Rocco Scores Thompson Thursday Night Mod Opener – Ramstrom, Gentes, J. Sundeen, Barnett & Field Also Victorious
Thompson, CT — Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT, held off Ted Christopher to score the victory in the Sunoco Modified feature event to open NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly racing action at Thompson International Speedway. Derek Ramstrom of Worcester, MA, was victorious in the Thursday Night Thompson Thunder Opener for the Super Late Models. Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, was triumphant in Late Model action.
Jay Sundeen of Douglas, MA, wired the field to score the victory in the TIS Modifieds. Larry Barnett of Moosup, CT, the all-time winning most driver in the Limited Sportsman division, added to his tally with a victory on Thursday night. Danny Field of Deep River, CT, was tops in the Mini Stock main event; making it two-in-a-row for the Icebreaker winner.
Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT, led green to checker to score the victory in the 30-lap Sunoco Modified feature event. Danny Cates and Rocco brought the field to green. After a brief battle, Rocco took command. Todd Ceravolo, Ryan Preece and Christopher followed through like a high-speed freight train; relegating Cates to fifth. Rocco had a single car-length advantage over Ceravolo, who enjoyed a similar margin over a brewing battle between Preece and Christopher.
Christopher took the third spot on lap five. Rocco and Ceravolo had a two-car breakaway from Christopher in third. Preece and Cates ran fourth and fifth. During a stretch of green flag racing, Christopher had caught the back bumper of Ceravolo. Rocco entered lapped traffic.
A spin by John Hanafin in turn two brought out the caution on lap 12. Under the caution, Preece headed to pit road for service to his #31. He was joined on pit road by Andrew Charron. Charron stalled coming off pit road just as the field had taken the green to bring out the caution once again.
Rocco retained his lead on the restart but with company from Ceravolo. Christopher was getting racy with Ceravolo when a hard wreck in turn three involving Hanafin and Jeffrey Gallup brought out the caution once again. Cates was on pit road during the caution period.
It was another solid restart for Rocco. At halfway, the top five of Rocco, Ceravolo, Christopher, Preece and Cates ran nose-to-tail. Christopher began to work on Ceravolo once again. Christopher tried the dive-bomb move exiting turn two on lap 19 without success. A similar move in turn four resulted in the pass. Ceravolo lost traction as he was forced to the outside groove; falling into the grasp of Preece.
Now in second, Christopher had several car lengths to go to catch Rocco. Lap-after-lap, he edged ever closer to Rocco. With five laps to go the margin was down to two car-lengths. With two-to-go it was down to one. Although Christopher had closed the gap, Rocco was able to hold back the advances to claim the victory. Christopher ran home second followed by Ceravolo, Preece, and Cates.
Pole sitter Derek Ramstrom spun his tires on the initial start of the Super Late Model feature event dropping back to the fifth spot and leaving Jeff Connors to lead. Larry Gelinas ran in Connors’ tire tracks. George Bessette ran comfortably in third. Ramstrom on the road to recovery had passed Jim Banfield for fourth.
As Gelinas continued to trail Connors, Ramstrom was quickly making tracks back to the front. He made quick work of Bessette and immediately ran down Gelinas in second. A pair of laps later Ramstrom was second. At halfway, he was mere car lengths from leader Connors. When the duo crossed the stripe to complete lap 18, they were bumper-to-bumper. Gelinas had the best seat in the house for the inevitable battle for the lead in third. Bessette and Banfield had a battle of their own for fourth.
Lapped traffic played into the hands of Connors for several laps. With five laps remaining, Ramstrom got alongside Connors. The teenager made the pass look easy as he cruised back into the lead. Once out front it was smooth sailing for Ramstrom. Connors came home second followed by Gelinas, Bessette and Banfield.
Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, enjoyed a victorious run in the Late Model division to start Thursday night competition at Thompson. The Late Model main event picked up where an action packed heat race earlier in the day had left off. Veteran contender Phil Rondeau returned to Late Model action at the Speedway to be hounded by Tommy O’Sullivan and Gentes right from the drop of the green flag. After several laps, Rondeau gave up the lead to O’Sullivan. Gentes followed through and into second. Rondeau fell back from the lead duo.
The first caution of the event flew on lap 12 for an incident involving Randy Tucker and Randy Waterman, Sr. O’Sullivan struggled on the restart, apparently missing a shift; allowing Gentes to steal the lead away. John Falconi moved into the third spot followed by John Materas.
With Gentes out front, all O’Sullivan could do was chase. Gentes enjoyed a comfortable margin at the head of the pack. Falconi ran a distance back in third. An uneventful stretch run to the checkers found Gentes in victory lane. O’Sullivan celebrated his son’s second birthday with a second-place finish. Falconi, Materas and Rondeau rounded out the top-five.
Jason Sundeen of Douglas, MA, turned in a dominating performance leading every lap of the 20-lap TIS Modified feature event to score the victory. Sundeen set a rapid pace right from the start. In the early stages, Sundeen had to contend with Brian Tagg. After disposing of Tagg, Sundeen went on to gain nearly a half straightaway advantage over the field. Tagg had company in Glenn Boss and Cam McDermott. The three cars waged a great battle as Sundeen stretched his advantage.
By halfway, R.J. Marcotte, who had mechanical woes during qualifying, had joined the battle for the runner-up position. McDermott had tried the inside of Boss to no avail. He changed tactics trying the outside groove. He was able to get by Boss for third on lap 12. He moved to the inside to make quick work of Tagg. Now in second, McDermott had a distance to go to reel in Sundeen. Tagg, Boss, and Marcotte continued to duke it out for the third spot.
Over the closing laps, McDermott could do little to cut into Sundeen’s lead. Tagg gained some breathing room on Marcotte, who had motored by Boss. Sundeen went on to score the victory followed by McDermott and Tagg. Marcotte and Boss completed the top five.
Larry Barnett of Moosup, CT, dodged a bullet at the start of the 20-lap Limited Sportsman main event; missing a major incident and inheriting the lead. Barnett rode his good fortune all the way to victory lane. After a dominating performance in the heat race, Dwayne Dorr had worked his way into contention for the lead. By lap one, Dorr, who started fourth was making a bid at the lead. Contact at the head of the pack, collected a number of cars and blocked much of the track.
Then leader Bill McNeil received the most damage. Most others were able to continue. Dorr was placed at the tail of the field for over-aggressive driving. When things settled down it was Barnett holding the top spot for the restart.
Barnett held the point with Jason Chicolas, Chris Douton and Scott Sundeen taking chase. As they battled for second intensified between Chicolas and Douton, Barnett was distancing himself from the pack. The #90 of Joe Coates appeared to lose a motor leaving fluid on the track necessitating the caution. A spin by Douton was negated by the caution. A melee on the ensuing restart involved a number of cars and ended Art Moran III’s night.
By lap six, both Shawn Monahan, who had been involved in the lap one incident, and Dorr had worked their way back into the top five. With Monahan and Douton get racy for second, Barnett was able to gain a disable advantage once again. Letting it all hang out, S. Monahan spun his mount in turn two. The track stayed green and Douton remained second. Dorr had begun to run down Douton as Barnett continued to stretch his advantage.
On lap 12, Dorr ducked to the inside of Douton. He could not make the pass stick. Quietly Diego Monahan had worked his way into the third position. Over the closing laps, Barnett had settled into a groove at the head of the pack. Douton and Dorr continued to battle for the runner-up spot. Douton held back the persistent assault from Dorr to take second. Dorr had to settle for third. D. Monahan and Scott Sundeen completed the top-five.
Danny Field of Deep River, CT, poured it on late in the 15-lap Mini Stock main event to score the victory. Tyler Poulin jumped out to the early lead but it was anything but smooth sailing for the young driver. It was a three car battle for the top spot with Poulin, Leo Defevers and Lloyd Anderson, Jr. Defevers was able to take the lead away as Field joined the fray to make it a four-car battle for the top spot. Things were equally as active for the fourth spot on back.
The second-place car of Anderson dropped off the pace on lap nine; heading to pit road. Field had moved past Poulin and set his sites on Defevers. He caught and immediately went to work on Defevers’ lead. On lap 12, coming out of turn two, Field rocketed into the lead. Once out front, he quickly distanced himself from Defevers. Field cruised in for the win. Defevers finished a solid second ahead of Poulin. Roger Ducharme and Mike Viens rounded out the top five.
Sunoco Modified Feature (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 2. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 3. Todd Ceravolo, Gales Ferry, CT; 4. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 5. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 6. John Catania, Agawam, MA; 7. Andrew Charron, Thompson, CT; 8. Carl Oberg, Sutton, MA; 9. John Hanafin, Quincy, MA; 10. Jeffrey Gallup, Feeding Hills, MA.
Super Late Models Feature Finish: 1. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 2. Jeff Connors, Ellington, CT; 3. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 4. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 5. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 6. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 7. Scott Rotherforth, Glastonbury, CT; 8. Jeff Hartwell, E. Putnam, CT.
Late Models Feature (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Rick Gentes, Woonsocket, RI; 2. Tommy O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 3. John Falconi, Oakham, MA; 4. John Materas, Voluntown, CT; 5. Phil Rondeau, Baltic, CT; 6. Dave Trudeau, Mansfield, CT; 7. Mike Scorzelli, Malta, NY; 8. Mark Oliveira, Blackstone, MA; 9. Damon Tinio, Mendon, MA; 10. Randy Waterman, Sr., Danielson, CT.
Thompson Modifieds Feature Finish: 1. Jason Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 2. Cam McDermott, Scituate, RI; 3. Brian Tagg, Oxford, MA; 4. R.J. Marcotte, Millville, MA; 5. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT; 6. John Lowinski-Loh, Jr., 7. Denis Legere, N. Reading, MA; 8. Chad LaBastie, Uxbridge, MA. DNS-Ryan Morgan.
Limited Sportsman Feature (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 2. Chris Douton, Waterford, CT; 3. Dwayne Dorr, Leydard, CT; 4. Diego Monahan, Quaker Hill, CT; 5. Scott Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 6. Joe Arena, Bristol, CT; 7. Jason Chicolas, Sutton MA; 8. Shawn Monahan, Waterford, CT; 9. William Wall, Shrewsbury, MA; 10. Steve Kenneway, Lowell, MA.
Mini Stock Feature (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Danny Field, Deep River, CT; 2. leo Defevers, Brooklyn, CT; 3. Tyler Poulin, Pascoag, RI; 4. Roger Ducharme, Foster, RI; 5. Mike Viens, Seekonk, MA; 6. Tim Armstrong, Uxbridge, MA; 7. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 8. Brent Gleason, Norwich, CT; 9. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 10. Travis Jurcik, Chaplin, CT.
Sources: Dale Wolbrink/Thompson International Speedway PR