The first feature on the track (RIVERHEAD RACEWAY - Editor) was the Legends 20 lap feature, with Jim Byrne and Chris Turbush on the front row. They took off at the drop of the green, with Tom Sherman and Silas Hiscock, Sr. chasing right behind them. Sherman and Hiscock tangled as they battled for 3^rd, allowing Chris A. Young and Timmy Solomito to get by as they battled for 3^rd and 4^th. On lap 6, caution flew for a spin. On the restart, Turbush and Solomito flew by Byrne, along with Young, Hiscock, and Justin Strumpf as Byrne quickly fell to 6^th. Turbush held the lead until Solomito got by on lap 10 to take the point, just before another caution flew when Jim Sylvester got tagged by a spinning John Beatty, Jr. and Sylvester hit the wall hard just at the entrance to turn 1. While his car will require extensive work, Sylvester got out and walked away, seemingly unhurt. On the restart, Solomito had to fend off a challenge from Turbush initially, but on lap 11, a multi-car crash in turn 2 brought out the caution once more. On the next restart, Solomito sailed away as the race resumed single file, and Timmy Solomito hung on to take his 2^nd win of the season in the legends. Chris A. Young, “Wild Bill” Hiscock, Tony Naglieri and Jim Byrne rounded out the top 5.

The Chargers ran next, with Frank Dumicich, Jr. on the pole and Derek Stochecki to his outside. Dumicich, Jr. led at the start, but on lap 2, Jeremy McDermott contacted the wall on the front stretch, riding all the way to turn 1, bringing out the 1^st caution of the race. Dumicich, Jr. led once more, with Eric Zeh moving to 2^nd on the restart, and CJ Lehmann moving up to 3^rd spot, but Erin Dumicich spun in turn 2 on lap 4, and the caution flew again. On the restart, Dumicich, Jr. took off, Lehmann got by Zeh for 2^nd as Chris Turbush moved into 3^rd, but Kory Comiskey spun in turn 2 as Kevin Orlando suffered a flat, and the yellow flew once more. Dumicich, Jr. took off once more with Lehmann to his outside, but C. Turbush got by to take 2^nd as Lehmann spun after contact in turn 4 on lap 8, and all hell broke loose behind them with a multi-car wreck in turn 3 & 4. Kevin Orlando seemed to be hurt, so a red flag came out as track officials worked to clear up the tangle of cars and dry up the fluid that spilled on the track, causing the wreck to happen. As it turns out, Orlando was okay, thankfully, electing to continue in the race.

After a false start (Did someone jump it? No reason was given as to why the yellow came out again), Dumicich, Jr. held the lead on the inside, as C. Turbush ran along on the outside, keeping Dumicich, Jr. pinned down as they ran cleanly side by side for 3 laps until C. Turbush pulled ahead, taking the lead after 2 laps of fending Dumicich, Jr. off, with C. Turbush pulling into the lead with a small piece of Dumicich, Jr’s. nose piece hanging from his left rear fender. Chris Turbush then sailed on to take the win, as Frank Dumicich, Jr., Jay Henschel, Dan Turbush, and Kevin Orlando, in a really smashed up race car, rounded out the top 5.

Next was the Figure-8 15 lap feature, with 13 cars taking to the starting grid, led by Tom Graff and Ken Hyde, Sr. Graff took the lead at the start, but 4^th place starter Kenny Hyde, Jr. got by on lap 2, passing Graff, Hyde, Sr. and Will Farrell in one fell swoop, just before caution flew for the disabled car of Tom Ferrara. On the restart, Hyde, Jr. led Graff as Farrell, Arne Pedersen and Roger Maynor rounded out the top 5. On lap 5, Farrell and Maynor got by A. Pedersen and Graff to move into 2^nd and 3^rd, with A. Pedersen and Tom Rogers, Jr. now making up the top 5. Up front, Hyde, Jr. had a 4 car length lead as Maynor passed Farrell to take over 2^nd, just as Farrell spun on lap 9, bringing out the caution. On the restart, Maynor got by Hyde, Jr. to take the lead as Rogers moved up to 3^rd, but a mysterious caution flew on the next lap, slowing the field once more. Then things got interesting. With Maynor lined up as the leader, and Hyde, Jr. to his outside, the green flew once more, followed quickly by the caution. Under the caution, Maynor was told he jumped the start, and was ordered to the rear. Maynor went to question the call, and was told he was “Being placed in the rear for jumping the start.” “But I am the leader”, he protested. He was told that he wasn’t and then it was announced that the race was over due to running over the time limit, and Kenny Hyde, Jr. was declared the winner. (The race had started at 7:55 PM, and the call to end it came at 8:14 PM. 19 minute time limit? Since when?) Tom Rogers, Jr., Arne Pedersen, Scott Pedersen, and Mike Mujsce, Sr. rounded out the top 5 in this very strange feature event.

The last regular event of the night, the Modified feature, came next. Al Ermmarino and Ken Darch led the 19 car field to the green, with Ermmarino leading until Chris Young passed him in turn 3 of the first lap. On lap 2, Kevin Nowak, Mike Mortimer and Eddie Brunnhoelzl III spun in turn 1, bringing out the 1^st caution of the race. On the restart, Young took off, leading Tom Rogers, Jr. and Timmy Solomito, as Ermmarino and Dave Brigati rounded out the top 5. On alp 8, Amber Fortin spun in turn 4, bringing out the 2^nd caution of the race. On the restart, Young took off once more, running side by side with Rogers, but Solomito worked his way by Rogers to take over 2^nd, with Rogers maintaining 3^rd. Further back, Brunnhoelzl passed John Fortin to take 5^th spot away, but up front, Young and Solomito were running away from the rest of the field, with Solomito running literally right on Young’s rear bumper. It continued that way, with Young getting loose going through turn 2 on lap 34, as Solomito courteously backed off to let him correct. On lap 35, coming off turn 4 to the checkers, Young appeared to loose control once more, spinning into the infield as Solomito motored on to what appeared to be the win, but the officials held off making the call UNTIL THEY SET THE NEW PRECEDENT OF REVIEWING THE INCIDENT BY WATCHING A VIDEO REPLAY PROVIDED BY THE VERIZON FiOS CREW. They then declared Timmy Solomito the winner of the Modified feature. Tom Rogers, Jr. the current point leader, finished 2^nd, increasing his point lead from 6 to 14 over John Fortin. Dave Brigati, Eddie Brunnhoelzl III and John Fortin rounded out the top 5.

News and Notes: Next Sunday, August 28^th, is the annual Racer’s Reunion at the Himes Museum, 15 O’Niel Ave., Bay Shore, NY. It is scheduled to run from 10 AM until 7 PM. Stop by and say hello to an always smiling Marty Himes, meet up with many of your old racing friends, and Marty might even have a story or two to tell. Refreshments will be served as always, and a good time should be had by all. See you there, I hope….. 3 Late Models testing last night - 08a of Jarrod Hayes, 22 of Lenny Podlaski, and Roger Maynor’s 28, all of which have yet to race this season. Be good to see them all in next week’s 50 lapper… Rob Bader says a deal is near to sell his BB, should know something this week… Only 3 weeks left in the point races, and 3very tight ones: in the Mods (Rogers, Fortin, Steuer - 20 point spread), Chargers (McGuire, C. Turbush- tie for lead, Orlando 4 points behind), Figure-8s (Arne & Scott Pedersen only 8 points apart), so it will be interesting from here out….

The race was broadcast live on Speed TV, another first for this event from Bristol. With 38 cars on the grid, the 150 lap event, with a mid-race break which allows the teams to work on the cars, was interrupted by only 2 short yellows for minor spins and otherwise ran caution free. Ted Christopher led most of the first half of the race after wresting the lead from Todd Szegedy, the early leader. Christopher set such a torrid pace that only 17 cars were on the lead lap at the half-way mark. Christopher was challenged along the way through the first half by Mike Stefanik and Szegedy, but otherwise had an easy time leading.

After the mid-race break, Christopher led the field once more, but Stefanik patiently waited, passing Christopher to take the lead for a few laps, but Christopher fought back, retaking the lead from Stefanik. As the laps wore on, the field became spread out around virtually the whole track, forcing the leaders to run the high groove most of the time. Stefanik let that work for him, taking the lead from Christopher on lap 126, but just as suddenly, Ryan Newman shot through from running in the 5^th position, moving under on the low groove as Stefanik was advancing to the front, and moved into 2^nd. 5 laps later, Newman passed Stefanik, and held him at bay as the race approached the closing laps. Another surprise came when Christopher’s engine suddenly expired as he exited turn 2 on lap 141, dropping him from the event (and the WMT point lead). Newman continued showing the way as James Civali passed Szegedy to take 3^rd, while Bobby Santos III moved up from 6^th to challenge Szegedy, who worked as hard as he had all race just trying to hang onto a top 5 finish. Bonsignore hung with these veteran’s throughout, coming in with a fine 6^th place finish, as Ryan Newman held off every move Stefanik tried right up until the last lap. Civali, with an overall finish of 3^rd, was the highest finishing SWMT driver of the race, which moved him to 1^st on the SWMT, while Bobby Santos III moved into the point lead with his 4^th place finish. Todd Szegedy hung on to claim 5^th, as Bonsignore, Dale Quarterly, Eric Goodale, Ryan Preece and Erick Rudolph rounded out the top 10 in the race, which was completed in under 50 minutes.

News and Notes: Bad weather in the area resulted in showers interrupting practices being run early in the day, but the skies cleared and stayed that way despite a forecast of 70% or better for bad weather… 9 pre-entered WMT drivers withdrew and didn’t travel to Bristol for the race… 14 SWMT drivers and 21 NWMT drivers, along with Ryan Newman, Andy Petree and Dale Quarterly comprised the 38 car field… That’s all for this abbreviated story. Until next time, live well and be safe. WJ