August 25, Riverhead, NY--- This past Saturday, August 23^rd, was an absolutely beautiful day for racing, with sunny blue skies and a nice breeze... what more could you ask for? Oh yeah... a good race!!!!

            Tonight the track held “I love AMERICA night", with a lovely patriotic fireworks display choreographed to music and we ran earlier than our normal time spot due to the festivities. It was nice to run early for a change, and be able to enjoy the rest of the races.

            The #16 of Will Farrell and the #27 of Scott Pedersen led us to the start of our race. A good controlled pace and even start for all competitors at the beginning led to a good race. Farrell and Pedersen raced side by side, lap after lap for some time till tires started to get warm and worn. The #13 of Mike Mujsce and the #34 of Arne Pedersen collided with each other hard, but both cars were able to continue on and no cautions were needed, ...just a few extra seconds of patience by everyone else, while both drivers got their respective cars straightened out and under control allowed the race to continue caution free, though Mujsce did drop back with handling problems, losing a bunch of positions.

            The field was now beginning to mix it up behind the leaders, who had to deal with lapped traffic meeting them art the X. As positions were changing in the back, so were they beginning to change up front as well. The #63 of Paul Specht and the #8 of Tom Kraft were working through the hard driving field, cleanly passing Will Farrell, Scott Pedersen, and Arne Pedersen, making small gains in position, a car at a time. The # 28 of Roger Maynor was also working his way through from just behind Kraft and Specht. As always, Roger was marching forward... Once the three cars were able to work clear of the others, they started to open up some distance between themselves and their fellow competitors. The #28 of Roger Maynor took the lead from Farrell, with the #63 of Specht getting by Farrell 2 laps later, and the #8 of Kraft in fast and hot pursuit, passed Farrell less than a lap after that. Roger opened up a lead that Specht was slowly closing and Kraft was keeping all others at bay. At the finish, it was Roger Maynor in for the win, Paul Specht finishing 2nd, and "TK" Tom Kraft taking 3^rd, with Arne Pedersen 4^th, and Will Farrell 5^th, in a caution free race.

            At some point in the race, (I lost track of the lap), Will Farrells' car started to smoke, and hopefully this time it is something minor, as Will has had his share of engine problems this year. "This is a new engine" he told me just before the race began. Scott Pedersen also had encountered some problems with the handling of his car. It was being reported that he hit/brushed the wall during the race. I know he and the crew were working after the race in the pits on the front end of the car… Speaking with Roger Maynor after the race tonight, he told us his car had developed a leak in one of the tires...good thing for him this wasn't extra laps tonight! Leah Maynor announced that the 50/50 raffle raised another $194 towards the point fund…

            We are off again next week... our season is quickly coming to an end with school fast approaching and Labor Day this Monday.