New Perspective for Solomito at Icebreaker

Defending Winner Already has ’17 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Victory Heading to Thompson

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 5, 2017) — Weather may have delayed the Icebreaker a week, but it hasn’t slowed Timmy Solomito’s momentum.

Heading to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, he has firmly positioned himself as the driver to beat Sunday. The Islip, N.Y. driver captured the victory in the season-opening race at Myrtle Beach Speedway on March 18 and is heading to Thompson as the defending Icebreaker winner.

Last year, he wheeled the No. 16 Flamingo Motorsports entry into Victory Lane for his first career series win. The victory began what was a breakout season for the 25-year-old driver, including four checkered flags.

“Winning at the Icebreaker last season was unbelievable,” Solomito said. “If you just think back about the history of Thompson itself and the Icebreaker, it’s just an awesome feeling. It’s by far my favorite win that I’ve had so far on the tour.”

Solomito followed his Thompson win with victories on a trio of bullrings: his home track of New York’s Riverhead Raceway, Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire, and Massachusett’s Seekonk Speedway. He pointed to that first win as the catalyst that helped him close the deal on the subsequent victories.

Inclement weather postponed the Icebreaker last weekend. Thompson’s card for the 43rd annual Icebreaker weekend will include 11 divisions of racing. For the first time since 1988, the teams of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will hold their second race of the 2017 season on the .625-mile high-banked oval.

Teams will be fighting to get a grip on the surface because they will hit Thompson three more times before the season ends, including for the finale. As Solomito mentions, a victory at the beginning of the season can help gain momentum.

“Winning the Icebreaker really got everything off in the right direction for us last year,” said Solomito, who finished a career-best third in the final 2016 championship standings. “It’s always nice to get a win early in the season. I feel like it helped our momentum and really got us rolling.”

At Myrtle Beach, Solomito charged to the front late in the race and held off Coors Light Pole Award winner Rob Summers in the final laps to take down the checkered flag. As the winner of the first unified Whelen Modified Tour main event on the half-mile oval in South Carolina, Solomito is confident heading back to New England behind the wheel of his No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford.

“I think we have a good shot at being in the thick of things at the end of it,” Solomito said. “As long as all the pieces come together, I know the team will give me a great car to hopefully put it where we need to be in the closing laps.”

Solomito and the rest of his top challengers will hit the high-banks for the Icebreaker 150 on Sunday, just after 3:30 p.m. Fans can watch live on FansChoice.tv or catch live updates on NASCARHomeTracks.com Race Central Live.

RACE CENTRAL LIVE: EVENT SCHEDULE & ENTRY LIST

Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR IMC

NWMT Thompson 4/9/17 Schedule
Whelen Modified Tour
COMPLETE SCHEDULE: WITH NWAAS RACES (PDF)
DATE TIME EVENT
Saturday, April 8 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Registration open.
11:30 a.m. Haulers enter.
12:15 p.m. Crew Chief Meeting. (Garage Classroom)
To follow Random draw. (Garage Classroom)
12:30 p.m. Garage opens.
12:45 p.m. Inspection begins. Tire Impound opens.
1:30 p.m. Rookie Driver/Spotter Meeting. (Garage Classroom)
2:30 p.m. Deadline to Designate Tires.
2:50 p.m. Release Change Tires from Impound.
3-3:45 p.m. Practice.
3:45 p.m. Qualifying order determined from practice speeds.
4:10 to 4:55 p.m. Final Practice.
5:05 p.m. Deadline to Return Change Tires to Impound.
6 p.m. Garage closes.
Sunday, April 9 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Registration open.
8:30 a.m. Garage opens.
9:00 a.m. Tire Impound opens.
10:15 a.m. Push cars to track for autograph session.
11:00 to 11:50 a.m. Driver Autograph Session.
12:00 p.m. Drive cars back to garage area.
12:30 p.m. Release Qualifying Tires from Impound.
1:15 p.m. Driver/Crew Chief Meeting. (Garage Classroom)
1:45 p.m. Qualifying Inspection begins. (Grouped by qualifying order.)
2:45 p.m. Qualifying. (2 Laps.) (Fastest 30 cars earn starting positions 1st through 30th.) ‘Impound’
3:45 p.m. approx. ICEBREAKER 150

NWMT Thompson 4/9/17 Entry List
Whelen Modified Tour
Series: Whelen Modified Tour
PRINTABLE FORMAT (PDF)
CAR DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM OWNER CREW CHIEF
1 Melissa Fifield, Wakefield, N.H. Eastern Propane & Oil Chevrolet Kenneth Fifield Glen Billings
2 Doug Coby, Milford, Conn. Mayhew Tools Chevrolet Mike Smeriglio III Phil Moran
3 Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet Jan Boehler Greg Fournier
6 Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn. TS Hauler Chevrolet Ed Partridge Jeff Preece
7 Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, N.Y. Buffalo Auto Auction/Emerling Ford Chevrolet Jennifer Emerling Jan Leaty
9 Brad Vanhouten, Riverhead, N.Y.* Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet Jeff Goodale William Renton Jr.
11 Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H. LFR Chassis Chevrolet Eddie Harvey Justin Link
15 Chase Dowling, Roxbury, Conn. 15-40 Connection Chevrolet Rob Fuller Steve Garrepy
16 Timmy Solomito, Islip, N.Y. Starret Racing Ford Eric Sanderson Stanley Szaban
17 Kyle Ellwood, Riverhead, N.Y. FirstData.com/Clover Chevrolet John Ellwood Jarod Zeltmann
20 Max Zachem, Preston, Conn. MPZ Motorsports/Lu-Macs Chevrolet Ken Zachem Steve Lemay
23 Troy Talman, Oxford, Mass. Vets On Track Foundation Chevrolet Jason Sechrist Jason Sechrist
24 Andrew Krause, Holmdel, N.J. Supreme MFG Co. Chevrolet Clifford Krause John Cooke
26 Gary McDonald, Ronkonkoma, N.Y. TBD Chevrolet Sean McDonald Chad McDonald
29 Brendon Bock, Franklin Square, N.Y. Meadow Brock-Collision Chevrolet George Bock Glenn Dixon
33 Wade Cole, Hartland, Conn. Performance Engines/Kendal Oil Ford Wade Cole Jake Marosz
36 Dave Sapienza, Riverhead, N.Y. Sapienza Enterprise Chevrolet Judy Thilberg Tommy Grasso
38 Gary Byington, Unionville, Conn.* Performance Engines/Kendall Oil Chevrolet Linda Rodenbaugh Robert Bourne
39 Calvin Carroll, Newton, N.J.* Power With Prestige/Cruising With Betty Chevrolet Joe Carroll Joe Carroll
44 Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass. Tinio Cor/Worldband Chevrolet Sully Tinio Bob Santos
46 Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn. Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet Russell Goodale Doug Ogiejko
51 Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, N.Y. Phoenix Communications Chevrolet Kenneth Massa Danny Laferriere
56 Craig Lutz, Miller Place, N.Y. TBD Toyota Renee Lutz Eric Lutz
58 Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y. GAF Chevrolet Edgar Goodale Jason Shephard
64 Rob Summers, Manchester, Conn. Hoosier Tire East/Fastrock Electric/Hughes Motors Chevrolet Mike Murphy Ron Yuhas Jr.
75 Shawn Solomito, Islip, N.Y. Eastport Feeds Chevrolet Wayne Anderson Jerry Solomito
76 Jimmy Blewett, Howell, N.J. John Blewett Inc./TS Haulers/Starrett Tools Chevrolet Jimmy Blewett Robert Ormsbee
78 Walter Sutcliffe Jr., East Haven, Conn.* Last Minute Racing Chevrolet Steven Sutclitte Kevin Anderson
82 Ron Silk, Norwalk, Conn. Horton Ave. Materials Chevrolet Danny Watts Jr TBA
85 Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, Conn. Montanari Fuel/Stuarts Automotive/J&R Pre-Cast Chevrolet Robert Katon Don Barker
89 Matt Swanson, Acton, Mass. Starrett Tools Ford John Swanson Ken Barry
97 Bryan Dauzat, Alexandria, La. O.B. Builders Inc. Chevrolet Bryan Dauzat Todd Cooper
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate

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