Bryan Kelly Captures First Career Legend Win Then Tops With Mini Stock Victory

Bryan Kelly of Aquebogue would score his first career INEX Legend Race Car victory Sunday at Riverhead Raceway by being in the right place at the right time with five laps to go in the 40-lap feature event. While in the Street Stock 100-lapper Greg Zaleski of Jamesport would score a clean sweep setting fast time in qualifying and then proceeded to lead 97 laps of the 100 lap contest.

“Big Money” Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches led the way in qualifying for the Legend Race Cars with a lap of 13.841. Davidowitz would draw outside pole in the redraw among the top six from time with John Beatty Jr. picking the pole. At the drop of the green flag Beatty motored out front while Davidowitz and Kevin Nowak jostled for second behind him, that battle would get too close as the field started lap 2 with Davidowitz going for a spin in turn two drawing a caution flag. When the race resumed Beatty would remain out front with Nowak moving to second and Bryan Kelly who started the race in 6th made his way to third.

As the race moved along Nowak glued himself to the rear bumper of Beatty not allowing the race leader a chance to breath when the race was green. At times Nowak attempted a crossover move off the corners while at other time tried to make a run to the outside but the challenger could not find any grip in the outside groove. All the while Kelly was riding around in third with the thought that something might happen between the two lead cars.

On lap 35 the driver they call “Blackjack” Bryan Kelly came up aces as going down the backstretch
leader John Beatty was nudged by Kevin Nowak sending him into a spin entering turn three drawing a yellow flag. For his role in Beatty’s spin Nowak was requested to report the the rear of the field, he opted to call it a day instead.

When the race went back green Bryan Kelly in the Titan Global Security entry would lead the final laps to score a long awaited first career INEX Legend Race Car victory. “I was just sitting back in third watching the two leader go at it, I knew it was just a matter of time” Kelly admitted afterwards. John Beatty Jr of Merrick rallied in the final laps to claim runner-up money in the Giella Electric machine while Ray Fitzgerald of Manorville rounded out the podium in third with his Blue Point Auto Body machine.

Greg Zaleski topped Street Stock qualifying turning in a lap of 14.668 and the the redraw picked the third starting spot while Brian McCormack and Rhett Fogg drew the front row. When the green light came on to start the race McCormack would jump to the early race lead while Zaleski quickly made his way to second. After spending the first three laps chasing McCormack for the lead Zaleski made his way out front on lap 4 bringing Anthony Pizzo to second. Pizzo started the race from the 4th slot.

Once out front Zaleski was able to keep Pizzo a comfortable distance behind him and in fact as the laps clicked off his lead would increase. Not even a caution flag with just over 30-laps remaining in the contest could ruin Zaleski’s day. Pizzo tried to make a run on the race leader on the restart but it would be Greg Zaleski prevailing in the Blue Point Auto Body Chevy. Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma steering the Fleming’s Landscape Design Caprice would settle for second while the drive of the race would be turned in by Greg Harris of Riverhead who finished third. After starting 9th in the SGS Stone Works Chevy Harris drove his way to the podium finish.

The 40-lap Mini Stock event was another back and forth duel for the win with Bryan Kelly coming out on top. Kelly set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 15.112 but drew third in the redraw. Preston Prydatko and opening day winner Brandon Esposito made up the front row. Esposito broke to the earl race lead with Prydatko giving chase for the first seven circuits. Lap 8 found Bryan Kelly making a inside pass of Prydatko for second and just one lap later on the 9th lap passed Esposito for the lead entering the first turn. After chasing Kelly for 20 laps Esposito made his way back out front on lap 30 with an inside pass of Kelly going down the backstretch. Just three laps later Kelly reclaimed the lead for a lap only to surrender it back to Esposito on lap 34. As the duo received the white flag Kelly raced back out front going into the first turn but heading into the third and fourth corner Esposito went fro broke making a bold inside move in the third and forth turn.

While Esposito crossed the line first his last turn pass was called back by track officials for going under the yellow line. Bryan Kelly was now the winner of the race just minutes after scoring his first career Legends victory. Brandon Esposito of Farmingville was runner-up in the Versa Contracting entry while Preston Prydatko of Rocky Point enjoyed a solid finish with a third in the Craftsman Storefronts racer.

Don Nelson Jr. of Rocky Point would win the 40-lap Truck Enduro after starting the race from the third starting berth. Jarrett Campbell and returning veteran Bobby Pease jockeyed for the lead on lap one before Nelson came calling on the second lap taking control of the race. Campbell stayed strong in second until the 6th lap when he was overhauled by opening day winner Gene Burbol. Try as he may Burbol was never able to erase the lead built up by Don Nelson Jr. in his Abner Tree Experts Chevy with Don taking the victory. Gene Burbol of Brookhaven was second in the Gene’s 112 Service Chevy while RJ Gage of Riverhead placed third in the Wise Choice Fuel Oil entry.

Brandon Esposito would make a late race pass off his good buddy Joe Warren Jr. just past the halfway point of the 60-lap Gut & Go 4/6-Cylinder Enduro to post the emotional win. Rob “The Racer” McCormick led Joe Warren Jr. for the first 2 laps of the tilt before Warren moved by for the lead on lap 3. Warren would lead until just past the midway mark of the race when he was overtaken by Brandon Esposito while racing through the third and fourth turn. Once out front it was all Esposito who dedicated the victory to his ailing grandfather, former Islip Speedway Figure Eight racer Joe Biondolillo Sr. who is seriously ill in South Carolina. Joe Warren Jr of Rocky Point was runner-up while Bryan Kelly crossed the line third.

After losing an engine in the season opener two weeks back Mark Wolf of Shirley rebounded with a new engine under the hood of his Shirley Feed Chevy to win the 40-lap 8-Cylinder Enduro. Wolf and another tested tough veteran Sean Fitzpatrick would swap the lead numerous times during the race with Wolf prevailing. Sean Fitzpatrick of West Babylon was second in his Lakewood Used Auto Parts Chevy while Justin Ferreri of Hicksville was third in the Ham Racing entry.

iNEX Legend Race Cars: 1. Bryan Kelly 2. John Beatty Jr. 3. Ray Fitzgerald 4. Anthony Colandro 5. George Tomko Jr. 6. Silas Hiscock 7. Brandon Esposito 8. Jeff Otto Jr. 9. Kevin Nowak 10. Paul Dodorico 11. Jonathan Parsons 12. Jim Sylvester 13. Vinny Delaney 14. Jerry Curran 15. Richie Davidowitz 16. Mike Benson

Street Stocks: 1. Greg Zaleski 2. Anthony Pizzo 3. Greg Harris 4. Brian McCormack 5. Rhett Fogg 6. Phil LaManna 7. Gerard Lawrence 8. Brandon Hubbard 9. Dale Doherty 10. Kyle Curtis 11. Logan Fogg 12. Dave Antos 13. Chris Lescenski 14. Tom Talbot

Mini Stocks: 1. Bryan Kelly 2. Brandon Esposito 3. Preston Prydatko 4. Peter Verwys 5. Robert Dugre 6. Chris Elixson 7. Steve Trimboli 8 Jeremy Clint 9. Mike Mujsce Jr. 10. Paul Wojcik

Trucks: 1. Don Nelson Jr. 2. Gene Burbol 3. RJ Gage 4. Pete Rabaglia 5. Mariah Lawrence 6. Steve Betcher 7. Bobby Pease 8. Mike Benton 9. Danielle Corwin 10. Danielle Cohen 11. Jarrett Campbell 12. Bill Youngs 13. Paul Cummings 14. Gary Voight 15. Hank Hallock 16. Dustin Cole

8-Cylinders: 1. Mark Wolf 2. Sean Fitzpatrick 3. Justin Ferreri 4. Dominick Ranieri 5. Rob McCormick 6. Jarrod Halsey 7. Pat Collins 8. Brian Halsey 9. Stacy Halsey 10. Dennis Kurras 11. Peter Hart 12. Drew Scalfani 13. Wes Sammon 14. Brian Fass

Gut & Go: 1. Brandon Esposito 2. Joe Warren Jr. 3.Bryan Kelly 4. Preston Prydatko 5. Woot Lawrence
6. Peter Verwys 7. Kris Dane 8. Ryan Warren 9. Eric Germuth 10. Brad Bess 11. Kevin Augustine 12. John Palmeri 13. Dan Augustine 14. Robert Henninger 15. Ryan Zukowski 16. Brian Schuker 17. Jeff Michaels 18. Corey Beverly 19. CJ Zukowski 20. Robert Thurau 21. Rob McCormick 22. Brian Moore 23. Jim Byrne 24.Kevin Nowak 25. Tony Collingsworth 26. Ryan Dupuis 27. Sam Suttmeier 28. Joe Boccia 29. Mitch Pattern 30. Donovan Klis 31. Mitch Rippe 32. Mike Farrel

Source: Bob Finan/RR PR