Sports

Auto Racing: Early tangle doesn’t stop Ellwood

Riverhead Raceway

RIVERHEAD RACEWAY

Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead rebounded from a Lap 2 tangle in a 35-lap NASCAR Modified feature event Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway to capture his second win of the 2014 Whelen All-American Series.

Vinny Biondolillo, seeking his first career win, stayed glued to Ellwood’s rear bumper over the closing laps, but Ellwood held on for a had fought-victory. Looking back at his early-race contact with Dave Brigati, the race winner said: “I really don’t know what happened. I was under him, thought I was good, and we got together.”

Biondolillo of Farmingville had to settle for second place. Jason Agugliaro of Islip was third. The division leader, Howie Brode of East Islip, and Jeffrey Goodale of Riverhead completed the top five.

In other races:

Scott Kulesa of Georgetown, Mass., scored a milestone victory in a 25-lap Late Model feature, winning his 20th career race in the class.

Kulesa took advantage of a front-row starting position and led for the duration, but it wasn’t easy. Roger Oxee, the all-time leading winner in the class, was all over Kulesa’s back bumper, trying to see if he should go low or to the high side to attempt a pass for the lead. However, Kulesa did a masterful job of protecting the line as he drove to the win.

Oxee of Peconic will have to wait for at least another race to capture his 65th career win. He was second. Third place went to Peter Eriksen of Baldwin.

One week ago, Scott Pedersen of Shirley had to pit from the Figure Eight lead when his car threw a belt and overheated while Pedersen had a comfortable lead. Well, as they say, what goes around comes around.

That was the case for Pedersen, who won a 15-lap feature and in the process held off 111-time race winner Roger Maynor of Bay Shore. Maynor ended up second, with Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead coming in third.

As the Blunderbust season hits the second half, it seems that Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge is catching fire. He won for the second time in three races, taking a 20-lap affair. It was his division-leading 53rd career win. Terry Stiles of Rocky Point was second. The division leader, Jack Handley Jr. of Medford, raced his way from 14th to finish third.

Roger Turbush of Riverhead may have put a recent run of bad racing luck behind him Saturday when he won his 19th career race, leading from wire to wire to score the 20-lap Super Pro Truck victory. Lou Maestri of Deer Park was second while Mike Albasini of Flushing had to be content with third-place money.

If there is no outside groove at Riverhead Raceway, don’t tell that to Legend Race Car winner Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches because that is exactly the line he used to win his fourth feature event of 2014. Davidowitz made an outside pass on Lap 17 to take the lead from Vinny Delaney. Once out front, he never looked back, notching his fifth career triumph. Delaney of Holtsville was the runner-up. Brad Van Houten of Wading River crossed the finish line third.

The 75-lap, Eight-Cylinder Enduro saw defending champion Ed Brown Jr of Mastic score the win. Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma was second. Jeffrey Otto Jr. of Deer Park scored a career-best, third-place tally.