NWMT Tradition To Continue At Riverhead With Two Races In 2016

When NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour officials recently announced their 2016 schedule Long Island’s Riverhead Raceway will once again be part of the popular series with two race dates June 25th and August 27th set by new track owners Eddie & Connie Partridge & Tom Gatz. Riverhead, along with the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Connecticut are the only two venues to host at least one NASCAR WMT race since the inception of the WMT in 1985.

In that first season some 32 years ago Jimmy Spencer of Berwick, Pa. won twice while the late great NASCAR Hall of Fame member Richie Evans of Rome, NY won the WMT finale at the demanding quarter mile facility. Ever since that first season a virtual who’s who of NASCAR Modified racing has graced WMT victory lane at Riverhead while the races themselves have always been competitive and exciting. For the fans of the WMT the two Riverhead Raceway visits have become “events’ with numerous fans camping out and tailgating at the Route 58 oval prior to and after the WMT races.

2011 Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modified champion Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville swept the two 2015 races at his home track winning the Hoosier Tire 200 as well the Riverhead 200 in August. After the August win Justin noted “it’s pretty awesome to win both races at the track I’ve been coming to since I was five years old”. Bonsignore and his Ken Massa owned team hope to keep the momentum going in 2016 and one can bet Justin has circled the two Riverhead dates on his calendar.

The loyal race teams and fans who follow the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be greeted by a vastly improved Riverhead Raceway when the arrive. Since the conclusion of the 2015 season, Eddie & Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz started on a rigorous capital improvement program at the facility with track GM John Ellwood overseeing the work. The mild fall and early winter weather has aided the efforts of Ellwood and his staff.

This past week new race director and multi talented Scott Tapley created and introduced along with track management a new logo which can be viewed by visitingwww.riverheadraceway.com. Marketing and sponsorship opportunities are now available for the 200-lap NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races on June 25th and August 27th as well as all races on the 2016 Riverhead Raceway schedule. The track also boasts a comprehensive Billboard program and further marketing information can be obtained by sending an e-mail to info@riverheadraceway.com or dialing 631-842-RACE.

While the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has been a fixture at Riverhead Raceway, three new race series will make their debut at the historic oval in 2016. The New England Midget Association teams will visit on Saturday May 28th for the Allan Cantor Memorial with the New England Truck Series debuting Saturday night July 9th. On Saturday July 30th the Granite State Pro Stocks will do battle in a 100-lap event.

The complete 2016 Riverhead Raceway schedule can be viewed by visiting www.riverheadraceway.com. The 2016 season will start Sunday May 1st with a complete Enduro program presented while the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will open Saturday night May 7th.
Two pre-season practice days are set for Saturday afternoon April 23rd and April 30th.