Steve Mastro Tops Riverhead Grand Enduro
The curtain came down on the 62nd season
of stock car racing at Barbara & Jim Cromarty's Riverhead
Raceway Saturday evening with the stars of the Enduro racing
divisions taking center stage and in the 60-lap Grand Enduro,
newcomer Steve Mastro of Port Jefferson scored his first career
victory. By virtue of his runner-up finish to Mastro, David
Antos of Lindenhurst claimed the 2011 Grand Enduro title, while
in the 60-lap 4/6-Cylinder Truck Enduro Robin Vollmoeller of
Riverhead won both the race and season long championship.
After Tom Murray paced the race over the
first 4 laps it would be David Antos breaking out front on lap 5
and once out front the driver of the CR Customs Chevy would open
up what appeared to be an insurmountable lead. However Steve
Mastro made his way to second on lap 19 passing Don Carasiti for
the spot and over the next 35 laps slowly chipped away at the
advantage Antos had built-up. Finally with just five laps to go
Steve Mastro in his Sheep Pasture Tree & Nursery Chevy caught
and passed Antos for the lead and eventual win in the former
Jimmy Denis entry. David Antos by finishing second to Mastro
wound-up taking his first career championship on the strength of
one feature event win. Defending champion James Charrier of
Shirley was third in his Clear Beer Draft Monte Carlo.
Robin Vollmoeller clinched the
4/6-Cylinder Truck Enduro crown in fine fashion as he won their
60-lap main event, his second win of 2011. After Ben Gregor led
the first 3 laps of the contest Johnny "Drama" Cricchio took
over the lead on the 4th lap and he seemed headed to his first
career win. However Robin Vollmoeller, one of the all-time
leading winners of Charger races at the quarter mile, raced his
way to second on lap 27 and over the final half of the race he
and Cricchio waged a great fight for the lead. Vollmoeller in
the Sap Auto Repair Chevy took the lead for good on lap 53 and
drove to victory over the final seven circuits. Johnny Cricchio
of Ridge in the Kevin Nowak "Grocery Getter" 4X4 was runner-up,
while Greg Harris of Riverhead placed third in the SGS Stone
Works racer.
Dege Russell of Rocky Point continued
his late season hot streak in the first 8-Cylinder Enduro, a
75-lap affair, his second win in the month of September, as the
driver of the Kelly Russell Realty Chevy also won over the Labor
Day weekend. Russell took control of the race early and battled
with Ed Brown Jr. for the lead during the race until Brown later
fell from the race with a flat tire. Dominic Ranieri of East
Northport was runner-up to Russell at the checkers and it was
enough for the tested tough veteran to claim his first career
championship in his Local Cesspools Chevy. Donald "Woot"
Lawrence of Hampton Bays was third in the Peconic Auto Repair
Monte Carlo.
In the 50-lap nightcap for the
8-Cylinder racers it was Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma
scoring his second win of the night just minutes after he won
the 4-Cylinder race. Pizzo ran away and his in the nightcap in
his STS Tire Works Caprice and was followed by Dominic Ranieri
in his Westhampton Auto Salvage Chevy and third went to opening
race winner Dege Russell.
Veteran Bob Haeger of Hampton Bays was
able to snap the season long winning streak of Gene Burbol in
the 50-lap 6-Cylinder Enduro, while Burbol with his 5th place
tally earned yet another championship in his Gene's 112 Service
Center racer. Bob Haeger, whose father used to promote the short
lived oval racing at the Westhampton Speedway in the 70's
enjoyed his first win of 2011 in his Haeger Home Improvements
machine. Mitchell Pattern of Southold was runner-up in his MoJo
racer while Richard Galante of E. Patchogue had another fine run
for third.
Anthony Pizzo scored the win in the
60-lap 4-Cylinder Enduro as he drove his A. Voight Towing racer
out front early to a lead he'd never surrender scoring his 2nd
win of the 2011 season in the class. Dennis Nelson of Coram
clinched the 2011 championship in his Repo Joe entry with a
runner-up finish that almost wasn't. In the closing laps of the
race Nelson lost a front axle on his car and if the race had
been 75-laps instead of 60 he might have lost the title on the
last night, however he nursed his car past the scoring clock on
the final lap to secure the championship. Defending champion
Steve "The Pitbull" Trimboli of Freeport was third in his
Pitbull Motors Mercedes.
Grand Enduro 60-laps (top five): 1.
Steve Mastro 2. David Antos 3. James Charrier 4. Walter Stroud
5. Bob Engelfried
4/6-Cylinder truck Enduro 60-laps (top
five): 1. Robin Vollmoeller 2. Johnny Cricchio 3. Greg Harris 4.
Andy Owen 5. Hank Hallock
1st 8-Cylinder Enduro 75-laps (top
five): Dege Russell 2. Dominic Ranieri 3. Donald Lawrence 4.
Anthony Pizzo 5. Bob Haeger
2nd 8-Cylinder Enduro 50-laps (top
five): 1. Anthony Pizzo 2. Dominic Ranieri 3. Dege Russell 4.
Bob Baker 5. Robin Schewire
6-Cylinder Enduro 50-laps (top five): 1.
Bob Haeger 2. Mitchell Pattern 3. Richard Galante 4. Michael
Wahl 5. Gene Burbol
4-Cylinder Enduro 60-laps (top five): 1.
Anthony Pizzo 2. Dennis Nelson 3. Steve Trimboli 4. Don Nelson
Jr. 5. Robert Endlekofer
Source:
Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted: September 26, 2011
