Thompson, CT — After 50-laps of exciting Sunoco Modified racing it was a familiar face in Thompson International Speedway’s victory lane as Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, scored the victory in the division’s marquee event. Before last week Larry Gelinas of Buxton, ME, had never won a race at Thompson. After this week’s race, winning Super Late Model features is becoming a habit. John Materas of Voluntown, CT, turned a last lap pass into his first Late Model feature win of the season.
Sparks were flying as Chris “Moose” Douton of Waterford, CT, earned the Limited Sportsman victory. Shane Michalski of Woodstock, CT, turned in a dominating performance to score the victory in TIS Modifieds. It was an emotional victory lane after Scott Jussaume of Danielson, CT, scored a career first in the Mini Stock night capper.
Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, continued to be the dominating force in the Sunoco Modified division at Thompson with his sixth win of the season. The story in the Sunoco Modifieds; however, began even before the green flag flew. During the pace laps, Keith Rocco headed down pit road. He would pull his #57 machine behind the wall with reported transmission failure; never taking the green.
[Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Continue reading ‘Christopher Gains Sixth Thompson Sunoco Mod Victory in 50-Lapper; Gelinas Repeats & Materas Earns First of ’10 in Full-Fendered Action; Douton, Michalski & Jussaume Winners’
Stafford Springs, CT — As August approaches, that means it is time for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to return to Stafford Motor Speedway for the 20th Annual Town Fair Tire 150 on August 6th. As the Tour gears up for the third of four visits to Stafford during the 2010 season, Whelen Modified Tour rookie Richie Pallai, Jr. is looking forward to returning to his home track, which he surprisingly says has been his most difficult track to master during his first year on Tour.
“Stafford has actually been our worst track race-wise this season,” said Pallai. “It’s been our best qualifying track, but we haven’t had the best races there so far. We were running good at the Sizzler and we had a tire problem which put us a lap down and we came back to finish 12th. Then in May, we qualified 6th and we were in the top-5 for the first half of the race, but the car just went away in the second half and we finished 16th.”
While Stafford has not been kind to Pallai thusfar in 2010, he and his team feel confident that they will be good when the Tour returns to Stafford. “I think the biggest thing was for the first two Stafford races, we weren’t guaranteed a starting position because the provisional spots went by 2009 points,” said Pallai.
Continue reading ‘Richie Pallai, Jr. Enjoying Rookie Season on Whelen Modified Tour; Looking Forward to Town Fair Tire 150 at Stafford’
Stafford Springs, CT — With the 7th Annual CARQUEST SK 150 set to take the green flag at Stafford Motor Speedway on July 23rd, one driver who will be looking forward to the biggest and richest SK Modified® event of the 2010 season will be Frank Ruocco. Ruocco has had a roller coaster season at Stafford, winning twice and finishing on the podium 4 times, but Ruocco also has 6 finishes of 16th or worse this year. The 2006 Stafford SK Modified® track champion has owned the CARQUEST SK 150, winning twice and finishing second in the past three events, and he is looking forward to continued success in the extra distance classic this season.
“I really like the longer distance races,” said Ruocco. “Everyone seems to be a little more patient because they have more time to get to the front. With the race being 150 laps long, it gives everyone time to get settled in. Right now, we’re trying to win as many times as we can. With the season we’ve had, we seem to go from first one week to twenty-first the next week, so the championship is out of the picture now and we’re focused on winning races.”
Ruocco’s first career victory at Stafford in the SK Modified® division came in the 2003 edition of the CARQUEST SK® 150, and with another victory and a second place finish in the last two years, Ruocco certainly knows what it takes to be the first driver to pass under the checkered flag and walk away with the $4,000 winners check from a purse of over $24,000.
Continue reading ‘Frank Ruocco Looks to Continue Winning Ways in 7th Annual CARQUEST 150 at Stafford Motor Speedway’
The American-Canadian Tour and the Série ACT Castrol Edge will both take a break from their 2010 season schedules this weekend to allow competitors the chance to race in the TD Bank 250, one of the biggest Late Model races in New England. The $25,000 to win event at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine has long been one of the favorite events for stock car racers, and, since 2007, Late Model drivers.
Ever since the TD Bank 250 made the change from Pro Stock/Super Late Model rides to ACT Late Model type cars in 2007, the American-Canadian Tour has been well represented by its regular competitors on the ACT Late Model Tour, Série ACT Castrol Edge and Thunder Road Late Models. ACT regulars have filled at least half of the top ten spots in each of the past three 250s including the 2007 winner Roger Brown and three of the top five in the 2009 event with Patrick Laperle second, John Donahue third, and 2009 ACT Late Model Tour Champion Brian Hoar fourth.
Continue reading ‘American-Canadian Tour Competitors Take on the TD Bank 250′
