Auto Racing: Rogers’ winning driving matches the weather
Tom Rogers Jr. of Patchogue is as hot in NASCAR Modified racing at Riverhead Raceway as the most recent heat wave on Long Island. He won his fourth NASCAR Modified feature event Saturday night in a 35-lap affair. The triumph was the 17th of his career and moved him to within eight points of Howie Brode in the championship chase.
Racing through the third and fourth corners at the end of Lap 2, Rogers and Timmy Solomito made contact, with Solomito spinning around to draw the caution while Rogers was unscathed.
Rogers was contrite about the incident. “First off, I have to apologize to Timmy,” Rogers said after the race. “I dialed too much rear brake in the car and got out of shape and into him. I don’t race like that.”
For the fifth race in a row, Ted Christopher of Plainville, Conn., came in second place. Jason Agugliaro of Islip scored a season-best third. The points leader, Brode of East Islip, was fourth and Timmy Solomito of Islip fifth.
In other races:
Chris LaSpisa of Shirley had to withstand a last-lap challenge from Peter Eriksen of Baldwin before he could lay claim to his second Late Model win of 2012. It was LaSpisa’s fifth career win. Eriksen was second, with Kevin Metzger of Massapequa taking third.
For the second consecutive week, the 20-lap Blunderbust feature produced a first-time winner as Enduro graduate Justin Wahl of Centereach won a non-stop race. Wahl led the last four laps of the contest. Tom Pickerell of Huntington made some bold late-race moves not only to score a second-place finish, but also to take sole possession of the points lead. Jimmy White Jr. of Southampton was third.
Legend Race Car fans had been anticipating a duel between Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead and Chris Young of Calverton, and Saturday night they got their wish as Ellwood prevailed for his fourth win of the season. Young came in second, and Brendon Bock of Franklin Square was third.
Steve Trimboli of Freeport dominated the 50-lap Four/Six-Cylinder Car Enduro as he lapped the entire field en route to victory. Trimboli who races in a Mercedes-Benz, broke out front early and never looked back. His only challenge came in the form of lapped traffic from time to time. Following Trimboli at the finish were Ed Fontana of Wading River and Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma.