Handley Goes Two for Two in Blunderbust Action Sunday

Jack Handley Jr. of Medford made it two Blunderbust wins in a row when he topped the Sunday Spring Showdown action at Riverhead Raceway in a clean sweep first setting fast time and then going out and winning the 30-lap main event. Jimmy “The Kid” White Jr. of Southampton won the Grand Enduro 50-lapper while Ben Gregor of Bridgehampton won his second straight 50-lap Truck Enduro.

In pre-race qualifying Jack Handley Jr. laid down a lap of 15.060 and under the new format for time trial shows at Riverhead Raceway in 2016 drew the #6 pill meaning the top six drivers would redraw, Jack pulled the outside pole. The other two options Handley could have picked would have been to have the top 8 drivers redraw or if he pulled pill #1, the field would start straight up from qualifying. That system will be in play this Saturday night June 4th for the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek NASCAR Modified event as well the 30-lap Super Pro Truck race and all time trial shows at the track in 2016.’

Rob Bader drew the pole for the 30-lap contest with Handley to the outside and when the green flag waved the duo went side by side for a spell before Handley moved his Unique Golf Chevy out front as they completed the first lap. Chris Busick and Tim Mulqueen made their way to second and third but their fight for position would allow Handley to pull away some. Lap 5 found Mulqueen making an inside pass of Busick entering the first turn for second allowing him to set his sights on the race leader. Timmy made some progress drawing near Handley but in the end Jack would have them all covered on the afternoon. Tim Mulqueen of Levittown in the Saybrook Hill Farms entry was runner-up with Tom Puccia of Shirley a strong third in the Ferrandino & Sons Contracting racer.

The Grand Enduro saw Brian McCormack jump out to the early race lead when the green flag waved with Ed Brown in pursuit for the first two laps. Brown was soon overtaken by Jimmy White Jr. on lap 3 with Jimmy then setting sail for racer leader McCormack. Brian was hoping to score the win in part due to the fact it was his Dad’s birthday but on lap 23 Jimmy White Jr. came along and ruined the party by taking the lead. Once out front the tested tough veteran never looked back and led the remainder of the race in the Busy Bee Pest Control Chevy. David Antos of Lindenhurst was second in the CR Customs Chevy with Brain McCormack of Holbrook crossing the line third in the Big Mack’s Towing Chevy.

Former Truck Enduro champion Don Nelson Jr. took full advantage of his pole starting position to break into the race lead at the start of the 50-lap contest with Madison Burbol moving into second. Burbol, a second year driver gave a good accounting of herself running in second until an untimely spin off turn two on the 15th lap. “Handsome” Hank Hallock moved to second on lap 16 but his stay there was short lived as Ben Gregor came calling on lap 20. Once to second Gregor was able to reel in the race leader and was in hot pursuit of Nelson when suddenly a lapped truck took the race leader up the track in the fourth turn on lap 34. Gregor in his Gregor Well Drilling S-10 danced under the duo and took the race lead for good leading the final 15 circuits. Don Nelson Jr. of Rocky Point was runner-up in the Abner Tree Experts racer while Hank Hallock of Riverhead placed third in the Westhampton Auto Salvage machine.

He started racing the 8-Cylinder Enduro back in the heyday of Enduro racing in 1991 and some 25 years later Sean Fitzpatrick of West Babylon finally grabbed the brass ring winning their 65-lap main event. Jarred Halsey of Southampton moved out front when the race got underway and would dominate the first two thirds of the race and seemed to be destined to win his first career race. However this race too would find a lapped car playing havoc the with race leader as Halsey was forced up the track in the third and fourth turn allowing Sean Fitzpatrick to slip underneath in his Lakewood Used Auto Parts entry. Once out front Sean led the rest of the race for that all important first career triumph. Brian Halsey of Southampton would be second and Mike Sorrentino of Lindenhurst was third.

Bryan Kelly of Aquebogue was not going to be denied the 60-lap 4/6-Cylinder Car Enduro victory and even though he lost the lead to perennial winner Steve “The Pitbull” Trimboli of Freeport on lap 37 he rebounded to reclaim the lead on lap 53 for the win. 2015 champion Paul Wojcik led the first 10-laps of the race before a grinding crash on the back stretch ended his day and drew a red flag, Paul was okay. On the restart of the race “Blackjack” Bryan Kelly assumed the race lead and proceeded to pull away from the field. On lap 24 Trimboli worked his way by Brandon Esposito for second and quickly reeled in race leader Kelly. When Trimboli put his Pitbull Motors Mercedes into the leading passing Kelly on lap 37 many on hand figured Steve was in line for another win. Somebody forgot to tell Kelly though as he roared back to reclaim the race lead in the John’s Fuel Oil Honda a lead he never surrendered again. Trimboli was a stunned runner-up with Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge third.

Joe Warren Jr. had his day improve towards the end of the afternoon when he swept both the Gut & Go Enduro and the Mini 8 race. In the Gut & Go race, a 60-lapper Warren broke into the race lead on lap 2 and never looked back. Afterwards as he always does he dedicated his win to the late ‘Lil Jay Trinca and his Mom Keri. Mike Mujsce Jr. of Westhampton was runner-up with C.J. Zurkowski of Riverhead third.

In the 20-lap Mini 8 race contested on the Figure Eight course Chris Elixson led the first lap of the race before William Quinn overtook him on lap 2. Quinn would lead up until the 14th lap when he was passed by Joe Warren for the race lead and eventual win. Quinn of Selden was runner-up with opening day winner Michael “Cheesebox” Rommeney of Bohemia third.

Blunderbusts: 1. Jack Handley Jr. 2. Tim Mulqueen 3. Tom Puccia 4. Tom Sullivan 5. Eric Zeh 6. Bill Wegmann Jr. 7. Joshua Creel 8. Bob Muller 9. Derek Wegmann 10. Rob Bader 11. Cassandra Denis 12. Alyssa Paprocky 13. Chris Busick 14. Scott Maliszewski DNS- Bill Wegmann Sr., Jim Laird Jr. & Dennis Scott

Grand Enduro (top 10) 1. Jimmy White Jr. 2. David Antos 3. Brian McCormack 4. Greg Zaleski 5. Ed Brown Jr. 6. Anthony Pizzo 7. Glenn Simonin 8. Brandon Hubbard 9. Phil LaManna 10. Vinny Delaney

Truck Enduro (top 10) 1. Ben Gregor 2. Don Nelson Jr. 3. Hank Hallock 4. Rich Galante 5. RJ Gage 6. Kenny King 7. Gary Voight 8. Matt Triola 9. Jarrett Campbell 10. Ciaran Gallagher

8-Cylinder Enduro (top ten) 1. Sean Fitzpatrick 2. Brian Halsey 3. Mike Sorrentino 4. Dale Doherty 5. Mike D’Orta 6. Pat Collins 7. Mark Wolf 8. Kevin Coyle 9. Justin Ferreri 10. Jarred Halsey

4/6-Cylinder Car Enduro (top ten) 1. Bryan Kelly 2. Steve Trimboli 3. Joe Warren Jr. 4. Ryan Warren 5. Ed Fontana 6. Paul Pimpinella 7. Paul Salvatore 8. Mike Biddlecomb 9. Craig Valez 10. George Davis

Gut & Go Enduro (top ten) 1. Joe Warren Jr. 2. Mike Mujsce Jr. 3. CJ Zurkowski 4. Eric Germuth 5. Cody Webster 6. Preston S. Prydatko 7. Jarrod Hayes 8. Mitch Halfern 9. John Marino 10. Chris Dane

Mini 8 Enduro (top ten) 1. Joe Warren Jr. 2. William Quinn 3. Michael Rommeney Chris Elixson 5. Brandon Esposito 6. Jason Savoy 7. Mike Mujsce Jr. 8. Robert Oliver 9. Doug Dickson DNS- Bryan Kelly

Source: Bob Finan/Riverhead Raceway PR