RIVERHEAD RACEWAY RELEASES 2027 DIVISION RESTRUCTURING BULLETIN

RIVERHEAD RACEWAY DIVISION RESTRUCTURING BULLETIN

As times change, Riverhead Raceway must continue to grow and change with them. After a lot of thought and discussion, we believe it is time to restructure several of our racing divisions.

When the new ownership took over Riverhead Raceway, the track was already supporting approximately 14 different divisions. Since then, we have added three much needed Bandolero divisions to support our youth program and help grow the future of the business. That has brought us to 17 divisions, making it extremely difficult to spread racing opportunities fairly across a 29 week season, especially during a year like this one when weather causes cancellations.

By combining divisions that closely mirror one another, we can make our race programs more efficient, give more divisions the opportunity to compete on the same nights and place a stronger focus on growing the divisions that remain.

These decisions were not made lightly. We have been discussing and considering these changes for several years.

BLUNDERBUSTS

The Blunderbust division has been part of Riverhead Raceway for a very long time, and we greatly appreciate everyone who has supported it over the years.

However, the Blunderbust cars have become very similar to the Street Stocks. With some reasonable changes and adjustments, we believe many of the existing Blunderbust cars can compete with the Street Stocks.

We saw this during the 2023 Open Street Stock race, when a Blunderbust competed and performed very well. Existing Blunderbust cars will be welcome in the Street Stock division, and Riverhead Raceway will work with competitors to make the transition as fair and practical as possible.

MINI STOCKS

The Mini Stock division evolved from the 4/6 Cylinder Enduro division, with competitors upgrading their cars by adding roll bars, cages and other safety equipment.

At this point, we believe the 4/6 Cylinder Enduro division offers greater potential for growth and provides a more affordable entry point for new competitors.

For that reason, the Mini Stock division will be discontinued for now, and our focus will shift toward growing the 4/6 Cylinder Enduro division.

FIGURE EIGHTS

The TK Figure Eight division needs a complete reset. The cars have become increasingly expensive, and the division now includes too many different types of cars and engines.

Last year, we introduced the 4/6 Cylinder cars to Figure Eight racing to see if they could eventually replace the current Figure Eight cars while giving competitors something more affordable and fun. However, we have also seen significant differences between those cars because of the wide variety of makes, models and engine combinations.

We believe the future of the TK Figure Eight racing requires a division where the cars are affordable, competitive and as equal as possible.

For that reason, Riverhead Raceway will introduce the Crown Vic to the TK Figure Eight division. The excitement and purpose of traditional TK Figure Eight racing will remain the same, but the division will now be built around the Crown Victoria platform to create a more consistent and competitive field.

The Crown Vic TK Figure Eight rules have been prepared and will be released in the near future for competitors to review.

BANDOLEROS

The Bandolero program has experienced tremendous growth, and we want to continue building on that success. We love seeing the kids compete, develop their skills and become part of the Riverhead Raceway community. You often hear people say that these young competitors are the future of racing, and we truly believe they are. We are very humbled by the continued growth of the program and its car counts.

However, presenting three separate Bandolero divisions to the fans in the grandstands has become difficult. We currently have the Beginners, Bandits and Outlaws. We have been speaking with INEX about how we can streamline the program while continuing to give every young competitor the opportunity to practice and develop at their own pace.

We will continue offering three hours of paid open practice onscheduled Saturday Bandolero events. Once open practice has concluded and the regularly scheduled event begins, Bandits and Outlaws classes will each receive two rounds of practice as part of the NASCAR and INEX Weekly Series rotating practice.

Beginning with this restructuring, we will no longer have a Bandolero Beginner division and new drivers will no longer have a separate feature event. All bandoleros will be broken up by age as per INEX. Bandits: ages 7-11. Outlaws: ages 12 and older.

New drivers are encouraged to participate in the full three hours of paid open practice and the additional rotating practice session. This will give them the opportunity to learn, improve and become comfortable before advancing into competition.

Our goal is not to discourage participation. Our goal is to give every young driver a safe and structured path to learn and develop while creating a more efficient and competitive Bandolero program for our competitors and fans. Details on how we will implement this change while maintaining a safe experience for all involved will be released in the near future.

CRATE MODIFIEDS

It has been a long haul for the Crate Modifieds, but what a fantastic division it has become. These cars are mass produced, the chassis are available in many different areas and they remain a viable choice for any new competitor who wants to become involved in racing.

When we first started the division, we introduced the Riverhead Raceway sealed engine program. Engines were purchased directly from the dealership, sealed by Riverhead Raceway and sold to competitors at our cost. However, in today’s market, the cost of purchasing a new engine has become extremely expensive.

Moving forward, we are opening the engine rules so these engines can be properly serviced and freshened under a very strict set of guidelines. We have reviewed rules used in other areas so our engine package can be closely aligned with theirs.

This will allow a competitor to purchase a car or engine from another area and bring it to Riverhead Raceway without needing to make major changes. It will also give competitors who already own an engine the opportunity to have it freshened instead of being forced to purchase a brand new one.

We believe this added flexibility gives us another opportunity to build on the changes we made last year when we moved the division to the ten inch tire.

The Crate Modified division may be going through a little bit of a slump right now, but we believe in its future. These cars and chassis are available, and that is what makes the division so promising. Combined with the increased purse structure, limited tire purchases and the new engine plan, we believe this remains a very viable class.

The complete rule package for the new engine plan will be released very soon. We are also reviewing other areas of the rules to see where we can make things easier and more affordable for our competitors while keeping the competition fair.

LATE MODELS

We have been very impressed with the Late Model division since making the change to the ten inch tire. We believe the change was long overdue, and the division has truly benefited from it.

Right now, the competition is at its finest, and we believe the division is in a very good place. We do not want to make unnecessary changes or allow the rules to go any further than they need to.

Beginning in 2027, the 604 engine program will become a rebuildable program, similar to what we are doing with the 602 engines. This will allow competitors to have their 604 engines properly serviced and freshened under a strict set of guidelines while continuing to compete under Option One at 2,775 pounds and 58 percent left side weight.

As far as the open engine Late Models, we want to keep those engines as close as possible to where they are today. We do not want the open engine to become the dominant choice within the division because of the additional cost involved. Our goal is to protect the competition while helping teams save money.

To maintain the proper balance between the engine combinations, we may make adjustments to weight and compression. Final decisions will be made within the next few days, and the complete information will be released accordingly.

TOUR TYPE MODIFIEDS

We believe the qualifying format used for the Tour Type Modifieds has been very helpful. The only change we are considering for 2027 is moving to group qualifying, with four cars on the track during each qualifying session.

For opening day, the group qualifying order will be based on championship points from the previous season. We have heard concerns about the current draw and the disadvantage that may affect the first few cars going onto the track. We believe qualifying in groups of four will help make the track conditions more equal and give every competitor the best possible opportunity to qualify for the feature event.

Everything else will remain the same. We will continue to handicap the top eight positions, except during the TC Triple Crown races.

We are still deciding whether competitors will be allowed three or four tires for the upcoming season. Other than that, we want to keep moving forward and continue making the most of what has become a great program.

SUPER PRO TRUCKS

We have seen a lot of growth in the Super Pro Truck division, along with some great and very competitive racing. You guys have built a strong program, and the division continues to flourish.

The only major change we see for 2027 is moving the division to a ten inch tire. This decision is not being made because of any concerns with the current competition. Hoosier Tire will no longer offer the F53 or the eight inch slick, making this change necessary.

Using one common tire size will also make things easier and more cost effective for Riverhead Raceway and our competitors. Beginning next season, the Super Pro Trucks will move to the ten inch tire and join the other divisions that are already using it.

We understand that change is never easy, especially when it involves divisions that have been part of Riverhead Raceway for many years. These decisions are being made out of respect for our competitors and with the long term health and future of Riverhead Raceway in mind.

VICTORY LANE

I also want to discuss Victory Lane. I truly believe our winning drivers, families and teams deserve the opportunity to celebrate. That celebration is a fundamental part of what we do and one of the most meaningful moments of the night.

At the same time, we must balance those celebrations with the experience of the fans sitting in the grandstands. Dead air is one of the worst things that can happen during a race program. When a Victory Lane celebration takes too long, the fans are left waiting while nothing is happening on the track.

For 2027, we are willing to bring Victory Lane back onto the speedway. We will refer to the on track location as Victory Lane A. Our current thought is that all access to Victory Lane A will be through the starter stand area only. The ramp will not be used for entering or exiting the speedway during these celebrations.

Making this work will require cooperation from every competitor. Each team will be responsible for the family members, crew members and guests it brings onto the speedway. If you bring people onto the track, it will be your responsibility to make sure they follow our directions and leave the speedway promptly when the celebration is complete.

We are willing to try this because we understand how important Victory Lane is to our competitors and their families. However, if the process causes delays, arguments or unnecessary problems, we will return Victory Lane to its outside location, which will be known as Victory Lane B. During the offseason, please think about how much having Victory Lane on the speedway means to you. If we are going to make it work, everyone must be willing to work with us and do their part to keep the program moving.

FAN CONNECTION

Lastly, I want to discuss something we are going to call the Fan Connection.

Next year, we are going to schedule a Fan Connection time following the completion of qualifying. During this time, fans with general admission tickets will be invited into the pit area for a meet and greet with our drivers and teams.

We are going to need our competitors to work with us and support this program. It is very important that we give new fans an opportunity to meet the people involved in the racing and better understand what they are watching.

People may enjoy the sounds and smells when they first arrive, but that excitement alone only lasts so long. If they do not know the drivers, their stories or who they should be rooting for, they have no personal connection to what is happening on the track. They may not realize that one of our drivers is their UPS driver, their local mail carrier, a business owner or someone they see regularly in the community.

The Fan Connection will give people an opportunity to meet the competitors first and then go into the grandstands with drivers and teams they can follow and support throughout the event.

During the Fan Connection, the pit area will be under what we are calling a nonmovement period. Race cars must remain in their pit stalls, and activity around the cars must be kept to an absolute minimum. The safety of our fans will always come first.

We strongly encourage every team to have driver cards, candy, giveaways or even merchandise for sale available at the back of their pit stall. This will give fans something tangible to take with them into the grandstands and help them remember the drivers they met.

We do not want this to be another on track meet and greet. We want fans to enter the pit area and see the nuts and bolts of what takes place behind the scenes. We believe this will create a much stronger and more meaningful connection between our fans, competitors and Riverhead Raceway.

I also want to make it clear that the Fan Connection will not replace or interfere with the post race parties we have held for many years. Those gatherings are something special and unique to Riverhead Raceway, and I believe they remain important for both our fans and competitors.

To me, this is going to be a huge step forward as we continue working together to build the future of Riverhead Raceway.

We appreciate everyone’s continued support as we move forward together.

Raceway Management