(Press Release from Riverhead Raceway)
It had been over a month since defending Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modified champion Kyle Soper of Manorville had visited victory lane but that all changed Saturday night at the conclusion of the 50-lap feature event as Kyle drove to his 7th win of the 2019 Whelen All American Series. The win was the 16th of Soper’s career which tying him with Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. for 27th on the all time win list.
Early in the contest Roger Turbush raced his way to the lead from pole chased for the first two circuits by CJ Lehmann before Lehmann would move out front for the third lap but Turbush was having none of that reclaiming the lead from CJ on lap 4 bringing Chris Young to second.
For the second time this season Turbush and Young would race for the lead hard and fast with neither driver asking or giving any quarter like their fathers before them.
The hard racing would get too close on lap 8 as the tandem made contact exiting the second turn with both cars coming in rest with damage. That turn of event moved Kyle Soper who started the race 7th into the race lead from third with John Fortin Sr. now second for the restart.
At first Fortin was able to stay in Soper’s tire tracks but as the race moved along the leader was able to get away as Fortin in the later stages of the race was under pressure from Craig Lutz for second which was just fine with the race leader.
After testing the former three time champion Fortin for second several times Lutz who finished 5th the night before in the WMT event at the Stafford Motor Speedway was able to make his way into second executing an outside pass. However by the time Lutz took over the challengers role Kyle Soper was long gone in his Eastport Feeds Chevrolet making a triumphant return to victory lane. “We had a good race going when we got some help getting to the front with all that was going on in front of us” the winner admitted. He also noted he is very well aware of the single season win mark of 10 set twice by “Charging” Charlie Jarzombek and once by Gary Winters, “we getting closer to that 10 win mark and hopefully for Wayne & Joette Anderson, Doug & Mora Corwin of Eastport Feeds and all my guys we can get there, we’ll see”.
Craig Lutz of Miller Place was runner-up in his family owned Riverhead Building Supply Chevy while John Fortin Sr. of Holstville scored another top three finish with a third place showing in the John’s Fuel Oil Chevy. Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills and Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead completed the top five.
Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead returned to Late Model victory lane after a one race absence scoring his 8th win of 2019 making him the top winning driver in one race season in the class. Prior to the 50-lap tilt McDermott set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 12.517 but in the redraw Jeremy picked fourth while Kevin Metzger and John Baker drew the front row. At the throw of the green Baker driving the Camaro he sold to Darren McCabe outran the field to the first turn to take the lead with McDermott quickly making his way front fourth to second. After chasing Baker over the first mile of the race McDermott dove to the inside of Baker entering the first turn on the 5th lap to take the lead. Three laps later Jeremy’s teammate for the night former champion Scott Kulesa raced his way by Baker for second but as others have found out in 2019 Kulesa soon discovered once Jeremy McDermott has his Eastport Feeds Pontiac in command he is unbeatable scoring his 16th career win moving him into sole possession of 6th on the LM all time win list. Kulesa of Georgetown, Ma. who is 5th on that list with 23 victories settled for second in his RP Fabricating Chevy while Shawn Patrick of Brightwaters completed the podium in his Steve Mehner Race Engines entry.
Another driver regaining his winning form from earlier in the season was Justin Brown of Manorville who won the 25-lap Crate Modified feature for his 5th win of 2019. Mike Albasini bolted to the early race lead when the race started with Jason Hansen, Terry Stiles, Sean Glennon and Chris Rogers all taking turns chasing “The King of Queens” over the first eight circuits. Lap 9 found Rogers, who earlier in the day stepped off a cruise ship taking the lead from Albasini after starting the race in 8th. When Rogers made his way by Albasini he brought Justin Brown to second with him. After chasing Rogers for 6 laps Brown who started the race 9th took advantage of a double file restart on lap 15 riding the outside lane to the race lead with Rogers tucking into second. Over the final 10 laps of the tilt Brown wheeling the Motorcycle Mike Attorney At Law Chevy led the remainder of the race posting his 8th career win good for third on the all time win list. Rogers of Patchogue was runner-up in the Captain Ralph’s Seafood Safari entry while last weeks winner Dave Brigati of Calverton placed third in the Quest Machining & Fabricating Chevy.
Former multi time Super Pro Truck champion Lou Maestri of Deer park drove to his second win of the season winning their 20-lap main event for his division leading 32nd career triumph. Eddie Schutze broke to the race lead at the drop of the green leading Sean Glennon over the first 9 laps of the race. Maestri who started 5th in the 8 truck field made his way to second with an inside pass of Glennon on the 9th cycle of the contest and soon thereafter made his way out front in his Line-X Truck Bed Liners of L.I. Chevy. Once the versatile driver who will dip his toes into the Crate Modified class in the future was out front he was able to stay there for the popular win. Following Maestri were Frank Dumicich Jr. of E. Quogue in his Sea Level Construction entry with Joe Cerabino of bay Shore third in the Gooddfellas Auto Repair machine.
Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge drove to his third Mini Stock victory of 2019 in their 20-lap feature event. Hard luck driver Justin Squires broke to the race lead at the start chased first by Jamie Meyer for six laps before Joe Warren Jr. made his way to second on lap 7 with an inside pass off turn four. Just prior to taking the halfway signal Warren would make an outside pass on Squires racing up the back stretch to take the race lead. Squires ran second for a lap after losing the lead as defending champion Paul Wojcik made his was into the challengers role on lap 11. Over the final half of the race Joe Warren Jr. in his self funded car led the remainder of the race posting the win which he dedicated to the late ‘Lil Jason Trinca. Wojcik of Centereach was runner-up in his Energy Kinetics racer while Chris Elixson of Riverhead brought the Mike’s Auto Service machine home in third.
Popular Donald “Woot” Lawrence of Southampton scored the 40-lap 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go Enduro victory for his second win of the season. Woot nehind the wheel of the Gregor Well Drilling mount moved to the race lead early and never looked back. The race was red flagged when perennial winner Christian Conklin of Riverhead flipped his Hyundai entering the third turn, he was shaken but otherwise okay. Following Lawrence at the finish were Chris Olivari of Coram and Peter Verwys of East Rockaway.
NASCAR Modifieds: 1. Kyle Soper 2. Craig Lutz 3. John Fortin Sr. 4. Dylan Slepain 5. Tom Rogers Jr. 6. John Baker 7. CJ Lehmann 8. Eric Zeh 9. David Schneider 10. Michael Rutkoski 11. Dave Briagti 12. Jack Handley Jr. 13. Roger Turbush 14. Chris Young 15. Jimmy Blewett 16. John Beatty Jr.
Late Models: 1. Jeremy McDermott 2. Scott Kulesa 3. Shawn Patrick 4. Jerry Giordano Jr. 5. Chris Turbush 6. Ray Minieri 7. Frank Dumicich Jr. 8. Kevin Metzger 9. John Baker 10. Jason Kreth 11. Daryn Miller DNS- Steve Mastro
Crate Modifieds: 1. Justin Brown 2. Chris Rogers 3. Dave Brigati 4. Mike Albasini 5. Sean Glennon 6. Peter Bertuccio 7. Terry Stiles 8. Matthew Brode 9. Dennis Krupski 10. Charlie Macwhinnie 11. Carey Rogers 12. Jason Hansen 13. Glenn Simonin 14. Alex Colasanto 15. AJ DeSantis
Super Pro Trucks: 1. Lou Maestri 2. Frank Dumicich Jr. 3. Joe Cerabino 4. Eddie Schutze 5. Sean Glennon 6. Ethan Brown 7. Mark Stewart DQ- Frank Dumicich Sr.
Mini Stocks: 1. Joe Warren Jr. 2. Paul Wojcik 3. Chris Elixson 4. Jamie Meyer 5. James O’Connell 6. Joe Cooke Jr. 7. Justin Squires 8. Scott Phillips 9. Brad Bess 10. Matt Stawecki 11. Thomas Cocozza 12. Martin O’Connell 13. Mike Mujsce Jr. 14. Tom Puccia
Gut & Go Enduro (top ten): 1. Woot Lawrence 2. Chris Olivari 3. Peter Verwys 4. Eric Germuth 5. Joe Warren Jr. 6. Jesse St. Clair 7. Frank Abbatiello 8. Jason Savoy 9. Tom Kreymborg 10. Dave Olivari
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