Championship Competiton Could be the Closest in Track History
Thompson, CT — Championship titles for all six of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series divisions at the Thompson International Speedway will be decided on Thursday, September 20th. The season-long challenge of earning valuable NASCAR and track points has come down to one last chance when the racers gather at the historic speedway for the final points race of the 2007 racing season.
The popular Thursday night race programs have been filled with thrills and spills and the 2007 season will be long-remembered as one of the most competitive in recent memory. The points battles for the championship of each of the “super six” divisions will go down to the final lap of each race this Thursday. As a result of the incredible competition during the September 13th race program, the points battles got even tighter in each division.
The NASCAR feature division at Thompson, the Sunoco Modifieds, saw a complete shake up of the top three points positions on the 13th and as a result, Keith Rocco will have a slim 14 point advantage over last year’s champ, Woody Pitkat and Tom Cravenho, Jr going into the final points race. Both Pitkat and Cravenho are tied in points with one race remaining to determine the championship. Cravenho had lead the points going into the main event only to encounter mechanical problems and end up with a finish that knocked him off the top of the points list. The title could easily go to Rocco, Pitkat or Cravenho at the completion of their 30-lap main event this Thursday night.
The Pro Stock crown has boiled down to a battle between Michael O’Sullivan and Norman Wrenn. Twenty four points separate these two tough competitors going in their final points race.
Rick Gentes is one of three contenders for the Late Model honors. He leads Mark Jenison by a slim 22 points and only 46 ahead of Tommy O’Sullivan. With 50 points going to the winner, it’s possible that any one of these three drives could claim the top spot.
The tightest race at Thompson is in the TIS Modified division. A mere 4 points separate Kurt Vigeant and Tim Sullivan. This week’s 20-lap feature will be a real dual between these two very competent racers.
A disappointing night for Ernie LaRose and a great night for Keith DeSanctis took LaRose off of the top of the points standings and sets the stage for a possible four-way shootout for the Limited Sportsman title. DeSanctis now hold a 26-point advantage over LaRose. But, Larry Barnett is only 36 points off the pace and Scott Sundeen is a mere 2 points behind Barnett. The Limited Sportsman 20-lap feature event will be filled with excitement right down to the final lap.
The Mini Stocks, not to be outdone, have a ‘barn burner’ going in their division with Mike Romano holding a slim 12-point advantage over Brad Caddick. Both of these drivers are among the best in the division and the competition for the championship in this division should keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Once all of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series division titles have been determined, everyone’s attention will quickly move to the completion of the Sunoco Modified Mania program on Sunday, September 23rd. The two rained out races from September 9th, The True Value Modified 75-lap main and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s 150-lap event will be run as an afternoon program on the 23rd. Tickets sold for the original race dates will be honored as rain checks. Anyone who was not able to attend on the original dates will have the opportunity to purchase a ticket at a huge discount. Fans will have the almost unheard of opportunity to watch two of the best open-wheel touring divisions in a total of 225 laps of competition for only $25.00. Juniors 14 and under will be admitted free.
Grandstand will open at 11:30 AM and the True Value Modified race will take the green at 2:15 PM. The NASCAR Whelen Modifieds will immediately follow the True Value race. Tickets will be available on race day. The complete schedule is posted on the Thompson web page at www.thompsonspeedway.com.
Sources: Russ Dowd/Thompson International Speedway PR