Antos & Burbol Top Sunday Winners at Riverhead

Glorious sunshine and warm temperatures greeted the Riverhead Raceway Enduro teams Sunday morning and the action on the track proved to be as hot as the weather. When the dust settled Dave Antos of Lindenhurst topped the 50-lap Grand Enduro while veteran Gene Burbol of Brookhaven won the 50-lap Truck Enduro.

Championship rivals Dave Antos and Greg Zaleski by luck of the draw found themselves on the front row of the Grand Enduro field and as one might expect a torrid fight for the race lead and win ensued right up until the final five laps of the contest. Antos broke out front to pace the race for the first four laps before Zaleski made an inside pass of turn four to take the lead. Antos chased Zaleski up until lap 25 when he was passed by Jimmy White Jr. for a lap, Dave was able to loop back around White for second on lap 26 when Jimmy spun. Antos then chased Zaleski for another 18 laps before he finally made his bid for the lead and race win. On lap 45 racing into the first turn Antos dove under Zaelski and took the race lead, Zaleski tried to repay the favor but to no avail over the final five laps. At the finish Dave Antos took home the win in his GR Performance Chevy with Greg Zaleski of Jamesport second in the Peconic Sign Company entry. The duo will enter the Saturday September 12th race tied for the championship lead. Erick Zegel of Medford was third with Brian McCormack of Holbrook and Glenn Simonin of Holtsville completing the top five.

The 50-lap Truck Enduro found “Pirate” Pete Rabaglia leading the first lap of the race before he was overtaken by Ben Gregor on lap 2. Gregor would lead up until the halfway point of the event on lap 25 when Gene Burbol who started the race from the 10th spot made an inside pass in turn two for the race lead. Once out front the former 6-Cylinder Enduro kingpin was able to keep a comfortable distance from his nearest rivals. Gregor’s fine run came to an abrupt end late in the race when he lost his left front wheel. At the checker it was Gene Burbol in the Gene’s 112 Repair Center Chevy the race winner with “Handsome” Hank Hallock of Riverhead second in the Westhampton Auto Salvage racer. Donald “Woot” Lawrence of Southampton was third in the Wheel Racing 4X4.

For the first time in some 16-years Mark Wolf of Shirley won an 8-Cylinder Enduro as he came from 23rd starting position to win the first race for the division on the day in a 75-lap affair. Tom Dickerson in his Ford Torino led the first 5 laps of the race before Dominic Ranieri moved by on lap 6. Ranieri would lead until lap 19 when he was passed by Anthony Pizzo for the lead with Anthony surrendering the lead to Mark Wolf on lap 34. On lap 48 Pizzo trapped Wolf in lapped traffic but would only lead until lap 55 when Mark Wolf moved back out front for good and would lead the final 20-laps in his Shirley Feed Chevy. Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma was runner-up in the A. Voight Towing Caprice with “Blackjack” Bryan Kelly of Aquebogue third in the TJ’S Hero Shops Chevy.

In the 40-lap 8-Cylinder nightcap Anthony Pizzo took the race lead on the first laps and dominated the race for the win. Rob “The Racer” McCormick of Ridge and Sean Fitzpatrick of West Babylon were second and third.

The race of the day was indeed the 75-lap 4/6-Cylinder Car Enduro that featured a torrid see-saw battle for the lead that was eventually won by former champion Joe Warren Jr. of Ridge. Matt Wahl got the jump on the field when the race went green and broke out to a fairly comfortable lead but just after the halfway point of the race that was all going to change. After coming through traffic 2013 champion Joe Warren Jr. caught leader

Wahl and from laps 46 through 68 the talented duo swapped the lead five times before Warren took the lead for good with seven laps left. Championship leader Paul Wojcik of Centereach would wind up second in the Fisher Signs & Shirts entry while Matt Wahl of Islip Terrace was third in the Krazy Kars racer.

The Gut & Go Enduro saw Peter Verwys of East Stroudsburg, Pa. take the lead on lap 1 and proceed to to lap the entire 27-car field on his way to victory in the Usedautoparts.com machine, Matt Wahl was runner-up in this race with A.J. DeSantis of E. Yaphank third in the Mastic Wheel Alignment mount.

Grand Enduro (top five) 1. Dave Antos 2. Greg Zaleski 3. Erick Zegel 4. Brian McCormack 5. Glenn Simonin

Truck Enduro (top five) 1. Gene Burbol 2. Hank Hallock 3. Donald Lawrence 4. Richard Galante 5. Gary Voight

1st 8-Cylinder Enduro (top five): 1. Mark Wolf 2. Anthony Pizzo 3. Bryan Kelly 4. Brian Halsey 5. Dale Doherty

2nd 8-Cylinder Enduro (top five) 1. Anthony Pizzo 2. Rob McCormick 3. Sean Fitzpatrick 4. Dominic Ranieri 5. Brian Halsey