Thompson Declares 2012 Champions
THOMPSON, CT — The 2012 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champions at Thompson International Speedway have been named following the conclusion of the regular weekly race programs. The final review of the points standings for each race run since the season-opening Icebreaker has been completed and a champion for each of the track’s seven racing divisions has been declared.
Ryan Preece, the 21 year old from Berlin, CT., claimed the Sunoco Modified title. The track’s premier division ran 19 races in the 2012 season and Preece won 10 of them. He managed to bank some 922 track points in the process and, in so doing, bested some of the most talented Modified drivers in the northeast. Preece had an outstanding year driving for Al and Kathy Moniz of North Falmouth, MA. Veteran Kerry Malone, the 2008 division champ, finished second and was followed by Rookie Dennis Perry, 2003 and 2010 champ, Ted Christopher and the 2006 title holder, Woody Pitkat.
The Super Late Model division ran a limited schedule during the 2012 season but that did not stop Derek Ramstrom from claiming his third title in four years at the Thompson Speedway. The Worcester native also won the Pro All-Stars Series (PASS) race in July. Following Ramstrom in the championship standings were Jim Banfield, 2007 champ, Mike O’Sullivan, the defending 2011 division champion, Larry Gelinas and veteran Dick Houlihan.
2012 ushered in a brand new division at Thompson. The LKQ/Keystone Lite Modifieds made their debut on May 20th and defending Thompson Modified division champion, Cam McDermott won the inaugural event. He went on to win 13 more races during the season on his way to a second Thompson crown. Troy Talman won 3 of the events and finished in the runner-up position in the final standings. Rounding out the top 5 were Nikki Ouellette, Eric Leclair and Shawn Brule.
The Thompson Modified division saw John Lowinski-Loh, Jr. claim 9 victories and the division title. Jay Sundeen ended the season in the standing’s second position after winning 4 of the races. Brian Tagg, who also claimed a win, finished third and was followed by Chad LaBastie and Danny Gamache, Jr. Both LaBastie and Gamache, Jr. also visited victory lane.
Tommy O’Sullivan made it two Late Model titles in a row. His 11 wins cemented his 2012 crown as he racked up 868 track points. John Falconi ended the year in the second spot and was followed by Randy Tucker, Mike Scorzelli and Damon Tinio.
The 2008 Xtra/Mart Limited Sportsman champion returned to the top in 2012. Scott Sundeen won 8 of the division’s races over some very stiff competition. By virtue of his outstanding season, Sundeen won not only the Thompson Title but a NASCAR National Championship honor as well. He will soon be featured on the NASCAR Home Tracks web page for his accomplishments. Jesse Gleason ended the season with a second place finish in the Limited Sportsman points standings and was followed by Jason Chicolas, Steve Kenneway and Corey Fanning.
Chad Baxter reigned supreme in the Monster Mini Stock division by claiming 3 wins and some 13 top five finishes in this extremely competitive division. Eric Bourgeois ended a very successful season with three wins to secure a second place in the final standings. Third place in the final tally went to Steve Violette followed by Joe Baxter and Steve Michalski.
All of these drivers will be honored along with many other competitors at the track’s annual awards banquets. Thompson sets aside two nights for the banquet celebrations so that everyone can be accommodated and recognized for their outstanding accomplishments during the racing season.
The Thompson and NASCAR points races may be over for the season, but the racing is not. Thompson’s Sunoco-Town Fair Tire World Series of Speedway Racing, a three-day racing spectacle that features 16 different racing divisions and hundreds of race cars and race trucks, will be held on the weekend of October 12th-14th. Thompson’s web page (www.thompsonspeedway.com) contains a complete listing of the racing divisions along with a day-by-day schedule of this amazing, season-ending race program. Tickets for the World Series of Speedway Racing are available by calling the Thompson track office at 860-923-2280.
Sources: Russ Dowd/Thompson International Speedway PR