Sports

Auto Racing: Agugliaro outduels Preece in Riverhead

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RIVERHEAD RACEWAY ROUNDUP

Jason Agugliaro of Islip notched his second win of the season, winning a 40-lap NASCAR Modified race after a spirited early-race duel with Ryan Preece of Berlin, Conn. It was Agugliaro’s third career win, with Preece collecting runner-up money.

After starting ninth, Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead raced his way to a third-place payday and in the process trimmed Howie Brode’s championship lead to 15 points. Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead and Ron Silk of Norwalk, Conn. completed the top five.

In other races:

For the fourth time this year, Mike Bologna of Melville won a 25-lap Late Model feature and, in the process, all but wrapped up his third career championship. It was his 13th career victory. Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead was second and Chris LaSpisa of Shirley was third. With one race left, Bologna holds a hefty 34-point lead over McDermott, who would need a field of no less than 18 cars to show up for a 50-lap race on September 20 in order to have any hope, which is not likely.

One race after losing a comfortable points lead because of a broken axle, Roger Maynor of Bay Shore rebounded in grand fashion to win a 20-lap Figure Eight feature for career win No. 113 and, more importantly, regained the division lead in the process. Vinny Biondolillo of Farmingville, after starting the race eighth, finished second. Scott Pedersen of Shirley grabbed third. With one race to go, Maynor leads Tom Rogers Jr. by 4 points heading into the Sept. 20 final.

John Baker of Brookhaven collected his second career win, taking a 30-lap Charger race for his first win since opening night of the 2012 season. Baker drove a flawless race to better the defending Charger champion, Eric Zeh of Selden, who was second. Ray Minieri of Bay Shore roared back from a tangle with Chris Turbush to claim third. With two races remaining, Zeh has a slim 8-point advantage over Turbush.

En route to his second career 20-lap Blunderbust win, Brian Brown of Baiting Hollow made some bold and daring moves along the way to secure the victory. Jimmy White of Southampton was second, and third went to Bill Wegmann Jr. of Patchogue. With two races to go, Jack Handley Jr. enjoys a 26-point bulge over Tom Pickerell at the top of the standings.

Roger Turbush of Riverhead won his 20th Super Pro Truck feature in a 20-lap affair. The former two time Super Pro Truck champion beat the second-place Lou Maestri of Deer Park and the third-place Brian McElearney of North Babylon to the finish line. Erin Solomito leads the division by 2 points over Maestri. The title will come down to the final race September 20.

In the National Demolition Derby Championship, Brian Savoy of Lake Panamoka outlasted a solid field for the second year in a row to claim the title. Savoy has been sidelined for most of the season with a kidney illness, but that did not slow him down on Saturday.