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Thompson, Conn: Thompson International Speedway
capped off a historic weekend that included an all time high of 337
cars over 16 divisions with a celebration of Doug Coby’s
championship in victory lane. The World Series of Auto Racing
victory lane also hosted Bobby Santos as Whelen Modified Tour
winner, Woody Pitkat in the Sunoco Modifieds, Randy Cabral in the
NEMA Midgets, Rob Summers in ISMA Super Modifieds, and Larry Gelinas
in the Super Late Models.
Santos held off a determined Todd Szegedy to win the Sunoco Race
Fuels – Town Fair Tire 150 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race and
collect his second consecutive win this season and 8th career
victory. Coby finished sixth and won his first Whelen Modified Tour
Championship.
Santos started the 150-lap race from the outside pole and took the
lead from Todd Szegedy on lap 130 when he dove to the bottom groove
in turn three. Santos held off Ryan Preece on a late-race restart to
take the checkers.
Preece, who finished the race in second, led the most laps at 56 and
finished the series point battle in second place. Szegedy finished
the race in third.
Woody Pitkat used a lap 11 restart to take the lead from Ted
Christopher and drive to a victory in the 30-lap Sunoco Modified
feature.
Richie Gallup led the opening lap of the Sunoco Modified feature,
but caution called for a complete restart. Gallup led again when the
green dropped, but Ted Christopher soon maneuvered by him and drove
his No. 13 machine to the point. Michael Gervais and Ryan Preece
made up the top-three when everything sorted itself out.
Caution slowed their pace at lap nine, but it didn’t slow
Christopher down, who darted back to the front on the restart.
Pitkat used the inside groove to get by Gervais for second before a
car hit the back straightaway wall and set the field up for another
restart.
Pitkat and Christopher went into turn one dead even, but Pitkat
emerged the leader coming out of turn two. Preece and Ceravolo got
around Christopher for second and third, but Ceravolo fell off the
pace entering the first turn of lap 16. Caution flew at lap 18 with
Pitkat, Preece, Christopher, and Gervais making up the first two
rows for the restart.
Pitkat took command at the drop of the green with Preece on his
bumper. Pitkat had to do it all over again after a caution on lap
19, but it didn’t slow him down. Preece, however, got shuffled back
to the fourth position with Christopher and Danny Cates taking over
second and third.
Pitkat and Christopher quickly pulled away from the rest of the
field with Pitkat keeping a car length ahead. A half a second behind
them, Preece and Cates battled door-to-door for the third position
with Preece having the advantage by a nose. On lap 29, Preece
secured the spot while Pitkat continued to lead up front. Pitkat
took the checkers a car length ahead of Christopher.
Randy Cabral mastered a lap 16 restart to take the lead from Russ
Stoehr and drive to the checkered flag in the NEMA 25-lap feature
Sunday afternoon. Anthony Marvuglio took the early lead and
stretched out to a comfortable half-a-straightaway lead s over Jim
Miller. Randy Cabral was keeping the pressure on Miller – using the
outside groove to find a way around Miller for the second position.
On lap 11, Cabral got his momentum and drove by for second as he set
his sights on Marvuglio. Caution tightened the field at lap 12, and
put Marvuglio and Cabral side-by-side for the restart. The two
bumped heading into turn one with Cabral getting the lead and
Marvuglio making a quick recovery to hold on to second. Caution came
out on lap 13 for Derek Pernisiglio, who was up against the turn
three wall. Cabral drove to the front on the restart with Russ
Stoehr and Miller taking over second and third. On lap 15, Stoehr
got a run on Cabral using the outside lane and took over the lead by
inches. The two continued their battle with Stoehr keeping the lead
until caution slowed their pace at lap 16. On the restart, Cabral
took back the lead and put five car lengths over Stoehr and Jeff
Horn as the field began to stretch out. Cabral drove unchallenged to
the pink-and-black checkered flag to take down the victory over
Stoehr and Horn.
Rob Summers The ISMA Super Modifieds start was marred by a six-car
accident on the front stretch, and was brought under a ten-minute
delay to get it cleaned up. Bob Dawson took the lead when the race
got back underway with Ben Seitz in tow, but they were quickly back
under caution before the second lap was complete. Dawson drove back
to the front, but it was all Lou Cicconi, Jr. coming out of turn
two, who went underneath Dawson to get by him. Cicconi pulled away
to a commanding lead and seemed to be extending it each circuit when
Jamie Timmons hit the outside retaining wall on the front stretch
and brought out the caution on lap eight. Cicconi drove back out
front when racing resumed, but Mike Lichty wasn’t allowing him to
pull away like before. On lap 10, Lichty looked low and got up
alongside Cicconi, but couldn’t quite complete the pass and settled
back into second. He continued his effort and kept the pressure on
Cicconi as Rob Summers and Russ Wood came into the mix. Second
through fourth shuffled around as Summers maneuvered his way by
Lichty for second with Wood following shortly after. Lichty settled
into fourth. On lap 27, Summers dropped to the bottom of Cicconi to
challenge, but Cicconi shut the door. Summers dropped to the bottom
again at lap 34, but this time successfully grabbing the leading in
turns three and four. Once out front, Summers walked away from
Cicconi and put more than ten car lengths of distance over him. Even
a caution at lap 38 couldn’t stop Summers, who continued his torrid
pace on the restart. Lichty pressured Cicconi for the second
position, but Cicconi held him off despite his challenges.
Larry Gelinas survived a few late race restarts to take down the
Super Late Model win on World Series Sunday. Norman Wrenn jumped to
the front of the Super Late Model field at the drop of the green,
but a multi-car accident on the backstretch put the race into red
before it even officially got started. Dave Silvia took his place
back on the pole for the restart with Wrenn getting by for the lead
followed by Jarrod Hayes. Larry Gelinas moved into the second spot
by lap five and shadowed Wrenn for a circuit before starting his
challenges for the lead. On lap 6, Gelinas got underneath Wrenn and
got side-by-side with him entering the third turn, but had to settle
back into second when he couldn’t complete the pass. Wrenn and
Gelinas were put side-by-side for a restart after a caution on lap
seven. The two were dead even before Gelinas drove out front coming
out of turn four and took the lead. Following a brief caution,
Gelinas chose the high line for the restart and drove right back to
the point with Wrenn and Jake Vanada rounding out the top-three. The
field strung out single file until lap 23 when Jason Maki lost an
engine and hit the turn three wall. Gelinas drove to the front on
the final restart, but the man on the move was Jim Banfield who
drove by Vanada for the third spot. Gelinas pulled away from Wrenn
by ten car lengths before taking the checkered flag.
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR FEATURE FINISH (TOP 10): 1. Bobby
Santos, Franklin, MA; 2. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 3. Todd Szegedy,
Ridgefield, CT; 4. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, RI; 5. Eric Beers,
Northampton, PA; 6. Doug Coby, Milford, CT; 7. Tommy Barrett, Jr.,
Millis, MA; 8. Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, NY; 9. Keith Rocco,
Wallingford, CT; 10. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT.
SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: 1. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs,
CT; 2. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 3. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT;
4. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 5. Michael Gervais, Southbury, CT; 6.
Adam Norton, Brookfield, MA; 7. Shawn Thibeault, Plainville, CT; 8.
Chris Jensen, Wolcot, CT; 9. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 10. Matt
Galko, Meriden, CT.
NEMA MIDGET FEATURE FINISH: 1. Randy Cabral, Plymouth, MA; 2. Russ
Stoehr, Bridgewater, MA; 3. Jeff Horn, Ashland, MA; 4. Mike Horn,
Ashland, MA; 5. Jim Miller, Weymouth, MA; 6. Greg Stoehr,
Bridgewater, MA; 7. John Zych, Jr., Louisville, KY; 8. Lee Bundy,
Kennebunkport, ME; 9. Brian Cleveland, Billerica, MA.
ISMA FEATURE FINISH: 1. Rob Summers, Vernon, CT; 2. Lou Cicconi,
Jr., Aston, PA; 3. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, MA; 4. Ryan Coniam,
Denver, CO; 5. Bob Dawson, S. Amherst, OH; 6. Mark Sammut, London,
Ont.; 7. Mike Lichty, Innerkip, Ont.; 8. Craig Rayvals, Brockville,
Ont.; 9. Tim Ice, Seville, OH; 10. Russ Wood, Pelham, NH.
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH: 1. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 2.
Norman Wrenn, Nashua, NH; 3. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 4.
Jake Vanada, Berkley, MA; 5. Chris Magee, Edgartown, MA; 6. Colbey
Fournier, Berkley, MA; 7. Daryl Stampfl, Norwood, MA; 8. Mike
Brightman, Acushnet, MA; 9. Josh King, Vernon, CT; 10. Jarrod Hayes,
Calverton, NY. |
