Many sports all across the country have Homecoming events each year.  This weekend, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Riverhead Raceway (NY) will serve as NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Donny Lia’s homecoming as he prepares to return to his Modified roots.

Fresh off of a top-10 finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at O’Reilly Raceway Park, Lia is poised for success as he gets back on the Modified saddle.

“I am really looking forward to this weekend,” said Lia. “I raced there a few weeks ago in preparation for this event, and that was the first time I had been in a Modified all year long. That was a lot of fun, and it feels good to get back in a Modified.

“Up until this year, being in a Modified was pretty much all I have known, so getting back into one this weekend is kind of like going home.  I really enjoy it whenever I get the opportunity to do it.”

This will only be the second time in 2008 that Lia has raced in a Modified.  Just a few short weeks ago, he raced in the weekly series even at Riverhead Raceway to get a little bit of that familiar feeling back.

“It is a pretty big adjustment switching between the Modified and the Truck.  It’s big but it isn’t that bad. I have been in the Modifieds for so long that it’s kind of like just getting back on a bicycle.   It’s harder for me to go from the Modified to the Truck than it is for me to go from the Truck to the Modified.

“It shouldn’t be too big of a deal going to Riverhead this week adjusting to the Modified.  But getting back in the Truck the next week, it might be a little weird for the first few laps.  When I first started driving Trucks that was a big challenge but now as time goes on it just gets easier and easier to make that adjustment.” 

Getting back into the familiar style of car isn’t the only thing that Lia is looking forward to this weekend. More than just the track and cars will be familiar, friends and family will be on hand to make this weekend an extra special homecoming.

“A bunch of my friends and family that don’t normally get to see me race are going to be there, so that means a lot to me.  Hopefully we can go and run go and maybe win the race.  That would be great. I have won this particular race before, and I think it is a definite possibility that we might find our way back to victory lane.

“I think we will be good,” added Lia.  “We have a new car heading into the event.  Riverhead is tight, it’s real small and everything happens so fast so there is a lot of luck involved sometimes. But if the luck is on our side and we stay out of trouble so I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t have a shot at winning this race.”

Donny will be back around the track on Saturday August 2, 2008 when the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour heads to Riverhead Raceway.

Donny is the defending race winner of the Miller Lite 140 Tour race at the Long Island track.

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Donny Lia – No. 18

LMI Modified

August 2, 2008

Riverhead Raceway

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour

Riverhead, NY

Donny Lia Returns Home to Riverhead Raceway

Donny Lia Race Preview - NCTS Driver Ready for Modified Romp

The LMI Mod at Rivherhead in 2006. (Howie Hodge Photo)

Donny won last year's race in The Mystic Missile #4.  (Rick Ibsen Photo)