Ryan Preece Back in Victory Lane for His First Win of the Season at Riverhead
It was a chilly day on Saturday May 23rd at Riverhead Raceway as drivers and fans gathered to celebrate Memorial Day. Last year Ryan Preece was able to get his first win of the season at Riverhead on Memorial Day weekend.
Well he was able to do the same thing again in the 35-lap feature event. For the fourth week in a row Tom Rogers Jr. scored fast time with an 11.897 but, he would re-draw 3rd. Timmy Solomito drew the pole with Preece on the outside starting 2nd. When the green flag flew Solomito and Preece battled side-by-side until the first caution flag flew on lap 2.
Jason Agugliaro had a flat left front tire and had to stop his car in turn 4. More drama happened when under caution Timmy Solomito’s car quit on him and he had to be pushed back into the pits. Ryan Preece led the field for the restart and on lap 3 action started to pick up. John Fortin took his No.84 and made it three wide in between Kyle Soper and Rogers going for second. By lap 5 Rogers had caught Preece and the two battled side-by-side for the lead. However the next lap Fortin caught up to Rogers and the two went side-by-side until Rogers slapped the wall on the backstretch, which dropped him back to 4th.
Preece continued to lead as the field ran single file until lap 29 when Rogers looped his car trying to get around Kyle Soper in the No.4. Rogers was able to continue which is exactly what Preece wanted as he was able to hang on and take the win.
“It was a heck of a race and [Tom Rogers] has a real dominant car and the main thing was to get out in front of him and hope he couldn’t get in line behind me,” Preece said. Preece will take the win as he was second in points entering the night just 19 points behind Tom Rogers.
Dylan Slepian Takes Down First Career Win in Legends
After lap cars hindered Dylan Slepian’s chances of getting his first win last week, Slepian used them to his advantage this week to finally capture his first checkered flag finish.
Bryan Kelly started on the pole next to Vinny Delany and Artie Pedersen III was back in his Fastenal No.51 after a scary crash last week, he started 4th. Slepian worked his way from 5th to 2nd in just 12 laps but right in his tracks was point leader Richie Davidowitz in the No.25. On lap 13 Slepian was able to slip on by Bryan Kelly with a little help from lap traffic to take the lead. The one and only caution came out on lap 14 as a traffic jam took place in turn 4. A total of seven cars piled into each other after one car spun. After a long clean up Slepian led Kelly, Delany, and Davidowitz to the green and was able to hold on for his first career win.
“It feels amazing I can’t believe it” Slepian said, “ When we started getting through lap cars we got a couple breaks and actually got the lead that way it was nice to get the lead through lap cars instead of losing.”
First Win of the Season for Jarrod Hayes in the Late Models
After a week off the Late Models were back in action for a 30-lap feature. Jarrod Hayes led from green to the checkered to take down the win. Scott Kulesa set fast time in Time Trials with a 12.479 but, in the re-draw he picked the outside pole. It was “J-Rod” that got to start P1 and he didn’t waste any time pulling away from the field.
Roger Oxee had trouble right as the green flag dropped as he suffered a right rear flat tire. Oxee drove his car into the infield and sat there until the first caution flag came out on lap 19 when Jack Orlando looped his No. 99 car around. On the restart Hayes had to hold off last year’s champ Mike Bologna and Kulesa. Hayes was able to pull away again until the second caution came out when Kulesa spun his Eastport Feeds machine in turn two collecting John Baker in the No.07. Baker would have to pit for a new left front tire. The race went green the rest of the way with Jarrod Hayes hanging on for his first win of the season.
“[The first couple of weeks] we were getting the bugs out [of the car]” Hayes said “This was the first time we actually ran it so it worked out.”
Ray Minieri Celebrates his 22nd Career Win With an Enthusiastic Victory Lane
“Radiant” Ray Minieri was shining as he pulled into victory lane for his 22nd career win at Riverhead Raceway in the Charger division. Point leader Chris Turbush has a rough going in the race as before the start; Turbush had to bring his car to the pits after fluid was seen leaking from his car.
Rich Wilson started on the pole but just as the green flag waved Wilson and outside pole starter Greg Immerman made contact. This allowed third place started Cory Midgett to slip into first in the No.14. The first caution flag flew on lap 5 when Turbush and Immerman made contact, Turbush’s car then stalled on the track.
More drama ensued when Cory Midgett pitted from the lead, the team looked under the hood and sent the car back out for the restart. This allowed Ray Minieri to move up into the lead. When the green waved again Minieri and Owen Grennan went side-by-side for a few laps. This allowed CJ Lehmann to join in on the fun until the second caution waved on lap 17 when Greg Immerman and Cory Midgett got together in turn 2, Steve Mastro was also involved. The race restarted with 3 to go and Minieri was able to hold of Eric Zeh for the win. Chris Turbush got into the backstretch wall coming to the white flag and had to stop his car in turn 4 but, the caution flag did not come out.
Mark Stewart Back in Victory Lane for the Super Pro Trucks
After a disappointing week last week, Mark Stewart was able to find his way back to victory lane. Stewart started on the pole and started pulling away from the field early. The race almost went green to checkered trouble free until the yellow waved on lap 17. Roger Turbush and Lou Maestri got together causing the left rear tire on Maestri’s truck and the right front of Turbush’s truck to go down. On the restart Stewart was able to hold off Mike Albisini and capture his first win of 2015.
Mike Smith beat out five other cars to take home the Demolition Derby win.
Photos are available at: http://www.racerhub.com/photos/index.php?cat=2370
Super Pro Truck Results:
1. Mark Stewart (1)
2. Michael Albisini (6)
3. Dave Brigati (7)
4. Dan Turbush (11)
5. Brian McElearney (4)
6. Kevin Scharfenberg (3)
7. Lou Maestri (8)
8. Gerard Giordano (2)
9. Amanda Anderson (10)
10. Roger Turbush (9)
11. Jimmy Rennick Jr. (5)
Legends:
1. Dylan Slepian (5)
2. Vinny Delaney (2)
3. Richie Davidowitz (7)
4. Kevin Nowak (6)
5. Bryan Kelly (1)
6. Kyle Ellwood (12)
7. Artie Pedersen III (4)
8. Saun Wanat (3)
9. Eric Hersey (14)
10. Chris Rogers (16)
11. Mike Van Houten Jr. (17)
12. Ed Cheslak (24)
13. George Tomko Jr. (13)
14. Greg Harris (9)
15. Allan Pedersen (8)
16. Kurt Kreiger (18)
17. Steve Hersey (22)
18. Wally Davidowitz (21)
19. Eric Henschel (23)
20. Jerry Curran (25)
21. Bill Fitzgerald (20)
22. Jeff Otto Jr. (26)
23. Devin O’Connell (10)
24. Ray Fitzgerald (15)
25. Michael Rutkoski (19)
26. John Beatty Jr. (11)
Chargers:
1. Ray Minieri (4)
2. Eric Zeh (11)
3. CJ Lehmann (9)
4. Owen Grennan (7)
5. Rob McCormick (14)
6. Daryn Miller (12)
7. John Baker (8)
8. Richard Wilson (1)
9. Jason Hansen (4)
10. Chris Turbush (10)
11. Steve Mastro (6)
12. Greg Immerman (2)
13. Cory Midgett (3)
14. Brian Midgett (13)
Late Models:
1. Jarrod Hayes (1)
2. Mike Bologna (3)
3. Jeremy McDermott (5)
4. Chris LaSpisa (4)
5. Shawn Patrick (8)
6. Chris Lescenski (6)
7. Kevin Metzger (12)
8. Scott Kulesa (2)
9. John Baker (7)
10. Kyle Harvell (11)
11. Richie Davidowitz (13)
12. Jack Orlando (9)
13. Kaitlyn Schober (14)
14. Roger Oxee (10)
Modifieds:
1. Ryan Preece (2)
2. John Fortin (5)
3. Kyle Soper (4)
4. Shawn Solomito (6)
5. Howie Brode (7)
6. Dave Sapienza (8)
7. Vinny Biondolillo (9)
8. Ken Darch (10)
9. Jason Agugliaro (11)
10. Jerry Solomito (13)
11. Tom Rogers Jr. (3)
12. Dave Brigati (12)
13. Timmy Solomito (1)
14. Kyle Ellwood (14)
15. Amber Fortin (15)
Source: Brenden Madonia/LongIslandJam.com