Mujsce Honored as SAFER Champion
Mike Mujsce’s 2012 Riverhead Raceway championship season culminated Sunday afternoon at the Smithtown Landing Country Club when he was honored as the 2012 Suffolk Association of Figure Eight Racing champion in front a energetic crowd of family, friends and fellow racers. The event hosted by SAFER’S Joe Saraceno and Joe Larsen also presented plenty of special awards to many well deserving drivers, crew members and team sponsors.
Mike Mujsce of Westhampton Beach earned his first career Figure Eight title on the final points paying race of 2012 at Riverhead Raceway allowing him to finally grab the brass ring he desired after so many years of trying. Mujsce has over the years not only focused on his racing career but also has fielded a team car for Tom Ferrara of Patchogue over the past few seasons. Along the way Mike has also aided many of his closest rivals in the division in an ongoing effort to keep car counts at an acceptable level, that effort includes lending everything from technical support to a complete race engine.
Aside form earning the SAFER championship hardware Mike Mujsce was also presented the annual Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Long Island Driver’s Cup, he’ll now keep that perpetual trophy until next years banquet. Mike’s car owner and fiance Deborah Anderson was named the Billy Webster SAFER Car Owner of the Year. The Bill Beener Tree Service/ K. Clement Landscaping team was also named the 2012 SAFER Best Appearing Car.
Arne Pedersen of Mastic Beach was runner-up in the 2012 SAFER point standings in his BNR Home Improvement/Seatuck Fish Dodge, which Arne reports has been totally re-done from the firewall forward complete with a new body for 2013. “The Alter Boy” Tom Ferrara placed third in the SAFER rankings in his K. Clement Landscaping/Bill Beener Tree Service entry.
Nick Hannsman from Arne Pedersen’s crew was voted the 2012 Billy Webster SAFER Crew Chief of the Year, the award is named after the late Billy Webster who was a championship car owner and crew chief for many drivers before cancer took his life at a very young age.
The class of 2012 was inducted into the Ernie Maynor SAFER Hall of Fame with all three inductee’s coming from one race team. Although their tenure in Figure 8 racing was a brief one, it indeed was a very successful one and for that driver Tom Rogers Jr., his brother-in law Mike Berner and Bryan Treutle were inducted into the HoF. The team won two consecutive Figure-8 and SAFER titles in 2002 and 2003. After dominating the class Rogers and his team then moved onto the NASCAR Modified ranks at Riverhead Raceway where he is also a multi-time champion and among the all-time winners among active drivers.
Perhaps the most deserving and emotional award and moment came when “TK” Tommy Kraft was honored with the SAFER Ultimate Sportsmanship Award for a lifetime of dedication to Figure Eight racing at both Riverhead Raceway and Islip Speedway. The award was presented by Tom’s nephew, former Figure Eight driver and car owner Joe Larsen, who chocked back tears while making the presentation. Health issues three years back forced Kraft out of the cockpit but he remains a driving force in the division and in the sport.
The 2012 SAFER Monthly Achievement Awards went to Tom Ferrara for the months of May and June, Arne Pedersen for July and SAFER champion Mike Mujsce for August and September and his push to the title.
SAFER also honored Robin Merry, daughter of Riverhead Raceway promoters Barbara & Jim Cromarty a special Dedication to SAFER award for her years of service through the track office to the division.
The next order of business for SAFER will be their next monthly meeting, Tuesday April 16th at TJ Halpin’s of Setauket, the meeting is open to the public and starts at 8:00pm.
On track activity for the Figure Eight class will begin with the first of two Riverhead Raceway pre-season practice days Saturday April 20th with the pits opening at 9:00 am and practice starting at 12 noon.
Source: Bob Finan/SAFER