Stefanik, Rocco, and McDermott Capture Modified Wins at Icebreaker
Thompson, CT — Mike Stefanik held off a hard-charging Rowan Pennink and Ryan Preece to capture his 73rd NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory in the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway. Stefanik took the lead on a lap 141 restart for the victory. The win marks Stefanik’s third Icebreaker win and his 15th victory at Thompson Speedway.
Pennink, who finished in the second position, led early in the race after moving to the front at lap eight, where he remained until he pitted during a caution around lap 56. Preece, who finished third, took over the lead on the restart at lap 57 and led until Pennink reclaimed it on a lap 111 restart. Stefanik, however, was fast approaching, and proved to be unstoppable as he drove around Pennink on the restart.
“I’m getting old, but this doesn’t get old,” said Stefanik after the race. “I knew Rowan had a strong car, he just didn’t have the fresh tires that we did. This was a good start to the season.”
NASCAR Whelen All American Series wins went to Keith Rocco, Glenn Boss, Cam McDermott, Larry Barnett, and Scott Michalski. The Granite State Pro Stocks showcased a 50-lap event that was won by George Bessette.
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
George Bessette capitalized on the misfortune of Louie Mechalides to capture the Granite State Pro Stock win at Thompson Speedway. Glenn Tyler set the early pace in the event with Mike O’Sullivan and Billy Brady rounding out the top-three. The field stretched out single file until lap 15 when Mechalides passed Brady on the bottom groove to take over third. It was the beginning of a five-lap procession to the front that included taking over the lead on lap 21 coming out of turn four. The race remained under green as Mechalides, who looked unstoppable, lapped the tail end of the field. On lap 41, the race took a dramatic turn as Mechalides went off the pace on the backstretch. He rolled onto pit road before pulling behind the wall and out of contention. O’Sullivan inherited the lead for the restart, but lost it to George Bessette in turn two. Caution was out for the second time on lap 44 when Carl Eriksson hit the turn two-wall hard. Bessette reclaimed the lead on the restart with O’Sullivan hot on his tail. A caution slowed their pace, but Bessette and O’Sullivan continued right where they left off on the restart. Bessette held off the challenges and put two carlengths over O’Sullivan with three laps to go. O’Sullivan could not reel him in and Bessette drove to the checkers to add his name to the winners list.
The Sunoco Modified feature started with fireworks when a wreck on the front stretch brought the field under caution, and ended with a dominating performance by Keith Rocco, who registered his first Thompson win of the season.
On the restart, Rocco got a run on the outside groove to take the lead from Ryan Preece. Kerry Malone and Woody Pitkat also passed Preece to take over second and third respectively. The top four pulled away with a carlength between each spot as they set a torrid pace that fifth place driver Todd Ceravolo could not close up.
Pitkat turned up the heat on lap 13 when he dove to the bottom groove in a challenge against Malone. Malone held him off, but Pitkat was determined and continued to keep the pressure on. Meanwhile, Rocco was solid in the lead as he maneuvered through lapped traffic. On lap 19, Pitkat dove to the bottom again in turn four and drove into second place. Pitkat was on the move and closed in on Rocco. On lap 24, Pitkat used the bottom groove to his advantage again and got alongside Rocco, where he battled for an entire circuit before taking the lead at lap 26. Rocco returned the favor and challenged Pitkat from the inside. The two were side-by-side on lap 27 heading into turn two when Pitkat’s No. 00 turned around and spun into the infield grass. Rocco and Malone brought the field back to green after the caution with Rocco jumping out into the lead. Malone, Preece, Ceravolo, and Pitkat rounded out the top-five as they came around to complete the 28th circuit. Pitkat moved up to third with Rocco dominating up front as they came to the checkered flag.
Glenn Boss held off a determined Marc Curtis to take the checkered flag in the caution-filled Late Model event Sunday. Boss and Guy Caron battled into turns one and two on the opening lap, but a wreck in the middle of the corner further back in the field brought the field under caution before the first lap could be completed. On the restart, another accident involving John Falconi and Art Moran delayed the start once again. The third time was the charm as Boss and Caron raced around the first circuit side-by-side with Boss holding a nose-length advantage at the line.
Moran brought out the caution on the second lap when he spun in turn one with Boss jumping to the lead on the restart. Caron had his hands full with Marc Curtis, Jr., who used the inside lane to challenge for second. The duo raced side-by-side for the next two laps until Curtis spun heading into turn four of lap four.
Caron catapulted to the lead on the restart, but Boss made his presence known on his bumper. The top-five – Caron, Boss, Pete Yetman, Damon Tinio, and Falconi – ran nose-to-tail and pulled away from the rest of the field. By lap 10, Caron began to pull away and put a little distance between him and Boss, but contact between Yetman and Tinio slowed the pace once again.
Caron emerged the leader after a wheel-to-wheel battle with Boss for the lead on the restart while Falconi moved himself into the third spot. Once out front, Caron pulled away to a five-carlength advantage – his largest lead of the day. Boss and Falconi were in a heated battle for the second spot when caution flew yet again.
Caron replenished his lead on the restart, but wrecks continued to plague the momentum. Boss took advantage on the following restart and gave Caron a solid run for the lead. The duo raced side-by-side in a close race that saw them swapping the lead back and forth. On lap 21, Falconi and Curtis moved their way into the battle with Boss holding onto the lead. On lap 24, Curtis, using the bottom lane, moved up into position to challenge for the lead, but Boss held him off to take the checkers.
Cam McDermott made an emotional dedication to Jimmy Smith, the Sunoco Modified driver that passed away Saturday afternoon, after winning the Lite Modified feature event Sunday afternoon. McDermott dominated the 15-lap event to secure his first win of the season. John Studley jumped to the early lead but two cautions prevented him from officially taking the lead. On the restart, Cam McDermott drove to the front and went on the books as the first leader of the day. Caution flew a third time after the first circuit completed, and it was all McDermott on the restart. Danny Gamache, Jr. and Dylan Menditto were racing side-by-side when the No. 17 dove in for a three-wide battle. Contact was made with Gamache and the caution was out again. On the restart, McDermott shot right back out front and put nearly a two second lead over the rest of the field, which included Joseph Boivin in second. The field stretched out single file until lap 11 when Dylan Menditto hit the turn two wall. McDermott showed no signs of wavering on the restart as he immediately pulled to a ten-carlength advantage.
Larry Barnett, who won the Best of the Rest feature Saturday night, continued his domination in the Limited Sportsman feature Sunday afternoon with a convincing victory over Jesse Gleason. Steve Kenneway and Barnett headed into turn one side-by-side at the start, but it was all Barnett coming out of turn two to lead the first lap. As the duo pulled ahead of the rest of the field, Jesse Gleason and Chris Bisson began a battle for third that would last for several laps. Bisson settled into the position by lap six as the field began to stretch out single file. Caution flew at lap eight when Scott Sundeen spun by himself into the infield grass in turn four. On the restart, Barnett held on to the lead while Gleason advanced into the second spot. Caution slowed the pace again, however, when a car hit the backstretch wall on lap nine. Gleason benefited at the green flag by pulling ahead of Barnett by a nose in turn two. The two continued to battle door-to-door around the 5/8th’s mile oval with Barnett holding the advantage at the line on the following circuit. Barnett maintained his lead on the inside, but Gleason continued to keep the pressure on from the outside groove until settling in behind coming out of turn four at lap 13. Kenneway ran in third followed by Bisson in fourth. The top four pulled away from the rest of the field and began to put the field a lap down before Barnett led them to the checkered flag.
Scott Michalski continued his winning way this weekend by driving straight to victory lane in the Mini Stock division after winning the Best of the Rest race Saturday afternoon. Michalski took the early lead with Eric Bourgeois close on his tail. On lap six, a five-car wreck in turn four slowed the pace that included Bourgeois and then third-place driver Dave Trudeau. On the restart, Anderson gave Michalski a run for his money for the lead in a close side-by-side battle in which Michalski emerged the victor. On lap eight, Chad Baxter got by Anderson for the second position and set his sights on the lead. On lap 10, Baxter looked to the bottom, but couldn’t quite get alongside Michalski and settled back into second. On lap 11, Baxter dropped to the bottom again and got side-by-side with Michalski, who held off Baxter’s charge and maintained his position out front. Baxter tried one last time on the final circuit around, but Michalski was too strong and held on to take the checkered flag.
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR FEATURE FINISH: 1. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, RI; 2. Rowan Pennick, Huntingdon Valley, PA; 3. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 4. Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT; 5. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 6. Jimmy Blewett, Howell, NJ; 7. Doug Coby, Milford, CT; 8. Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, NY; 9. Chuck Hossfeld, Ransomville, NY; 10. Timmy Solomito, Islip, NY; 11. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT; 12. Eric Goodale, Riverhead, NY; 13. Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, NY; 14. Ed Flemke, Southington, CT; 15. Ken Heagy, Calverton, NY; 16. Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, CT; 17. Jamie Tomaino, Howell, NJ; 18. Bobby Santos, Franklin, MA; 19. Cole Powell, Mount Brydg, Ontario; 20. Brian Schofield, Monson, MA; 21. Jimmy Zacharias, Candor, NY; 22. Richie Pallai, Jr., Yorktown Heights, NY; 23. Donny Lia, Jericho, NY; 24. Gary McDonald, Ronkonkoma, NY; 25. Bryon Chew, Mattituck, NY; 26. Wade Cole, Riverton, CT; 27. Ron Yuhas, Jr., Groton, CT; 28. Rob Fuller, Boylston, MA; 29. Eric Berndt, Cromwell, CT.
GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 2. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 3. Glenn Tyler, Hampton Bays, NY; 4. Jake Vanada, Berkley, MA; 5. Jim Banfield, South Glastonbury, CT; 6. Billy Brady, 7. Mike Parks, Walpole, NH; 8. Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA; 9. Jeremy Davis, Tamworth, NH; 10. Josh King, Vernon, VT.
SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Keith Rocco, Meriden, CT; 2. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 3. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT; 4. Ryan Preece, N. Falmouth, MA; 5. Todd Ceravolo, Gales Ferry, CT; 6. Dennis Perry, Pawcatuck, CT; 7. John Catania, Ludlow, MA; 8. Paul Newcomb, Plymouth, MA; 9. Nick Boivin, Belchertown, MA; 10. Joe Williams, Schenectady, NY.
LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT; 2. Marc Curtis, Jr., Worcester, MA; 3. Rick Gentes, Woonsocket, RI; 4. Pete Yetman, Peru, MA; 5. John Falconi, Oakham, MA; 6. Mike Lindquist, Sandy Hook, CT; 7. Guy Caron, Lempster, NH; 8. Art Moran, III, Preston, CT; 9. Damon Tinio, Mendon, MA; 10. Ryan Lineham, Hope Valley, RI.
LITE MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Cam McDermott, Scituate, RI; 2. Joseph Boivin, Belchertown, MA; 3. Eric LeClair, East Hampton, MA; 4. Dylan Menditto, Brooklyn, CT; 5. Danny Gamache, Jr., Woonsocket, RI; 6. Adam Norton, Brookfield, MA; 7. Robert Palmer, Lisbon, CT; 8. John Studley, Framingham, MA; 9. Glenn Griswold, Vernon, CT; 10. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA.
MONSTER MINI STOCK FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 2. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 3. Nick Anderson, Oxford, MA; 4. Jeff Moffat, Smithfield, RI; 5. Mike Viens, Seekonk, MA; 6. Louie Bellisle, Lisbon, CT; 7. Shane Michalski, Woodstock, CT; 8. Dave Trudeau, Mansfield, CT; 9. Todd Lajeunesse, Putnam, CT; 10. Steve Michalski, Brooklyn, CT.
LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 2. Jesse Gleason, Lisbon, CT; 3. Steve Kenneway, Lowell, MA; 4. Chris Bisson, Putnam, CT; 5. Travis Jurcik, Chaplin, CT; 6. Corey Fanning, Mapleville, RI; 7. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, MA; 8. Scott Cook, Uncasville, CT; 9. Kevin Mason, West Warwick, RI; 10. Tommy Shea, Sr., New London, CT.
Sources: Penny Aicardi/Thompson International Speedway PR