Trimboli's a difficult guy to catch

Steve Trimboli’s latest win on Riverhead Raceway’s ¼-mile oval looked so easy even a caveman could do it, but it’s the combination of preparation and determination that makes it tough to keep pace with the Enduro driver from South Bellmore.

“The day this stops being fun is the day I lose interest and stop doing it,” Trimboli said after crushing a field of 19 in the 50-lap 4/6-Cylinder Enduro feature on July 14. “I’ve made a few tweaks to the car and it’s pretty much where it needs to be,” he added. “I’m right there in the standings and hoping to finish strong.”

As Trimboli, nicknamed “Pit Bull” for his rescue efforts of the canine breed, whizzed past car after car, Riverhead Raceway announcer Bob Finan let everyone in attendance know “it’s one of the most dominating performances” in the history of the grassroots division. Trimboli lapped every opponent at least once, including some as many as three times, on the way to his second win of 2012.

“I’ve got the only rear-wheel drive car in the division,” he said of his 1985 Mercedes-Benz, which is fully gutted to meet specifications. “I can’t manage turns as smoothly as the other cars, but it has its advantages.”

Trimboli, a 1988 Baldwin High School graduate who said he’s always been into racing and started on dirt bikes, went to watch a friend compete at Riverhead five years ago and was immediately captivated. “I knew right away I wanted to race,” he said. “I just needed to figure out what division.

“In my opinion, the Enduro is the most exciting division to watch,” Trimboli added. “There are no yellow flags. Once the race starts, it goes until it finishes. If someone crashes into a wall, the car just stays there until the race is over.”

Trimboli, owner of Pit Bull Motors, Inc. in Freeport, has done a phenomenal job not only getting to the winner’s circle — he has 15 career victories — but also avoiding any major wrecks. In just his second year at Riverhead, in 2010, he was the 4/6-Cylinder Enduro point champion, and now he’s knocking on the door at another title.

“I like it when I’m battling for a win, going neck-and-neck for 10, 20, or even 30 laps” said Trimboli, who trails only Dennis Nelson, 380 to 350, in this year’s standings with a handful of races to go. “Even in the second group of cars, there are races within the race. My biggest fear is losing ground.”

There was no losing ground a few weeks ago, when Trimboli started up front and never looked back. “I’ve been told I’m an aggressive driver, and it took me a long time to get respected,” he said. “The racing circle is like the game of life. At the end of the day, it’s about getting through obstacles to get where you need to go.”

Baldwin’s Eriksen in contention

With 45 career victories, all in the Late Model division, Baldwin’s Peter “Buzzy” Eriksen ranks among the all-time winningest drivers at Riverhead and is knocking on the door for more.

In the 25-lap feature on July 14, Eriksen worked his way into striking distance after starting fifth but settled for second place — by a tire length — as Chris LaSpisa held on for the checkered flag. It was the third runner-up finish this year for Eriksen, who sits a close third in the Late Model standings and seeks a fifth point championship to add to wins in 1988, ’89, ’93 and 2001.

“The car felt great tonight,” said the 1979 Oceanside High School graduate who began racing as a teenager. “Wins are difficult to come by because there’s not much separation in this division,” he added. “Everyone is running within a few car lengths of each other, so it makes it difficult to pass.”

Eriksen sat second behind LaSpisa in a single-file restart following a caution with 18 laps completed, but the order went unchanged over the final seven laps. “I just ran out of time,” Eriksen said. “To get that close and not be able to finish the deal is frustrating, but my car was fast enough and it’s going back to the shop in one piece.”