Icebreaker First Step Towards 2010 Thompson Championships
Thompson, CT — The season-opening Icebreaker, April 10th and 11th, at the Thompson International Speedway kicks off the racing season and the drive for a coveted division championship at the historic speedway. In all, six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division titles are up for grabs for Thompson’s weekly racers. The historic speedway is also the location where many other championships like the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NEMA Midgets, ISMA Super Modifieds and others are traditionally decided at the end of the racing season.
Race teams look to the Icebreaker to kick start their season. Many feel that a good finish in this event will lead to a successful racing season. Keith Rocco, the 2009 Sunoco Modified champion began his chase for the title with a win at last year’s Icebreaker. The record book shows the same for Thompson Modified driver and champion Brian Sullivan. Super Late Model driver, Derek Ramstrom began his march to that division’s championship with a top five finish as did Late Model titlist John Materas and Limited Sportsman champ, Larry Barnett. The only exception to this pattern was Mini Stock title winner Scott Michalski. After a dismal Icebreaker weekend, Michalski went on a tear and won the title by a 58 points advantage.
Every race team will have an opportunity to fine tune their race cars before the Icebreaker. The track has scheduled two open practice sessions leading up to the April 10th and 11th Icebreaker weekend. The track will open the pit gates at 10 AM on the mornings of March 27th and again on April 3rd. The track will be race ready when the cars begin their “round robin” practice sessions at 11 AM. A full six hours on each day have been set aside expressly for this purpose.
Each year, race fans can’t wait for the racing season to begin. The long New England winters are soon forgotten when the roar of the engines fill the air. The heated competition does its part as well as fans, who have waited since October, return to watch their racing heroes do wheel-to-wheel battle on the ultra-fast Thompson track.
Headlining the Icebreaker weekend will be the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with their season opener, a 150-lap main event. They will be joined by Thompson’s own “Super 6” NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. Racers will practice and qualify their cars on Saturday, April 10th. Each division will run its feature event on Sunday beginning at 12 Noon. As a bonus, race fans will get to see the Sunoco Modifieds and the Super Late Model divisions compete in feature event races on both Saturday evening and again on Sunday.
Tickets for the Icebreaker are available by calling the Thompson track office. (860-923-2280). The very latest information and the detailed Icebreaker race schedule are available on the Thompson web page. www.thompsonspeedway.com.
Sources: Russ Dowd/Thompson International Speedway PR