Dan Mcnamara, Tom Gallo and Ray Fitzgerald Take Riverhead Raceway Triumphs
Riverhead, N.Y. Sept. 19th. — The curtain came down on the 1998 season at Riverhead Raceway this past Saturday night with Dan McNamara of Water Mill scoring his second consecutive Legends Shootout win. Also scoring big wins were Tom Gallo of Riverhead who took the Super Pro Truck feature and Ray Fitzgerald of Manorville who won the 3rd annual Championship Invitational Enduro race.
The 2nd annual Legends Shootout saw 25 cars go to the grid for the 30 lap feature event, all of which drew for their starting positions. After drawing a rare outside pole starting position Dan McNamara took full advantage of what many believe to be his first ever front row start in Legends competition at Riverhead. Jim Michta chased the AMac Attack@ for the first two laps, with John Rigney moving by on lap 3. Rigney would run third until an oil leak during a yellow flag period forced him into the pits for the night on lap 24. This moved Tony Naglieri into second. However armed with that rare front row starting berth McNamara built an early and at times huge lead during the race and would never look back.
At the checker it was Dan McNamara in the Southampton Brick & Tile machine scoring the win, as Tony Naglieri of Island Park took home runner-up money in the Trailer Transport Sedan, with Jim Michta of Orient third in the Candyman Racing entry.
Tom Gallo notched his first career Super Pro truck feature event win in their 15 lap feature after taking control of the race just 4 laps into the tilt. Dave Koenig set the tone for the first 4 circuits of the race before Tom Gallo made a charge for the lead exiting turn four to the outside of Koenig. The bid paid off as that move vaulted Gallo into the lead of the race and from that point forward all Tom had to do was keep his cool and he enjoy the thrill of victory for the first time in his career. Well Tom did just that and in the end it was the Gallo=s Used Auto Parts machine that would score the popular win. George Taylor of Bethpage secured the 1998 Super Pro truck championship when he moved into the runner-up position on the final lap of the race. This is the first ever track championship for the driver of the Empire Ventilation backed mount.
Former Charger standout Ray Fitzgerald earned the win in the 3rd annual 75 lap Championship Invitational Enduro race, an event that pits drivers who have either won at least once or scored one top five or two top ten finishes in Enduro racing over the previous two seasons. Fitzgerald earned a slick $1,125 for his triumph in the Holbrook Sunoco backed effort.
In the three regular Enduro features James Perone of Shirley took the first event, while the second race fell to Dominic Ranieri of East Northport and the night cap was won by Paul DeMetres of Medford.
Vic Usak of Mastic won the One On One Spectator Drag event, while Jeff Wolf of Queens won the Car Rollover Contest. It was Wolf=s first win since he won an event at the Freeport Stadium in 1982, the final year for the quarter mile facility.
With the conclusion of the September 19th program the 1998 season is now in the record books at Riverhead Raceway, the 1999 campaign under Barbara and Jim Cromarty will get underway in April of 1999
Sources: Riverhead Raceway