News of Chris Young Passing Tempers Riverhead Pit Area Mood Saturday

As the afternoon turned into evening Saturday at Barbara & Jim Cromarty’s Riverhead Raceway the news of Chris Young’s passing filtered through the tight knit community in the track pit area. Young who underwent a double knee replacement Wednesday July 15th passed away early Saturday morning from causes yet to be determined.

“I’m devastated” a distraught John Fortin Sr. said as he walked away from the payoff window, “we found out before the feature and boy was I trying to win the race for Chris, perhaps too hard” Fortin recovered for a 5th place finish in the NASCAR Modified feature after being sent to the rear of the field for contact with Jerry Solomito Jr., “it was my fault” John admitted. Like Young, Fortin’s career path began in the Figure Eight class at Riverhead with 24 wins and three championships before moving up to the NASCAR Modified ranks where he also a three time champion with 28 career wins. “Chris taught me and helped a lot in making the transition to Modified racing from Figure Eights, he was a great guy”.

Ironically Saturday Fortin made his first Figure Eight start since 1991 night in Benny Vecchio’s Camaro with a 10th place finish, afterwards Fortin was able to quip, “I looked like a guy that hasn’t raced a Figure Eight car in 25 years”.

Tom Rogers Jr. is another driver cut from the Chris Young mold enjoying a successful NASCAR Modified career after Figure Eight stardom and in fact still does so as he won both the NASCAR Modified and Figure Eight main events Saturday. Tom’s NASCAR Modified triumph was the 35th of his career and earlier this year he moved past Chris who won some 33 times for third on the Riverhead all time win list. Young remains fourth on the list. Rogers in fact is leading the championship standings in both divisions.

While Young’s death was not formally announced at Riverhead on Saturday as track management was concerned about proper family notification, Rogers did address it during his two victory lane interviews after being told the news, “seems we are doing this way too often lately, losing members of our extended family, it is just very emotional right now”. Rogers like Young won two Riverhead Raceway Figure Eight titles in 2002 & ’03 while Chris was the 1976 & ’77 champion.

“Aside from being a good racer Chris was just a good guy” track announcer Stephen Halpin added, “old school, hardnosed but a good guy”. While his Figure Eight driving career started at Riverhead Raceway he would later move west to the Islip Speedway where he also found much success in the class before moving to the NASCAR Modifieds. As the dedicated racer he was, Young would also run his Figure Eight machine with the Modern Stock class at the then paved New Egypt Speedway.

Employed as a truck mechanic at Riverhead Building Supply, Young has also been credited with aiding a young Kevin Goodale in racing which also paved the way for current NASCAR WMT championship contender Eric Goodale, Kevin’s younger brother. The Goodale family owns Riverhead Building Supply.

Once Christopher, Chris & Ann Young’s son was old enough to go racing Chris stepped out of the race car to focus on that effort which produced the 2011 Legend Race Car title at Riverhead Raceway. Christopher is now in his third year of studies at Purdue University. He is also survived by his daughter Leah who was her dad and brothers number one fan.

The Young’s also own and operate Bronson Speedway in Archer, Florida which is just outside Ocala and in typical Chris Young fashion are promoting good old school grassroots racing at the facility. Chris was never one for the fancy race car hauler or toter home and in fact his last race car hauler was an enclosed ramp truck he built with his own two hands. The truck is still active in the Riverhead pit area and is now owned by Figure Eight driver Gary Fritz Jr and his team.

Chris Young will sorely be missed by his racing family at Riverhead Raceway and Bronson Speedway but we were all blessed and honored to have known him.