Sports

Riverhead Raceway: Preece marks tracks 65th birthday with victory

Ryan Preece of Berlin, Conn., notched his third NASCAR Modified victory of the season Saturday night when he won the Cromarty Cup 65 on a night when Riverhead Raceway celebrated not only the Fourth of July but also the track’s 65th birthday.

“My dad wanted to bring our family car here tonight and, man, what a car we brought,” Preece said after receiving the Cromarty Cup. “We just got better as the race went on.”

Timmy Solomito of Wading River was the second to cross the finish line. Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead held on for third place. Howie Brode of East Islip was in a heated battle with Rogers for third, but had to settle for fourth, with Kyle Soper of Manorville completing the top five.

The Rogers-Brode feud extended past the checker flag with some bumps, taps and finger pointing.

In other races:

It had been three weeks since the Figure Eight class had run a race. When the 15-lap feature was completed, the driver who sat in victory lane was once again Tom Ferrara of Patchogue. Mike Mujsce of Quogue was the runner-up. Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead was third.

Before Saturday’s 20-lap Charger main event, the season for Cory Midgett of East Hampton was one of trials and tribulations. But that all changed as he raced off to his second career win. Eric Zeh of Centereach, the defending champion of the class, took second. A rookie driver, Steve Mastro of Port Jefferson, came in third.

Bill Wegmann Jr. of Patchogue has been a busy man at the track this Blunderbust season not only racing his car but also aiding his sons Derek, Andrew and Jason, who race from time to time in the division. When the 20-lap main event was over, it was dad’s time to shine, topping a 19-car field. The next two places went to Jimmy White Jr. of Southampton and the defending champion, Tom Pickerell of Huntington.

Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead, the 2012 Legend Race Car champion at the track, made a triumphant return to victory lane in the class when he won a 20-lap main event. Artie Pedersen III of Center Moriches. The division’s points leader, Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills, placed third.

Mike Smith of Kings Park once again prevailed in the Demolition Derby, but not before being tested and surviving a hard-hitting affair. He remains unbeaten in three races this season.

TWO IN A ROW FOR ANTOS Dave Antos of Lindenhurst scored his second consecutive Grand Enduro win in a 50-lap contest while Gene Burbol of Brookhaven topped a 50-lap Truck Enduro on a sun-splashed Sunday afternoon.