Dan's Papers - June 12, 2009 - Off to the Races

The Riverhead Raceway, a North Fork tradition for 58 years, attracts all kinds - men, women and children, entire families, longtime fans and those new to the sport. And as traffic on County Road 58 begins to swell once again as the summer approaches, it's safe to say that at least some of that traffic can be attributed to the crowd the races, which are held every Saturday evening, tend to draw.

As diverse as the onlookers are every weekend, the Raceway also attracts a wide variety of drivers. They come from all over Long Island, from as far away as Queens to as immediate as the East End. Since the Freeport Stadium, Islip Speedway and illicit racing in Bridgehampton are no more, the Raceway is where you go if you're an amateur racecar driver on Long Island. "This is it," said Bob Finan, announcer, sales and public relations representative at the Raceway. "It's the only game in town."

There are fresh-faced teenagers, newly licensed, who are eager to jump in to race. There are the seasoned veterans who have been coming to the track since it opened many years ago. You're just as likely to stumble across a driver in the pit surrounded by his entire family as you are to find one surrounded by his group of friends. There's even a hearing impaired driver, whose car is outfitted with a special light system so he can be communicated with while he's driving, since he can't use the two-way radio. And over the past few years, there's been an influx of younger female drivers drawn to the sport.

One of these female drivers, generating a fair amount of buzz around the Raceway, is Erin Dumicich, from East Quogue. Now 21, she grew up racing go-karts but decided to concentrate on competitive dancing.

But, ultimately, racing was in her blood. Her father, Frank, Sr., has raced for years, and is ranked as number 3 in the all-time Super Pro Truck feature winners, from 1996-2008, with 14 total wins and five winning seasons. Her older brother Frank, Jr., 23, comes in at number 7 on that list, with seven total wins and four winning seasons. Needless to say, she grew up attending the races at the Raceway. And though Erin only started racing three years ago, she nearly won the opening night feature of the Super Pro Truck series last season, completing 19 1/4 laps before hitting a patch of oil and skidding out. "They're a real racing family," said one onlooker, as Erin and Frank, Jr. both entered the track during the practice runs prior to the start of the day's events on May 9, the opening weekend for the Raceway after the original premiere for the season had been rained out the week before.

In fact, during the Super Pro Truck feature that day, Erin - behind the wheel of #95 - led her brother - #42, for the first half of the race, before he passed her to the inside, and she slipped back. He went on to win the race.

This season also marks Erin's first venture into the Charger series - and she admits that the brand new car is still out of her comfort zone, though she's excited to hit the track with it. It took her two laborious months to put her new car together and get it ready for the races. And all she hopes for is to come out of the season unscathed. "I just want to bring my car home in one piece," she said. A passerby commented on her car, laughing as he said, "Nobody will have trouble picking you out of the pack," to which she jokingly replied, "A little more rhinestones and I'm good. I'm going to be as girly as I can be." Both her car and her truck are white with bold streaks of teal and hot pink.

And though they compete against one another, inevitably the Dumiciches' home life is riddled with good-natured talk about the Raceway. "It's bragging rights across the dinner table," Frank, Jr. said. Most nights of the week you can find them in the garage working on their cars, he said. "It's something we get to do as a family."

"This is what we do. It's always been a family thing," Erin said, adding that competing against one another "makes us more competitive. There's always something to talk about. It makes us better as a family. We're able to bounce ideas off one another."

And now as the season rolls on - ending in September and having only just begun several weeks ago - whether you come to the track rooting for the Dumiciches or not, there's something for everyone going on. On June 13, come down for go-karts and a Flag Day celebration. On June 20, there's an 8 Cylinder Demolition Derby and Mini School Bus Figure 8 Race, followed by a July 4 fireworks celebration and Police Car Demolition Derby. For more information about the Raceway and upcoming events, go to riverheadraceway.com.