7/28/2001

TEXTBOOK MOVE DRIVES CHRIS YOUNG TO RIVERHEAD GOLD

    Chris Young of Riverhead scored his second win of the 2001 season this past Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway when the NASCAR Modified veteran made a picture perfect move on lap 16 to come from third to the lead and the eventual win. Young earned $1,440 for the triumph on Buzz Chew Chrysler-Dodge night.
    For the first dozen circuits of the race Glenn Tyler and Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr., both second generation drivers, staged a seesaw battle for the lead. Tyler lead the first lap, with Brunnhoelzl then leading the 2nd through 5th cycles before giving way to Tyler again on lap 6. Glenn then led until lap 10 when Ed broke back out front. The entire time the duo swapped the lead they were for the most part side-by-side and barely touched one another during the torrid fight. On lap 13 Brunnhoelzl slid his car into the first corner a bit too hard under Tyler and had to roll out of the throttle, allowing John Fortin to come to second and Chris Young to third.
    For three laps Fortin tested Tyler for the lead but a 15th lap caution and subsequent double file restart changed the complexion of this race. On the double file restart Tyler and Fortin were side by side and in the first and second corner Tyler and Fortin rode up the race track which opened up the lower groove for Chris Young who made a textbook pass to race from third into the lead. Fortin eventually worked his way by Tyler for second. For the remainder of the race Young and Fortin, two former Figure Eight champions ran one-two but Young kept a comfortable enough cushion between them. In the later laps of the race Bill Park raced his way to third, but by then both Young and Fortin had checked out.
    Afterwards Chris paid tribute to a Long Island driving legend, "Fred Harbach taught me that sometimes you have to let your competitors play things out for you and tonight that's just how it happened". As for the winning move Chris praised his engine program, "Bill Mitchell gave me the power to be able to drive under and by Glenn and John and I can't thank him enough, as well as Riverhead Building Supply, Syosset Trucks and Trux Inc, Ray & Linda Barrett Snap-on Tools and My Butcher".
    John Fortin of Holtsville brought the Abbott's Hart Cove Marina machine home for runner-up money, while Bill Park of Manorville wound up third in the Smithtown Nissan Monte Carlo. Glenn Tyler of Hampton Bays and Wayne Anderson of Yaphank tested each other late in the race for fourth, but in the end Glenn wound up fourth and Wayne was fifth.
    Sean Egan of Riverhead is sure glad he did not sell his Late Model during the off-season as he scored his third win of the 2001 campaign in a 25-lap contest. Doug Wholey was the driver who set the pace of the race once the green flag waved.  He was chased for the first 13 laps by another newcomer Peter Rotzi for the lead. A 13 lap double file restart that changed the outcome of this race.  Wholey missed a shift in turn four, drifted up the track slowing Rotzi as well thus allowing "Mighty" Mike Mortimer to race under both leaders to take over the top spot. Mike had built himself a nice lead once out front and the popular driver who has had a tough run of luck in 2001 seemed like he might turn things around. However Sean Egan raced his way to second on lap 16 and was in the process of reeling the leader in when his cause was further aided by an 18th lap caution. This put Egan right on Mortimer's back bumper.
    When the race went back to green Egan wasted little time in making a move on Mike.  On lap 19 he raced his Riverhead Building Supply entry out front and led the final 6 laps for the victory. Steve Tooker of Riverhead made a late race surge payoff with a runner-up finish in the ADM Productions Pontiac, while Mike Mortimer of Mastic Beach drove to a solid third place tally in the Tobay Printing Pontiac.
    Ken Hyde of Medford annexed his second win of the season when he won the 20-lap Figure Eight feature event. "The Dean" Bill Steen the defending Figure Eight champion broke out front early with Tom Rogers Jr racing by Frank Seus for second on lap 2. As the laps clicked off Steen's car began to billow smoke and on lap 10, racing to turn three, Steen would spin and be forced to the pits during the yellow to cure the smoke problem. This put Tom Rogers out front for lap 11, but just one lap later Ken Hyde vaulted his way out front with a convincing pass for the lead, while Rogers tried to hold onto his car which was getting a flat tire.
    With just about five laps to go Roger Maynor raced his way to second and tried to reel in leader Hyde and indeed would do just that. Roger got close to Hyde waiting for the leader to slow at the intersection or bobble. However there was no stopping the William Padden Services Beretta night and at the checker flag it was Ken Hyde who scored the win. Roger Maynor of Bay Shore took home second place money in the Barrasso & Sons Mason Supplies entry, while "Krazy" Ed Mistretta of New Hyde Park was third in the Islip Transmissions Chevy.
    Bobby Gardner of Westbury could not have picked a better night to win his third Blunderbust feature of the season, as it was Golden Auto Body night. Scott Sepe led the first of the thirty-lap distance before he gave way to Russell Broy on the second lap. Broy once to the front was able to pull away ever so slightly from second place Carl Voelker Jr., as Carl was in a heated battle for second with Chris Chirico. During a 16th lap yellow flag disaster struck for leader Broy.  He was forced to the pits with mechanical ills which passed the lead to Voelker and Chirico. Again this duo hooked up in a heated race for what was now the lead.  On lap 23 off turn two they touched and Chirico spun to the infield. Watching all this from third place was Bobby Gardner who was able to take full advantage racing his way by the spinning Chirico and Voelker on the backstretch. Once out front there would be no slowing Bobby Gardner down as he saw a chance to win on his sponsor's night and he would do just that in the Golden Auto Body Cadillac. Dale Arnold of Baldwin had another solid outing with a runner-up finish in the Jones Tree Service mount, while Neal Feola Jr. of Ronkonkoma was third in the Chili Peppers Pub entry.
    It would only get better for the Costa family of Golden Auto Body in the next race, as second generation driver Lenny Costa of College Point notched his first career Super Pro truck feature victory. At the drop of the green Lenny wasted little time in alerting his fellow drivers that he was the man to beat.  He raced out front, with John Denniston in tow. Denniston was able to stay within sight of Costa but soon had his own battle to worry about with Kevin Scharfenberg. On lap 12 Kevin worked his way by for second which brought Larry Costa to third, who promptly thanked him just over a lap later by passing Kevin for second.
    Once to second Larry was able to catch up to his son Lenny and had ideas about trying him for the lead, however Scharfenberg was still in the hunt in third and if Larry made a move Kevin was ready to go the other way. The final five laps saw Lenny Costa in the Seven Star Restaurant entry able to survive a truck spinning just in front of him and anything else thrown his way to score the emotional victory. Larry Costa of College Point was runner-up in the New York Metro Peterbilt Dodge, while Kevin Scharfenberg of Kings Park was third in the Tire Depot Chevy.
    In the 10 lap Train Race it would be pole sitters Mike Mujsce of Hampton Bays and Bob Haeger of Westhampton leading wire to wire for the win in the Pro Tech Automotive backed train. Tim Smith of Port Jefferson and Jason Carpenter of Rocky Point were second in the B&D Demolition entry.

Sources:  Riverhead Raceway PR
Posted:  July 30, 2001