Blewett Scores Fifth Win in Sunoco Mods at Thompson; Malone Mod Champ; Astle, Zuidema, Sundeen, Vigeant & Field Also Crowned ‘08 Champs
Thompson, CT — The point chase went down to the wire with 2008 champions being crowned on the final Thursday Night of competition at Thompson International Speedway. Jimmy Blewett of Howell, NJ, won the battle in the Sunoco Modifieds but it was Kerry Malone of Needham, MA, winning the war. Fred Astle, Jr., of Westport, MA, was the runner-up to George Bessette of Danbury, CT, in Pro Stock action on Thursday Night to catapult him to the divisional championship.
Jeff Zuidema of N. Brookfield, MA, was crowned as the 2008 Late Model Champion while Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, won the final regular feature event for the division. Chris “Moose” Douton of Waterford, CT, was tops in a Limited Sportsman feature that found Scott Sundeen of Oxford, MA, winning the championship. Kurt Vigeant, also of Oxford, MA, scored back-to-back championships in the TIS Modified division. Brian Sullivan of S. Windsor, CT, was victorious in the final TIS Modified point race of season. Mike Romano of Glendale, RI, did all he could; winning the Mini Stock feature; but, it was not enough to overtake Danny Field of Deep River, CT, who earned the 2008 championship.
Jimmy Blewett of Howell, NJ, had the right combination of skill and luck on Thursday night to score his fifth Sunoco Modified victory of the 2008 season. Kerry Malone of Needham, MA, had the winning combination all year long, earning the Sunoco Modified 2008 track championship, his first Thompson title since 1993.
After two weeks of near incident free racing, the Sunoco Modifieds had a rough and tumble 35-lap feature. Before a lap could be completed, Todd Ceravolo backed into the inside wall on the backstretch. When the race went green, Josh Sylvester led with Tim Sullivan in tow as the top guns were dicing it up in traffic.
Aggressive driving was the norm with cars sliding sideways and kicking up dirt. During the fray the likes of Blewett, Cravenho, and Rocco were swapping positions. Meanwhile championship contenders Malone and Danny Cates ran quietly deep in the pack.
During an incident on the front stretch, Shawn Monahan got launched over a sliding Sullivan. Monahan landed, Sullivan kept going, and the green remained on the speedway. The caution did fly a lap later on the eighth circuit for a large piece of debris on the front stretch.
On the ensuing restart, there was contact. Front row starters Josh Sylvester and Bert Marvin along with Keith Rocco, Cravenho and others getting involved. There was heavy damage to Cravenho and Marvin. Rocco and Cravenho were both able to continue.
When things shook out, Blewett had inherited the lead with Malone in second. Cates lined up third with Sullivan in fourth. Pitkat rounded out the top five. Under green, Blewett continued to lead with Cates glued to his back bumper. Pitkat had the best seat in third.
Blewett withstood a pair of late race cautions to take his fifth win of the season. Cates, who never relented, capped off a stellar season with a second-place finish. Malone bested teammate Pitkat to finish third and to win his Sunoco Modified track championship. Sullivan rebounded nicely to finish fifth.
George Bessette of Danbury, CT, took top honors in a hotly contested Pro Stock main event. Bessette took over the top spot on a restart following a lap 22 incident which took out leader Derek Ramstrom. Point leader Fred Astle, Jr. of Westport, MA, was in the heat of the battle all night, leading on several occasions. He crossed under the checkers in the second position and as the Pro Stock champion.
Astle is two-for-two in Pro Stock competition in 2008. Last week, Astle earned a Pro Stock championship at Seekonk Speedway. He survived the 30-lap Pro Stock feature event to win the Pro Stock championship at Thompson for longtime car owner Rollie Lindblad.
The Pro Stocks also had trouble getting the first lap in as well. Contact between Ramstrom and outside pole sitter Chris Curtis sent Curtis spinning in front of the pack. A number of cars were collected including championship chasers Jay Macedonio and Mike O’Sullivan, along with Jeff Connors, Steve Desmarias.
Between cautions, the leaders treated the fans to some intense racing. Early in the event, Ramstrom, Astle, and Norm Wrenn were locked in a tremendous battle for the top spot. Lap-after-lap the three leaders jockeyed for position. Ramstrom and Wrenn swapped the second position before Wrenn was able to move into the second spot. The Nashua, NH, driver immediately went to work on Astle for the lead. Bessette ran alone in fourth while Macedonio had worked his way back into the top-five by lap ten.
Things reached a boiling point on lap 22 when the caution flew for an incident involving Macedonio and Wrenn. Berghman was also collected. Before they could complete the lap, leaders Astle and Ramstrom got together exiting turn four. Ramstrom spun to bring out the caution once again.
On the ensuing restart, Bessette was able to take positions away from Chris Magee, who ran in second, and Astle in a single lap. Bessette went on to score his third Pro Stock victory of the season. Astle and Macedonio completed the top-three. Mike O’Sullivan rebounded to finish fourth ahead of Magee.
Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, turned in a dominating performance to win his first Late Model feature of the season. Jeff Zuidema of N. Brookfield, MA, accomplished his season-long goal by winning the 2008 Late Model championship. Despite a fine piece of driving by closest pursuer Marc Palmisano, Zuidema was able to earn the title.
Mark Jenison jumped out to the early lead in the Late Model main event with Tim O’Sullivan in tow. Zuidema ran comfortably in third protecting his point lead while chaser Palmisano and Gentes diced through traffic and into the top five. Once free, the duo of Palmisano and Gentes ran down Zuidema.
Up front, O’Sullivan and Jenison went door-to-door for the top spot for a several laps before O’Sullivan was able to take over the lead at the halfway marker. Palmisano was getting racy with Zuidema for third. The championship chasers went fender-to-fender with Gentes right behind. Finally on lap 16, Palmisano was able to take over the third spot. He immediately went to work on Jenison for second.
O’Sullivan had extended his lead by a half-straightaway by the time Palmisano motored into the second position on lap 19. With two laps to go, Jenison bobbled exiting turn two, Zuidema checked-up while Gentes surged ahead. Gentes was able to nick Jenison at the line to take third position behind winner O’Sullivan, and Palmisano. Zuidema completed the top-five.
Chris “Moose” Douton of Waterford, MA, decided to call Thompson home late in the season. The veteran competitor made the move pay off when he visited Limited Sportsman victory lane in the final point race of the season. Despite having a tough night, Scott Sundeen of Douglas, MA, was unofficially crowned the 2008 Limited Sportsman division champion.
Point leader Scott Sundeen was involved in an early race incident that also involved his son Jay and found himself playing catch-up for the bulk of the event. Joe Arena was among the early leaders as Douton, championship chasers Ed Puleo and Larry Barnett, and Jesse Gleason were in the thick of battle inside the top five.
A lap six restart meant disaster for Barnett, who was sat third in points only 22 points out. Contact between Puleo and Barnett on the restart found Barnett’s #73 hard into the outside wall. Cars scattered but Steve Kenneway ran out of running room t-boning Barnett. Everyone walked away. Puleo restarted at the tail of the field.
On the ensuing restart, Douton was able to take over the top spot from Arena. A bobble at halfway almost cost Douton the win; however, the veteran driver gathered it up to maintain his lead to ultimately take the win. Arena settled for second ahead of Gleason, Paul Palen, and Randy Jurcik inside the top five. Puleo recovered to finish seventh while Sundeen finished ninth and Barnett a dismal 20th.
Brian Sullivan waited until after the halfway marker to make his move in the TIS Modified division. Sullivan moved from the third position past Glenn Boss and Leo Oliveira for the lead with just over five laps remaining in the main event. He went on unchallenged to the checkers picking up his second win of the season. Oliveira came home second ahead of Boss, Cam McDermott, and Shane Michalski inside the top five.
The point leader Kurt Vigeant suffered mechanical problems during his heat race. He settled for running at the tail end of the top-ten in the feature. His eighth-place finish was enough to net the Oxford, MA, driver his second straight TIS Modified championship.
Mike Romano, of Glendale, RI, gave it everything he had in an effort to repeat as the Mini Stock championship by winning the final divisional point race. But it was not enough as Danny Field, who had a 20-point advantage entering the night, battled Romano down to the wire for the victory and ultimately the championship.
As the old saying goes the cream always rises to the top. Just after halfway, the two championship contenders had worked their way into the top spots. Romano trailed Field in the points but Field trailed on track. Field applied some pressure at the end of a caution-laden event but settled back in line to finish second. Billy Pomposelli, Scott Michalski, and Chuck Rogers rounded out the top five.
It was a very special evening at Thompson Speedway as Program Dynamics, the official souvenir program of Thompson Speedway, presented “Most Popular Driver” Awards in all six Thursday Night Thunder divisions. Danny Cates (Sunoco Modifieds), Derek Ramstrom (Pro Stocks), Rick Gentes (Late Model), Scott Sundeen (Limited Sportsman), Scott Michalski (Mini Stock), and R.J. Marcotte (TIS Modifieds) all received the prestigious honor.
Next up for the Thompson International Speedway is the prestigious and always exciting World Series of Speedway racing, featuring 14-divisions of racing action. For more information call the Speedway hotline at (860) 923-2280 or visit www.thompsonspeedway.com.
Sunoco Modified Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Jimmy Blewett Howell, NJ; 2. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 3. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 4. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 5. Tim Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 6. Shawn Monahan, Waterford, CT; 7. Tommy Cravenho, Raynham, MA; 8. Dave LaCroix, Fitchburg, MA; 9. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 10. Dave Nordman, Woodstock, CT.
Pro Stock Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 2. Fred Astle, Jr., Westport, MA; 3. Jay Macedonio, Somerset, MA; 4. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 5. Chris Magee, Edgartown, MA; 6. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 7. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 8. Norm Wrenn, Nashua, NH; 9. Dave Silvia, Warwick, RI, 10. Dennis Maxfield, Fitchburg, MA.
Late Model Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Tommy O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 2. Marc Palmisano, Hadley, MA; 3. Rick Gentes, Woonsocket, RI; 4. Mark Jenison, Danielson, CT; 5. Jeff Zuidema, N. Brookfield, MA; 6. Pete Yetman, Peru, MA; 7. Jeff Hartwell, Putnam, CT; 8. Mark Oliveria, Blackstone, MA; 9. Conrad Cote, Lisbon, CT; 10. Jeff Hesselton, Auburn, MA.
Limited Sportsman Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Chris Douton, Waterford, CT; 2. Joe Arena, Bristol, CT; 3. Jesse Gleason, Lisbon, CT; 4. Paul Palen, Pelham, NH; 5. Randy Jurcik, Chaplin, CT; 6. Jay Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 7. Ed Puleo, Branford, CT; 8. Fred Bates, N. Grosvenordale, CT; 9. Scott Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 10. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, MA.
TIS Modified Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Brian Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 2. Leo Oliveira, Raynham, MA; 3. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT; 4. Cam McDermott, Scituate, RI; 5. Shane Michalski, Woodstock, CT; 6. Richie Ferreira, Raynham, MA; 7. RJ Marcotte, Millville, MA; 8. Kurt Vigeant, Oxford, MA; 9. Brian Tagg, Oxford, MA; 10. Jeff Zuidema, N. Brookfield, MA.
Mini Stock Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Mike Romano, Glendale, RI; 2. Danny Field, Deep River, CT; 3. Billy Pomposelli, Chepachet, RI; 4. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 5. Chuck Rogers, Quaker Hill, CT; 6. Steve Michalski, Brooklyn, CT; 7. Eric Bourgeois, E. Haddam, CT; 8. Rhody Lackey, Chepachet, RI; 9. Scott Jassaume, Danielson, CT; 10. Glynn Roy, Sterling, CT.
Sources: Dale Wolbrink/Thompson International Speedway PR