First of Two Open Practice Sessions This Weekend at Thompson
Thompson, CT — Race cars of all shapes and sizes will be headed to the Thompson International Speedway this Saturday for the first of two scheduled open practice sessions. The race track will be open from 11 AM until 6 PM for any safe race car wishing to take advantage of some pre-season, on-track time. The second such session will be held next Saturday, April 2nd, at the same times. In the event of rain, these open practice sessions will be held the following day (Sunday) beginning at 12 Noon. These dates are set aside each year to give competitors an opportunity to test and fine tune their race cars for the new season that begins with the Icebreaker on the weekend of April 9th & 10th.
During the 2011 racing season, there will be many different types of race cars and trucks that will be in competition at Thompson and all are welcome to participate in these open practice sessions. Race cars ranging from the NASCAR Whelen All-American series divisions, NEMA Midgets, ISMA Super Modifieds, Whelen Modified Tour, Modified Racing Series, race trucks, Classic and Antique race cars and many more are all invited to take advantage of these two day-long open track sessions.
These two open practice days are designed to offer competitors an opportunity to prepare their cars for the annual Icebreaker and beyond. Thompson’s Icebreaker will be held on the weekend of April 9th & 10th. However, the open practice is a great time for virtually any safe race car to be tested on the high banks of Thompson
These practice sessions have proven to be very valuable to racers looking to get a good start on a brand new racing season. There is non-stop activity on the track. The cars are separated by division and as one group leaves the track, another is immediately allowed on it. This “round robin” approach provides each race team a lot of on-track time so that they can dial in their cars for the tough, competitive year ahead. Brand new drivers find these sessions to be very valuable as well. It gives them an excellent opportunity to gain “seat time” and experience on the southern New England’s largest and fastest track. More often than not, race teams that are well prepared for the Icebreaker find that a good start to the season provides the momentum necessary to stay at the top of their game for the rest of the year.
Icebreaker weekend is April 9th and 10th. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, which typically starts and ends its year at Thompson, will headline the racing activity with a 150-lap main event. They will be joined by Thompson’s own NASCAR Whelen All-American “Super 6” divisions along with the Sunoco Lite Modifieds. Practice and qualifying will take place on Saturday the 9th along with feature event racing for the Sunoco Modifieds and the Sunoco Lite Modifieds.
Sunday, April 10th, sees racing action starting at 12 Noon with seven feature event races on the schedule. Sunoco Modifieds, Super Late Models, Thompson Modifieds, Late Models, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks will lead the way to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour scheduled for a 3:15 PM start.
Tickets for the Icebreaker weekend are available at the track office. Fans may call 860-923-2280 for advance tickets. The track accepts all major credit cards. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 AM until 4 PM and Fridays from 9 AM until Noon. Complete Icebreaker weekend information, schedules, driver’s rosters and more may be found on the Thompson web site. www.thompsonspeedway.com.
Sources: Russ Dowd/Thompson International Speedway PR