The Ironmen Drill Team is back.
It’s an almost all-new team this year and its members are in it to win, team captain Kyle Watts said.
“At the beginning of the season, June 1, I didn’t even know if we’d be able to race. It’s a brand new team and we’re breaking team records and placing in the top five in a couple of events,” the happy team captain Watts said in an interview today, the day after the Ironmen’s 28th annual motorized drill.
“We’re improving by leaps and bounds. I’m very proud of my guys,” said Watts, in his sixth year as team captain.
The Ironmen set a new team record in the motor pump competition yesterday (6:27) and finished in the top 10 in seven out of the eight events in yesterday’s tournament.
The team is enjoying its new C-truck, Watts said. It was purchased last year with the proceeds of the racing team’s fundraising efforts, such as its annual spaghetti dinner and an Easter Bunny breakfast. The “truck,” actually a bright red race car, sports a Polish eagle in its nose, a nod to the firefighters of Polish descent who’ve recently joined the Ironmen team.
It’s the first time the Ironmen have had a C-truck since 1965, Watts said.
“There was a bit of a learning curve,” he said. But the Ironmen got a lot of help from members of other teams and they are doing well with the new vehicle, even placing in the top 10 in one of the C truck contests yesterday.
Riverhead’s drill team was one of 19 teams to compete in yesterday’s drill, where the West Sayville Flying Dutchmen placed first overall, with 28 points followed by North Lindenhurst Piston Knockers (21.5), Islip Wolves (17), East Islip Guzzlers (13.5) and Central Islip Hoboes (12). Riverhead finished eighth overall with five points.
Complete tournament results are online here.
The Riverhead Invitation Drill was the third of six motorized drill tournaments scheduled in Suffolk County this year. The next drill is in Central Islip July 26, followed by the Hagerman Labor Day drill on Aug. 30.
The Ironment will compete in the state motorized drill Aug. 16 in Utica.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Bill Kelly Jr.
Click thumbnails to enlarge images
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