Soper & Solomito Share Elvis Night Twin 50 Victories

It was truly a hot August night for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series at Riverhead Raceway Saturday night and with lightening dancing in the sky off in the distance the NASCAR Modifieds ran Twin 50 feature events on Elvis Night with Kyle Soper of Manorville and championship leader Shawn Solomito of Center Moriches taking home the wins. For Soper it was his third win of 2016 while for Solomito it was his fourth triumph of the season.

Kyle Soper set the standard in qualifying with a lap of 12.047 over rookie Dillon Steuer who turned in a lap of 12.073 and in a unusual twist the duo drew the front row of the first 50 lap contest. When the race went green Soper was quick to the race lead with Dave Brigati working his way under Steuer to claim second early on. Brigati would soon feel the heat from defending NASCAR Modified champion Tom Rogers Jr. who started the race 4th. On lap 15 Rogers was able to complete a pass on Brigati for second and he then quickly set his radar for race leader Soper. Rogers applied the pressure to Soper for the win with Brigati sitting back in third waiting to see if the top two cars would come together. Soper would also have to survive a late race restart over Rogers and Brigati if he were to lay claim to the win which he did in his Dr. Martha Baker, DDS Chevy.

“I have to thank my parents for all they sacrifice so I can race” the happy winner noted in victory lane, “also thank you to all our sponsors Dr. Martha Baker, Atlantic Chevrolet, Jack Anthony Pools, Touch Adjust Clip, Eastport Manor Deli and my entire crew for their efforts”.

On the strength of a late race pass Dave Brigati of Calverton was runner-up in the JDL Environmental Chevy while Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead placed third in the Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm entry. Shawn Solomtio and Howie Brode of East Islip completed the top five.

With a redraw among the top six setting the field for the second 50-lapper John Fortin Sr. drew the pole after placing 6th in the first race and he’d bring the field to the green flag. Fortin quickly moved into the race lead and was chased by Howie Brode for the first 15 circuits before he was passed to the inside by Tom Rogers Jr. on the 16th lap. Rogers wasted no time getting to leader Fortin and in fact would get into John’s back bumper exiting the fourth turn on the 17th lap. Fortin spun and drew a yellow with Rogers being sent to the rear for his role in the spin. That turn of events put Howie Brode into the race lead with Shawn Solomito now second and after spending two laps looking for a way by Brode for the lead Solomito completed an outside pass on the back stretch for the top spot. Once out front there was no catching the Eastport Feeds Chevrolet of Shawn Solomito who drove to victory.

“I’m just happy for Wayne & Joette Anderson, they gave me an opportunity to drive for them and if we can win the championship for them it would be great” the happy winner noted. When asked about a potential busy week with a trip to Bristol Motor Speedway for the WMT race midweek Solomito made a shocking revelation “we aren’t really sure about Bristol yet, we’ll see”.

Howie Brode was runner-up in the Freightliner of Long island Chevy while Dave Brigati crossed the line third. Kyle Soper and Jason Agugliaro of Islip round out the top five.

Blunderbust championship leader Jack Handley Jr. of Medford using a borrowed car from fellow competitor Rob Bader scored his 19th career victory after topping the 30-lap main event. Handley’s own machine was still down with engine issues after his August 6th DNF and if not for Bader’s offer to use his car would have lost a lot of ground to championship challenger Tim Mulqueen. Making a rare start from the pole Jack Handley broke out front over Bill Wegmann Sr. when the green flag waved. Wegmann would soon be tested by Tommy Walkowiak for second with “The Wildchild” making a pass of the “Racing Grandpa” for second on lap 7 While Walkowiak and Wegmann slugged it our leader Handley was able to get away from the pack. In fact Wegmann would start to test Walkowiak for second as the laps wore down in the contest and reclaimed the spot on lap 19. Jim Laird made his presence known as well in the race as he snuck by Walkowiak for third and then soon worked his way by Wegmann for second on the 23rd lap. All the jockeying of positions behind him was music to the ears of Jack Hanldey Jr. who cruised to victory in the Robert’s Express Oil Chevy of Rob Bader. Jim Laird of Islip Terrace was runner-up in the L.I. Poultry Chevy with defending champion Tom Pickerell of Huntington making a late race charge for third place money in the USIC Utility Locating Chevy.

It would take a photo finish to determine the winner of the 20-lap Super Pro Truck feature event with Roger Turbush of Riverhead nipping Rob “The Racer” McCormick of Ridge for his third win of 2016. After Jack Handley Jr. led the first lap defending champion Lou Maestri took the lead on lap 2 with Rob McCormick coming to second on the third lap. Maestri was hoping to end a stretch of bad racing luck that has followed him throughout the 2016 campaign with a win but on lap 15 entering the third turn McCormick made an inside pass to wrestle the top spot away from Lou. One lap later on a double file restart Roger Turbush made his way under Maestri for second on lap 17 and the stage was set for a torrid side by side battle for the lead and the win. Turbush working the outside line was able to take the lead on lap 19, the white flag lap from McCormick who tried to keep pace to the inside. As the tandem hit the final turn McCormick drive his truck into the third turn hard in an effort to take back the lead but Turbush has all the momentum on the outside. As the checker waved it was Roger Turbush in his Baldwin Automotive Chevy by a nose for his 25th career win in the class. Rob McCormick of Ridge was a very close second in the Hampton Coffee Chevy while Lou Maestri of Deer Park was credited with third in the IGA Food Market Chevy.

Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead won his fourth INEX Legend Race Car feature of the season Saturday but as he was telling everyone around him after the victory was won by his crew during the week. Just seven days removed from a blown engine and damaged race car Kyle Ellwood also happened to be in the right place at the right time with just over a lap left in the race when the top two cars came together. Kyle Soper jumped to the race lead at the start of the contest chased at first by Ryan Lutz over the first two circuits before Richie Davidowitz moved by for the spot. Davidowitz and Dylan Slepian both hounded Soper for a spell before Davidowitz became the main challenger on lap 14. Davidowitz was all over the back bumper of Soper as the two young veterans went toe to toe. On lap 18 things got too close as the duo touched going into the first turn with Soper getting a piece of the wall ending his bid for victory. Track officials then summoned Davidowitz to the rear of the field for his role in the incident but Richie opted to call it a night. On what would be a two lap dash for the cash it was Dylan Slepian and Kyle Ellwood going to post for the win and they too staged a heated race for the lead which was taken by Ellwood in his SGS Stone Works entry. Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills was runner-up in the Wild Child Designs machine while championship leader Vinny Delaney of Holtsville was third in the Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm racer.

Grand Enduro veteran Jimmy “The Kid” White Jr. of Southampton won the first leg of the Sizzling Summer Series as he topped the 40-lap race. White totally redid he Chevy debuting an all new body and paint scheme featuring the Disney movie Frozen on the car. Aside from being a hit with the youngsters the Busy Bee Pest Control entry was also very fast with White taking the lead on lap 3 from Glenn Simonin. Once out front White never looked back in route to scoring the popular win. Dave Antos of Lindenhurst was second in his CR Customs Chevy while early leader Glenn Simonin of Holbrook was third.

After starting the 40-lap Truck Enduro from the 15th spot Ben Gregor of Bridgehampton kept his perfect record in tact in 2016 scoring yet another win. To say Gregor made some early race progress would be an understatement as he quickly wheeled his way from 15th to the race lead by the time the field started the 5th lap. Once in the lead Gregor did have to fend off some challenges from “Pirate” Pete Rabaglia before he could claim the winning trophy in his Gregor Well Drilling Chevy S10. Peter Rabaglia of Bohemia was runner-up in the Gene’s 112 Auto Service machine while Don Nelson Jr. of Rocky Point was third in the Abner Tree Experts Chevy.

NASCAR Modifieds 1st Twin 50: 1. Kyle Soper 2. Dave Brigati 3. Tom Rogers Jr. 4. Shawn Solomito 5. Howie Brode 6. John Fortin Sr. 7. Dillon Steuer 8. Jason Agugliaro 9. Ken Heagy 10. Vinny Biondolillo 11. Jimmy Zacharias 12, Ken Darch 13. John Baker 14. Cory Midgett 15. David Schneider 16. John Fortin Jr.

NASCAR Modifieds 2nd Twin 50: 1. Shawn Solomito 2. Howie Brode 3. Dave Brigati 4. Kyle Soper 5. Jason Agugliaro 6. Dillon Steuer 7. Ken Darch 8. John Fortin Jr. 9. Jimmy Zacharias 10. Vinny Biondolillo 11. Ken Heagy 12. David Schneider 13. Cory Midgett 14. John Baker 15. John Fortin Sr. 16. Tom Rogers Jr.

Blunderbusts: 1. Jack Handley Jr. 2. Jim Laird 3. Tom Pickerell 4. Tim Mulqueen 5. Bill Wegmann Sr. 6. Tommy Walkowiak 7. Scott Maliszewski 8. Joshua Creel 9. Tom Sullivan 10. Derek Wegmann 11. Tom Puccia 12. Cassandra Denis 13. Bobby Ehrle 14. Eric Zeh DNS-Alyssa Paprocky

Super Pro Trucks: 1. Roger Turbush 2. Rob McCormick 3. Lou Maestri 4. Owen Grennan 5. Mike Albasini 6. Frank Dumicich Jr. 7. Jack Handley 8. Mark Stewart 9. Frank Dumicich Sr. 10. Jimmy Rennick Jr. 11. Sean Glennon 12. Amanda Anderson 13. Tommy Walkowiak 14. Dave Brigati

INEX Legend Race Cars: 1. Kyle Ellwood 2. Dylan Slepian 3. Vinny Delaney 4. John Beatty Jr. 5. Bryan Kelly 6. George Tomko Jr. 7. Kurt Krieger 8. Ed Chesalk 9. Jeff Otto Jr. 10. Jonathan Parsons 11. Mike Van Houten Jr. 12. Silas Hiscock Sr. 13. Kyle Kwasna 14. Jim Sylvester 15. Kyle Soper 16. Richie Davidowitz 17. Ryan Lutz 18. Greg Harris 19. Wally Davidowitz 20. Eric Hersey 21. Will Hiscock 22. Bill Fitzgerald 23. Dennis Kurras

Sizzling Summer Series Enduro 40-laps: 1. Jimmy White Jr. 2. Dave Antos 3. Glenn Simonin 4. Greg Zaleski 5. Greg Harris 6. Brian McCormack 7. Anthony Pizzo 8. Ed Brown Jr. 9. Logan Fogg 10. Gerard Lawrence 11. Rhett Fogg

Truck Enduro: 1. Ben Gregor 2. Peter Rabaglia 3. Don Nelson Jr. 4. Gene Burbol 5. Hank Hallock 6. Gary Voight 7. Kenny King 8. Woot Lawrence 9. Jarrett Campbell 10. Richard Galante 11. Mariah Lawrence 12. Tom Sullivan 13. Ciaran Gallagher 14. Emily Hubbard 15. Danielle Corwin 16. Jason Blatz 17. RJ Gage 18. Duston Cole

Source: Bob Finan/RR PR