Grennan scores Riverhead Truck Checkers, Albasini notches championship

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Danny Grennan of Glen Cove drove to his second victory of the 2009 Super Pro truck season at Riverhead Raceway Saturday evening, but it would be “The King Of Queens” Mike Albasini of Flushing who would earn his first career championship in the class.

Ray Fitzgerald of Manorville won his 6th Grand Enduro of the year, while John Cozza of Medford scored his 5th 4/6-Cylinder Truck Enduro triumph of the summer.

After Rob McCormick and Anthony Vecchio raced for the lead on the first lap, Grennan quickly raced his way from fifth to second on lap two and quickly engaged McCormick in a race for the lead.

Grennan, the all-time leading winner in the division rode the outside of McCormick for several laps before taking the lead for good on the sixth circuit. Once out front, Grennan, in the PCHS Race Engines Chevy, drove to his 23rd career victory with McCormick of Calverton coming home second in the Pete’s Landscaping Dodge.

After starting seventh and taking a very conservative approach to the race, Albasini rode to a third place tally in the Hollis Court Collision Chevy good enough for the first championship of his career. Albasini had a 14-lap cushion over Roger Turbush coming into the race, but Turbush got swept up in an early race tangle and lost a lap dashing the second year driver’s title hopes.

Ray Fitzgerald put the wraps on his 2009 Grand Enduro championship in fine fashion as he won their 50-lap feature event.

Bobby Pease, a former champion in the class broke out to an early race lead and drove away from the pack building up a commanding lead. However as the race hit its second half, lapped traffic became very thick and Fitzgerald, who started deep in the field, came to second on lap 30 and zeroed in on Pease. With just five laps to go, Fitzgerald made an outside pass of Pease on the homestretch payoff taking the lead and the eventual win in the Oakfield Leasing Chevy. Pease of Medford was runner-up in the BV Sprinklers Chevy, with Walter Stroud in the hunt all race long placing third in the Gene’s 112 Service Center Monte Carlo.

Locked in a fight with cancer, Cozza of Medford concluded his second week of chemotherapy entering the 50-lap 4/6-Cylinder Truck Enduro. Needing to start the race to earn the 2009 championship, Cozza told those around him he’d take one lap and pull, but being a racers racer he didn’t pull in at all. In fact, Cozza passed early race leader Greg Harris on lap four of the race and then proceeded as he has in several victories this year to pull away for a comfortable win and the 2009 championship in his Blue Point Auto Body Chevy. A very emotional Cozza thanked a throng of family and friends who joined him in victory lane. Shawn Wanat of Riverhead was runner-up in the Solar Salon Tanning racer while Harris of Ridge had a fine run for third in the SGS Stone Works entry.

In the first 8-Cylinder Enduro, Anthony Pizzo of Lake Ronkonkoma collected his second points-paying race of 2009 in a 75-lap contest. Pizzo endured an early race tussle with half-brother Ed Brown Jr.

before laying claim to the win in the STS Tire Works machine. Dege Russell of Rocky Point clinched his second straight title in the class with a runner-up finish in the Kelly Russell Realty Monte Carlo, with Robin Schewire of East Quogue third across the line in the Westhampton Auto Salvage Chevy.

“Mad” Mike Smith of Kings Park took the 75-lap nightcap in a non-points race, his second consecutive win backing-up his Labor Day weekend triumph. Donald “Woot” Lawrence of Hampton Bays and Anthony Pizzo chased Smith to the checkers.

Wanat took home the victory in the 6-Cylinder Enduro topping the field in a 50-lap tilt for his 5th win of 2009. For a few moments after the race it was thought that Wanat with the win in his Spits Speed Shop mount also won the season long title over Gene Burbol who crossed the line seventh. However, two cars among the top five failed post race technical inspection and Burbol, by a mere 10 points, won his first career championship. Crossing the line second in the race was Jeffrey Gregor of Bridgehampton in the Gregor Well Drilling #3 with Christian Conklin of Flanders third.

Matt Brown of Ronkonkoma, who won the first six 4-Cylinder Enduros of the year, was seeking the clean sweep in the 75-lap feature and almost didn’t complete it. Bryan Gregor gave everything he had to snap the Brown’s perfect season, but in the end the driver of the Stan’s Towing entry would prevail and not only go seven for seven, but of course earn the 2009 championship. Gregor in the Gregor Well Drilling #1 was second with Charles Barbeisch Jr. of North Bellmore third.

Joe Marko of Lindenhurst won the Car Rollover Contest and in doing so won his second consecutive championship. Marko outscored Dennis Scott 23 to 21 to post the win.

Charles Guardino of Westbury won the One On One Spectator Drags when he beat out Tommy Walkowiak of Ridge in the two lap final.