Stefanik Charges to Icebreaker Victory
Third Icebreaker Victory, Fifteenth Overall At Thompson
THOMPSON, Conn. – The legend of Mike Stefanik added another chapter Sunday at Thompson International Speedway as he captured NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory No. 73 in the season-opening Icebreaker.
Stefanik charged to the lead by Ryan Preece following a restart on Lap 141 and held off multiple hard charges from Preece, Rowan Pennink and Ron Silk to extend his tour career record for wins. The final margin of victory was just .229 seconds.
Pennink finished second followed by Preece, Silk and Ted Christopher. Jimmy Blewett, Doug Coby, Justin Bonsignore, Chuck Hossfeld and Timmy Solomito brought home the top 10.
Sat. 04/13
[Photo Gallery] by Paul Fohlin
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Sun. 04/14
[Photo Gallery] by Paul Fohlin
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
Sunday also marked the 15th victory for Stefanik in Whelen Modified Tour action at the famed .625-mile oval – which extended a record as well – and was his third on the prestigious Icebreaker weekend.
Stefanik, from Coventry, R.I., captured the Coors Light Pole Award Saturday but Preece prevented him from leading the event’s first circuit.
Pennink, who led a race-high 79 laps, first took the lead from Preece on Lap 7. The pair swapped it two more times based on their pit strategy. Preece led 61 total laps.
The race was slowed by seven cautions for 33 laps with two red flags for track cleanup and repair.
The Whelen Modified Tour will return to action on April 28 with the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | RESULTS | AUDIO: Second Place Rowan Pennink | AUDIO: Third Place Ryan Preece
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR
NWMT Thompson 4/14/13 Unofficial Results
Whelen Modified Tour
Race: NWMT Thompson 4/14/13
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 1 22 Mike Stefanik Robert B. Our Co & John Canto & Sons Paving Ford 150 47 4 Running
2 3 93 Rowan Pennink Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet 150 44 2 Running
3 2 16 Ryan Preece East West Marine/Diversified Metals Ford 150 42 1 Running
4 4 6 Ron Silk T.S.Haulers/Calverton Tree Farm Chevrolet 150 40 Running
5 11 3 Ted Christopher Cape Cod Copper/Silver Dollar Const. Chevrolet 150 39 Running
6 17 76 Jimmy Blewett John Blewett Inc/Blewett Motorsports/Ling Trucking 150 38 Running
7 7 52 Doug Coby Reynolds Auto Wrkg/Furnace & Duct Chevrolet 150 37 Running
8 5 51 Justin Bonsignore M3 Technology Chevrolet 150 36 Running
9 29 72 Chuck Hossfeld Jerry Grade Motors Chevrolet 150 35 Running
10 20 89 Timmy Solomito EMPower/Eastport Feeds Chevrolet 150 34 Running
11 15 79 Woody Pitkat Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/LaBleu Water Pontiac 150 33 Running
12 10 58 Eric Goodale Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet 150 32 Running
13 28 07 Patrick Emerling Emerling Chevrolet Chevrolet 150 31 Running
14 23 28 Ed Flemke, Jr. Ron Bouchard’s Auto Stores Chevrolet 150 30 Running
15 24 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood/ Mehner Racing Ford 150 29 Running
16 9 2 Todd Szegedy MSII/Dunleavy Truck & Trailer Repair Chevrolet 150 28 Running
17 22 99 Jamie Tomaino Supreme Manufacturing Chevrolet 150 27 Running
18 8 44 Bobby Santos Curb Records/Brendan Kelley Music Chevrolet 149 26 Running
19 19 73 Cole Powell Copps BuildAll/Tricar Chevrolet 149 25 Running
20 27 38 Brian Schofield Perf Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan’s Oil Chevrolet 149 24 Running
21 21 45 Jimmy Zacharias Buckley’s Automotive Chevrolet 148 23 Running
22 14 39 Richie Pallai,, Jr. MAHLE Performance/Lucas Oil Chevrolet 147 22 Running
23 12 4 Donny Lia Circle Track Racing Dodge 145 21 Running
24 26 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape /TRC Electric Pontiac 141 20 Running
25 13 88 Bryon Chew Buzz Chew Chevrolet/GT Vodka Chevrolet 135 19 Accident
26 25 33 Wade Cole Performance Engines/Kendall Oil Chevrolet 73 18 Running
27 6 64 Ron Yuhas, Jr. Hughes Motors/Complete Construction Chevrolet 61 17 Accident
28 16 15 Rob Fuller 15-40 Connection Chevrolet 61 16 Accident
29 18 46 Eric Berndt Cape Cod Aggts/North End Auto Parts Chevrolet 38 15 Oil Leak
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Mike Stefanik, Time: 18.668 Seconds, Speed: 120.527 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 12 mins, 54 secs Average Speed: 77.160 mph Margin of Victory: 0.229 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 25-29 (Car #26 spin Turn 2 ); 43-47 (Car #26 spin Turn 4 ); 54-57 (Car #26 & 38 spin frontstretch); 62-66 (Car #26, 33, 64, 15 accident Turn 2 [Red Flag 12 mins.]); 108-112 (Car #38 spin Turn 2 ); 127-130 (Car #45 spin Turn 2 ); 135-139 (Car #44, 99, 38, 28, 26 accident Turn 2 [Red Flag 3 mins.]). 7 for 33 laps.
Lap Leaders: Ryan Preece 1-6, Rowan Pennink 7-56, Ryan Preece 57-111, Rowan Pennink 112-140, Mike Stefanik 141-150.
Total Laps Led: Rowan Pennink 79, Ryan Preece 61, Mike Stefanik 10. 4 changes involving 3 drivers.