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Take a trip to Riverhead Raceway. (Photo credit: Jeremy Garretson)
When the weekend hits, families, friends, vacationers and NASCAR enthusiasts alike fill the stands of Riverhead Raceway (1797 Old Country Road, Riverhead, 631-842-7223) with an appetite for burnt rubber and spectacle.
Since 1952, six years before the Long Island Expressway was completed, all eastbound pedal-pushers with a need for speed have found that nexus at the Raceway. And there’s a visceral reason it’s lasted over seven decades, through fads, trends, wars and even the advent of the almighty TikTok: The energy and electricity during a day at the racetrack is so special, you just have to experience it for yourself, live and in person — but for now, take a listen to staff reporter Nicole Wagner’s story on the hot-rod spectacle in Riverhead.
Amy Zavatto is the Editor-in-Chief for Southforker, Northforker and Long Island Wine Press. She's a wine, spirits and food journalist whose work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, MarthaStewart.com, the New York Post, Liquor.com, SevenFifty Daily, Imbibe, Men’s Journal and many others. She's the author of The Big Book of Bourbon Cocktails, Prosecco Made Me Do It: 60 Seriously Sparkling Cocktails, Forager’s Cocktails: Botanical Mixology with Fresh, Natural Ingredients, and The Architecture of the Cocktail. She has judged regional wine and spirits competitions, and has moderated numerous panels on the topics of wine, spirits, cocktails and regional foodways. She is the former Deputy Editor for the regional celebratory publications Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn, as well as the former Executive Director of the Long Island Merlot Alliance. She is a member of the New York chapter of the international organization of women leaders in food, wine, and spirits, Les Dames d’Escoffier. The proud daughter of a butcher, Amy is originally from Shelter Island, N.Y., where she developed a deep respect for the East End’s natural beauty and the importance of preserving and celebrating it and its people.
