Auto Racing: Four division champions crowned

Four divisional titles were decided in 160 laps of feature event racing on Saturday at Riverhead Raceway. More drama unfolded when brothers-in-law Tom Kilkenny of Babylon and Bob Benison of Lindenhurst wound up as co-winners of the National Demolition Derby Championship. Jarrod Hayes of Calverton led the NASCAR stock car winners with his second straight Late Model win in the Miller Lite 50.

For Hayes it was his third win of the year and the 10th of his career. Peter Eriksen of Baldwin was second, but his title hopes had been dashed laps earlier when his nearest rivals made their way to the top five.

Mike Bologna of Melville made a quiet pass of Scott Kulesa of Georgetown, Mass., for third with just over 10 laps remaining in the race, but with the pass, the two were tied in points for the title, with Bologna holding the tie-breaker with two wins on the season. Bologna held on for third and earned his first track championship. Kulesa ended up fourth in the race while the defending champion, Kevin Metzger of Massapequa, drove in fifth.

Roger Maynor’s 103rd career Figure Eight win in the Miller Lite 20 was not enough for the eight-time track champion to wrestle the 2011 championship away from Arne Pedersen of Mastic Beach, who sewed up his first title by finishing fourth in the race. Pedersen went into the race with a 10-point lead over Maynor.

Tom Ferrara of Patchogue and Mike Mujsce of Westhampton Beach were second and third, respectively. Bryan Sescila of Baldwin finished fifth, behind Pedersen.

The Charger championship came down to two friends off the track, Chris Turbush and Chris McGuire, being separated by two points, with Turbush seeking his fourth straight championship.

Turbush of Riverhead found an opening and was able to muscle his way by McGuire late in the 30-lap race to go on to win his 30th career Charger event, a mark that ties him with Robin Vollmoeller for second on the all-time win list. McGuire of Shirley was second. The early-race leader, Jeremy McDermott of East Stroudsburg, Pa., was third.

With Tommy Walkowiak clinching his fifth championship a week earlier, the Miller Lite 30 for the Blunderbusts didn’t have the championship drama attached to it, but nonetheless provided plenty of fireworks. Scott Maliszewski drove to his 15th career victory, moving him past Ron Harrison for fourth on the all-time Blunderbust win list. Jack Handley Jr. of Medford was second, with Brandon Hubbard of Mastic third.

In the intense Super Pro Truck championship fight, Dave Koenig of Freeport crossed the finish line fourth in the Miller Lite 30 to win the championship by two points over Frank Dumicich Jr. Dumicich was the first high-five Koenig on a job well done once the race was completed.

Roger Turbush of Riverhead moved out front at the throw of the green flag and never looked back to post his second consecutive win, his division-leading fifth of the season. His brother, Chris Turbush, was second, and Dumicich was third.

For the first time in its history, there were co-winners in the National Demolition Derby Championship as Kilkenny and Benison were the only two left standing. After a bone-jarring, head-to-head hit, the two former World Demolition Derby champions could not re-fire their vehicles and were declared co-winners.