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09/08/12 9:00am

Meet the Drivers: #17 Vinny Delaney

by The Suffolk Times

09/08/2012 9:00 AM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | Vinny Delaney alongside his No. 17 Legends car.

Name: Vinny Delaney

Age: 23

Division: Legends

Top 3 Sponsors: None yet

Car Number: 17

A relative newcomer to the legends division at Riverhead Raceway, Vinny Delaney of Holtsville made an immediate impact at a young age. In 2011 he finished second in legends, which he described as his favorite racing memory so far.

Like most drivers he got his start in Go-Karts at age 9 before starting in the legends three years ago.

Delaney said racing at Riverhead is like an escape.

“Once you’re in the car that’s the only thing you’re focused on,” he said.

Outside of the racetrack Delaney also enjoys playing hockey. He said his biggest supporters in his career have been Amber and his father, Brian.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

#19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

#81 Christopher “Bub” Turbush

#46 Chris “Short Round” Lescenski

#74 Marisa Niederauer

#09 Kevin ‘KO’ Orlando

auto racing, meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

09/01/12 8:00am

Meet the Drivers: #09 Kevin ‘KO’ Orlando

by The Suffolk Times

09/01/2012 8:00 AM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | Kevin Orlando alongside his No. 09 modified car.

Name: Kevin Orlando

Age: 24

Division: Modified

Top 3 Sponsors: Mom and Dad, RP Landscaping, Prototype Race Fab.

Car Number: 09

Kevin Orlando will never forget his first win. It came in 2005 at Riverhead Raceway in what was only his sixth race. “Your first win is always the best win,” Orlando said.

Orlando got his start at Riverhead 14 years ago when he raced Go-Karts. In 2005 he raced in his first adult race and placed eighth while racing in his father’s charger car. He now races in the modified division, where he’s 22nd in the point standings.

Orlando said Riverhead Raceway is a challenging track.

“If you can race at Riverhead, you can race anywhere,” he said.

When he’s not racing Orlando enjoys working on cars and hanging with his friends. His parents and girlfriend Christina have been the biggest supporters in his career, he said.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

#19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

#81 Christopher “Bub” Turbush

#46 Chris “Short Round” Lescenski

#74 Marisa Niederauer

auto racing, meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

08/18/12 9:00am

Meet the Drivers: #88 Roger Turbush

by The Suffolk Times

08/18/2012 9:00 AM

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Roger Turbush after his victory June 2.

Name: Roger Turbush

Age: 31

Division: Super Pro Trucks

Top 3 Sponsors: Rheem, Thrifty Beverage, Sergios Pizza

Car Number: 88

A 10-year veteran of Riverhead Raceway, Roger Turbush of Riverhead has had a superb season racing in the Super Pro Truck division. He’s currently tied for first place with 398 points. He’s tied for first with none other than his brother, Christopher, who Roger said has been the biggest supporter in his career.

When Roger began racing at Riverhead he started by subbing in for his brother. Starting from last, he ended up winning the race. In 2005 he won the championship, which he said is one of his top racing memories.

Racing close to home with friends and family is his favorite part about Riverhead Raceway, he said.

When he’s not racing he loves to play other sports from softball to bowling to flag football.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

#19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

#81 Christopher “Bub” Turbush

#46 Chris “Short Round” Lescenski

auto racing, meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

07/28/12 8:00am

Meet the Drivers: #49 Jack Handley Jr.

by The Suffolk Times

07/28/2012 8:00 AM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | 15-year-old Jack Handley Jr. alongside his No. 49 car.

Name: Jack Handley Jr.

Age: 15

Division: Blunderbust

Top 3 Sponsors: Relle Electric, United Labor Life, Kudricks Auto Body and Repair

Born into a racing family, Jack Handley Jr. of Medford started racing when he was only 5 years old. He may not be old enough for a driver’s license just yet, but he’s already been competing for 10 years behind the wheel. He’s now been racing at Riverhead Raceway for one year and he’s had a superb season so far in the blunderbust division. He’s currently in third place with 336 points.

He said his favorite racing memory was winning the championship in Go-Karts in 2009. He still enjoys racing Go-Karts with his brother, he said. His father Jack Handley has been the biggest supporter in his career and he said getting to spend time with his family is the best part of racing at Riverhead Raceway.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

#19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

#81 Christopher “Bub” Turbush

#46 Chris “Short Round” Lescenski

#22 Jay Sendlewski

#09 Brad Van Houten

auto racing, meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

07/14/12 9:00am

Meet the Drivers: #22 Jay Sendlewski

by The Suffolk Times

07/14/2012 9:00 AM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | Jay Sendlewski alongside his #22 legends car.

Name: Jay Sendlewski

Age: 22

Division: Legends

Top 3 Sponsors: Florence Building Materials, Blendex Industrial Corp. and Digger O’Dells

A relative newcomer to Riverhead Raceway, Jay Sendlewski is in his third year competing in the legends division, which features the smallest cars. Sendlewski has gotten off to a strong start this season and is currently 11th in the point standings with 206. There are more than 40 racers in the legends division.

Sendlewski started racing with a 1937 Chevy Sedan legend car. In January 2009 he placed ninth at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which he said has been his top racing memory so far.

A Calverton resident, Sendlewski said racing close to him his favorite part about Riverhead Raceway. When he’s away from the track he enjoys spending time with friends and family at the beach.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

#19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

#81 Christopher “Bub” Turbush

#46 Chris “Short Round” Lescenski

auto racing, meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

07/08/12 11:00am

Meet the Drivers: #46 Chris “Short Round” Lescenski

by Riverhead News-Review

07/08/2012 11:00 AM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | Chris Lescenski alongside his No. 46 Grand Enduro car.

Name: Chris “Short Round” Lescenski

Age: 34

Division: Grand Enduro

Top 3 Sponsors: Prototype Race Fab., MSpero Motorsports, Sapienza Racing and Set-ups by J-Rod

Chris Lescenski has spent the last five years racing at Riverhead Raceway in the Grand Enduro division, where he’s posted four top-10 finishes.

His favorite racing memory includes running with the leader and having one of the fastest cars out there. A Riverhead High School graduate, Lescenski said competing close to home is the best part about Riverhead Raceway.

When he’s not racing, he enjoys spending time with friends and family. His parents Tom and Betty Lescenski have been the biggest supporters in his career, he said.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

#19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

#81 Christopher “Bub” Turbush

auto racing, meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

07/01/12 7:00am

Meet the Drivers: #81 Christopher “Bub” Turbush

by The Suffolk Times

07/01/2012 7:00 AM

307 Comments

AMY SPERO PHOTO | Chris Turbush alongside his No. 81 charger car.

Name: Christopher “Bub” Turbush

Age: 35

Division: Charger

Top Sponsors: East West Marine, Lighthouse Market, Flash Dink INC

Born into a racing family, Christopher “Bub” Turbush of Riverhead has become one of the most accomplished drivers at Riverhead Raceway. He’s currently a four-time defending champion in the charger division, having won from 2008-11. He’s right back in the thick of things this season with 222 points in the charger division, second behind Jeremy McDermott.

A 10-year veteran of Riverhead Raceway, Turbush also races the super pro trucks, where he’s currently second in the standings behind Michael Albasini.

He started racing in 2000 with his father’s car before taking two years off. His sixth race ended with a victory. His brother Roger races as well. One of his favorite racing memories was seeing his brother win the Championship Truck Series, he said.

The camaraderie of racing at Riverhead where he knows everyone is his favorite part, he said. When he’s not on the race track, Turbush enjoys a variety of other sports from softball to flag football to bowling.

He said his family has been the biggest supporter in his career.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

#19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

06/23/12 7:00am

Meet the Drivers: #19x Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

by The Suffolk Times

06/23/2012 7:00 AM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | Rob McCormick of Calverton alongside his No. 19x modified race car.

Name: Rob ‘The Racer’ McCormick

Age: 27

Division:Modified & Late Models

Top Sponsors: McCormick Motorsport and Allpro

His racing has been called “a hazard.” Rob McCormick has another term for it: “Good racing.”

A 15-year veteran of racing cars, McCormick, who earned the nickname ‘The Racer,’ has spent the last five years competing at Riverhead Raceway. He faced some recent adversity on the track when he spun out in turn one June 9 and wrecked his car. A week later, with a new car, he was back in the lineup racing again.

McCormick’s first race was at the Mountain Speedway in the Enduro truck when he was 13. His favorite racing memory so far was winning the Super pro truck race at Riverhead in 2009.

He said he likes the fast, short track at Riverhead and that it’s close to home. When he’s not racing, he enjoys fishing, riding his quad bike and hanging out.

The biggest supporters in his career have been his father Robert McCormich, his uncle John and girlfriend Cassandra Denis.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#8x Eddie Brunnhoelzl III

meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

06/10/12 4:00pm

Meet the Riverhead Raceway Drivers: #34 Eric Zeh

by The Suffolk Times

06/10/2012 4:00 PM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | Eric Zeh of Selden races in the charger division.

Name: Eric Zeh

Age: 24

Division: Charger

Top 3 Sponsors: Finish Line Construction and Container, ILS Landscaping and Extreme Kart Supply.

Like many racers before him, Eric Zeh got his start in racing with Go-Karts. The 24-year-old from Selden started racing at 15 at Riverhead Raceway and has been going at it ever since for the last nine years. Now racing in the charger division, Zeh opened the season with a third-place finish in the 20-lap charger race May 5.

Zeh is currently seventh in the charger point standings with 120.

His favorite racing memory was the World Karting Association National win in 2008, he said. The best part of racing at Riverhead, he said, is the small track. When he’s not racing, Zeh tries to catch up on his sleep, if he can.

His biggest supporters in his career have been his parents.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway

Sports

06/02/12 9:00am

Meet the Drivers: #19 Robert Bader

by The Suffolk Times

06/02/2012 9:00 AM

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AMY SPERO PHOTO | Robert Bader of Holtsville races in the blunderbust division.

Name: Robert Bader

Age: 27

Division: Blunderbust

Top 3 Sponsors: Total Dental Care, Roberts Express Fuel and Rovin Promotional

A 5-year veteran of Riverhead Raceway, Bader, of Holstville, was the 2008 Blunderbust Most Popular Driver. In 2010 he was awarded the Blunderbust Best Appearing Award.

Bader said setting the record for the blunderbust time trials is his favorite racing memory. Through the first month of racing this year Bader is third in the blunderbust standings.

In his May 19 race Bader came in third in the 20-lap blundebust feature. He was moved back two spots after passing under the yellow line. He passed Joe Seeger, who led the first five laps, but did so under the yellow line in the estimation of NASCAR officials.

Bader said the best part of racing at Riverhead for him is being close to home and spending time with his friends and family. When he’s not on the track, he enjoys hitting the beach with friends and family.

His biggest supporters in his career have been his parents, Anna and Robert Bader, along with his girlfriend Jessica and of course, Uncle Bob.

Previous Meet the Drivers profiles:

#66 Shawn Solomito

#17/#71 Kyle Ellwood

#5 Jeremy McDermott

meet the drivers, Riverhead Raceway