Short track wins by Stewart and Christopher add excitement to July 17th Thompson match race
Thompson, CT — Tony Stewart showed his short track skills at Richmond International Raceway when he won the Pontiac Excitement 400 on Sunday, May 5, 2002. Stewart took the number one spot with only seventeen laps remaining and went on to win his third career Winston Cup victory in seven starts at Richmond.
Meanwhile, Ted Christopher, driving a NASCAR Featherlite Modified, cruised to a win on the same day in the Spring Sizzler at the Stafford Motor Speedway. Christopher was never seriously challenged for the top spot as he claimed his first win of the season on the NFMS schedule.
All this begins to set the stage for two short track superstars to go head to head on July 17th at the Thompson Int’l Speedway. That is the date when these two incredibly talented drivers will face off in match race.
Stewart will arrive at Thompson well versed in the short way around the speedway. His Winston Cup Crew Chief, Greg Zipadelli, spend several years plying his trade at Thompson with drivers Mike McLaughlin and Brett Bodine. Christopher, who is the current National NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge Champion, won the coveted title at Thompson as a result of spectacular season last year in which he visited victory lane a total of fifteen times.
These two drivers first went head to head in 1997 at New Smyrna Beach Speedway in Florida. For nine consecutive nights they went wheel to wheel and before that series was over, the two had developed quite a rivalry.
Stewart was behind the wheel of the Bobby Fuller owned NASCAR Modified while Christopher was the pilot of the famed double zero of Joe Brady. That rivalry will be renewed when the two meet head to head at Thompson.
“When you put two very talented drivers up against each other in a match race, we fully expect that the crowd will be on its feet for the entire event,” said track owner Don Hoenig. “Then add in the ‘history’ between them and it becomes a ‘must see’ event for every red blooded race fan,” Hoenig concluded.
Tickets for this very special night of racing will go on sale in early June. Fans will be able to purchase them from the Thompson Int’l Speedway track office. Interest in this event, even though it is still early in the season, is very high and the track expects a great crowd on hand for the July 17th event.
Sources: Thompson Speedway PR