Turbush family a fixture at Riverhead

Ricky Bobby, the fictional southern racing savant characterized by Will Ferrell in the movie Talladega Nights, had the motto: "If you ain't first, you're last."

He must have grabbed the line from the Turbush family of Riverhead. Whether it's racing or bowling or softball, the Turbushes rarely find themselves in a spot other than the winner's circle.

Chris Turbush, 33, is a two-time defending Charger division champion at his hometown track - "he took right after his dad," said his father, "Dynamite" Dan Turbush, the all-time wins leader in Chargers with 54. Chris has won two of the first three races this season.

His exploits off the track are just as impressive. Just three weeks ago, he used his brother Roger's ball to bowl a perfect game - his fifth - and he and his brother have scads of softball trophies from their Stotsky Park league.

"We're not the best players; we just find a way to win every year," Chris Turbush said. "If we're not winning, we're freakin mad."

Chris' grandfather Charles raced at Riverhead in the 1950s and '60s and was one of the people who pushed to get the track paved. Dan, now 59, has won 74 races at Riverhead with five Charger division titles and one in Late Models.

"I think it's my dad," Chris said about the family's love for racing. "He brought us up to do all sports together. We stick up for each other. That's the bond we have."

The bond is strong, and long. Both Dan's brother Buddy and sister Lolly (the first female to ever win a main event in the novice class) are former racers, but now the next generation of Turbushes is taking over. Roger, 28, leads the Super Pro Truck class, and even the brothers' 14-year-old nephew, Mark Stewart, is being groomed for racing, as he'll take over the family's Legends car in two seasons.