Analyzing The Riverhead 200 At Riverhead Raceway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will headline this weekend’s racing action at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway with the Riverhead 200 on Saturday, July 28. Below is a statistical look at the performance of series and selected drivers at the track:
Riverhead Race Setup
• The most recent NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour winner this year, Mike Stefanik, is also the active career wins leader at Riverhead with six.
• Justin Bonsignore is the defending winner of the Riverhead 200, which marked his first and only NWMT win.
• There has not been a driver earn back-to-back wins at Riverhead since 2001 when Stefanik swept the season’s two events at Riverhead.
• Ryan Preece, who has two NASCAR Whelen All-American Series wins at Riverhead this year, has a record of two wins and five top-fives in seven career NWMT starts at quarter-mile tracks. He won the NWMT race at Riverhead in 2009.
At Riverhead Raceway:
History
• Built in 1949.
• Held its first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on July 10, 1985 during the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s first season. The inaugural race was won by Jimmy Spencer.
• Has held 50 NWMT races all-time, fourth-most among all venues.
• Is one of two tracks to play host to the NWMT in each of its now 28 seasons of competition, along with Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
Notebook
• At .25 miles, Riverhead is the smallest track on the schedule along with Monadnock Speedway.
• There have been four NWMT races that have been won by Riverhead NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers, the last of which was Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. in 1995.
• Mike Ewanitsko experienced more success than any other NWMT driver at Riverhead during his days as a competitor. His 11 wins and eight poles lead in both categories.
• Mike Stefanik is the active wins leader at Riverhead with six while Ed Flemke Jr. has the most poles – four – among current competitors.
• The Riverhead 200 entry list – as of July 18 – included eight drivers that have previously won NWMT races at Riverhead and nine who hail from Long Island.
Continue reading ‘Whelen Tour Statistical Advance: Riverhead’
