(Press Release from Riverhead Raceway)
With Memorial Day weekend in the mirror, Riverhead Raceway speeds into summer this Saturday June 3rd with a busy seven event Advance Auto Part Weekly Series program. Two classes, the Eagle Auto Mall Crate Modifieds and Blunderbusts kick off their 2023 Miller Lite Triple Crown Series during the program, that will conclude with a wild School Bus race on the tight quarter mile oval.
Three Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I Modified events have been run to date in ’23 with three different winners, Timmy Solomito of Islip, Jack Handley Jr. of Medford and Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead scoring wins. Will that trend continue Saturday in the 50-lap NASCAR Modified feature is the question with drivers like Dave Brigati of Calverton, John Beatty Jr. of Merrick, Dylan Slepain of Dix Hills and Chris Young of Calverton just a handful of drivers hoping to make it four winners in four events.
Coming off a rough and tumble May 27th event teams that compete in the Eagle Auto Mall Crate Modifieds will burn the midnight oil this week. Chase Grennan of Glen Cove, older brother and defending champion Owen and Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead have all won once this year, hoping to become the first repeat in the 40-lap Miller Lite Triple Crown Series lid lifter. Among the teams scrambling to repair damage for this past week are Sean Glennon of Northport, Dennis Krupski of Calverton, AJ DeSantis of Yaphank and Stephen Coleman of East Islip. A win Saturday would truly make all the thrashing during the week for those teams worthwhile.
The Blunderbusts return for competition with both defending champion Cody Triola of Bay Shore and Jim Laird Jr. of Islip Terrace having already visited victory lane in 2023, both are favorites to win the 30-lap MLTCS opener Saturday. Brandon Hubbard of Mastic Beach, Bill Wegmann Sr. of North Bellmore and Tom Sullivan of Massapequa will be aiming for their first win of the season.
The INEX Legend Race Cars go to post in a 20-lap event Saturday with “Big Money” Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches going for his fourth win in a row. Over in the Super Pro Trucks who’ll compete in a 20-lap tilt, Jack Handley Jr. of Medford hopes to go three for three in ’23 having won the first two races. Also in action are the 4/6-Cylinder Gut & Go Enduro machines with another wall-to-wall brawl expected.
Once the stock cars are done doing their thing, the deck will be cleared for a wild School Bus Race with track management changing things up running this contest on the oval. Earlier in the season, 15-year old Chevy Rommeney of Oakdale in his first ever School Bus start took the win. The 2022 Bock Auto Bandolero Outlaw champion hopes to go back-to-back Saturday.
Spectator gates open at 4:00 pm Saturday, qualifying starts at 5:30 pm with opening ceremonies at approximately at 6:30 pm. Adults $30, kid 6-12 $15, 5 & under free. The complete 2023 schedule of events can be found at www.riverheadraceway.com, e-mails reach the track at [email protected] while the phone number remains 631-842-RACE.
Have to admit this long time Stafford fan has actually grown to like Riverhead’s diversity of racing division’s better. Stafford’s programs slick for sure and the facility we all know the regional centerpiece. Riverhead a little crustier and old school. Certainly not slick at all but with equally strong traditions. What I like that can’t be had at Stafford is grass roots racing. Stafford relatively homogeneous. Every division all slick cars. Well built, safe. A hand full of race shops and individuals building and setting up a large percentage of the cars. Riverheads division line up from bottom to the top more diverse. You can’t see an OEM based racing division at Stafford they’ve eliminated them. All ground up, purpose built race cars even the Streets. Probably a good thing for safety considering the speeds. At Riverhead depending on the week you could see Gut N Go enduro’s, Blunderbusts, Figure Eights and Street Stocks. Right up to 16 or so tour mods and if you watch the NWMT races at Riverhead you know how good they are. Stafford, same five divisions of slick racing most weeks. Riverhead mixes and matches all season long with a massive range of division types and quality.
If past is prologue the School Bus race night will get a big crowd likely bigger then the NWMT. No Figure Eight’s Saturday my fav but the buses are no joke. They’re taken very seriously by some that race them every year.
If you have a chance check it out. Not slick but may just do the trick on a Saturday night.