Baldwin's Eriksen adds to racing success

Relegated to the back of the 10-car Late Model feature at Riverhead Raceway last Saturday night after what a NASCAR official deemed "rough riding" during the third lap, Peter "Buzzy" Eriksen had his work cut out with 22 laps to go.

Eriksen, a 31-year racing veteran, including 25 on the quarter-mile oval in Suffolk County, used his experience to his advantage. He managed to pass seven rivals for a third-place finish that boosted his point total on the year to 356 and kept him among the top five drivers in the 

division.

"I've been doing this a long time and I've seen everything," said Eriksen, a Baldwin resident and a 1979 graduate of Oceanside High School, who ranks third on the all-time win list at Riverhead with 43. "Being sent to the back doesn't happen often," he added. "It was just a racing accident. The decision really hurt because I felt I could've won."

Within four laps of the restart, Eriksen maneuvered his way into fourth place. He spent the next eight laps on the bumper of Roger Oxee, who finally yielded third with 10 laps remaining. But Eriksen couldn't catch eventual winner Mike Bologna or runner-up Kevin Metzger. "It's a lot of time lost when you need eight laps to get around someone and you've still got two cars ahead of you," said Eriksen, who captured the checkered flag in the 2010 opener and took third in each of the next two races. "All things considered, third wasn't bad. But it could've been better."

After what Eriksen's wife, Cathy, described as a routine 30-minute cooling-off period, it was time to enjoy a post-race barbecue capped with a cake to celebrate Buzzy's 49th birthday, which was Sunday. "We have a lot of fun," he said. "When I stop having fun, that's when I'll think about giving it up."

After sitting out a year in the mid-1990s and competing part-time for a stretch, Eriksen is back being a full-timer at Riverhead. Sponsored by Nassau County Harley Davidson, All-Island Marine Corp., Ace's Landscaping, Big Sal's Race Engines and Tom's Marine Service, he said he's looking to compete in all but one of this year's 12 scheduled Late Model features. His pit crew includes his father, Peter Eriksen Sr., Al Costa, Bobby Young and Joe Maslott.

A fan favorite