On May 15 at Riverhead Raceway it was Patrick Emerling looking up the podium one spot to see race winner Doug Coby celebrating victory in the Whelen Modified Tour event at the historic Long Island bullring.
On June 20 it happened again for Emerling, staring up at Doug Coby celebrating victory after another series event at Riverhead.
Saturday there was no looking up at anyone else for Emerling.
Emerling, of Orchard Park, N.Y., dominated the final 60 laps to win the Whelen Modified Tour Miller Lite 200 Saturday at Riverhead Raceway.
It was the first series event at the facility since the death of track owner and series team owner Eddie Partridge on Sept. 11.
It was the fourth career Whelen Modified Tour victory for Emerling and third in 2021. It was his first victory at Riverhead Raceway.
“I’d like to dedicate this race to Eddie Partridge,” Emerling said in victory lane . “I started racing and I was racing against his car and it was a hell of a team always, hell of a car. That was a team you always looked up to. … Several years ago Riverhead was a place that we kind of struggled at a little bit. And so to get a first here is unbelievable.”
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, N.Y. was second. Riverhead Raceway Modified division regular Roger Turbush of Riverhead was third.
Emerling came into the night second in the series standings, trailing Bonsignore by 22 points. The pair will go to the season ending NAPA Fall Final 150 at Stafford on Sept. 25 with Bonsignore holding a 16-point advantage. Bonsignore is looking for his second consecutive series title and third overall in the last four seasons. Emerling has never won a series championship.
“To win here today, we had two seconds here, it’s just unbelievable,” Emerling said. “It’s kind of what we had to do with the points situation here.”
Said Bonsignore: “Congrats to Patrick. … Congrats to them guys. It’s been a hell of a battle between the two of us all year. They gained some tonight. We’ll go to Stafford next week and have a good run and try and get another [championship].”
Turbush had a 21st and 15th in Whelen Modified Tour starts earlier this season at Riverhead.
“To run with the [Whelen Modified] Tour, even run in the top-10 with the Tour for us has been a struggle,” Turbush said. “We struggled every time we came out here, but we kept trying.”
Riverhead Modified division regular Tom Rogers Jr. won the pole in qualifying and controlled the pace from the start.
Doug Coby pestered Rogers over the first 20 laps. By lap 23 the leaders were encountering lapped traffic all the way around the track. The first caution flew on lap 44 for the spinning car of Tyler Rypkema.
The race restarted on lap 52 but the action was short-lived. The caution returned on lap 53 due to an aggressive battle for the lead. Coby tried to go to the outside of Rogers. Contact between the two put Coby into the wall hard and ended his night.
The race restarted with Rogers leading fellow Riverhead regular Dave Brigati, with Bonsignore in third and Ron Silk in fourth.
On the restart it was Brigati using the outside to overtake Rogers for the top spot. Behind them Silk moved past Bonsignore for third place.
Caution flew once again on lap 90 after a wreck involving Craig Lutz and JB Fortin.
The race restarted with Brigati leading Rogers on the front row. On the lap 102 restart the two made heavy contact, which also collected third place running Ron Silk. Kyle Soper was able to move to the top spot through the mess with Emerling following him to second.
“It was hairy there with the leaders and [Emerling] and Soper just got through that mess,” Bonsignore said. “Track position is huge.”
The race restarted on lap 111 but immediately went back to caution for the slowed car of Austin Beers.
On the lap 117 restart it was Emerling moving past Soper to take over the top spot. Emerling became the first series regular to lead the event.
A wreck at the back of the field brought the caution right back out on lap 121. The ensuing lap 131 restart saw little action as caution flew again two laps later for a wreck involving Dylan Slepian and Chuck Hossfeld.
The race restarted on lap 140 and would go green the rest of the way. Bonsignore got by Soper for second place on lap 166 but never cut much into the big lead of Emerling over the final 30 laps.
Beautiful tribute to Eddie Partridge.
So someone that has a hard time driving in traffic drove into the wall.
🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱
Wanna guess who?
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
😝 😝 😝 😝 😝 😝 😝 😝 😝 😝 😝
I’m correct yet again. I sure wish that someday, some of you can have that same experience. It’s fun.
So, was the 10 car competing as DCR or MSIII Racing? 😏 😝😝😝
The 01 made it a whole 7 laps. SEVEN LAPS. How can that possibly be fun???? That situation seems to be getting worse and worse. The 01 has ZERO Lead Lap Finishes in 2021, and has completed only 41% of laps run. How is that fun?
Lots of glowing brakes last night. Track could have turned off the lights.
Great to see the Riverhead Regulars competing, and hope some off them can become Tour regulars. After all, Riverhead has been a major farm system feeder for the Tour.
Well, Emerling has to lap JBon a whole bunch next week. Good luck with that. Maybe JBon can get a win at Stafford. We shall see.
You truly are a total tool
J-Bons championship to lose
The whirling Turbish had the market cornered on razzle-dazzle. He’s competed in 13 or the 14 events at Riverhead, no wins and only two top fives and 8th in points. Yet somehow last night he had a rocket ship that were there a late caution could have made the finish very interesting.
The best laid plans as they say. Two NWMT stars off to the Supers at Star and they end up watching the Riverhead race on their phones while rain postpones their event. Meanwhile down at Dominion Hirschman is putting everyone to sleep with his utter dominance of the SMART race from beginning to end. Tell you what race fans that Dominion would be a great track for a NWMT race.
It’s greater Buffalo vs greater NYC. Up state vs down state NY. The Bills vs the Giants.
Not ideal but we can work with it. Bonsignor not a winner at Stafford but always finishes races there and mostly near the front. Emerling did win the bizarre Sizzler/drizzler but normally is not good at Stafford. About a 6 hour plus drive for the 07 team while the 51 is getting a bracing chill with a leisurely cruise on Long Island Sound. How sweet would it be to see Emerling who was in no conversations for the championship this year beat a perennial favorite.
Sorry 51 team but I’ll be contacting a witchdoctor this week and look into putting a one race hex on you for the Fall Final. An 07 championship would be the breath of fresh air to the annual stranglehold the 2/10 and 51 have had on the NWMT.
Did ISMA not send out a press release for you to copy…. word for word… and call your own….?… Speaking of spineless…. Copy and paste.
They give you an award?… For profiting off the death of Blewitt??… For what? copy and paste coverage?
Ken I hope you didn’t just figure that out because the rest of us have known for a long time, biggest tool in the tool box
The Atomic Punk,
If you hate what I do and you hate everything about me and you think everything on this site is all garbage or you think I’m a plagiarist or any of the other random insults and accusations you’ve been posting in the comments here day after day after day after day, why do you keep coming here? Do you really need to post comments daily that you know won’t get published? Do you really need attention that bad? You’re like a four year old child having a tantrum, day after day after day. Just go away.
Here’s the link for the story I just published about Jon McKennedy winning the Star Classic this morning. No press release yet from ISMA that I’ve seen.
Whatever it is that you’re talking about in regards to John Blewett III, I’m at a loss. How or why you’re using the passing of a Whelen Modified Tour driver to somehow try to insult me is really a new level of you displaying your tortured anger issues. You’re really truly stretching hard to try to insult me with some absurdly delusional accusation.
Again, why are you here if everything I do is so terrible? Why do you keep coming back? Why do you keep submitting hate-filled insulting comments that you know won’t get posted? Seek help man, you have anger management issues. This is the last comment of yours that will ever get published here. Go away.
Shawn Do NOT waste your time with the MORON called Atomic Punk he is just a broken two sided record. Stafford bad, and apparently you have no ide a what you are doing. He is NOT worth your time. You do an AMAZING job keeping us informed with all that is NE racing, and please keep doing what you are doing.
I suppose it’s understandable feeling defensive when someone is attacking your work but come on man. You have no obligation to absorb ridicule that is without merit.
I’m surprised he hasn’t dislocated his shoulder by now from patting himself on the back so much. Real piece of work.
Atomic Punk thinks he’s making a point. I wish he’d let us know what that point is.
Some idiot wrote, “The whirling Turbish had the market cornered on razzle-dazzle.”
What or who is a “whirling Turbish”?
He even calls himself a punk and he lives up to his name
“Did ISMA not send out a press release for you to copy…. word for word… and call your own….?… Speaking of spineless…. Copy and paste.”
See right there is an example of copy and paste I do it all the time and it doesn’t cost me a cent.
“(Press Release from NTT IndyCar Series)”
That’s an example of a press release. It does cost money to disseminate to the greater racing fan base because it’s part of a business that has expenses and overhead the must be accounted for even if the press release itself has no cost associated with it. It’s clearly marked and most patrons of RaceDayCt understand the source of the stories.
“They give you an award?… For profiting off the death of Blewitt??… For what? copy and paste coverage?”
See I did it again . Copy and paste and it cost me nothing.
On August 17, 2007 Shawn Courchesnes wrote an article about the death of Blewett as an employee of the Hartford Courant. I have no idea about what the award refers to but were it to be true it would be for reporting an important event that again is what reporters are supposed to do.
Tough break for Coby. Rogers moved up and got his right rear into Coby’s left front and the rest was history. Great race and the battle heads to Stafford where we will crown a champion. Should be a great finish to the 2021 WMT season.
“ hate me because I’m beautiful and smarter than you.
“And just a reminder, I was right, again.”
“See, I was right. Even Earl can finally get it.”
“wmass01013, you were correct when you addressed me as “genius”.
“Hey Doug, I was right again.”
Doug… you see that???? Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful, hate me because I’m beautiful and smarter than you.
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
THE 2021 DAREALGOODFELLA INSULT COUNTER DAY 262
571 Doug, thanks again for publicizing your depravity and idiocy.
572 The 01 jumped up in the points standings, and will do so again after the next race, and it doesn’t even have to be competitive. Just show up, run a few laps, and PRESTO!!!!!
573 The Riverhead race was last night… some idiot (Coby) drove into the wall.
574 Some idiot (Doug) wrote, “The whirling Turbish had the market cornered on razzle-dazzle.
TOTAL INSULTS IN 2021 THROUGH DAY 262……………………………574
NEW TRAUNCH OF INSULTS SINCE DAY 249……………….…………..4
AVERAGE INSULT COUNT PER DAY THROUGH DAY 262.. …………2.19
PROJECTED INSULT TOTAL FOR 2021 BASED ON 2.19/DAY…………799
Good Job Shawn. There is a few more pushing the site . This is supposed to be fun banter . Ty again
Hey Doug, ever notice that when you post something idiotic, WeldingWonders follows up by posting a collection of your most recent idiotic postings?
What a guy!!!
😝😝😝😝😝
Shawn, I feel bad that you occasionally verbally assaulted by unknown people that have no factual info to back up what they say. YOU bust your behind to make this the BEST source of racing info in New England and beyond, particularly as it applies to Modifieds. WE are the fortunate folks who get to be the benefactors of your work, and WE even get to voice an opinion or two on the events and stories you write and supply us with. WE need to be appreciative of this and RESPECTFUL of you and your efforts, as well as being respectful of others that participate. There is no reason for you or anyone else to put up with that stuff! One of my favorite quotes to try and follow:
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall
SNIPETS FROM THE SUPERCILEOUS
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
SNIPET 21: DAREALGOODFELLA ON TRACK FOOD
DEFINITELY BAD SAYS THE GORMET
darealgoodfella says
February 4, 2021 at 6:43 pm
2020, you think track food is a nice meal? That is so revealing.
I just made smoked pulled pork. Put it in the Big Green Egg late last night, smoked low and slow for 10 hours, then wrapped and finished in the oven for a couple hours. Incredibly tender, juicy and tasty.
My kitchen is better than many restaurants, and far better than any track food. How you survive on Ramen is fascinating.
4 PLUS MONTHS LATER NOT SO BAD APPARENTLY SHOVELING THE BBQ AND SLAW DOWN.
darealgoodfella says
June 17, 2021 at 9:38 am
Well, it was a very good event.
But first, some free recommendations… I had Uncle D’s Blazin’ BBQ for dinner last night at the track. Had the Black & Bleu sandwich… delicious. The slaw was perfection.
SNIPETS FROM THE SUPERCILEOUS
STARRING DAREALGOODFELLA
SNIPET 22: 7 YEARS OF DAREALGOODFELLA ON DOUG COBY
2015******************
darealgoodfella says
October 3, 2015 at 8:15 pm
Coby… Colby
Carburetor… CARBURATOR
2016******************
darealgoodfella says
April 21, 2016 at 11:05 pm
Szegedy is a better driver than Coby, in my opinion. Coby is a disaster in traffic, anyone can run with Szegedy and know he is not a hazard.
2017***************
darealgoodfella says
July 20, 2017 at 12:00 pm
Zeke, a monkey can drive the NWMT 2 car (COBY), with the right flux capacitor, and win.
2018***************
darealgoodfella says
August 4, 2018 at 10:53 am
The 2 (C0BY) was running the special gilded flux capacitor again (AKA CHEATING). They pulled out all stops last night. Once the 2 got out front, it was super cruise mode, like old times.
2019*********
darealgoodfella says
August 23, 2019 at 9:41 pm
It is well known that Colby is 40 years old and there is NOTHING he can do with the rest of his career that would put him in the same league as Evans, Jarzombeck, Bodine, Spencer, Kent, Leaty, Troyer, T. Hirschman, and a couple others.
2020**************
darealgoodfella says
March 3, 2020 at 10:38 am
Super Doug is NOT in the company of Most Popular Drivers like Stefanik, TC, Tony Hirschman, Preece, Steve Park, Ruggerio, Bonsignore, Baldwin, Flemke Jr., etc.
2021**************
😷😷😷 darealgoodfella 😷😷😷 says
September 19, 2021 at 9:39 am
So someone (COBY) that has a hard time driving in traffic drove into the wall.
THE CALENDAR MAY CHANGE BUT DAREALGOODFELLA’S GRUDGES ARE FOREVER
For those of us not familiar with the inner workings of whelen modified tour point calculation. what doe emerling have to do to win the championship next weekend? Finish 8 positions ahead of jbon? Pulling for emerling in this one. I like a first time winner.
CSG,
Here you go: Whelen Modified Tour Championship Point Scenarios Heading To NAPA Fall Final 150 At Stafford
Thanks I just saw it. I appreciate the breakdown on championship scenarios..