Talented NASCAR Modified Field Ready to Go in Riverhead Twin 30’s Opener

The NASCAR Whelen All American Series opening night is now a matter of days away at Barbara & Jim Cromarty’s Riverhead Raceway and there will be plenty of talent on display in the NASCAR Modified Twin 30 opening night feature events this Saturday night, a perfect way to usher in the 65th anniversary season at the historic quarter mile. All told seven divisions will be in action for the opening night festivities with feature racing going green at 5:30 pm

Howie Brode of East Islip will lead the charge of NASCAR Modified talent into battle Saturday as the soft spoken defending champion seeks his third straight and fourth overall track title in 2015. Another three time champion in the class John Fortin Sr. of Holtsville who is also ready for the Twin 30’s this Saturday as well as making a run for his fourth track title. Both Brode and Fortin are threats for the opening night wins. Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead has two NASCAR Modified crowns to his credit and while he might not chase the 2015 Riverhead title due to his new WMT ride, Rogers visited victory lane some seven times in 2014 and seeks to do so again Saturday. 2012 NASCAR Modified champion Shawn Solomito of East Moriches will make his first Long Island start driving for a former five time Riverhead Raceway champion Wayne Anderson, Solomito swept the 2014 Twin 30’s one year ago.

The Riverhead Raceway opening night talent pool will also include two former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champions as both George Brunnhoelzl III of Mooresville, NC and Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. will be on hand. Brunnhoelzl, a former four time champion on the NWSMT will steer Bill Park’s immaculate entry, Park himself is a former four time Riverhead Raceway champ. Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Northern Modified Tour champion will make his Long Island debut in the Eddie Partridge owned machine and hopes to sweep the opening night Twin 30’s. Ryan, aside from the Partridge entry, will also make some selected starts for Team Park in 2015 at Riverhead.

“The Natural” Timmy Solomito of Islip is expected to challenge his brother Shawn on opening night as well as his eldest brother Jerry Solomito Jr. of Hampton Bays, Timmy will be in his family car while Jerry steers a car owned by his racing wife Erin Solomito. The Solomito clan will not be the only family feud at Riverhead on Saturday as Eddie Brunnhoelzl III will race against his cousin George, Eddie was fast in his all new car in both pre season practices.

Jason Agugliaro of Islip, Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead, Vinny Biondolillo of Farmingville and 2014 Rookie of the Year Jeffrey Goodale of Riverhead all turned in top ten championship chase performances last year at Riverhead Raceway and are ready to go to post on opening night as well. Ditto Dave Brigati of Calverton, John Beatty Jr. of Merrick and Ken Darch of Riverhead as this trio did plenty of testing and tuning over the past two weeks gearing up for the Twin 30’s on opening night.  “Fast” Al Ermmarino has announced that he’ll call Riverhead home in 2015 and make a run for the 2015 title with David Schneider of Glen Cove who is expected to compete as well.

The two most recent Legend Race Car champions at Riverhead will make their NASCAR Modified debuts in the Twin 30’s as Kyle Soper of Manorville the 2014 champion and Brendon Bock of Franklin Square the 2013 champ move up to the 600 horsepower machines in ’15. Bock made his WMT debut this past Sunday with a splash as he was a stellar 10th in the famed Spring Sizzler WMT event at the Stafford Motor Speedway.

Joining the Twin 30 NASCAR Modified features are the Late Models, Figure Eights, Chargers, Blunderbusts, Super Pro Trucks and Legend Race Cars. Track officials have announced the pit gates will open at 11:00 am this Saturday May 2nd with warm-ups starting at 1:30 pm. Feature event racing at 5:30 pm will be proceeded by Legend Race Car and NASCAR Modified qualifying via time trials.