RGeeProductions
09-01-2014, 12:27 PM
After spending a year racing off Long Island John Fortin of Holtsville returned to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Riverhead Raceway, a track where he is a three time NASCAR Modified champion. After a challenging start to 2014 John made a long awaited triumphant return to victory lane Saturday when he topped the 35-lap feature event for his 28th career win at the quarter mile.
Once again Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead was fastest in qualifying with a lap of 11.959 but once again the redraw put a damper on his pole as he would start the race 8th. John Fortin and defending champion Howie Brode drew the front row which was good news for Brode as he is trying to fend Rogers off for the 2014 championship coming to the race with a 19-point advantage. When the race went green Fortin armed with a rare pole starting position was not going to allow that opportunity to slip away and he won the drag race over Brode to the first turn. For the better part of the first lap Howie had ideas about trying John to the outside for a run at the lead but Dave Sapienza was lurking in third early on and Brode tucked in behind Fortin for the first portion of the race. Meanwhile behind the leading duo the likes of Sapienza, Amber Fortin, Todd Szegedy, Vinny Biondolillo, Jason Agugliaro, Dave Brigati along with Rogers were jockeying for position.
Just one lap after the halfway point Vinny Biondolillo spun in turn four after contact coming to rest on the apron with Tom Rogers Jr. having to stop to avoid hitting the youngster. In the past Rogers would have been given his spot back but recently Riverhead NASCAR Officials announced the track would use the NASCAR WMT procedure that if a car stops forward momentum they'd be involved and an unhappy Rogers was sent to the rear with Biondolillo. That turn of event allowed Brode to get more aggressive in his pursuit of race leader Fortin, Howie stayed right on the rear spoiler of John for the remainder of the race hoping to find a way around him for the win but Fortin drove a masterful race from the lead to prevent that from happening.
At the checker it was the SGS Stone Works Chevy of John Fortin crossing the line first setting off a jubilant victory lane celebration. "I'm happy to back here, I just get this place" Fortin boasted in the winners circle. When quizzed if he more than he was showing over Brode in the late stages John offered, "I had more but I learned from my Figure Eight days it is better to keep your challenger closer to you than running off to a straight away lead". The victory also gave John a chance to dedicate the race win, "this one is for one of our best friends Kay, we love her and miss her".
Howie Brode of East Islip would settle for second in the RW Truck Equipment Chevy but he would make great strides in pursuit of his second straight title as he left the track with a 31-point lead over Tom Rogers Jr., 389-358 with three point races left. Dave Sapienza of Riverhead crossed the line third in the Frankie's Towing Chevy while Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield, Ct. and Amber Fortin of Holtsville rounded out the top five.
Defending Late Model champion Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead drove to his second feature event win of the season in a 25-lap race that featured a wild crash just before the halfway mark of the race. At the throw of the green Shawn Patrick led the first lap of the race from the pole out running Chris LaSpisa to the first turn. Jeremy McDermott quickly shot under LaSpisa on lap one and then quickly made an inside pass of Patrick entering the third turn to take the race lead with Shawn settling into second. Much to the pleasure of McDermott an intense fight for second would develop between Patrick and all time leading LM winner Roger Oxee that lasted some five laps before Oxee completed an outside pass for position up the back stretch on lap 8. Just two laps later a scary crash saw Kevin Metzger get squeezed into the wall up the back stretch with his car riding the wall as if it were driving on it nearly flipping over. Metzger got into the catch fence as well and the fence did it's job keeping Kevin from going any further off the track. After his car came to rest in the middle of the third and fourth turn Metzger emerged from his destroyed car, dazed but otherwise okay.
On ensuing double file restart McDermott continued as the race leader with Mike Bologna able to sneak under Roger Oxee for second when the green reappeared. McDermott and Bologna are the main two championship contenders as well the drivers vying for the win which surely entered their minds over the final half of the race. At the conclusion it was the SDS Telecom racer of Jeremy McDermott posting the win over Mike Bologna of Melville in the Schlaugies Fuel Oil Chevy gaining two points in the process which was the good news. The bad news is Bologna in his quest for a third career title enjoys a healthy 32-point lead over McDermott with only two races to go. Roger Oxee of Peconic was third in the Southold IGA Supermarket Pontiac.
"The Real Deal" Mark Stewart of Riverhead sure knows how to introduce a new sponsor to his race team in style as he scored his 4th win of the season in the 20-lap Super Pro Truck feature event. Roger Turbush of Riverhead set fast time with a lap of 13.423 but redrew 3rd for the race with point leader Erin Solomito and 'Dangerous" Dave Koenig at the front of the field. Erin already was having a tough day forced to borrow her father Frank Dumicich Sr's truck after she lost a drive shaft and transmission in warm-ups. Mattered not to Solomito as she drove into the first turn as the race leader with Koenig and Turbush surrounding her for the first five laps. Lap 6 saw Turbush and his nephew Mark Stewart work their way by Koenig but just one lap later it would be Stewart sneaking under his Uncle Roger for second. Mark went right to work on finding a way by Erin who he is also chasing for the 2014 title. Stewart would find that lane on a 12th lap restart taking the lead of the race for good as the field started the 13th lap. Solomito then quickly found herself in a race for second with another of her championship rivals Lou Maestri and as that battle heated up Mark Stewart in the Flashdink Inc. Chevy was able to motor off to another win. Erin Solomito of Hampton Bays would hold on for second in the Tonino's Pizza Ford while Lou Maestri of Deer Park was third in the Star Car Repair Center Chevy. With just two races remaining Erin leads Mark by 8 points, 536 to 528 with Lou 10 back of the lead with 526.
(continued)
Once again Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead was fastest in qualifying with a lap of 11.959 but once again the redraw put a damper on his pole as he would start the race 8th. John Fortin and defending champion Howie Brode drew the front row which was good news for Brode as he is trying to fend Rogers off for the 2014 championship coming to the race with a 19-point advantage. When the race went green Fortin armed with a rare pole starting position was not going to allow that opportunity to slip away and he won the drag race over Brode to the first turn. For the better part of the first lap Howie had ideas about trying John to the outside for a run at the lead but Dave Sapienza was lurking in third early on and Brode tucked in behind Fortin for the first portion of the race. Meanwhile behind the leading duo the likes of Sapienza, Amber Fortin, Todd Szegedy, Vinny Biondolillo, Jason Agugliaro, Dave Brigati along with Rogers were jockeying for position.
Just one lap after the halfway point Vinny Biondolillo spun in turn four after contact coming to rest on the apron with Tom Rogers Jr. having to stop to avoid hitting the youngster. In the past Rogers would have been given his spot back but recently Riverhead NASCAR Officials announced the track would use the NASCAR WMT procedure that if a car stops forward momentum they'd be involved and an unhappy Rogers was sent to the rear with Biondolillo. That turn of event allowed Brode to get more aggressive in his pursuit of race leader Fortin, Howie stayed right on the rear spoiler of John for the remainder of the race hoping to find a way around him for the win but Fortin drove a masterful race from the lead to prevent that from happening.
At the checker it was the SGS Stone Works Chevy of John Fortin crossing the line first setting off a jubilant victory lane celebration. "I'm happy to back here, I just get this place" Fortin boasted in the winners circle. When quizzed if he more than he was showing over Brode in the late stages John offered, "I had more but I learned from my Figure Eight days it is better to keep your challenger closer to you than running off to a straight away lead". The victory also gave John a chance to dedicate the race win, "this one is for one of our best friends Kay, we love her and miss her".
Howie Brode of East Islip would settle for second in the RW Truck Equipment Chevy but he would make great strides in pursuit of his second straight title as he left the track with a 31-point lead over Tom Rogers Jr., 389-358 with three point races left. Dave Sapienza of Riverhead crossed the line third in the Frankie's Towing Chevy while Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield, Ct. and Amber Fortin of Holtsville rounded out the top five.
Defending Late Model champion Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead drove to his second feature event win of the season in a 25-lap race that featured a wild crash just before the halfway mark of the race. At the throw of the green Shawn Patrick led the first lap of the race from the pole out running Chris LaSpisa to the first turn. Jeremy McDermott quickly shot under LaSpisa on lap one and then quickly made an inside pass of Patrick entering the third turn to take the race lead with Shawn settling into second. Much to the pleasure of McDermott an intense fight for second would develop between Patrick and all time leading LM winner Roger Oxee that lasted some five laps before Oxee completed an outside pass for position up the back stretch on lap 8. Just two laps later a scary crash saw Kevin Metzger get squeezed into the wall up the back stretch with his car riding the wall as if it were driving on it nearly flipping over. Metzger got into the catch fence as well and the fence did it's job keeping Kevin from going any further off the track. After his car came to rest in the middle of the third and fourth turn Metzger emerged from his destroyed car, dazed but otherwise okay.
On ensuing double file restart McDermott continued as the race leader with Mike Bologna able to sneak under Roger Oxee for second when the green reappeared. McDermott and Bologna are the main two championship contenders as well the drivers vying for the win which surely entered their minds over the final half of the race. At the conclusion it was the SDS Telecom racer of Jeremy McDermott posting the win over Mike Bologna of Melville in the Schlaugies Fuel Oil Chevy gaining two points in the process which was the good news. The bad news is Bologna in his quest for a third career title enjoys a healthy 32-point lead over McDermott with only two races to go. Roger Oxee of Peconic was third in the Southold IGA Supermarket Pontiac.
"The Real Deal" Mark Stewart of Riverhead sure knows how to introduce a new sponsor to his race team in style as he scored his 4th win of the season in the 20-lap Super Pro Truck feature event. Roger Turbush of Riverhead set fast time with a lap of 13.423 but redrew 3rd for the race with point leader Erin Solomito and 'Dangerous" Dave Koenig at the front of the field. Erin already was having a tough day forced to borrow her father Frank Dumicich Sr's truck after she lost a drive shaft and transmission in warm-ups. Mattered not to Solomito as she drove into the first turn as the race leader with Koenig and Turbush surrounding her for the first five laps. Lap 6 saw Turbush and his nephew Mark Stewart work their way by Koenig but just one lap later it would be Stewart sneaking under his Uncle Roger for second. Mark went right to work on finding a way by Erin who he is also chasing for the 2014 title. Stewart would find that lane on a 12th lap restart taking the lead of the race for good as the field started the 13th lap. Solomito then quickly found herself in a race for second with another of her championship rivals Lou Maestri and as that battle heated up Mark Stewart in the Flashdink Inc. Chevy was able to motor off to another win. Erin Solomito of Hampton Bays would hold on for second in the Tonino's Pizza Ford while Lou Maestri of Deer Park was third in the Star Car Repair Center Chevy. With just two races remaining Erin leads Mark by 8 points, 536 to 528 with Lou 10 back of the lead with 526.
(continued)