RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s fall trip to Riverhead Raceway has carried plenty of sentimental value over the past few seasons.
Riverhead’s longtime co-owner Eddie Partridge passed away in 2021 shortly after his team won a Modified Tour race at Richmond Raceway with Ryan Preece. To honor his memory, the fall Tour event at Riverhead was renamed the Eddie Partridge 256, all while a replica of Partridge’s car remains suspended over the track.
During his time overseeing the speedway, Partridge built upon everything that made Riverhead successful since it opened in 1951. Partridge’s legacy lives on through the current owners in his widow Connie Partridge and Tom Gatz, as Riverhead remains a staple of motorsports culture in the northeast with two Modified Tour events a year.
Many talented names like Mike Stefanik, Richie Evans, Donny Lia, Ted Christopher and others have won at Riverhead over the years. Saturday’s race will feature an even mix of Modified Tour regulars and local Riverhead heroes, all of whom look to secure a victory in honor of Partridge.
No NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor has earned more victories at Riverhead than four-time series champion Justin Bonsignore.
Riverhead was the site of Bonsignore’s debut on the Modified Tour in 2007, when he finished fourth out of 28 cars. Since that day, Bonsignore has found Victory Lane at Riverhead on 12 different occasions. In June, he broke the previous record of 11 held by Mike Ewanitsko.
Following a runner-up finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway two weekends ago, Bonsignore is now just seven points behind Austin Beers in the battle for the 2025 championship. A 13th Riverhead win would be a huge boost to his championship hopes.
Among the drivers expected to stand in the way of Bonsignore on Saturday night is his long-time Modified Tour rival Ron Silk. A three-time Riverhead winner, Silk has engaged in numerous clashes with Bonsignore at the facility, including last year’s Eddie Partridge 256 when Silk prevailed after late contact with his rival.
Beers enters Saturday’s Eddie Partridge 256 with a narrow seven-point advantage over Bonsignore in the Modified Tour standings. Although Beers struggled at Riverhead during the early days of his career, he has improved at the facility in recent years with three top-five finishes, including a runner-up result in 2024.
Craig Lutz, Matt Hirschman and Patrick Emerling enter Saturday’s race in a dog fight over third in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings. All three are still in the race for the championship and a win by any of them could significantly close the gap to Beers and Bonsignore.
Speaking of Hirschman, the 10-time series winner will make his 150th career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start on Saturday night.
