Championship Quests Begin Thursday at Thompson
Thompson, CT — The race for division titles begins in earnest this Thursday at Thompson. Race drivers from all over the northeast will return to the famed Connecticut oval in search of race wins, valuable NASCAR points and coveted division championships. Six different racing divisions make up the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series with each providing race fans an evening filled with exciting wheel-to-wheel, high speed competition. Fans have responded by turning out in large numbers every week to witness the very best in NASCAR short track racing.
Following the Icebreaker back in April, the stage is set in the run for each of the six division championships. Defending Sunoco Modified champ, Keith Rocco is tied with Ted Christopher for the points lead. The Super Late Models are lead by Derek Ramstrom with Brian Sullivan on top in the Thompson Modified division. Perennial Late Model front runner, Rick Gentes, leads his division with Shawn Monahan and Leo Defevers holding top spots in the Limited Sportsman and Mini Stock divisions respectively.
Drivers in each division begin their seasons with an eye on gaining one of the true jewels in auto racing, a Thompson International Speedway division championship. The race for these titles runs from mid May through the end of September and each race team strives to collect as many valuable points as they can each and every race night. The competition is tough and most division championships are not decided until the very last event of the regular season. This kind of intense competition keeps both race teams and fans returning week after week.
Thursday Night Thompson Thunder (TNTT) has become a regular part of the weekly schedule for thousands of race fans. Drivers and their teams work hard to offer up an exciting and fast paced race program that keeps fans coming back week after week. In just over three hours, fans are treated to qualifying races and feature events for each of the “Super 6” divisions that make up the TNTT weekly schedule.
Grandstands open at 4:30 PM with the first qualifying race slated for 5:45 PM. Qualifying will take an hour or less to complete and the first feature event of the evening will take to the speedway between 6:30 and 6:45 PM. Once the feature events get underway, the program runs non-stop until its completion which is usually before 9:30 PM. It’s an exciting and fast paced race program and fans love being able to enjoy a full race program and still be home at an early hour.
The 2010 Thompson race schedule, with all of the special events included, along with race results and current points standings are all available on the track’s web page. www.thompsonspeedway.com.
Sources: Russ Dowd/Thompson International Speedway PR