RIELY O'KEEFE, MADISON TOMASZEWSKI, EMMETT GRATTAN & TYLER ROSS SCORE WEDNESDAY INEX VICTORIES AT RIVERHEAD RACEWAY

The first midweek program of the 2025 season unfolded Wednesday night at Riverhead Raceway with the stars of the INEX Legend Race Cars and Bandoleros taking center stage before an enthusiastic crowd. In the headline 20-lap INEX Legend Race Car event, defending champion Riely O'Keefe of Manorville notched his second win in just over two weeks wheeling the Jim Sylvester owned entry.

When the green waved to kick things off three veterans, Ray Fitzgerald, Jim Sylvester and former champion Eric Hersey found themselves three wide. Realizing that might not work, Sylvester dropped back to third while Fitzgerald took the lead over Hersey. Meanwhile further back, Chase Van Houten was on the move from deeper in the field, quickly carving his way towards the front passing Hersey for second on a lap 8 restart. For the second time in four days Fitzgerald and Van Houten were center stage in a battle for Legend Race Car glory hoping for a better result than they encountered Saturday. Van Houten was pressuring Fitzgerald for the lead on lap 12 when they approached a lapped car, both cleared the car with Van Houten ducking low exiting the fourth corner under Fitzgerald. Suddenly Ray, perhaps with a late block and Van Houten got together and could not get off one another winding up in the first turn fence, both okay but done for the race. Also caught up were the third and fourth place machines of Hersey and Anthony Marsh, both were able to continue from the back when the race resumed.

Suddenly Riely O'Keefe and Kyle Ellwood, who prior to the incident were racing for fifth and sixth now found their tussle as one for the race lead and win. Over the final 8-laps of the tilt Ellwood glued himself to O'Keefe's back bumper, but the leader was smartly backing up his corner exit breaking any momentum the challenger could build. At the finish Riely O'Keefe parked the Joe Ryan Race Cars coupe in the winners circle to enjoy his 5th career victory. Kyle Ellwood of Riverhead was runner-up in the Millennium Limited Contracting machine, Joey Braun of Manorville completed the podium in his HighMark Building Efficiency mount. 

Madison Tomaszewski of Laurel had been trying for a INEX Bandolero victory for three seasons, Wednesday her dream came to fruition when she won a first career 15-lap Outlaw feature after executing a textbook restart mid race. When the race got underway, Tomaszewski broke out front with Madison White in tow before she was overtaken on lap 2 when she was passed to the inside off the second corner by Thomas Grattan. Two laps later Grattan slid by Tomaszewski for the lead during a lap 4 restart but that didn't deter the now former leader one bit, in fact it may have motivated her. Another double file restart unfolded on lap 6 and when the race resumed Madison, in her R&K Precision Automotive Outlaw hung her car to the outside of Grattan long enough to reclaim the lead to start lap 7. This time Tomaszewski never looked back, driving off to a popular win. Thomas Grattan of Southold was second in his Reeve Farm Stand entry; a hard charging John Alaimo of Miller Place was third in the Turf King Outlaw.   

Emmett Grattan of Southold held off all challengers, including brother Blake at one point to collect his first INEX Bandolero Bandit win of 2025, his third career triumph. Emmett broke to the lead at the start of the 15-lap affair, Brooke Meyer filed into second for two laps before a familiar face to the leader made his way by Meyer. On lap 3 Blake Grattan ran second, albeit a fair distance behind his brother, the siblings finding themselves side by side for a restart. On lap 8, Landon Solomito charged his way by Blake for second, Landon was rebounding from a lap two incident with Meyer when the latter spun. It mattered not to Emmett Grattan in his TS Customs Bandit who was second, brother or another racer, he'd drive to victory. Landon Solomito of Little Compton, RI was runner-up in the Acme Sanitary Services machine, his cousin Mason Goodale of Riverhead placed third in the Riverhead Building Supply Bandit.

The most exciting finish came in the 12-lap INEX Bandolero Beginners event as Tyler Ross of Manorville executed a last lap, last turn pass claiming his second win of 2025. Brody Solomito, in just his second start took command of the race from the drop of the green, proceeding to lead until the very final turn of the event. Ross, who won the season opener for the Beginners made his way to second on lap 4. After spending laps 5-11 tracking leader Solomito down, Ross finally got to his rear bumper on the white flag lap. Entering the final corner Ross slid his car under Solomito, they touched sending Solomito into a spin while Ross was able to drive to victory in the MC-11 prepared racer. Mason Dickerson of Southold crossed the line second in the L.I. Power Association entry, Alexis Gatz of Riverhead completed the podium in third with her TS Haulers racer. 

Bobby Pease Jr. of Medford used lapped traffic to his advantage to take the lead and eventual win in the 40-lap Truck Enduro. In a ironic twist, the driver who was leading and whom Bobby Jr. trapped in traffic was his father, Bobby Sr. As the green light came up, Chris Ward broke out front before being passed by Bobby Pease Sr. to the inside exiting the second turn. Pease Jr. took advantage of the opening created by his father racing under Ward as well for second. As the first ten lap segment drew to a close, the elder Pease decided to take the outside around a lapped truck, that was just fine with his son as Bobby Jr, out the Fit Spot Gym truck out front to lead the remainder of the race for the win. Kevin Feeney of Quogue brought the HAM Racing Chevy home second; Mariah Lawrence of Southampton charged her way to a third-place tally in the Total Dental General Lee. 

Greg Harris of Riverhead, despite nursing a work-related leg injury scored his second 40-lap 8-Cylinder Enduro victory of 2025. Harris out the SGS Stone Works Chevy to the lead on lap 3 passing fellow veteran and former champion Sean Fitzpatrick. Once in front Harris just maintained his lead, all the while working lapped traffic to perfection.  Defending champion Kevin Feeney was credited with second and Eric Germuth of Hicksville third in his HAM Racing machine after Fitzpatrick, who crossed the line second and Richie Carman who crossed third were disqualified in post-race tech. 

With his infant daughter looking on, Ryan Warren of Ridge won his second 4/6-Cylinder Enduro of the season in the Joe Warren Motorsports Chevy. Ryan, just four days removed from a successful outing in the Two for TK Figure Eights events Saturday led all 40-laps of the contest. Anthony Paretta of Wantagh was runner-up in the Anthony's Power Washing mount, John Palmeri of Lindenhurst was third in the J&J Towing entry.

"Dirty" Mike Ferraro of Center Moriches outlasted "Bam Bam" Joe Warren Jr of Ridge to score a popular first career School Bus demolition Derby win, afterwards promising all the kids at the track "Dirty Mike" shirts in the future. Less than a year removed from debuting in the School Bus Demo at the insistence of a high placed friend, Ferraro was quick to find victory. Scary moments unfolded when Super Pro Truck driver Frank "The Tank" Dumicich Jr. of East Quogue slow rolled his bus after cutting his wheel too sharply, Frank was fine afterwards. 

Legend Race Cars: 1. Riely O'Keefe 2. Kyle Ellwood 3. Joey Braun 4. Chris Sinatro 5. Rodney Dowless Jr. 6. Will Sipala 7. Jayden Glennerster 8. Chevy Rommeney 9. Jeff Farruggia Jr. 10. Pat Moore 11. Charles Hodge 12. Marissa Stewart 13. Anthony Marsh 14. Eric Hersey 15. Robert Henninger 16. Jim Sylvester 17. Mike Van Houten Jr. 18. Kevin Ohrnberger 19. Kendall Van Houten 20. Nick Hodge 21. Phillip Alaimo 22. Mike Renn 23. Michael Metcalf 24. Billy King Jr. 25. Ray Fitzgerald 26. Chase Van Houten

Bandolero Outlaws: 1. Madison Tomaszewski 2. Thoams Grattan 3. John Alaimo 4. Michael Barry 5. Madison White 6. Grace Cheslak 7. Antonio D'Alanzo 8. Aria Ligon 9. Tyler Oxee

Bandolero Bandits: 1. Emmett Grattan 2. Landon Solomito 3. Mason Goodale 4. Mackenzie Ulmet 5. Blake Grattan 6. Wyatt Goodale 7. Brooke Meyer

Bandolero Beginners: 1. Tyler Ross 2. Mason Dickerson 3. Alexis Gatz 4. Scarlett Dumicich 5. Emily Gatz 6. Brody Solomito 7. Carrisa Busam 8. Megan Cummings 

Truck Enduro (top ten) 1. Bobby Pease Jr. 2. Kevin Feeney 3. Mariah Lawrence 4. Brandon LaManna 5. Bobby Pease Sr. 6. Justin McGrady 7. Ryan Wertz 8. Jackie Germuth 9. Jim Kelly 10. Charles Sherry

8-Cylinder Enduro (top ten): 1. Greg Harris 2. Kevin Feeney 3. Eric Germuth 4. Pat Collins Jr. 5. Ricky Carman 6. Roger Tramm 7. John McCarthy 8. Pat Collins Sr. 9. Brian Halsey 10. Mariah Lawrence

4/6-Cylinder Enduro: 1. Ryan Warren 2. Anthony Paretta 3. John Palmeri 4. Zach Tyler 5. Joey Palmeri Jr. 6. David Olivari 7. Mike Mujsce Jr. 8. Mike Fragola 9. Charles Sherry 10. Hans Kiessling

School Bus Demolition Derby: winner-Mike Ferraro