It’s amazing how one man can touch so many lives at a track, as evidenced by the late Tommy Kraft at Riverhead Raceway. In recent years, the champion figure 8 racer worked as an official at ¼-mile oval. It was in that latter capacity where perhaps he left his biggest mark on the racing community.
Understanding Racers
“Tommy was a racer and he saw things through racers’ eyes,” said Riverhead Raceway tech inspector Randy Murray. “I would see things from an official’s eyes and Tommy would almost always look at things from the driver’s seat. He had a way of calming the competitors down when they would be looking for an official to complain to and he would talk sense into them.
“He had a trained eye when it came to making calls and could see trouble coming from laps before the trouble happened. I would say, ‘Tommy, did you see that?’ He would reply, ‘That started a lap earlier when so-and-so shoved him out of the groove.’”
Beyond Officiating
Kraft’s nephew, Joe Larsen, understands where his uncle was coming from. Larsen had raced figure 8s and once was chief steward of Riverhead Raceway.
“After becoming an official, he knew how it felt to get wrecked or ‘taken out’ on the racetrack,” Larsen said. “He would often stop cars as they were returning after minor repairs in an attempt to calm the driver down and politely advise not to retaliate. A former racer knows all too well what’s going on inside a driver’s head.
“His calls on the track, or lack thereof, would be based on tens of thousands of laps in a race car. Not every spin-out was intentional and not every wreck on purpose.”
The reach offered by a former racer in an official capacity stretched beyond the simple, however.
“He was a racer’s official,” said Larsen. “He, to this day, offered parts, tires, engines, even a tow or a trailer so a driver wouldn’t miss an event — he even had teams bring their cars to his shop to work on. Nobody will be able to step in and do what TK has done not only for figure 8 racing, but for Riverhead Raceway.”
Tributes Pour in for Tommy Kraft
Tommy Kraft, 64, of Patchogue, New York, passed away on July 29. The following Saturday, half of a Jack Daniels wooden barrel, with flowers, a radio, and a headset, was placed where Tommy Kraft stood to officiate races.
Kraft and his wife, Kathy, owned cars in the figure 8 class. They fielded cars this year for Scott Pedersen and Ryan Warren..
Kraft’s son, Freddie Kraft, spots for NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, and is operating partner of Couch Racer.
This past Saturday, Riverhead Raceway hosted twin 9-lap features for the figure 8s. Nearly four complete sets of lap sponsors were sold.
Scott Tapley, former Riverhead Raceway race director, may have best summed up who Tommy Kraft was.
“… his passion for his home track and what he wanted for the racers was always at the forefront and it goes without saying that his pride for his immediate and extended family was what kept him going through tough times,” Tapley said on Facebook. “Many on Long Island will remember TK for his Hall of Fame career and rightfully so … but I’m going to remember him as the man that would do anything for you if you needed it and to me that’s a legacy that will live forever.”
The Kraft family declined to comment. Freddie Kraft reposted a picture of the barrel of flowers in TK’s normal spot on August 12 along with the message: “Good luck to everyone running the ‘Head tonight. But if you want a good run, I highly recommend throwing a big ole [thumbs up emoji] to TK on the way by, as I used to see him do every week.”
Tracy Chirico has been involved in motorsports for nearly 30 years. As a crew member, she has two NASCAR True Value Mechanic of the Year awards (2001–02) and a Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway track championship (2001). As a writer, she’s contributed to numerous publications, winning first place for Technical Writing from AARWBA (2019). Chirico also served as operations manager for Bethel (N.Y.) Motor Speedway (2011–16) and Evans Mills (N.Y.) Raceway Park (2017–18).
