The final weekend of July was to be a doubleheader at Riverhead Raceway, led by the Advance Auto Parts Night at the Races Saturday night followed the make-up of the June 7th program Sunday afternoon. However, mother nature had other ideas with a weather system moving over Long Island late Saturday into Sunday forcing track management to postpone Sunday action.
Owen Grennan of Glen Cove, a schoolteacher by day doesn’t return to work in the East Meadow school district for a few weeks, however Saturday night at Riverhead Raceway he taught his fellow NASCAR Modified competitors a lesson when he won the 50-lap Advance Auto Parts Night feature. Owen led all 50-circuits and became the 7th different winner in seven starts for the Modifieds in 2025.
Riverhead Raceway has a unique way to break up your work week this Wednesday when they present an earth-shaking School Bus Demolition Derby and stock car racing program Wednesday evening July 30th. Joining the midweek madness are the INEX Legend Race Cars, INEX Bandoleros plus three exciting Enduro events who’ll add wall-to-wall excitement of their own variety.
The 6th annual Bubba 150 for the NASCAR Modifieds will usher in the month of August at Riverhead Raceway, today Dennis Freese who organizes the race through his Oval Speed Unlimited firm announced $14,450 in bonus award for the event. The race celebrates the life of longtime Bill Park team member Bob “Bubba” Patanjo, a revered member of the Riverhead racing family who passed away suddenly in October 0f 2019.
Riverhead Raceway owners Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz are honored to announce the 2025 inductees onto the Cromarty Wall of Champions which include a first since the inception of the wall with the induction of Tom Baldwin Sr. and Tom Baldwin Jr. The Baldwin inductions are groundbreaking in that they become the first father and son enshrined in the same ceremony. Former Figure Eight standout Tom Ryan and popular “Long” John Silver join the Baldwin’s as the class of 2025, Silver has the distinction of being the first Demolition Derby/Car Rollover inductee.
One of the most beloved and iconic personalities of Riverhead Raceway & Figure Eight racing will be celebrated Saturday when the annual Two for TK Twin 9 Figure Eight features are presented as part of Advance Auto Parts Night at the Races program. The twin features are run in memory of “TK’ Tommy Kraft who spent his adult life competing in and promoting Figure Eight racing on Long Island. Tommy passed away in late July of 2023.
A couple of familiar faces returned to victory lane at Riverhead Raceway Saturday evening when “The Fancy Farmer” Dave Brigati of Calverton won the 40-lap Late Model feature event while Erin Solomito of East Quogue topped the Super Pro Truck 20-lap event. A large crowd on hand for the Monster Truck Night of Destruction greeted both upon exiting their winning machines.
Two-time and defending Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modified champion John Beatty Jr. of Merrick scored his first victory of the 2025 Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Saturday before a packed house at Riverhead Raceway. Beatty, who came to Saturday’s race with a 28-point cushion in the championship chase furthered that advantage with his 14th career win, becoming the fifth winner in as many NASCAR Modified races at Riverhead this season.
Fans of all sports hear it all the time as broadcasters mention many athletes never forget where they came from. Such is the case with former four-time NASCAR Modified champion Kyle Soper of Manorville who Saturday morning stopped by Riverhead Raceway to donate all the trophies he accumulated for his 45 victories across four divisions; it is Kyle’s wishes the re-purposed hardware would go to INEX Bandolero winners starting Sunday July 27th. Riverhead Raceway returns to action after a week off this Saturday Jul 12th in a big way with an action-packed program of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series excitement. The presentation will come to a smashing conclusion when the first School Bus Demolition Derby of 2025 hits the track. The School Bus demos have become the most popular of the family entertainment attractions at the track over the last decade.
