The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is headed back to the east end of Long Island to take on the tight confines of Riverhead Raceway for the second time this season, and this time the 27-car field will be paying tribute to the legendary Mike Ewanitsko in the “Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200.”

Ewanitsko is one of the original members of the “Long Island Gang” on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour dating back to the inaugural season in 1985. Ewanitsko scored 28 NWMT victories, including 11 at his home track of Riverhead Raceway. Ewanitsko’s 11 at Riverhead still stands as the most of any driver at the quarter-mile bullring.

But, his record is in danger of being equaled on Saturday night. The last time the Tour rolled into Riverhead it was three-time series champion Justin Bonsignore walking away with the victory in thrilling fashion over Ron Silk. The win was the 10th at Riverhead for Bonsignore, who is well aware of what the next win at Riverhead would mean.

Watch: Check out the highlights from the most recent NWMT race at Riverhead

Bonsignore is one of just four drivers entered in Saturday’s race that has a NWMT win at Riverhead under his belt. 

Six-time champion Doug Coby is the most recent NWMT winner not named Justin Bonsignore to be entered in Saturday’s race. Coby took the victory in the first race of 2022 at Riverhead as a substitute driver for Jimmy Blewett. It was the first win for Coby in Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s 7NY machine and it jumpstarted a partnership that saw the team win the owner’s championship at the end of the season. Coby and Baldwin currently sit fourth in points, 23 markers behind Silk for the championship lead.

The other two previous Riverhead winners on the entry list are both now part-time drivers. The first one we will mention scored his first career victory at Riverhead back in 2014, and that is Riverhead native, Eric Goodale.

A beardless Goodale led 25 laps that day to claim his first checkered flag on the Tour. He’s since gone on to win four more times throughout his career and he finished third in the standings last season. Goodale has missed the last two Tour races, a decision he made to spend more time with his family. But, Goodale has plenty of momentum on his side coming off of a big win last weekend at Stafford Motor Speedway.

The last of the four previous winners on the entry list to be mentioned is of course “The Natural” Timmy Solomito. Solomito scored three of his nine Tour victories at his home race track. He led 69 laps to take the win in 2016, his first at Riverhead. He then led 151 and 158 in his season sweep at Riverhead in 2017. Solomito finished fifth, eighth, and eighth in the three Tour races at Riverhead last year, and he finished 11th there earlier this year in his only Tour start of the season to date.

A trip to Riverhead always sees a few of the local drivers trying to defend their home turf from the invading Tour drivers. Last year, multi-time track champion Kyle Soper became the first Riverhead local driver in 27 years to beat the Tour at Riverhead. The last driver to do that before him was Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr in 1995.

This year there’s four drivers hoping to add their name to that short but legendary list. John Beatty Jr, of Merrick, New York has come close on a couple of occasions. He led 42 laps before finishing third in 2013, and he led 57 laps before finishing second in 2019.

Jack Handley Jr., Roger Turbush, Chris Young, Mark Stewart, and Matthew Brode will be joining Beatty in their quest to defend Riverhead.

The green flag for the Miller Lite Salutes Mike Ewanitsko 200 is scheduled to fly at 8 p.m. ET live exclusively on FloRacing. Fans can watch the entire night’s racing action, including racing for the Crate Modifieds, Super Pro Trucks, Street Stocks, and Mini Stocks, live on FloRacing as well. Fans can subscribe to FloRacing by clicking here.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Riverhead Raceway Entry List