RGeeProductions
05-04-2015, 12:48 PM
The 65th anniversary season of racing got underway Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway on a clear but chilly evening which also turned out to be the eve of a full moon arriving on Sunday. The Twin 30 NASCAR Modified features lived up to the full moon theory in the second race with a real marathon event. In the end Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead swept the Twin 30's earning his 32nd & 33rd career NASCAR Whelen All American Series Modified victories.
In qualifying, a mere 3/1000ths of a second would separate Tom Rogers Jr. and Ryan Preece with Tom having the edge 11.953 to 11.956. Rogers picked 5th in the redraw and Preece picked 4th. John Beatty Jr. and rookie Kyle Soper picked the front row. When the 22 car field took the first green flag of 2015 pole sitter Beatty, entering the first and second turns, washed up the hill slightly which opened the inside lane. Both Timmy Solomito and Tom Rogers Jr. who came from their respective third and fifth starting berths quickly moved to occupy first and second on lap 1. The duo who have a history ran in that order until a 9th lap restart changed the complexion of the race.
With Timmy Solomito to the inside and Rogers outside the leader's car seemed to falter off the fourth corner when the green waved and that allowed Rogers to bolt into the lead with John Beatty Jr. now second while Solomito headed pit side to repair his car. Ryan Preece ran third behind the leaders and as the field took the halfway signal he made an inside move entering turn 1 to pass Beatty for second and set his sights on leader Tom Rogers Jr. Although he drew close at times there was no stopping Tom Rogers Jr. in the Stakey's Pumpkin Farm Chevy as he scored the win. Ryan Preece in the TS Haulers entry was runner up while rookie Kyle Soper of Manorville made a late race pass on Beatty for third in the Installations by Gemini machine. John Beatty Jr. of Merrick and Dave Sapienza of Riverhead filled out the top five.
Race two was indeed more dicey in both the fight for the lead and unfortunately also in caution flags and damaged race cars. Ryan Preece was able to break out front at the throw of the green on the outside with Rogers now in tow. Sadly in this race, making a house call, would be the full moon theory as this race had the "big one". Exiting turn 2 George Brunnhoelzl III and John Fortin made contact while fighting for position in the top five and both had to check-up which stacked the field behind them. Among the cars involved and damaged in the melee were Howie Brode, Shawn & Timmy Solomito, Brendon Bock, John Fortin Sr & Jr. and Ken Darch. Brunnhoelzl was able to keep his forward progress and never lost a spot.
With his outside pass at the start of the second 30-lapper the chilled fans on hand figured Preece would split the doubleheader with Rogers but somebody forgot to give Tom that memo. On lap 11 as Preece worked through the fourth turn his car seemed to jump out on him which allowed Rogers to swoop in and make the pass to make it a clean sweep for the Jessup Landscaping team. Preece was runner-up once again in the East West Marine Chevy while Jason Agugliaro of Islip turned in a stellar performance for third in the Northeastern Bus Rebuilders entry. George Brunnhoelzl III of Mooresville, NC and Dave Brigati of Calverton rounded out the top five.
Former Late Model champion Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead topped the 25-lap Late Model field that boasted a 15-car field for opening night. 2014 Rookie of the Year Chris Lescenski broke out front at the start of the race with Kevin Metzger in hot pursuit. However Kevin's run for the lead would hit a snag on lap 5 when he and Scott Kulesa got caught up with a lapped car drawing a yellow and sending both to the pits for repairs. On the ensuing restart Lescenski held fast at the front of the field with Jeremy McDermott, his close friend and somewhat of a teammate, now second. On lap 8 McDermott cast friendship aside and made an inside pass off turn four to take the lead from Lescenski who one lap later lost second to Roger Oxee. Once out front Jeremy McDermott put the SDS Telecommunications machine on cruise control and drove off to victory. Roger Oxee of Peconic in the Sophie's Restaurant Pontiac was runner-up while Chris Lescenski of Riverhead drove a solid race for third in the M Spero Motorsports Chevy.
Gary Fritz Jr. of Mastic Beach scored his first career Figure Eight win as he was leading the scheduled 15-lap Figure Eight feature when the time limit ran out on lap 8 during a caution. The class took to the track as the final race of the card and late in the night. Fritz, the 2013 Rookie of the Year raced his way out front when the green light came on with Mike Mujsce on his bumper. Right in line with Mujsce were the likes of Ken Hyde Jr., Roger Maynor and Tom Rogers Jr. At one point or another all four posted a challenge to Gary who was equal to the task every time and many on hand felt even if the race had gone 15-laps he'd do the same. When the time limit ran out it was an elated Northeastern Office Equipment team that greeted their driver Gary Fritz Jr. in victory lane. Tom Rogers Jr. in the United Exhaust Shop Plymouth Coupe was runner-up and Ken Hyde Jr. in the Long Island Truck & Equipment racer were second and third.
Timing is everything in many sports and in the 20-lap Charger feature John Baker of Brookhaven proved it as he stunned race leader Eric Zeh of Selden on a late race restart to post his third career win. Sophomore driver Greg Immerman showed the way over the first 7 laps before CJ Lehmann executed an inside pass for the lead and coming to start the 8th lap. Lehmann quickly found defending champion Eric Zeh filling his mirror and on lap 11 Zeh worked his way by for the lead. Baker would soon then wrestle second away from Lehmann setting the stage for the exciting finish. As a late race caution on lap 18 set up the single file restart, Zeh went into the third and fourth corners in the middle to the high side of the track and when the green waved Baker quickly went down under the race leader stunning not just the race leader but all those looking on as well. That move would indeed be the winning one for John Baker and his Staria Automotive race team. Eric Zeh would have to settle for runner-up money in the S&P Carting Chevy with CJ Lehmann of Shirley third in the Shore Mechanical Monte Carlo.
Jack Handley Jr. of Medford for the second year in a row won the 20-lap Blunderbust opener after taking the lead on lap 6 and never looking back. The race was marred by a personal feud that boiled over from the past two years between Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge and Brian Brown of Baiting Hollow who decided after spinning each other out during the race to have a Demo Derby with their cars. Both were removed and disqualified from the race with future penalties to be announced. As for the actual race Tim Mulqueen moved out front at the start with Tom Sullivan in tow for the first lap before Jack Handley, who started 4th got by. Once to second Jack wasted no time in his Relle Electric Chevy taking the lead which he did for good on lap 6 utilizing a crossover move off turn four. With five laps to go Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge moved his TS Haulers entry to second and try as he might there was no catching the race leader and he settled for second. 70-year young Bill Wegmann Sr. of North Bellmore was third in the Crackerjack Auto Stores Oldsmobile.
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In qualifying, a mere 3/1000ths of a second would separate Tom Rogers Jr. and Ryan Preece with Tom having the edge 11.953 to 11.956. Rogers picked 5th in the redraw and Preece picked 4th. John Beatty Jr. and rookie Kyle Soper picked the front row. When the 22 car field took the first green flag of 2015 pole sitter Beatty, entering the first and second turns, washed up the hill slightly which opened the inside lane. Both Timmy Solomito and Tom Rogers Jr. who came from their respective third and fifth starting berths quickly moved to occupy first and second on lap 1. The duo who have a history ran in that order until a 9th lap restart changed the complexion of the race.
With Timmy Solomito to the inside and Rogers outside the leader's car seemed to falter off the fourth corner when the green waved and that allowed Rogers to bolt into the lead with John Beatty Jr. now second while Solomito headed pit side to repair his car. Ryan Preece ran third behind the leaders and as the field took the halfway signal he made an inside move entering turn 1 to pass Beatty for second and set his sights on leader Tom Rogers Jr. Although he drew close at times there was no stopping Tom Rogers Jr. in the Stakey's Pumpkin Farm Chevy as he scored the win. Ryan Preece in the TS Haulers entry was runner up while rookie Kyle Soper of Manorville made a late race pass on Beatty for third in the Installations by Gemini machine. John Beatty Jr. of Merrick and Dave Sapienza of Riverhead filled out the top five.
Race two was indeed more dicey in both the fight for the lead and unfortunately also in caution flags and damaged race cars. Ryan Preece was able to break out front at the throw of the green on the outside with Rogers now in tow. Sadly in this race, making a house call, would be the full moon theory as this race had the "big one". Exiting turn 2 George Brunnhoelzl III and John Fortin made contact while fighting for position in the top five and both had to check-up which stacked the field behind them. Among the cars involved and damaged in the melee were Howie Brode, Shawn & Timmy Solomito, Brendon Bock, John Fortin Sr & Jr. and Ken Darch. Brunnhoelzl was able to keep his forward progress and never lost a spot.
With his outside pass at the start of the second 30-lapper the chilled fans on hand figured Preece would split the doubleheader with Rogers but somebody forgot to give Tom that memo. On lap 11 as Preece worked through the fourth turn his car seemed to jump out on him which allowed Rogers to swoop in and make the pass to make it a clean sweep for the Jessup Landscaping team. Preece was runner-up once again in the East West Marine Chevy while Jason Agugliaro of Islip turned in a stellar performance for third in the Northeastern Bus Rebuilders entry. George Brunnhoelzl III of Mooresville, NC and Dave Brigati of Calverton rounded out the top five.
Former Late Model champion Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead topped the 25-lap Late Model field that boasted a 15-car field for opening night. 2014 Rookie of the Year Chris Lescenski broke out front at the start of the race with Kevin Metzger in hot pursuit. However Kevin's run for the lead would hit a snag on lap 5 when he and Scott Kulesa got caught up with a lapped car drawing a yellow and sending both to the pits for repairs. On the ensuing restart Lescenski held fast at the front of the field with Jeremy McDermott, his close friend and somewhat of a teammate, now second. On lap 8 McDermott cast friendship aside and made an inside pass off turn four to take the lead from Lescenski who one lap later lost second to Roger Oxee. Once out front Jeremy McDermott put the SDS Telecommunications machine on cruise control and drove off to victory. Roger Oxee of Peconic in the Sophie's Restaurant Pontiac was runner-up while Chris Lescenski of Riverhead drove a solid race for third in the M Spero Motorsports Chevy.
Gary Fritz Jr. of Mastic Beach scored his first career Figure Eight win as he was leading the scheduled 15-lap Figure Eight feature when the time limit ran out on lap 8 during a caution. The class took to the track as the final race of the card and late in the night. Fritz, the 2013 Rookie of the Year raced his way out front when the green light came on with Mike Mujsce on his bumper. Right in line with Mujsce were the likes of Ken Hyde Jr., Roger Maynor and Tom Rogers Jr. At one point or another all four posted a challenge to Gary who was equal to the task every time and many on hand felt even if the race had gone 15-laps he'd do the same. When the time limit ran out it was an elated Northeastern Office Equipment team that greeted their driver Gary Fritz Jr. in victory lane. Tom Rogers Jr. in the United Exhaust Shop Plymouth Coupe was runner-up and Ken Hyde Jr. in the Long Island Truck & Equipment racer were second and third.
Timing is everything in many sports and in the 20-lap Charger feature John Baker of Brookhaven proved it as he stunned race leader Eric Zeh of Selden on a late race restart to post his third career win. Sophomore driver Greg Immerman showed the way over the first 7 laps before CJ Lehmann executed an inside pass for the lead and coming to start the 8th lap. Lehmann quickly found defending champion Eric Zeh filling his mirror and on lap 11 Zeh worked his way by for the lead. Baker would soon then wrestle second away from Lehmann setting the stage for the exciting finish. As a late race caution on lap 18 set up the single file restart, Zeh went into the third and fourth corners in the middle to the high side of the track and when the green waved Baker quickly went down under the race leader stunning not just the race leader but all those looking on as well. That move would indeed be the winning one for John Baker and his Staria Automotive race team. Eric Zeh would have to settle for runner-up money in the S&P Carting Chevy with CJ Lehmann of Shirley third in the Shore Mechanical Monte Carlo.
Jack Handley Jr. of Medford for the second year in a row won the 20-lap Blunderbust opener after taking the lead on lap 6 and never looking back. The race was marred by a personal feud that boiled over from the past two years between Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge and Brian Brown of Baiting Hollow who decided after spinning each other out during the race to have a Demo Derby with their cars. Both were removed and disqualified from the race with future penalties to be announced. As for the actual race Tim Mulqueen moved out front at the start with Tom Sullivan in tow for the first lap before Jack Handley, who started 4th got by. Once to second Jack wasted no time in his Relle Electric Chevy taking the lead which he did for good on lap 6 utilizing a crossover move off turn four. With five laps to go Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge moved his TS Haulers entry to second and try as he might there was no catching the race leader and he settled for second. 70-year young Bill Wegmann Sr. of North Bellmore was third in the Crackerjack Auto Stores Oldsmobile.
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