HOWIE BRODE, DANNY GRENNAN TO BE INDUCTED ON RIVERHEAD RACEWAY CROMARTY WALL OF CHAMPIONS PRIOR TO BALDWIN, EVANS & JARZOMBEK 77 FRIDAY AUGUST 7TH

The Cromarty Wall of Champions class of 2026 will be enshrined during an on-track ceremony prior to the annual Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77 Friday August 7th at Riverhead Raceway. Howie Brode of East Islip and Danny Grennan of Glen Cove will take their rightful place on the wall as former three-time track champions in the respectful classes while each winning 20 or more features in route to those titles. The enshrinement will proceed the annual Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77, the third race of the 2026 Crown Jewel Series for the Ted Christopher Cup.

Howie Brode, a three-time winner of the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77 for the Buzz Chew Chevrolet NASCAR Modifieds event during his driving career pocketed his first of 20 career wins with the Modifieds on May 16th, 1998. The win came in Brode's second year of racing under the Peter Clark Motorsports/Petro Home Services banner, a pairing that would win their first track championship after their debut 1997 season together. After a few years on the NASCAR WMT (2002-2004), the team returned to racing weekly at Riverhead Raceway and would win two more championships in succession in 2013 and 2014. Brode's 20th and final trip to victory lane came on Whelen Engineering night, September 12th of 2016, Howie is tied for 20th all-time with Justin Bonsignore and Ronnie Herra. 

Brode's Riverhead Raceway story started after racing Moto X bikes first in the former Charger division where he won six times before moving up to the Late Model ranks where he scored one win. Former motorcycle competitor Doug Wholey was among the early career sponsors for Howie through his Ideal Cesspools firm. During those formative years, Brode was accompanied his racing companion and number one fan, his grandfather Howie who rode to and home from the track with his grandson supporting each and every lap along the way. These days Howie mentors the budding driving career of his son Matt in the Riverhead Raceway NASCAR Modifieds, entering the 50-lap July 31st event the younger Brode sat third in the 2026 championship chase. Before embarking on their current effort Howie and Matt scored four Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified victories before moving up.  

Danny Grennan's path onto the Cromarty Wall of Champions began when he watched older brother Ray wheel his unique Coupe bodied Mini Modified at Islip Speedway and throughout New England. After taking a whirl in that car that sits in a Rhode Island racing museum these days, Danny found his niche with the Super Pro Trucks where he scored his first of 22 career wins on April 27th, 2002, a victory that began his march to his first of three Super Pro Truck championships that year. Danny, a tougher than nails driver who wore his emotions on this sleeve repeated as SPT in 2003 and would win the crown again in 2007. Like Brode, Grennan cut his eye teeth in the Chargers, driving a car his brother Ray raced to seven feature event wins over five years starting in 1994. through 1999. 

Another parallel the two 2026 inductees share is Danny remains busy these days as a car owner as well as the owner of two NASCAR Modifieds for sons Owen and Chase. In fact, Danny is among the more successful car owners in the 76-year history of the track with his sons compiling 45 wins for their father. Owen etched his name on 23 Eagle Chevrolet Crate Modified winner trophies while younger brother Chase won nine times with the Crates. Throw in Chase's five with Owen's three NASCAR Modified wins to date and sprinkle in four Super Pro Truck and one Charger win for Owen and Danny's ownership career has outperformed that of his driving days. Additionally, Owen is a former two-time Crate Modified champion, with Chase earning one title in the class with their Eastport Feeds/Black Forest Auto cars. 

One common denominator Matt, Owen and Chase share is they all began their racing careers, as did many current drivers and champions of Riverhead Raceway in the Eastern Kart Racing Association or the East End Kart Racing club. Both the Brode and Grennan families spent many a Sunday afternoon racing through the EKRA or EEKR ranks.

Looking ahead to Friday and the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77 Dylan Slepian of Dix Hills is the defending race winner, but you can bet Matt Brode along with Own and Chase Grennan would live nothing more to win on their father's special night. Complementing the 77 are the Late Models, Super Pro Trucks and Eddie Partridge Vintage All Stars. General admission gates will open at 6:30 PM, with opening ceremonies set for 8:00 PM. Adults $30, kids 6-12 $20, 5 & under free.  

Additional race day itinerary information, championship standings and a schedule of remaining 2026 races can be obtained by visiting http://www.riverheadraceway.com.. emails reach the track at [email protected], the phone number remains 631-842-RACE.