Riverhead Raceway
Riverhead Raceway is a quarter-mile (402 m) oval race track with a Figure 8 course,[2] located in Riverhead, New York.[1] It is the only auto racing venue on Long Island since Westhampton Raceway closed down in 2003.[3] It started being built in 1949[1] and opened as a dirt track in 1951, before permanently changing to asphalt in 1955.[2] The raceway was also well known for featuring a towering statue of a Native American, dubbed "Chief Running Fair", at its entrance until it was destroyed in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy but rebuilt by Christmas and still standing at its original location.
| Location | Riverhead, New York[1] |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT-5 |
| Coordinates | 40°55′21″N 72°42′16″W / 40.92250°N 72.70444°W |
| Owner | Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz [2] |
| Broke ground | 1949[1] |
| Opened | 1951[2] |
| Major events | Whelen Modified Tour[1] Whelen All-American Series[1] Northeastern Midget Association |
| Oval[2] | |
| Surface | Asphalt[2] |
| Length | .25 miles (.402 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
Events
Riverhead Raceway has seven racing divisions: Modified, Riverhead Modified Crate Figure Eight, Late Model, Blunderbust, Super Pro Truck, and Legends.[1][4][5] It hosts races for the Whelen Modified Tour, Whelen All-American Series, and the Northeastern Midget Association.[1] Other events include demolition derby, school bus racing, monster trucks, enduro, one-on-one spectator drags and go-karts up until the fall of 2016.
The track's signature race is the non-champion Islip 300, named for the now-defunct speedway on Long Island, which began in 2016. The open competition event allows cars run to any of four different series ("Tour Type" modifieds) specifications. [6]
Drivers
Notable drivers who used to race at Riverhead Raceway include Steve Park[2] and his uncle Bill Park,[7][3][8] Greg Sacks, Charlie Jarzombek,[9] Brett Bodine, Tom Baldwin, Donny Lia, and 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ryan Preece.
Riverhead Raceway modified champions
| Year | Driver |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Shawn Solomito |
| 2015 | Tom Rogers Jr |
| 2014 | Howie Brodie |
| 2013 | Howie Brodie |
| 2012 | Shawn Solomito |
| 2011 | Justin Bonsignore |
| 2010 | Tom Rogers Jr. |
| 2009 | John Fortin |
| 2008 | Bill Park |
| 2007 | Bill Park |
| 2006 | Chuck Steuer |
| 2005 | Bill Park |
| 2004 | Tom Rogers Jr. |
| 2003 | John Fortin |
| 2002 | J.R. Bertuccio |
| 2001 | John Fortin |
| 2000 | Frank Vigliarolo Jr. |
| 1999 | Frank Vigliarolo Jr. |
| 1998 | Howie Brode |
| 1997 | Bill Park |
| 1996 | Chuck Steuer |
| 1995 | Don Howe |
| 1994 | Don Howe |
| 1993 | Don Howe |
| 1992 | Fred Harbach |
| 1991 | Wayne Anderson |
| 1990 | Wayne Anderson |
| 1989 | Dan Jivanelli |
| 1988 | Wayne Anderson |
| 1987 | Wayne Anderson |
| 1986 | John Blewett Jr. |
| 1985 | Fred Harbach |
| 1984 | Don Howe |
| 1983 | George Brunnhoelzl Jr. |
| 1982 | Wayne Anderson |
| 1981 | (no modifieds) |
| 1980 | (no modifieds) |
| 1979 | (no modifieds) |
| 1978 | Charlie Jarzombek |
| 1977 | Charlie Jarzombek |
| 1976 | Charlie Jarzombek |
| 1975 | Joe Krukowski |
| 1974 | Charlie Jarzombek |
| 1973 | Don Howe |
| 1972 | Joe Krukowski |
| 1971 | Jim Malone Sr. |
| 1970 | Jim Malone Sr. |
| 1969 | Joe Krukowski |
| 1968 | George Brunnhoelzl Sr. |
| 1967 | Charlie Jarzombek |
| 1966 | John Berkoski |
| 1965 | Tommy Washburn |
| 1964 | John Berkoski |
| 1963 | Gary Winters |
| 1962 | Gary Winters |
| 1961 | Joe Collins |
| 1960 | Norm Gimmler |
| 1959 | Buzzy Hedges |
| 1958 | Johnny Rocco |
| 1957 | Ronnie Harra |
| 1956 | Axel Anderson |
| 1955 | Tommy Washburn |
| 1954 | Tommy Washburn |
| 1953 | Ronnie Matson |
| 1952 | Bud Anderson |
Cultural references
Riverhead Raceway was featured as a filming location in the HBO series The Sopranos under the name "Chikamauga Raceway". It appears in Season 5, Episode 7 - "In Camelot".
See also
Track also in the documentary "The last race"
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h . localracing.nascar.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lubin, Marshall. "Memories and legends come alive at Riverhead Raceway". Newsday. exploreli.com. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
- ^ a b Paul Goldsmith (2003-08-13). "Gauge Nears 'E' at Riverhead Raceway". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ The Suffolk Times
- ^ The Riverhead News-Review
- ^ Race Day Connecticut. RaceDayCT.com https://racedayct.com/2022/10/riverhead-raceway-reading-for-sixth-annual-islip-300-on-nov-12/. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Bill Park experiences racing in a new light". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
- ^ The Riverhead News-Review
- ^ Charlie Jarzombek 2007-10-09 at the Wayback Machine. New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
External links
- Official site
- Riverhead Raceway race results at Racing-Reference