Solomito & Soper Split Riverhead Twin 30’s – Solomito Claims 2016 Championship

Seven track champions were officially crowned Saturday night as Eddie & Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz hosted Champion’s Night for the NASCAR Whelen All American Series Saturday at Riverhead Raceway. In the headlining Twin 30’s for the NASCAR Modifieds Shawn Solomito of Center Moriches won his fifth race of the year in first feature clinching his second track championship in the process. Solomito won the 2012 Riverhead championship. Kyle Soper of Manorville notched his fourth win of the year in the nightcap ending a solid sophomore season in style.

John Baker and Ken Darch brought the field to green for the first 30-lap tilt with Darch taking the early race lead from the outside pole. Baker ran second for the first four laps before fellow rookie driver Cory Midgett made his way by. Midgett chased Darch until the 10th lap when he was over taken by Shawn Solomito who started the race from the 7th spot. Just like the week before a double file restart would do Darch in on lap 12. On that restart Solomito on the outside got a run on Darch for the race lead bringing third place John Fortin Sr. to second with him.

Once out front Solomito steering the Wayne & Joette Anderson owned Chevy never looked back in his Easport Feeds Chevy taking the checker flag and 2016 NASCAR Modified championship in the process. Afterwards Shawn compared his 2012 title when he drove his own car versus winning the title with the Anderson family, “when we won in our family car in ’12 there was a lot more pressure” Shawn admitted. “This time around with the team Wayne & Joette put under us made it less stressful for sure, I’m just so happy and honored to win this for them”.

John Fortin Sr. of Holtsville was runner-up in the John’s Tree Removal Chevy while Howie Brode of East Islip was third in the Petro Home Services Chevy. Jimmy Zacharias of Candor, NY and John Fortin Jr. of Holtsville completed the top five.

Kyle Soper made the best of a 12th place starting spot in the second Twin 30 to race his way to victory lane in the second Twin 30. Vinny Biondolillo led Jimmy Zacharias for the first two laps before John Fortin Jr. worked his way Zacharias with an inside pass on lap 3. The youthful drivers whose families have steep roots in Figure Eight racing at the track went toe to toe for the first third of the contest. Eventually the duo would yield after a wild set of circumstances at the midway point of the race which allowed Kyle Soper to assume the race lead in his Dr. Martha Baker, DDS Chevy, a lead the 2015 NASCAR Modified Rookie of the Year would never look back scoring yet another win.

“If you told me at the start of the year we’d win four races I might have thought you were crazy” the 20-year old talent noted. Soper with the Riverhead Raceway season behind him is excited and looking forward to his Camping World Truck Series start in late October, “I’m really grateful and looking forward to getting to Martinsville in late October”

Howie Brode was runner-up in the second Twin 30 while Dillon Steuer of Bohemia brought the Northeastern Office Equipment Chevy home for third place money. Jimmy Zacharias and John Fortin Sr. completed the top three.

Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead had previously recorded feature event wins in the NASCAR Modified and INEX Legend Race Car ranks, now he can add a Late Model win to his resume as he won the Mike “Smokey” Boken Memorial 25 by IGA Food Markets. Ellwood and former rival from the INEX Legend Race Cars Kyle Soper raced for the early lead with Ellwood leading the first lap while Soper paced the field from the 2nd lap through the 9th lap. On lap 10 Ellwood would reclaim the race lead from Soper and from that point forward would lead the remainder of the race in the Eastside Builders Chevy for his first career win in the class. Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead would clinch his second consecutive Late Model championship for he and outgoing car owner Jim Wichert when he brought the JDP Mechanical Chevy home second. That coupled with David Roys of Coram placing 4th in the race gave McDermott a slim one point championship win, 490 to 489 over Roys. Third place money in the race went to Eric Zeh of Selden in the Corwith’s Auto Body Chevy.

Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills might not have won the Eagle Auto Mall Modified Crate championship this season but the 2015 INEX Legend Race Car champion made sure he went out in a big way winning 25-lap Modified Crate main event. Dylan in his Hurricane Grill & Wings Chevy madee a bold early race move to come from 4th to the race lead before the first lap was in the record books. Terry Stiles chased Slepian at first but he was passed by Peter Bertuccio on lap 8 for second. Bertuccio’s run in the challengers role would last until lap 15 when CJ Lehmann made his way by for the position. The good news for Lehmann was he came from 7th to 2nd but the bad news was Dylan Slepian was already long gone for the victory. CJ Lehmann of Shirley was runner-up in the IGA Food Markets Chevy with Peter Berutccio of Bohemia third in the Gershow Recycling Chevy. Dave Brigati of Calverton will go down in the record books as the first ever Eagle Auto Mall Modified Crate champion, he also has the distinction of winning the first ever race for the class back in May.

Just two races ago Gary Fritz Jr. of Mastic Beach along with his father Gary Sr. looked at their mangled 1957 Chevy Figure Eight car and thought their 2016 campaign was over. Well the father & son tandem rolled up their sleeves and got out the torches returning last week with a strong runner-up finish. This week Gary Jr. upped the ante and went out and won the final 15-lap Figure Eight feature event of 2016. Fritz broke out front early and was determined not to lat anyone get by for the win, not even his future brother-in-law Ken Hyde Jr. The race would boil down to the two friendly rivals with Fritz driving off to victory in his Northeastern Office Equipment entry. While Hyde faded in the closing laps and had to be content with third place money in his SGS Stone Works Chevy losing the battle he would indeed win the war clinching the 2016 Figure Eight title, his second career championship. Tom Ferrara of Patchogue made a late race charge for runner-up honors in the V&J Auto Body entry.

Rob Bader of Holtsville secured a career milestone victory in the 20-lap Blunderbust feature event winning his 10th career race. Bader broke out to the race lead at the drop of the green chased at first by third generation driver Derek Wegmann. A lap 6 double file restart put Scott Maliszewski third behind Bader & Wegmann and when the race resumed Maliszewski was able to slip under Wegmann for second. Undaunted by the presence of a former multi time champion behind him, Rob Bader in the Robert’s Express Fuel Oil Chevy would lead the race from flag to flag for the win. Maliszewski of Deer Park was second in the Thomas J. Stock Attorney At Law Chevy while Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge was third in the Langdon’s Automotive Caprice. Jack Handley Jr. of Medford came to the race already having won his first career championship was 5th in the race.

Another driver who recovered from a bent race machine to visit victory lane would be Super Pro Truck feature event winner Rob “The Racer” McCormick of Ridge. Over the Labor Day weekend McCormick’s truck suffered heavy rear chassis damage but he and his girlfriend’s father Scott Denis got busy and McCormick rewarded the team with their first win of 2016. Newcomer Tommy Walkowiak led the first 15-laps of what would turn out to be a non stop 20-lapper. Tommy, who has won 60 Blunderbust feature events in his career looked like he might just snare his first ever Super Pro Truck triumph. However on lap 16 racing into the third turn Tommy left the door open and Rob McCormick in the Texas Roadhouse Steak House of Deer Park Chevy took the lead and drove off to victory. Scott Denis, crew chief for McCormick earned the Joe DiGangi Memorial award, $100 and a trophy from Lou & Tracey Maestri as they continue to honor their late friend and crew chief. Walkowiak of Ridge was runner-up while Dave Brigati of Calverton was third in the Quest Machining & Fabricating Chevy. Roger Turbush of Riverhead crossed the line 4th earning him the 2016 Super Pro Truck championship by 7-points over his father-in-law Brigati.

For the fifth time this season Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead topped the 30-lap INEX Legend Race Car feature event. Chris Rogers showed the way early on leading Paul Dodorico for the first lap before Ray Fitzgerald raced his way to second on lap 2. On a third lap double file restart Fitzgerald would ride the outside lane to the lead with championship contender John Beatty Jr. making his way to second. Just prior to the halfway mark Kyle Ellwood made his way by Beatty for second and three laps later raced his way by Fitzgerald for the race lead with Beatty following in Kyle’s tire tracks for second. For the remainder of the race Ellwood would lead in his SGS Stone Works machine with Beatty of Merrick coming home second in the D&D Auto Body entry. Ray Fitzgerald of Manorville was third in his Blue Point Auto Body mount. Vinny Delaney of Holtsville won the 2016 INEX Legend Race Car championship when he crossed the line fifth in his Cleary’s By The Water racer, it is the first career championship for Vinny who scored one feature event win in route to the crown.

NASCAR Modifieds 1st Twin 30: 1. Shawn Solomito 2. John Fortin Sr. 3. Howie Brode 4. Jimmy Zacharias 5. John Fortin Jr. 6. Vinny Biondolillo 7. Dave Brigati 8. Dillon Steuer 9. Cory Midgett 10. TJ Zacharias 11. John Baker 12. Ken Darch 13. Kyle Ellwood 14. Kyle Soper 15. Matt Odwazny DNS- Timmy Solomito

NASCAR Modifieds 2nd Twin 30: 1. Kyle Soper 2. Howie Brode 3. Dillon Steuer 4. Jimmy Zacharias 5. John Fortin Sr. 6. Shawn Solomito 7. Dave Brigati 8. Vinny Biondolillo 9. Ken Darch 10. John Baker 11. TJ Zacharias 12. Cory Midgett 13. John Fortin Jr. 14. Kyle Ellwood 15. Matt Odwazny DNS- Timmy Solomito

Late Models: 1. Kyle Ellwood 2. Jeremy McDermott 3. Eric Zeh 4. David Roys 5. Mike Bologna 6. Kyle Soper 7. Chris Turbush 8. Kevin Metzger 9. Shawn Patrick 10. Roger Oxee 11. Ray Minieri 12. Chris Lescenski 13. Rob Pelis 14. Steve Mastro Jr.

Modified Crates: 1. Dylan Slepian 2. CJ Lehmann 3. Peter Bertuccio 4. Dillon Steuer 5. Bobby Gardner 6. Dennis Krupski 7. Terry Stiles 8. AJ DeSantis 9. Jason Hansen 10. Dave Brigati

Figure Eights: 1. Gary Fritz Jr. 2/ Tom Ferrara 3/ Ken Hyde Jr. 4. Mike Mujsce 5. Johnny Vullo 6. Chris Elixson 7. Bob Dalke 8. Conner Aquirre 9. Rick Swanson 10, Scott Pedersen 11. Brian Hansen DNS- Roger Maynor

Blunderbusts: 1. Rob Bader 2. Scott Maliszewski 3. Tommy Walkowiak 4. Tim Mulqueen 5. Jack Handley Jr. 6. Jim Laird 7. Eric Zeh 8. Tom Pickerell 9. Tom Puccia 10. Derek Wegmann 11. Joshua Creel 12. Tom Sullivan 13. Cassandra Denis 14. Wayne Meyer 15. Bill Wegmann Sr. DNS-Alyssa Paprocky

Super Pro Trucks: 1. Rob McCormick 2. Tommy Walkowiak 3. Dave Brigati 4. Roger Turbush 5. Lou Maestri 6. Owen Grennan 7. Sean Glennon 8. Jack Handley Jr. 9. Jimmy Rennick 10. Mike Albasini 11. Frank Dumicich Jr. 12. Frank Dumicich Sr. 13. Dave Koenig 14. Amanda Anderson 15. Dennis Cunningham

INEX Legend Race Cars: 1. Kyle Ellwood 2. John Beatty Jr. 3. Ray Fitzgerald 4. George Tomko Jr. 5. Vinny Delaney 6. Bryan Kelly 7. Chris Rogers 8. Paul Dodorico 9. Bill Fitzgerald 10. Jerry Curran 11. Jonathon Parsons 12. Eric Hersey 13. Jim Sylvester 14. Will Hiscock 15. Kyle Kwasna 16. Silas Hiscock Sr. 17. Mike Van Houten 18. Dylan Slepian 19. Ed Cheslak 20. Jeff Otto Jr. 21. Craig Lutz

Source: Bob Finan/RR PR