Tom Rogers Jr. did what some would consider unfathomable. After shattering the track record in time trials for the Bubba 150 at New York’s Riverhead Raceway, he elected to start in the rear. Then, he did the extraordinary. He won it.
Rogers had an incentive to do what he did in the NASCAR modified special. Sure, it earned him the $750 “Tom Baldwin Challenge” bonus from Baldwin Automotive, of East Patchogue, New York. But, that money represented only a fraction of the $3,868 in lap leader money up for grabs, plus $250 for most laps lead.
“Even though the lap money was enticing, that wasn’t part of the big picture,” said Rogers, of Riverhead, New York. “The big picture was winning the race for [NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series New York] state points.”
Wait. Start in the back to win?
“Being the back is not such a bad thing,” Rogers said. “I ran on the [NASCAR Whelen Modified] Tour [part-time in 2011 and ’15]. It taught me quite a bit about being patient. You can save your car and let everybody else make mistakes, spin, or get involved in wrecks, and then pick them off.”
The total of 150 green-flag laps makes for a long race. Nevertheless, starting at the tail within the tight confines of the barely ¼-mile oval of Riverhead Raceway isn’t easy.
“There was one point where I could see the leaders in my rearview mirror,” said Rogers. “It was important to keep calm about it and run as hard as I needed to run.”
Call Rogers the “Ice Man,” a fitting moniker, especially for a racer steering a car sponsored by a refrigeration company, Licensed to Chill.
Rogers pitted for tires on lap 70. A caution on lap 100 sent six of the leaders to the pits for fresh rubber. Rogers moved into fifth. Then, he made his push to the front. Lap 106, Rogers assumed second spot. Lap 120, Rogers claimed the lead and never looked back en route to the victory. Rogers loved racing his way from the back to the front.
“Going out there and just driving the car is boring,” Rogers said. “Anybody can do a time-trial lap. Try passing somebody without wrecking them or running them into the fence. That’s a lost art.”
Riverhead Raceway held the Bubba 150 in honor of the late Bob “Bubba” Patanjo, a longtime crew member for retired modified driver Bill Park. Many folks contributed money to the winnings in the form of lap sponsorships and other bonuses. In total, Rogers earned $5,910 in winnings, including $1,950 in Hard Charger award monies.
“A lot of guys put up money, and not everyone was a business owner,” said Rogers. “Some of them were hardworking people living paycheck to paycheck. They enjoy us putting on a show for them. I really appreciate those kinds of people.”
With the show Tom Rogers Jr. put on during the Bubba 150, the fans and sponsors certainly got their money’s worth. The appreciation goes both ways.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
