Coby Starts Title Defense with Icebreaker Win at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park; Preece Wins Sunoco Modified Feature Using Late Race Pass
Thompson, CT — A full house of fans was on hand to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park for Icebreaker weekend, and the racing couldn’t have been better. Doug Coby swept the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour action by winning the pole and backing it up with a dominating win in the Icebreaker 150. Celebrating victories in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series were Ryan Preece in the Sunoco Modified Series, Marc Curtis in the Late Model division, Scott Sundeen in the Limited Sportsman, and Eric Bourgeois in the Mini Stocks. Other winners included Dillon Moltz in the Granite State Pro Stock Series and Scott Quinn in the Vintage Outlaws.
Returning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Doug Coby earned another notch in his belt when he earned his 11thcareer victory – his second at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and his first ever win in the Icebreaker.
Coby, who also set fast time in qualifying the day before, took the early lead and proved from the start he was going to be the man to beat. A few early race cautions stopped him from pulling out to a commanding lead, but after a lap 36 restart, that’s exactly what he did.
Not even a red flag could stop him. Once racing resumed, Coby was back out to a ten car length lead over Bobby Santos and Ted Christopher.
A round of pit stops shook things up a bit putting Ron Silk in the lead, but Coby jumped six spots on the restart to run fourth before caution flew at lap 84 for Troy Talman. On the lap 90 restart, Coby moved into second behind Silk and then a caution tightened him up for a double file restart.
Coby reclaimed the lead on lap 100 when he went by Silk in turn three. Ryan Preece and Silk took tires under caution in hopes to give themselves a shot at Coby up front. Timmy Solomito moved into the second spot on a restart at lap 118 putting him side-by-side with Coby for a restart at lap 122. Coby jumped right back out to the front with Santos taking over the second spot.
Coby pulled away to a significant lead before caution was out again at lap 135. Coby handled the restart as well as he had any other, but this time it was Pitkat who took over the second spot. On the final lap, a five car tangle in turn four resulted in Coby taking the checkers under caution.
Ryan Preece used a late-race pass to slingshot past Keith Rocco on lap 69 and drive on to the victory in the Sunoco Modified 75 lap race Sunday afternoon. It was a battle right down to the wire in a race that was plagued by 12 caution periods.
“We found something there on the bottom of the track,” said Preece about his pass for the lead.
Kerry Malone jumped to the front at the start of the feature, but contact in the rear of the field brought the race under caution before the field reached turn two. Malone held off Woody Pitkat in turn one to hold on to the lead when the green flag dropped once again. Pitkat and Preece rounded out the top-three and the front trio were all nose-to-tail.
Caution flew for a spun car on lap 10, but did not slow the pace of Malone who drove right back out front. Pitkat missed a shift on the restart and allowed Preece to move up to second followed by Shawn Thibeault. It wasn’t long, however, before caution was out again for a three-car wreck in turn four.
Preece won the race into turn one, but went high in turn two and allowed Malone to drive back out front. The carnage wasn’t over as a battle between Thibeault and Timothy Jordan resulted in the two in the outside retaining wall in turn three.
Preece and Malone went into turn one side-by-side but it was Preece who won the battle and came out the leader out of turn two, but the fifth caution was flown when a car spun into the infield grass on the front stretch. Preece claimed the lead on the restart, but it was Keith Rocco who took over the second position.
Cautions continued to plague the event making it difficult for any driver to make progress, but Rocco was able to do just that on a lap 15 restart when he took over the lead from Preece coming out of turn two. Preece attached himself to Rocco’s bumper and the duo pulled away from the rest of the field.
Rocco and Preece picked up right where they left off after a brief cleanup for an accident on the front stretch. Rocco remained the leader through a few more caution periods before a long green flag run finally developed. Thirty laps into the race, Rocco led Preece, Pitkat, Malone, and Nick Ladyga.
Rocco got a little breathing room at lap 45 when Preece fell back a car length, but it was only temporary as Preece was right back on his bumper by lap 50. Pitkat, meanwhile, was ten car lengths behind in third. The field strung out single file as the longest run of the day ticked off the laps and once again allowed Rocco to get a little breathing room from the determined Preece.
The race took a dramatic turn on lap 69 when Preece, who had patiently been riding behind Rocco all day, shot around for the lead. Rocco tried to reclaim it, but failed in his attempts. Preece drove on for the win.
Marc Curtis earned a convincing victory in the 25-lap Late Model feature event Sunday afternoon after taking the lead from Chris Curtis in an early-race restart and never looking back.
Chris Curtis took the early lead with Marc Curtis taking over second from Chad LaBastie before caution slowed the pace on lap two. Chris Curtis, however, was the man out front on the restart with Marc Curtis giving him a run for his money. Both Curtis’ were battling side-by-side when a three-car wreck in turn two brought out the second caution on lap three.
Marc Curtis drove to the point on the restart with Chris Curtis in tow. Eddie LeClerc rounded out the top three. Caution slowed the pace briefly, but Marc Curtis was able to return to the front of the pack as LeClerc gave Chris Curtis a challenge for the second spot. Rick Gentes got into the mix as he drove around LeClerc for the third position. Gentes continued his progression by taking over the second spot on a restart at lap 11 as Marc Curtis continued to dominate out front.
The cars strung out as Curtis continued to dominate, but the field jostled for position in the closing laps as they battled for the second spot. Curtis cruised to the checkered flag and it was Gentes, Chris Curtis, and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. rounding out the top-four.
Patience paid off for Dillon Moltz, who checkered the first event of the season for the Granite State Pro Stock Series at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Moltz took the lead halfway through the race when Todd Stone, who had led every previous lap, wrecked in turn two.
Stone led the field at the drop of the green flag, and despite a caution flag at lap five, continued to show the way around after the restart. Mike O’Sullivan, Brad Babb, Dillon Moltz, and Larry Gelinas rounded out the top-five.
As Stone pulled away to a comfortable lead, Babb drove around O’Sullivan to take over the second spot on lap 10. By lap 15, Babb was on Stone’s bumper and putting himself in position to challenge. Babb looked to the low groove, but couldn’t get a run on him before caution flew at lap 18.
Stone commanded the restart with Babb putting the pressure on in second. Coming across the line with 21 laps complete, Babb made a challenge on the outside and the two made contact. Stone spun out of control and drove into the turn two wall hard.
Moltz inherited the lead for the restart, but proved he belonged there when he pulled away by five car lengths over Derek Griffith. Reid Lanpher rounded out the top three. Moltz was unstoppable, but Gelinas was on the move. On lap 32, he took over third and set his sights on closing up the distance to the leaders.
The long green flag run allowed Moltz to extend his lead lap after lap, and cruise on to the victory.
Nothing could stop returning champion Scott Sundeen from getting to victory lane in the Limited Sportsman feature. Sundeen held off Moose Douton in a green-white-checker finish to claim his first win of the season, and begin a bid for a series title repeat.
“I took them down into turn one and here I am,” said Sundeen from victory lane about the last restart.
Sundeen wasted no time driving to the front at the drop of the green flag with Corey Hutchings and Moose Douton battling it out for second behind him. Hutchings used the outside groove to hold off Douton, who soon had his hands full with Larry Barnett. Douton and Barnett drove by Hutchings and the top five – Sundeen, Douton, Barnett, Josh Wood, and Ryan Waterman – pulled away from the rest of the field.
Sundeen’ s car was hooked up as he commanded the race leading a five-car freight train around the 5/8th’s mile oval. On lap 14, Waterman decided to drop down to the bottom and made a run for the fourth spot on Wood. Coming out of turn four, Waterman took the position and set his sights on Barnett, who was in third.
All eyes shifted back to Waterman, who now had to contend with Wood. Wood went low to challenge and made contact in turn three getting Waterman loose in the corner. The two collided coming out of turn four spun across the front stretch. Wood had extensive damage to his machine, but Waterman was able to continue on in the race.
Sundeen led the field into turn one with Douton on his bumper. Matt Lowinski-Loh challenged Douton, however, and took over the second position before the checkers flew for Sundeen.
Scott Michalski was awarded the Mini Stock win Sunday afternoon after Eric Bourgeois was disqualified from the win in post-race inspection. In the final laps of the event, Michalski was pressuring Bourgeois for the win, but fell short before the checkered flag flew.
Bourgeois jumped to the early lead with Nick Anderson hot on his tail. The duo pulled away from Scott Michalski, who was leading a pack of cars in third. The field strung out single file as a long green flag run ensued, but caution slowed the pace at lap seven.
It was the same cast of characters – Bourgeois, Anderson and Michalski – out front when racing resumed, but this time with a lot less breathing room between them. Michalski maneuvered around Anderson for the second spot on lap 10, but Bourgeois had gained some momentum and put ten car lengths of breathing room between them.
Caution flew at lap 12 and tightened the field back up once again, but there was nothing that could stop Bourgeois, who easily drove right back out front. Michalski was closing in, but a slow car on the backstretch at lap 13, slowed the pace yet again.
Bourgeois and Michalski went into turn one banging doors, but it was Bourgeois who emerged the leader. Michalski made another attempt for a run on Bourgeois before the checkered flag fell, but couldn’t make it stick to the bottom.
Bourgeois was disqualified in post-race inspection and the win was awarded to Michalski.
Scott Quinn swept the Vintage Outlaws on Icebreaker weekend with a second victory in as many days. Quinn used a restart to take the lead and eventual win in the 15-lap affair that kicked off Sunday’s Icebreaker action. Quinn also won in a 15-lap feature on Saturday.
Bill Cummins took the early lead and stayed out front unchallenged for the first three laps, but Paul LaPlante, Sr. claimed it in commanding style on lap four. Yesterday’s winner, Scott Quinn, was coming up fast and took over the second position before caution flew on lap seven. Joe Baxter rounded out the top-three for the restart.
Quinn got a slight advantage using the outside groove heading into turn one and pulled comfortably into the lead heading into turn three on the restart. LaPlante wasn’t giving up that easily, however, and drove back out front in turn two on the following circuit. Quinn came back with another challenge and reclaimed the lead as they crossed the line with nine laps complete.
Quinn, LaPlante, and Baxter pulled away from the rest of the field as they laid it all out on the line over the next several laps, but Quinn was the man in control and pulled away to a ten car length advantage. The long green flag run was just what he needed, and Quinn drove to the checkered flag unchallenged.
VINTAGE OUTLAW FEATURE FINISH (Top-4): 1. Scott Quinn; 2. Paul LaPlante, Sr., No. Attleboro, MA; 3. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 4. Bill Cummins, Clinton, MA.
MONSTER MINI STOCK FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 2. Dave Trudeau, Mansfield, CT. 3. Ed Field, Deep River, CT; 4. Louie Bellisle, Lisbon, CT; 5. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 6. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 7. Larry Loomis, Jr., Moosup, CT; 8. Mike Viens, Putnam, CT; 9. Steve Michalski, Brooklyn, CT; 10. Keith Ballou, Pascoag, RI.
LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Scott Sundeen, Sutton, MA; 2. Matt Lowinski-Loh, Milford, MA; 3. Moose Douton, Waterford, CT; 4. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 5. Dwayne Door, Waterford, CT; 6. Mike Malbaurn, Sterling, CT; 7. Jack Aquilina, Oakdale, CT; 8. Tommy Shea, New London, CT; 9. Mike Palin, Dudley, MA; 10. Brandon Fisher, Plainfield, CT.
GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Dillon Moltz, Waterford, CT; 2. Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH; 3. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 4. Reid Lanpher, Manchester, ME; 5. Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA; 6. Brad Babb, Windham, ME; 7. Josh King, Vernon, VT; 8. Cory Robert, Canaan, NH; 9. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 10. Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT.
SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 2. Keith Rocco, Berlin, CT; 3. Woody Pitkat, Sturbridge, MA; 4. Bert Marvin, Colchester, CT; 5. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 6. Brandon Dion, Taunton, MA; 7. Adam Norton, Ludlow, MA; 8. John Studley, Framingham, MA; 9. Jason Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 10. Nick Ladyga, Voluntown, CT.
LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Marc Curtis, Spencer, MA; 2. Rick Gentes, Burrillville, RI; 3. Chris Curtis, Rutland, MA; 4. Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dover, NH; 5. Jeff Smith, Old Lyme, CT; 6. Eddie LeClerc, Taunton, MA; 7. Keith Rocco, Berlin, CT; 8. Brian Tagg, Oxford, MA; 9. William Wall, Shrewsbury, MA; 10. Les Rose, Jr., Southbridge, MA.
NASCAR WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR FEATURE FINISH: 1. Doug Coby, Milford, CT; 2. Woody Pitkat, Sturbridge, MA; 3. Bobby Santos, Franklin, MA; 4. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 5. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 6. Timmy Solomito, Islip, NY; 7. Eric Goodale, Riverhead, NY; 8. Donny Lia, Jericho, NY; 9. Ron Silk, Norwalk, CT; 10. Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, CT; 11. Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, NY; 12. Spencer Davis, Dawsonville, GA; 13. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA; 14. Tom Rogers, Jr., Patchogue, NY; 15. Derek Ramstrom, West Boylston, MA; 16. Jamie Tomaino, Howell, NJ; 17. Chase Dowling, Roxbury, CT; 18. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, MA; 19. Tommy Barrett, Jr., Millis, MA; 20. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA; 21. David Sapienza, Riverhead, NY; 22. Jeff Goodale, Riverhead, NY; 23. Gary McDonald, Ronkonkoma, NY; 24. Dave Salzarulo, Monson, MA; 25. Brandon Oltra, Alden, PA; 26. Anthony Nocella, Woburn, MA; 27. Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, NY; 28. Corey LaJoie, Concord, NC; 29. Melissa Fifield, Wakefield, NH; 30. Ken Heagy, Calverton, NY; 31. Max Zachem, Preston, CT; 32. Shawn Solomito, Islip, NY; 33. Steve Masse, Bellingham, MA; 34. Johnny Bush, Huntington Station, NY; 35. Danny Watts, Jr., Riverhead, NY.
Sources: Theresa Condict/Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park PR