Riverhead Late Models to Race in Winston Shortrack Series by NASCAR in 1999
Riverhead, N.Y. Feb 3rd. — Riverhead Raceway promoters Barbara and Jim Cromarty made the Late Model owners and drivers very happy at their annual awards banquet this past November when they announced the division would be registered for the 1999 WINSTON ShorTrack Series by NASCAR. The series is run in conjunction with the popular NASCAR WINSTON Racing Series for a track’s premier division and will begin its second season of competition in April at NASCAR track’s nationwide.
The Late Model division has long been extremely popular with the faithful fans of the Riverhead Raceway and in 1998 enjoyed a very successful season in both car counts and on track performance. Steve Tooker of Riverhead took home the 1998 championship and was very excited about racing in the WINSTON ShorTrack Series by NASCAR. “It’s great to see the Cromarty’s recognize our division by naming us for the 1999 WINSTON ShorTrack Series, it makes all the time and effort our race teams put forth worthwhile” Steve commented when told of the news the afternoon of the banquet. He added, “now not only do we race for the track championship, but for a chance at winning our region and perhaps even the national title for the WINSTON ShorTrack Series by NASCAR”.
Indeed the national champion for the 1998 initial season of the series would hail from the Empire State of New York, as upstate veteran Patsy “Buck” Catalano of Ontario, N.Y. would capture the WINSTON ShorTrack Series by NASCAR national championship. Catalano, who calls the Williamson, N.Y. Speedway home would earn a handsome $18,000 from the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company for his efforts.
To be eligible for the WINSTON ShorTrack Series by NASCAR drivers must race in a minimum of 16 feature events and like the NASCAR WINSTON Racing Series a driver’s standings are based on victories, top fives and tens in percentage form. Catalano won the national title with a .7910116 percentage in 1998 and the formula is somewhat similar to that of a baseball batting average.
To ensure a minimum of 16 feature events for the Late Model division in 1999 Barbara and Jim Cromarty have scheduled 17 race dates for the class, with one of those dates the first ever Twin 25 event ever in the history of the division, giving the class 18 actual features. The Twin 25 features have been set for Saturday night July 10th, a date all the Late Model teams will be looking forward to indeed.
The NASCAR Modifieds will continue to compete as the premier division from Riverhead in the nationwide NASCAR WINSTON Racing Series in 1999. Howie Brode of Bay Shore won the 1998 Modified title and would end up 7th in the final standings for the Northeast Region, which was won by rugged veteran George Kent of Horseheads, N.Y. who earned $39,500 for the crown. The NASCAR Modifieds, like the Late Models will run in their first ever twin feature event format in 1999, as Twin 35’s will be contested Saturday July 17th, part of a 19 week WINSTON Racing Series schedule for the open wheeled machines.
Sources: Riverhead Raceway