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The 2012 NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour event at the Riverhead Raceway this Saturday
night will bring with it a different bonus payoff
format. The more than $16,000 in combined added
bonus money, paid and raised by avid Riverhead
Modified fan Jim Schaefer, is expected to be a bit
of a "Gamble" for some drivers.
An amount of $300 in cash will be made available to
each driver entering the 175-lap race, as it was in
2011, but this time drivers will be asked if they
would like to give it back. Each driver who elects
to do so will become a "Gambler". For example, if
six drivers do so, then the highest finisher among
those six drivers will earn an extra $1,800.
"I think the $300 gamblers idea is pretty cool,"
stated Ryan Preece, who will wheel the Flamingo
Motorsports 16 for the first time at Riverhead. "Jim
Schaefer has taken this race and really turned it
into something special, and if you walk through the
pit area on Saturday you will find many more drivers
and car owners who feel the same way."
Thousands in additional bonus money will be paid out
as well. Every lap run will be worth at least an
extra $20, with half going to the race leader, and
half being paid to the highest running Riverhead
regular driver. This lap money program supported by
race fans will add more than $4,400 in cash to the
overall purse.
Also, there is something called the "Modified Maniac
Triple Crown Bonus" to be decided on Saturday night
as well. It's a $1,500 winner-take-all bonus paid to
the driver with the best average finish at the
Monadnock WMT race on May 12, the Star (N.H.)
Speedway Modified Open on June 16, and this
Riverhead 175.
Currently Ryan Preece leads the standings, and he
can win the $1,500 bonus over Doug Coby, Todd
Szegedy and Mike Stefanik by finishing seventh or
better no matter where the other contenders finish.
Additional bonuses include an extra $1,000 to the
race winner, $500 for the "Mike Ewanitsko Hard
Charger of the Race", as voted on by contributors,
$1,000 to the winner of the qualifying race.
"The Riverhead Tour race is now not only my race of
champions, but for all of Long Island and beyond,"
Schaefer noted. "It has extra sentimental value, and
this is our way of showing appreciation for the tour
coming to Riverhead.
"This is the first year where donations from other
race fans have exceeded what I myself have put into
the event. People like A.J. Hackert have really gone
above and beyond what I ever expected to make this a
true community supported special event."
Practice for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event
begins Saturday at 2:00 PM, with the 175-lap event
set to begin around 8:30 PM. For more information
check out the Riverhead Raceway facebook page or log
onto the track web site at
www.riverheadraceway.com. |
