Payson & Galuardi to Defend Icebreaker, Road Race Style Championships
2015 & 2016 Champions Returning to Season-Opening Sports Car Race
THOMPSON, CT – Going into its third season, the Third Annual Icebreaker, Road Race Style (IBRRS) will be coming to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) tomorrow, April 22. As part of this event, two defending champions are entered, who will be putting their past success to the test against some familiar faces and some new competition.
Payson was the 2015 Icebreaker, Road Race Style STL Class Champion, picking up the win in his No. 95 Hoosier Racing Tire/MAZDA/Rigoli.com- sponsored Miata during the inaugural event in 2015. When asked about his victory, Payson said, “It was a good race – a lot of fun. I was surprised because I was out there having a good time and then all of a sudden I got a huge trophy. Nobody said anything, so it was unexpected but enjoyable.”
This year, Payson will be racing in the T4 Class (Touring 4 SCCA) in the same car. When asked about his strategy and adjustments for this year, he responded “A little luck and conditioning. I have been racing for over 48 years. Being a former SCCA National Champion and a Pro champion, I have a good idea what to do with a lot of races under my belt. The car is a good car for the track and recently we put in new shocks so we will see what happens and make adjustments if things go wrong.”
Nicholas Galuardi won the 2016 Icebreaker, Road Race Style in the class. Driving his No. 05 Formula V Volkswagen Beetle, Galuardi paced both the qualifying and feature races, in route to his victory over Thompson resident, Walter Popiak. When asked what it would take to visit Victory Lane again in 2017, the Queensbury, NY-native was concise: “Consistency and making the fewest mistakes, ensuring everything is tightened properly and enjoy the track and competitiveness of the drivers.”
Both of these drivers will lead an entry list of over 50 other drivers into the Third Icebreaker, Road Race Style, scheduled for Saturday, April 22. The paddock opens at 7 am, an on-track activity begins at 9 am. For a full schedule or for more information regarding the event, please visit thompsonspeedway.com.
Sources: Jeffrey Price/Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park PR
Photo Credits: Getty Images