(Press Release from Riverhead Raceway)
Eddie & Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz will embark on their fourth year of promoting and ownership at Riverhead Raceway as the historic quarter mile oval kicks off it’s 69th year of racing with opening weekend Saturday evening May 4th and Sunday afternoon May 5th.
The 2019 schedule of events will find the trio presenting a comprehensive schedule of stock car racing and family entertainment events that include three Wednesday night programs for the new season as well midweek rain dates. Saturday May 4th will find a seven division NASCAR Whelen All American Series program ring in the new season while on Sunday May 5th the 34th consecutive year of Enduro racing will get underway.
The NASCAR Modifieds will again serve as the Division 1 class for the weekly Whelen All American Series and for 2019 will find their regular feature event distance stretched from 40-laps to 50 circuits. The 3rd annual Islip 300 on June 15th will serve as the regular season signature event for the “Mod Squad” offering the race winner a $7,000 payday from a purse of $32,600. To date Dillon Steuer of Bohemia and current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct have won the 300 lap classic which salutes the wildly popular Islip Speedway.
Another much anticipated race NASCAR Modified teams and fans look forward to every year is the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77 and the 2019 edition of the race honoring three legends of the sport is Saturday July 27th. Five additional extra distance races are planned in 2019 for the open wheel warriors with 75-lap races set for May 1th, June 1st and August 24th. A 69-lap race will be contested on the 69th Year Celebration of the track on June 29th while a 100-lap race will unfold on First Responders night September 14th. A total of 19 point paying races are schedule for the NASCAR Modifieds, including their Wednesday night July 10th appearance.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour celebrating it’s 35th anniversary season in 2019 will make the traditional two stops on Long Island for 200-lap events Saturday July 6th and Saturday September 7th.
A strong supporting cast of six divisions compliment the NASCAR Modifieds weekly led by the full bodied excitement of the Late Models who are scheduled for 15 races in 2019, three of which are 50-lap events on May 25th, August 3rd and August 31st.
Another competitive year of Crate Modified racing is planned with 15 races set for the class who’ll run 40-lap features on May 18th and June 22nd with a 30-lap tilt set for September 7th. The regular feature distance for the Late Models and Crate Modifieds will remain 25-laps in ’19. The Blunderbusts and Super Pro Trucks will also go to post 15 times during the season with 30 lappers set for the BB on May 18th and July 6th, while the SPT class go 30 laps on June 8th and September 21st.
INEX Legend Race Cars teams will again be busy in 2019 with 18 races scheduled with a 30-lap contest planned for May 25th while the annual US Legend Cars National Qualifier, a 50-lap affair is scheduled for Saturday July 13th. The famed Figure Eight daredevils return to a 13-race slate for 2019.
Three Wednesday night shows will be a popular addition starting with a July 10th midweek special and be joined by events on August 7th and the 2nd annual Back To School race program on August 28th. As for the Wednesday night rain dates the following policy will be followed.
“In the event of a full card rainout on a Saturday, Riverhead Raceway will attempt to makeup the event on the Wednesday following that rained out event date. Exceptions to this will be all Whelen Modified Tour events. Possible exceptions to this may include but are not limited to: Any special event such as the Islip 300, Fireworks Night, INEX National Qualifier, etc. Riverhead Raceway will communicate any potential rain dates as soon as a decision is made.”
2019 will find the Enduro racers morph more into Saturday night racers with just two Sunday shows that bookend the season being planned. After the May 5th opener the Street Stocks (12), Mini Stocks (12), Trucks (7), 4/6-Cyl. Gut & Go (7) and 8-Cylinder Enduro (6) races will be spread out on Saturday nights before they run the final race of ’19 at the track on Sunday September 29th.
Four bone jarring, car destroying 4/6-Cylinder Demolition Derbies are set for the new year on June 1st, June 29th, August 10th and conclude with the National Stock Demolition Derby championship September 21st.
Popular family entertainment events will be plentiful during the upcoming spring & summer as three School Bus Figure Eight races will keep fans on the edge of their seats on Saturday May 11th & June 8th before headlining the first Wednesday night show of the year July 10th. Once done racing the School Buses will then be destroyed in two earth shattering Demolition Derby events Saturday evenings July 20th and August 24th. New to the family entertainment menu in ’19 will be a Mini School Bus/Mini Van Demolition Derby debuting Wednesday evening August 7th.
Fireworks will celebrate the 69th Year Celebration on Saturday June 29th and return for the annual I Love America Night program on August 10th. The extremely popular car crushing Monster Trucks of KSR Motorsports return to Riverhead Raceway with their “freestyle” thrills and spills on the Night of Destruction Saturday July 13th. Two Kids Big Wheel Races are also part of the fun this season on Saturday nights June 29th and August 10th.
Two pre-season practice sessions will preview the new season of racing with free grandstand admission on Saturday afternoon April 20th and again April 27th.
Marketing & sponsorship opportunities are available for races/divisions on either a individual or seasonal basis with billboard marketing available as well. For further information contact track GM John Ellwood or PR director Bob Finan through private message on Facebook.
The complete 2019 schedule of events can be viewed at www.riverheadraceway.com, to reach the track via e-mail that address is [email protected]. The track phone number remains 631-842-RACE.
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