Donny's News

After all, Lia has won the second event of the season at the Long Island track for three years running. Ever since his rookie season of 2003, he’s gone undefeated in this particular event.

It was the same story this past Saturday night. Lia took the lead on lap 39 of 200 and never looked back from there. It was Lia’s second Tour win of the season and it cemented his top-five status in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points.

Riverhead might be Lia’s home track and he did cut his racing teeth there, but it’s not even where he races the most anymore. Just why he does so well at the tight bullring is a bit of a mystery to Lia.

“I just get around this place really well,” said Lia. “Why? I couldn’t tell you. I have more experience at Stafford than here probably by now. We just keep plugging away and if we have a little bit of luck, we’re right there.

“I’ve always had great cars here. Great cars, a great crew and a little bit of luck is what does it. I just get out front and do what I can do. I try to save that right rear and just ride. You have to stay on the bottom and protect the bottom, wait for the opening in lapped traffic and go from there.”

Winning in front of a home crowd is a very good feeling. Lia travels up and down the East Coast to race, so winning at a track less than an hour from his home is a special thing.

“This means a lot, especially tonight because I had a lot of family here. Normally, I have a lot of family here, but tonight I had more family here than I had ever had at a racetrack. It was pretty cool.”

The win at Riverhead comes on the heels of an 11th-place finish at Beech Ridge and a tenth at Seekonk. Lia feels that it is just what the team

needs to start racking up more top-five finishes and a few victories here and there.

“We struggled the last few weeks. The whole crew hung in there. They’ve given me cars that are reliable and comfortable.”

Lia really wants to win a race this coming Friday night at Stafford Motor Speedway. It’s a place that is a staple of the Modified Tour schedule and a place where Lia has run very well at, but just not been able to break through for a victory at yet. He hopes that will change this time around.

“We’re due for one there,” said Lia. “The fact that I haven’t won a race yet at Stafford really bothers me. I want to win there bad and I think that we are right on the edge of doing that.”

Lia will do double duty at Stafford Friday night, August 12th. He will race both the Wisk/Snuggle SK Modified and the #18 LMI Modified in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event.