Santos Checkers In Thompson WMT Finale; Coby Crowned Champion; World Series Wins To Pitkat, Summers, Cabral and Gelinas
Thompson, Conn: Thompson International Speedway capped off a historic weekend that included an all time high of 337 cars over 16 divisions with a celebration of Doug Coby’s championship in victory lane. The World Series of Auto Racing victory lane also hosted Bobby Santos as Whelen Modified Tour winner, Woody Pitkat in the Sunoco Modifieds, Randy Cabral in the NEMA Midgets, Rob Summers in ISMA Super Modifieds, and Larry Gelinas in the Super Late Models.
Santos held off a determined Todd Szegedy to win the Sunoco Race Fuels – Town Fair Tire 150 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race and collect his second consecutive win this season and 8th career victory. Coby finished sixth and won his first Whelen Modified Tour Championship.
Santos started the 150-lap race from the outside pole and took the lead from Todd Szegedy on lap 130 when he dove to the bottom groove in turn three. Santos held off Ryan Preece on a late-race restart to take the checkers.
Preece, who finished the race in second, led the most laps at 56 and finished the series point battle in second place. Szegedy finished the race in third.
Woody Pitkat used a lap 11 restart to take the lead from Ted Christopher and drive to a victory in the 30-lap Sunoco Modified feature.
Richie Gallup led the opening lap of the Sunoco Modified feature, but caution called for a complete restart. Gallup led again when the green dropped, but Ted Christopher soon maneuvered by him and drove his No. 13 machine to the point. Michael Gervais and Ryan Preece made up the top-three when everything sorted itself out.
Caution slowed their pace at lap nine, but it didn’t slow Christopher down, who darted back to the front on the restart. Pitkat used the inside groove to get by Gervais for second before a car hit the back straightaway wall and set the field up for another restart.
Pitkat and Christopher went into turn one dead even, but Pitkat emerged the leader coming out of turn two. Preece and Ceravolo got around Christopher for second and third, but Ceravolo fell off the pace entering the first turn of lap 16. Caution flew at lap 18 with Pitkat, Preece, Christopher, and Gervais making up the first two rows for the restart.
Pitkat took command at the drop of the green with Preece on his bumper. Pitkat had to do it all over again after a caution on lap 19, but it didn’t slow him down. Preece, however, got shuffled back to the fourth position with Christopher and Danny Cates taking over second and third.
Pitkat and Christopher quickly pulled away from the rest of the field with Pitkat keeping a car length ahead. A half a second behind them, Preece and Cates battled door-to-door for the third position with Preece having the advantage by a nose. On lap 29, Preece secured the spot while Pitkat continued to lead up front. Pitkat took the checkers a car length ahead of Christopher.
Randy Cabral mastered a lap 16 restart to take the lead from Russ Stoehr and drive to the checkered flag in the NEMA 25-lap feature Sunday afternoon. Anthony Marvuglio took the early lead and stretched out to a comfortable half-a-straightaway lead s over Jim Miller. Randy Cabral was keeping the pressure on Miller – using the outside groove to find a way around Miller for the second position. On lap 11, Cabral got his momentum and drove by for second as he set his sights on Marvuglio. Caution tightened the field at lap 12, and put Marvuglio and Cabral side-by-side for the restart. The two bumped heading into turn one with Cabral getting the lead and Marvuglio making a quick recovery to hold on to second. Caution came out on lap 13 for Derek Pernisiglio, who was up against the turn three wall. Cabral drove to the front on the restart with Russ Stoehr and Miller taking over second and third. On lap 15, Stoehr got a run on Cabral using the outside lane and took over the lead by inches. The two continued their battle with Stoehr keeping the lead until caution slowed their pace at lap 16. On the restart, Cabral took back the lead and put five car lengths over Stoehr and Jeff Horn as the field began to stretch out. Cabral drove unchallenged to the pink-and-black checkered flag to take down the victory over Stoehr and Horn.
Rob Summers The ISMA Super Modifieds start was marred by a six-car accident on the front stretch, and was brought under a ten-minute delay to get it cleaned up. Bob Dawson took the lead when the race got back underway with Ben Seitz in tow, but they were quickly back under caution before the second lap was complete. Dawson drove back to the front, but it was all Lou Cicconi, Jr. coming out of turn two, who went underneath Dawson to get by him. Cicconi pulled away to a commanding lead and seemed to be extending it each circuit when Jamie Timmons hit the outside retaining wall on the front stretch and brought out the caution on lap eight. Cicconi drove back out front when racing resumed, but Mike Lichty wasn’t allowing him to pull away like before. On lap 10, Lichty looked low and got up alongside Cicconi, but couldn’t quite complete the pass and settled back into second. He continued his effort and kept the pressure on Cicconi as Rob Summers and Russ Wood came into the mix. Second through fourth shuffled around as Summers maneuvered his way by Lichty for second with Wood following shortly after. Lichty settled into fourth. On lap 27, Summers dropped to the bottom of Cicconi to challenge, but Cicconi shut the door. Summers dropped to the bottom again at lap 34, but this time successfully grabbing the leading in turns three and four. Once out front, Summers walked away from Cicconi and put more than ten car lengths of distance over him. Even a caution at lap 38 couldn’t stop Summers, who continued his torrid pace on the restart. Lichty pressured Cicconi for the second position, but Cicconi held him off despite his challenges.
Larry Gelinas survived a few late race restarts to take down the Super Late Model win on World Series Sunday. Norman Wrenn jumped to the front of the Super Late Model field at the drop of the green, but a multi-car accident on the backstretch put the race into red before it even officially got started. Dave Silvia took his place back on the pole for the restart with Wrenn getting by for the lead followed by Jarrod Hayes. Larry Gelinas moved into the second spot by lap five and shadowed Wrenn for a circuit before starting his challenges for the lead. On lap 6, Gelinas got underneath Wrenn and got side-by-side with him entering the third turn, but had to settle back into second when he couldn’t complete the pass. Wrenn and Gelinas were put side-by-side for a restart after a caution on lap seven. The two were dead even before Gelinas drove out front coming out of turn four and took the lead. Following a brief caution, Gelinas chose the high line for the restart and drove right back to the point with Wrenn and Jake Vanada rounding out the top-three. The field strung out single file until lap 23 when Jason Maki lost an engine and hit the turn three wall. Gelinas drove to the front on the final restart, but the man on the move was Jim Banfield who drove by Vanada for the third spot. Gelinas pulled away from Wrenn by ten car lengths before taking the checkered flag.
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR FEATURE FINISH (TOP 10): 1. Bobby Santos, Franklin, MA; 2. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 3. Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, CT; 4. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, RI; 5. Eric Beers, Northampton, PA; 6. Doug Coby, Milford, CT; 7. Tommy Barrett, Jr., Millis, MA; 8. Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, NY; 9. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 10. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT.
SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: 1. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT; 2. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 3. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 4. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 5. Michael Gervais, Southbury, CT; 6. Adam Norton, Brookfield, MA; 7. Shawn Thibeault, Plainville, CT; 8. Chris Jensen, Wolcot, CT; 9. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 10. Matt Galko, Meriden, CT.
NEMA MIDGET FEATURE FINISH: 1. Randy Cabral, Plymouth, MA; 2. Russ Stoehr, Bridgewater, MA; 3. Jeff Horn, Ashland, MA; 4. Mike Horn, Ashland, MA; 5. Jim Miller, Weymouth, MA; 6. Greg Stoehr, Bridgewater, MA; 7. John Zych, Jr., Louisville, KY; 8. Lee Bundy, Kennebunkport, ME; 9. Brian Cleveland, Billerica, MA.
ISMA FEATURE FINISH: 1. Rob Summers, Vernon, CT; 2. Lou Cicconi, Jr., Aston, PA; 3. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, MA; 4. Ryan Coniam, Denver, CO; 5. Bob Dawson, S. Amherst, OH; 6. Mark Sammut, London, Ont.; 7. Mike Lichty, Innerkip, Ont.; 8. Craig Rayvals, Brockville, Ont.; 9. Tim Ice, Seville, OH; 10. Russ Wood, Pelham, NH.
SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH: 1. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 2. Norman Wrenn, Nashua, NH; 3. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 4. Jake Vanada, Berkley, MA; 5. Chris Magee, Edgartown, MA; 6. Colbey Fournier, Berkley, MA; 7. Daryl Stampfl, Norwood, MA; 8. Mike Brightman, Acushnet, MA; 9. Josh King, Vernon, CT; 10. Jarrod Hayes, Calverton, NY.
Sources: Penny Aicardi/Thompson International Speedway PR