Locals versus invaders.
During racing’s early years, local racers trying to defend their home turf from traveling invaders was a surefire way for promoters to sell tickets. Not much has changed in the more than 100 years since the first organized automobile race. In fact, local racers facing off against talented invaders remains a key storyline today.
At tracks like Riverhead Raceway, it’s a major point of pride when a local competitor denies the invaders the satisfaction of a trip to Victory Lane.
Riverhead local Mark Stewart knows that firsthand.
The 28-year-old from Riverhead, New York delivered a bit of satisfaction for local fans earlier this year when he outclassed the best the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour had to offer to win the Miller Lite Salutes Don Howe 200.
“It definitely took like a month to realize how big of a deal and how big of a win that was,” said Stewart, who will attempt to duplicate his incredible feat Saturday during the Eddie Partridge 206 (8:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing). “There have been a lot of Riverhead locals who have tried to win that Tour race for years and years.
“I had people coming up to me that I’ve never even met before that used to race in the ’80s and ’90s, and they were like, ‘What you accomplished is a big deal.'”
Stewart, who ranks second in Riverhead Raceway’s headlining Buzz Chew Chevrolet Tour Type Modified division, has been attending and competing in events at the track his entire life.
He is the nephew of Chris and Roger Turbush and represents the fourth generation of the Turbush family to compete at Riverhead. However, he’s the first to win a Modified Tour race.
A winner in three different Riverhead divisions and a two-time champion in the track’s Super Pro Trucks class, Stewart has no shortage of experience at the Long Island bullring.
“Obviously I’ve raced there weekly in multiple divisions. It just helps to know the track,” Stewart said. “Sometimes varying from during the day to at night, it can help you be able to adjust the car better. What to expect later on throughout the day definitely helps a lot.
“I’ve been racing there since I was 6, from Go Karts all the way to Super Pro Trucks. It definitely helps a lot. It’s definitely an advantage that we get to race there every week.”
Stewart’s win put him in elite company. Only a handful of Riverhead Raceway locals have faced off against the regulars of the Modified Tour and win.
They include Kyle Soper, who delivered a victory for the locals in 2022. Before that, it was men like Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr. and Don Howe who defended Long Island from racers like Mike Stefanik, Ted Christopher and Reggie Ruggiero.
Also worth considering is how many Long Island natives went from being local stars to becoming Modified Tour invaders. They include current competitors like Justin Bonsignore and Eric Goodale as well as local legends like Tom Baldwin, Mike Ewanitsko and Steve Park.
To summarize, winning a Modified Tour race at Riverhead is not easy for a local competitor. So how did Stewart do it?
Experience, a great race car, and a little bit of luck all proved to be key factors when Stewart reached Victory Lane on May 30. Starting third, he first had to avoid an incident on the opening lap involving his uncle, Roger, and polesitter Stephen Kopcik.
“You never really expect anything like that to happen so soon,” Stewart said. “It definitely caught me off guard. You don’t really expect anything like that, but anything can happen at any time, especially at Riverhead. Thankfully I was ready for it.”
Following the incident, Stewart inherited the race lead and spent the rest of the night going back and forth with Bonsignore for the race lead. The two traded the top spot multiple times throughout the course of the event, with Stewart making the race-winning pass on Lap 160.
Being able to outlast Bonsignore, a record 12-time Riverhead Raceway Modified Tour winner, was just as big of an accomplishment for Stewart as it was to win the race itself.
“I’ve been watching Justin since I was a kid growing up in Go Karts and then watching him race Charger cars and Modifieds and seeing all the success he’s had over the years,” Stewart said. “Racing against Justin was really cool. He’s had a lot of success, especially at Riverhead on the Tour.
“He’s just such a great driver and such a great person on and off the track. It was really fun and a great experience.”
Nearly four months after his first Modified Tour victory at his home track, the excitement has died down. The trophy has taken its rightful place at the Turbush Racing shop, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten the feeling of being the best Modified competitor in the region that night.
“It felt like a dream. You watch for years all these local guys try to come here and try to compete (with the Tour),” Stewart said. “These guys are the best of the best, and you’ve really got to bring your A game. Sometimes running there every week doesn’t mean you have an advantage because these guys are so on top of their game and their program.
“It’s an honor (to beat the Tour regulars). For us small guys at Riverhead that race with these Tour guys, it’s everything. When they come to town, that’s the ultimate win right there. I could’ve not won a race for the rest of this year and that race would have pretty much made the year for us.”
Stewart’s attention is now fully focused on Saturday’s Eddie Partridge 206. His mission is to prove that his win earlier this year wasn’t a fluke.
He doesn’t want to be a one-hit wonder. He wants to prove the Riverhead locals are the best the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts has to offer.
“I definitely have the confidence and definitely feel like we have the car to do it again,” Stewart said. “We’ve got to qualify up front and do what we know best. We’ll try to plan ahead a little bit and make the right adjustments. I definitely feel like we have a shot to win again.”