Top Stories 2019: High-speed North Fork street race ends with arrests

Two drivers who engaged in a high-speed North Fork street race in late July pleaded guilty this fall to a pair of misdemeanor charges and were sentenced to community service. Gaston Castro, 35, of Flushing and Mustafa Nayci, 42, of Coram both pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment and fourth-degree reckless driving before Judge Brian Hughes on Sept. 27 and are required to do 280 hours of community service in connection with the July 21 incident that saw them racing at speeds of more than 130 mph on Route 48 between Peconic and Mattituck.

The men were spotted by a town police officer, who reported seeing eight exotic sports cars traveling westbound through Peconic at around the speed limit shortly after 1:30 p.m. July 21. The two vehicles leading the other six were a blue 2017 McLaren, allegedly driven by Mr. Nayci, and a red 2016 Ferrari, allegedly driven by Mr. Castro. The officer said the vehicles soon slowed to roughly 25 mph, driving beside each other for a time, before accelerating to speeds exceeding 130 mph.

Both vehicles were observed running a red light at Depot Lane in Cutchogue at more than 80 mph and driving in the shoulder to avoid westbound traffic that was stopped at the light, according to previous reporting. Both men were again witnessed driving through a red light near Wickham Avenue.

The two vehicles were found, unoccupied, on Hallock Lane Extension a short while after a witness spotted them turning off Route 48, police said.

The men were in town as part of a car club ride to Shelter Island that morning.