Thrills takes place at Riverhead Raceway.
Safelite Auto Glass NASCAR Modifieds
35-laps: 1. Don Howe 2. John Beatty Jr. 3. Dave Brigati 4.
Justin Bonsignore 5. Shawn Solomito 6. Jason Agugliaro 7. Wayne
Anderson 8. John Fortin 9. Bill Park 10. Chuck Steuer 11. Jerry
Solomito Jr. 12. Ken Darch 13. Chris Young 14. Kyle Ellwood 15.
John Fortin Jr. 16. Kevin Nowak 17. Amber Fortin 18. Robin
Vollmoeller 19. Tom Rogers Jr. 20. Eddie Brunnhoelzl III
Late Models 25-laps: 1. Mike Bologna 2.
Roger Oxee 3. Jarrod Hayes 4. Shawn Patrick 5. Scott Kulesa 6.
Peter Eriksen 7. Chris LaSpisa 8. Kevin Metzger 9. Arne Pedersen
Jr. 10. Dennis Krupski 11. Artie Pedersen Jr. 12. Rob McCormick
Chargers 20-laps: 1. Chris McGuire 2.
Jeremy McDermott 3. Chris Turbush 4. Eric Zeh 5. Ray Minieri 6.
Brian Doyle 7. John Baker 8. CJ Lehmann 9. Frank Dumicich Jr.
10. Erin Dumicich 11. Dan Turbush DNS- Allen Reeves
Blunderbusts 20-laps: 1. Tommy Walkowiak
2. Paul Parisi 3. Ed Mistretta 4. Scott Maliszewski 5. Tom
Sullivan 6. Tim Mulqueen 7. Thomas Puccia 8. Gary Caldwell 9.
Scott Sepe 10. Jessica Cohan 11. Bill Wegmann Sr. 12. Bill
Portney Sr. 13. Brandon Hubbard 14. Fred Nolan 15. Tom Pickerell
16. Bryan Quilliam 17. Rob Bader 18. Bill Wegmann Jr. DQ- Jack
Handley Jr.
Super Pro Trucks 20-laps: 1. Chris
Turbush 2. Mike Albasini 3. Brian McElearney 4. Frank Dumicich
Jr. 5. Dave Koenig 6. Lou Maestri 7. Erin Dumicich 8. Frank
Dumicich Sr. 9. Peter Rotzi 10. Matt Odwazny 11. Keith Rotzi 12.
Roger Turbush 13. Kevin Scharfenberg 14. Kathleen Hallock
Full Size School Bus Demolition Derby:
Winner- Michael Rommeney
Source:
Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted: July 18, 2011
