John Beatty Tops Riverhead Raceway Modifieds; Justin
Bonsignore Clinches 2011 Championship
John Beatty Jr, of Merrick made an early
race move pay dividends Saturday night as he scored his second
career NASCAR Modified victory in a 35-lap main event that saw
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville sew-up the 2011 NASCAR Modified
title on the strength of a fourth place finish. Beatty, the 2010
Rookie of the Year earned $1,450 for his win.
After Ken Darch led the first lap of the
race, John Beatty Jr powered his way out front with an inside
pass of Darch on the second lap of the race, with Chris Young
also slipping under Darch through the opening Beatty created.
For the remainder of the race Beatty in the North Shore
Recycling Chevy would not only lead the race, but he'd drive off
to a comfortable advantage over Young in the process. At the
finish it was John Beatty Jr. topping the field and after his
win the Rockville Center Police Officer dedicated this victory
to the victims of 9-11-2011. "This win goes out to all those
fellow police and firefighters who lost their lives that tragic
day" Beatty noted in victory lane. "I also have to thank my
guys" John furthered, "especially my dad, they give me the best
equipment to drive and I'm happy for them".
Justin Bonsignore raced his way to 4th
early in the race with his nearest rival John Fortin coming to
5th during the event and that was more than enough for Justin in
his M3 Technologies Chevy to wrap-up the NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series title. "We did a lot of traveling along the
way to win this championship" Justin noted afterwards, "I can't
thank Ken Massa my owner and all my guys for the sacrifices they
made to get us here tonight".
In the 35-lapper Chris Young of
Calverton would post a runner-up finish in his Bronson Speedway
Chevy, with Dave Sapienza of Riverhead third in the Flemington
Furs Chevy. Championship contenders Justin Bonsignore and John
Fortin, both from Holtsville completed the top five.
"J-Rod" Jarrod Hayes of Calverton scored
a clean sweep in Late Model action as he set fast time and then
won their 50-lap feature. After setting fast time with a lap of
12.631 Hayes drew a disappointing 5th in the pre-race redraw.
Mike Bologna jumped to the early race lead chased at first by
Scott Kulesa, just two drivers among four in the 2011 title
fight. Kulesa ran second to Bologna for the first 18-laps of the
race before he was over taken by Roger Oxee for position, Roger
then spent the following 19-laps chasing Bologna for the lead
before he was passed by Hayes on lap 39 for second. Once to
second Hayes started to chip away at Bologna's lead and then
with less than 10-laps remaining a yellow flag waved aided
Hayes' effort. With just seven laps to go Hayes in his Apple
Auto Parts Chevy made his way by Mike Bologna for the race lead
and his second win of the 2011 campaign. Mike Bologna of
Melville was runner-up in the Schlaugies Fuel Oil Chevy while
Roger Oxee of Peconic was third in the Southold IGA Pontiac.
"The Altar Boy" Tom Ferrara of Patchogue
notched his third Figure Eight win of 2011 in a 15-lap main
event. Ferrara broke out front on the throw of the green and
once he had the Bill Beener Tree Service entry out front there
was no catching him. Roger Maynor powered his way to second on
the 6th lap of the contest but not even he, a 102-time feature
event winner, could find a way by Tom Ferrara. Maynor of Bay
Shore was runner-up in the Barrasso & Sons Mason Supplies
Toyota, while Arne Pedersen of Mastic overcame a rough riding
trip to the rear of the field to finish third in his BNR Home
Improvement Dodge.
Chris McGuire of Shirley scored a career
best fourth Charger win of the year when he topped their 20-lap
main event. After a spirited early race fight for the lead with
CJ Lehmann, McGuire in his Gershow Recycling Ford powered his
way out front on lap 8 for the race lead, a lead he never
surrender. "Radiant" Ray Minieri of Bay Shore made his way to
second under Lehmann when McGuire took the lead and that is
where the driver of the Mr. Beery's Pub Pontiac would finish,
while point leader Chris Turbush of Riverhead was third in the
Arrow Exterminating Pontiac.
"Slick Pick" Tom Pickerell of Huntington
made his second visit to victory lane in 2011 when he won the
20-lap Blunderbust feature. The "Racing Grandfather" Bill
Wegmann showed the way for the first half of the race before
Pickerell in his Premier Utility Equipment Chevy raced his way
by for the top spot. Once out front the soft spoken veteran had
to thwart the challenges of Tommy Walkowiak before he could lay
claim to the win. Walkowiak of Ridge clinched the 2011
Blunderbust title, his fifth in six years with a runner-up
finish in the Blaze Fuel Oil Chevy. Rob Bader of Holtsville
charged his way to a third place showing in the MoMo's Sport Bar
& Grill entry.
Roger Turbush of Riverhead posted his
4th Super Pro Truck win of the season in a 20-lap affair that
found him having to fight off his brother Chris for the win. The
brothers Turbush moved out front at the throw of the green and
they'd swap the lead halfway through the race before Roger in
his Allied Air Conditioning Chevy moved out front on lap 11 for
good. Chris in his Racing Creations Chevy was runner-up, while
Frank Dumicich Jr. of East Quogue was third in the Teddy Bear
Graphics Chevy.
In a time limit 13-lap Legend Race Car
main event, Paul Dodorico of Miller Place completed a 20-year
dream as he scored his first career win. Dodorico in his Line-X
of Long Island racer moved out front at the start of the race
and would wind-up leading the entire distance when the sloppy
race was cut short by time. Kevin Nowak of Medford was runner-up
in his Racing Creations mount while Mike Malone of Mastic Beach
was third in his Sign Department entry. On the strength of a 4th
place showing Chris Young of Calverton, a five-time feature
event winner clinched the 2011 Legend Race Car championship.
NASCAR Modifieds 35-laps: 1. John Beatty
Jr. 2. Chris Young 3. Dave Sapienza 4. Justin Bonsignore 5. John
Fortin 6. Brad Van Houten 7. Howie Brode 8. Dave Brigati 9. Kyle
Ellwood 10. Ken Darch 11. Frank Saladino 12. Amber Fortin 13.
Jason Agugliaro 14. John Fortin Jr. 15. Don Howe 16. Mike Watson
17. Wayne Anderson 18. Kevin Nowak
Late Models 50-laps: 1. Jarrod Hayes 2.
Mike Bologna 3. Roger Oxee 4. Scott Kulesa 5. Kevin Metzger 6.
Chris LaSpisa 7. Bob Baker 8. Rob McCormick 9. Arne Pedersen 10.
Peter Eriksen 11. Artie Pedersen Jr. 12. Justin Strumpf 13.
Shawn Patrick 14. Ken Alfano 15. Dan Turbush 16. Dennis Krupski
17. Greg Kleila 18. Kevin Orlando
Figure Eights 15-laps: 1. Tom Ferrara 2.
Roger Maynor 3. Arne Pedersen 4. Dennis Scott 5. George Brown 6.
Ken Hyde Jr. 7. Steve Stadler 8. Mike Mujsce 9. Tim Mulqueen 10.
Peter Bertuccio 11. Bryan Sescila 12. Gary Fritz Jr. DNS- Marisa
Neiderauer
Chargers 20-laps: 1. Chris McGuire 2.
Ray Minieri 3. Chris Turbush 4. CJ Lehmann 5. Jeremy McDermott
6. Brian Brown 7. Frank Dumicich Jr. 8. John Baker
Blunderbusts 20-laps: 1. Tom Pickerell
2. Tommy Walkowiak 3. Rob Bader 4. Bill Wegmann Sr. 5. Gary
Caldwell 6. Bill Wegmann Jr. 7. Tom Sullivan 8. Scott
Maliszewski 9. Ed Mistretta 10. Jimmy White Jr. 11. Joe Seeger
12. Thomas Puccia Jr. 13. Fred Nolan 14. Scott Sepe 15. Brandon
Hubbard 16. Bill Portney Sr. 17. Bryan Quilliam 18. Bob Muller
19. Kerri Herbst 20. Jack Handley Jr. 21. Brian Hansen 22. Paul
Parisi 23. Tim Mulqueen 24. Jesscia Cohan
Super Pro Trucks 20-laps: 1. Roger
Turbush 2. Chris Turbush 3. Frank Dumicich Jr. 4. Dave Koenig 5.
Erin Dumicich 6. Keith Rotzi 7. Frank Dumicich Sr. 8. Matt
Odwazny 9. Mike Albasini 10. Lou Maestri 11. Kevin Scharfenberg
12. Peter Rotzi
Legend Race Cars 20-laps: 1. Paul
Dodorico 2. Kevin Nowak 3. Mike Malone 4. Chris Young 5. Chris
Rogers 6. Dylan Slepian 7. Cody Triola 8. Jason Sendlewski 9.
Jim Sylvester 10. Tony Naglieri 11. John Beatty Jr. 12. Dan
McNamara 13. Jim Byrne 14. Kyle Soper 15. Vincent Biondolillo
16. Vinny Delaney 17. Matt Triola 18. Joe Scibelli 19. Anthony
Cacioppo 20. George Baker Jr. 21. Justin Strumpf 22. Tom Marsh
23. Alex Urbina 24. Brendon Bock
Source:
Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted: September 12, 2011
