Barrett Wins In Exciting Last Lap Pass; Preece Sweeps Sunoco Mod Action
Thompson, Conn: Tommy Barrett of Millis, Mass. used an exciting last lap pass to take the win in the Valenti Modified Racing Series 75-lap feature at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Winners in NASCAR Whelen All American Series action included a sweep by Ryan Preece of Berlin, Conn. in the Sunoco Modified division, Glenn Boss of Danielson, Conn. in the Late Models, Shawn Monahan of Waterford, Conn. in the Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman division, and Chad Baxter in the Monster Mini Stocks. Scott Quinn checkered the Vintage Outlaw feature event.
Barrett patiently awaited the right moment to make a pass on Todd Szegedy for the win in the King Cadillac GMC 75 Valenti Modified Racing Series feature Thursday night. Barrett becomes the fourth different winner this season.
“That played out exactly how we wanted it,” said Barrett. “I got by Keith and before you knew it, it was the last lap. It was time to make a move. I got up on the wheel and did what I had to do.”
[Photo Gallery] by Paul Fohlin
Szegedy took the early lead, but was slowed down when a caution came out on the second circuit. Szegedy and Christopher battled it out into turn one on the restart, but it was Szegedy back out front coming out of turn two. Keith Rocco rounded out the top-three.
Szegedy and Christopher pulled away by almost two seconds over the rest of the field by lap 15 as the field strung out single file around the entire 5/8th’s mile length. Rocco worked on closing up some of that distance and was within 15 car lengths by lap 35. Szegedy began to work his way through lapped traffic with Christopher right on his bumper, and despite the pressure, never faltered. On lap 48, only 12 cars were on the lead lap. By lap 55, Rocco was within a car length of Christopher.
A caution flew at lap 66 after Eric Goodale hit the turn one wall.
Szegedy held off Christopher on the restart as Rocco moved into second place and relegated Christopher back to the fourth spot. Tommy Barrett, Jr. took over third. On lap 68, Barrett drove underneath Rocco for the second position. Rocco checked up allowing for Christopher to make contact and send Rocco around.
Szegedy drove out front once again on the restart with Barrett close behind. Rowan Pennink passed Christopher for third. Szegedy began to pull away but Barrett attached himself to Szegedy’s rear bumper. On lap 74, Barrett went underneath Szegedy in turn one and drove by for the lead and eventual win.
The Sunoco Modified division kicked off their night with the remaining 17 laps of a feature held over from May 15 with Ryan Preece in victory lane. Preece held off Keith Rocco on a late-race restart for the win.
Woody Pitkat, Rocco, and Preece made up the top-three when the race was postponed two weeks ago. When the green dropped, however, it was Keith Rocco out front before caution slowed the pace at lap 14.
Rocco, Pitkat and Preece ran nose-to-tail when racing resumed and pulled away by five car lengths over the fourth place car of Danny Cates. Kerry Malone rounded out the top-five as he led a pack of five cars a half a straightaway behind Cates.
A long green flag run ensued with Pitkat making his move on lap 25. He dove underneath Rocco in turn two and the duo ran side-by-side for half-a-lap before Rocco reclaimed the lead. Preece took over second. On lap 27, Pitkat went around Preece on the outside to try and take over second, but caution came out when a car spun on the backstretch.
On the restart, Preece was able to muscle his way by Rocco to take over the lead, but the battle wasn’t finished yet. Rocco was looking for a way around Preece when caution came out and tightened the two up once again.
After a false start, the racing resumed with Preece out front by an inch at the line. The two continued their side-by-side battle before a wreck on the backstretch brought out the caution and allowed Preece to take the checkers under yellow flag conditions.
In the regularly scheduled 30-lap Sunoco Modified feature, Preece once again proved to be the man to beat as he held off Pitkat on a late-race restart for his second straight win.
Kerry Malone took the early lead with Tyler Chadwick and Matt Gallo rounding out the top-three. The man on the move, however, was Preece who made it into the second position by lap nine – just before a caution slowed the pace.
Preece drove straight to the front when racing resumed with Malone fighting off the challenges of Woody Pitkat. On lap 14, Pitkat dove underneath Malone heading into turn three and took over the second spot. Meanwhile, Preece pulled ahead to a ten-car length lead. Rocco, however, was coming through the pack and up to fourth at lap 20.
Pitkat reeled in Preece to a car length by lap 22 and the duo ran a full straightaway ahead of the rest of the field. They seemed unstoppable until a caution tightened the two up for a three-lap dash to the checkers.
On the restart, Preece came out ahead of Pitkat and Rocco, but a multi-car crash involving Dennis Perry, who hit the inside wall head-on, and Andrew Dzenkowski. Andrew Charron was also involved.
Preece and Pitkat went into turn one dead even with Preece getting the credit for the lead at the line. Preece held the lead by a nose as they took the white flag, but Pitkat did not have enough to mount a successful challenge. Preece took the checkers once again.
Glenn Boss extended his early season point lead with a victory in the 25-lap Late Model feature. Art Moran III and Jim Banfield battled door-to-door for the lead at the start of the race, but it was Banfield who came out in front coming out of turn three. Glenn Boss settled into third on the second lap before a wreck on the front stretch brought out the caution. Marc Curtis, Jr. took the lead on the restart followed by Jeff Smith, Boss and Gentes.
The top four ran nose-to-tail for several laps as they strung out single file. On lap 17, however, Gentes dropped to the bottom groove for a challenge on Boss for the third spot. His efforts had to wait, nevertheless, when caution flew for a spun car in turn four.
Marc Curtis, Jr. took the lead once again on the restart with heavy pressure from Smith. The two ran door-to-door for an entire circuit before Gentes made it three-wide on the backstretch. On the front stretch, Smith made contact with Gentes spinning him around to face traffic backwards and bringing out the caution at lap 21.
Smith took over the lead when racing resumed with Boss in second, but caution came out for a wreck in turn three and they would have to do it all over again. Back under green, Boss drove to the lead using the outside groove while Marc Curtis, Jr., Smith, and Nick Ladyga took it three-wide for the second spot. The trio drove door-to-door for a full lap before Ladyga grabbed the spot. Boss pulled ahead to a five car length advantage and soared to the checkered flag.
Shawn Monahan took the victory in the Xtra Mart Limited Sportsman 20-lap feature in convincing fashion. Monahan took the lead on a restart and never looked back.
Tommy Shea took the lead at the drop of the green flag as parts of the field went four-wide coming out of turns one and two. The battle for second was no different as a three-wide battle emerged with Dwayne Dorr and George Baldwin rounded out the top three. A caution slowed the pace with Shea driving back out front on the restart, but trouble in turn three sent one car bouncing off multiple cars in the field before coming to a stop.
On the restart, Scott Sundeen drove by Shea for the lead and pulled ahead by five car lengths over the rest of the field. Shea shifted his attention to holding off Chris Douton for the second position for a couple of laps, but succumbed to his pressure by lap five. Corey Hutchings moved into third.
Douton reeled in Sundeen before caution came out and tightened the whole field back up for a restart at lap nine. Sundeen and Douton raced door-to-door for almost an entire lap, but Douton spun on the front stretch and brought out the caution.
Sundeen and Shawn Monahan battled it out for the lead with Sundeen take it in turns one and two and Monahan clearing him to take over the lead heading into turn three. Once out front, Monahan was able to pull away as Jason Chicolas maneuvered by Sundeen for the second spot. Steve Kenneway took over third.
On lap 15, Kenneway was pressuring Chicolas when Chicolas got loose and allowed for Kenneway to take over the second position. Chicolas saved it and held on to third. Monahan continued to dominate out front.
Kenneway closed the gap between himself and Monahan, but Monahan had too much of an advantage and soared on to the checkered flag.
Chad Baxter drove to a convincing victory in the Monster Mini Stock 20-lap feature after holding off a hard-charging Mike Viens in a late-race restart.
Jim Helger took the early lead as Steve Michalski and Baxter battled it out for second spot. Baxter took the position on lap three before making a run on Helger for the lead heading into turn one of lap four. Baxter pulled out to a commanding ten car length advantage before caution reeled him back in at lap six.
Baxter drove right back out front when racing resumed as a three-wide battle emerged for the second position. When all the dust had settled, it was Helger and Nick Anderson in second and third respectively.
Baxter could not be slowed down despite another caution period, but the top three would shuffle around on the restart. Anderson took over second and Viens moved into third. Viens was on the move, however, and maneuvered his way by Anderson on lap 12 to take over second. Viens started to reel in Baxter, who had pulled away to a five car length advantage, and was within a car length by lap 15. Caution once again slowed the pace at lap 16.
On the restart, Baxter continued his dominance on the outside lane and drove straight to the lead. Viens and Garrett Denton rounded out the top three. Eric Bourgeois followed closely behind in fourth. Baxter dominated in the final laps and drove to the checkers unchallenged.
Scott Quinn picked up the Vintage Outlaw Modified feature win after taking the lead on lap four. Quinn held off Art Chartier on the final lap to take the victory.
Bill Cummins took the early lead and pulled ahead by ten car lengths over the rest of the field. The battle for second heated up at lap two when Quinn chose the bottom groove to maneuver his way around Art Chartier. Quinn’s progression continued, however, when he dove underneath Cummins to take the lead heading into turn one.
Chartier moved by Cummins to take over the second position and set his sights on Quinn, who was relentless in his pace. On the final lap, Chartier crossed the line just a car length behind Quinn, but his night ended quickly after hitting the outside retaining wall in turn two following a battle for the lead. Quinn, despite the race going into a caution period, took the checkered flag.
VALENTI MODIFIED RACING SERIES FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Tommy Barrett, Jr., Millis, MA; 2. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA; 3. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 4. Richard Savary, Canton, MA; 5. Dave Etheridge, Portland, CT; 6. Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, CT; 7. Tom Carey, Jr., Wendell Depot, MA; 8. Anthony Nocella, Woburn, MA; 9. Jeff Malave, Manchester, CT; 10. Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT.
SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10) FROM MAY 15: 1. Ryan Preece, N. Falmouth, MA; 2. Keith Rocco Berlin, CT; 3. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 4. Todd Ceravolo, Gales Ferry, CT; 5. Woody Pitkat, Sturbridge, MA; 6. Matt Gallo, Berlin, CT; 7. Keith McDermott, Scituate, RI; 8. Tyler Chadwick, Ledyard, CT; 9. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA; 10. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA.
SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Ryan Preece, N. Falmouth, MA; 2. Woody Pitkat, Sturbridge, MA; 3. Keith Rocco, Berlin, CT; 4. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 5. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 6. Tyler Chadwick, Ledyard, CT; 7. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA; 8. Matt Gallo, Berlin, CT; 9. Cam McDermott, Scituate, RI; 10. Andrew Major, Brookfield, MA.
LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT; 2. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown, CT; 3. Marc Curtis, Jr., Worcester, MA; 4. John Lowinski-Loh, Milford, MA; 5. Jeff Smith, Old Lyme, CT; 6. Chad LaBastie, Uxbridge, MA; 7. Jared Materas, W. Springfield, MA; 8. Robert O’Connell, Wrentham, MA; 9. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 10. Randy Tucker, Millis, MA.
VINTAGE OUTLAW MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (TOP-THREE): 1. Scott Quinn, N. Smithfield, RI; 2. Art Chartier, Douglas, MA; 3. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI.
MONSTER MINI STOCK FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 2. Mike Viens, Seekonk, MA; 3. Garrett Denton, Hope Valley, RI; 4. Eric Bourgeois, E. Haddam, CT; 5. Nick Anderson, Oxford, MA; 6. Jeff Moffat, Smithfield, RI; 7. Leo DeFevers, Moosup, CT; 8. Steve Michalski, Brooklyn, CT; 9. Mike D. Viens, Putnam, CT; 10. Nick Matera, Warwick, RI.
XTRA MART LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Shawn Monahan, Waterford, CT; 2. Steve Kenneway, Lowell, MA; 3. Scott Sundeen, Sutton, MA; 4. Ryan Waterman, Danielson, CT; 5. William Wall, Shrewsbury, MA; 6. Mark Jenison, Warwick, RI; 7. Tommy Shea, Sr., New London, CT; 8. Dwayne Dorr, Ledyard, CT; 9. Chris Myer, North Franklin, CT; 10. Scott Young, Willimantic, CT.
Sources: Theresa Condict/Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park PR