4/28/2001
CHRIS YOUNG PLAYS IT COOL TO SCORE RIVERHEAD RACEWAY
VICTORY
Veteran NASCAR Modified talent Chris Young of Riverhead rebounded
from an opening night DNF to score the victory in the 35-lap feature this
past Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway. The win was worth $1,440 to
Chris who took home the win by playing it cool in lapped traffic late in the
contest.
J.R. Bertuccio and Chris Young found
themselves in the front row of the 20-car field. After two failed attempts
to get the event underway the third time was a charm. Bertuccio
grabbed the early lead when the green flag waved and stayed out, with Chris
Young motoring to second. For the first 25 laps of the contest Young stayed
anywhere from right on Bertuccio’s rear bumper to within a car length or
two as the race wore on, with heavy lapped traffic beginning to come into
play.
It was that same lapped traffic that
determined the outcome of the race. On lap 25 exiting the second turn,
two lapped cars got side by side and then together right in front of a fast
approaching J.R. Bertuccio. With nowhere to go J.R. caught the rear bumper
of Donny Lia with his right front wheel, ending his night with suspension
damage. Meanwhile Chris Young, who saw the heavy lapped traffic ahead had
backed down just a touch and was able, albeit narrowly to miss the Lia and
Bertuccio tangle to assume the lead of the race.
Over the final ten circuits of the race Joe
Hartmann sat second behind the leader, but Chris Young drove to victory in
the Riverhead Building Supply Monte Carlo. Aside from the Lia-Bertuccio
incident, Young also escaped an early race encounter with John Shortell,
referring to the two near misses Chris commented, “not only were we good,
but the racing gods gave us a bit of luck too and you can always use that
here” Chris added, “I have to thank Bill Mitchell Racing Engines, along
with Riverhead Building Supply, Syosset Trucks and Trux Inc. and, of course,
my wife Ann who is back with us fulltime and I couldn’t be happier.
Joe Hartmann of Riverhead scored a solid
runner-up finish in the Parkway Car Stereo Cavalier, while Wayne Anderson of
Yaphank had another solid early season run with a third in the Insula Dome
Skylights Chevy. Bill Park of Manorville was fourth in the Smithtown Nissan
Monte Carlo, while Ed Densieski of Riverhead was fifth in the JAD Carpet
Showcase Monte Carlo.
Also enjoying a rare front row starting
position would be eventual Late Model winner Steve Tooker of Riverhead, who
would lead all 25 laps of the feature event to score the victory. After
brake problems hindered Tooker’s opening night effort there was no
stopping the former three-time champion in the ADM Productions Pontiac.
Tooker jumped out front with “Mighty” Mike Mortimer in tow. Mortimer ran
second for the first 23 laps of the tilt and his duel with Peter “Buzzy”
Eriksen for second would turn out to be an exciting contest in this race.
With just two laps to go, Eriksen after laps of trying worked his way by
Mortimer and zeroed in on Tooker, but time had run out. At the finish it was
Steve Tooker collecting the gold, while Peter Eriksen of Baldwin would have
to be content with runner-up honors in the Hempstead Harley Davidson Pontiac.
Scott Kulesa of Calverton, who was in the mix the entire race, was third in
the Ranco Sand & Stone Pontiac.
Heading into the 2001 Figure 8 campaign Tom
Rogers Jr. came to the table with a renewed enthusiasm. A new
sponsorship paid early dividends when he scored a convincing win in the 20
lap Figure Eight feature. After Mike Mujsce set the tone for the first four
laps of the race, Rogers bolted out front in his Big Brothers & Big
Sisters of Long Island Probe on lap 5. Once out front the young talent never
looked back as he opened a very comfortable lead that he enjoyed until the
checker flag waved. Mike Mujsce of Hampton Bays turned in a solid
performance with a strong runner-up finish in the Pro Tech Automotive Chevy,
while defending champion Bill Steen of Oakdale was third in the Euro Tech
Auto Body Dodge.
After barely missing an opening lap tangle
among the two front row cars, Steve Ratti of Manorville posted a wire to
wire win in the 20 lap Charger feature. After the failed attempt to get the
race underway was cleared Steve Ratti bolted right into the lead, with Mike
Bologna and Jack Orlando in hot pursuit. On a 8th lap restart Orlando was
able to sneak under Bologna for second as he followed Ratti under Mike on
the double file restart. Once to second Orlando made his presence known to
Ratti over the dozen laps that remained in the race, but close would be as
good as it would get for Jack.. At the checker it was Steve Ratti in the
Buckley’s Irish Pub of Center Moriches Pontiac scoring the victory, while
Jack Orlando of Riverhead settled for second in the Glamour Transportation
Oldsmobile. Mike Bologna of Huntington would drive to a third place tally in
the Landscapes By Clay entry.
Jarred Hayes of Calverton notched the win in the 20-lap Blunderbust
feature event, a win he quickly turned into a birthday present for his proud
father. Dale Arnold would set the pace of the race for the first 6 laps of
the event before he was over taken by Jarred Hayes, who used an inside pass
exiting turn four to take the lead. Just a lap later Sean Byrne moved by
Arnold for second and he would chase Hayes over the final 13 laps of the
contest. At the checker it was Jarred Hayes in the Van de Wettering
Greenhouses Cadillac to score the popular win, with Sean Byrne of Brentwood
runner-up in the Poppy’s Used Auto Wreckers Lincoln. Jack Handley of
Lindenhurst was third in the Warehouse Tool & Equipment Chevrolet.
In another wire to wire performance on the
night John Cozza of Medford, a former Blunderbust champion himself would
lead all the way to win the 20 lap Super Pro Truck feature. Cozza wasted no
time putting his Island Parts Outlet Ford out front when the green flag
waved and out front he would stay all race long. The battle of the race
would occur for second as Tony Giarraputo and two time defending champion
Ron Humes staged a slugfest for the spot. On lap 14 Humes jumped to the
outside as he so often does to work his way by Giarraputo and quickly tried
closing on the leader but it would turn out to be too little too late. At
the checker it was John Cozza scoring the win, with Ron Humes of East
Rockaway in the Nu Way Crane Service GMC second and Tony Girraputo of Bay
Shore third in the Grand Slam Collectibles Ford.
