Christopher & Ceravolo Winners in Mod 50s; Bessette, O’Sullivan, Sundeen, Sullivan & Taylor Earn Victories
Thompson, CT — A strong crowd filed into the Thompson International Speedway for a Thursday night jam-packed with NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action. In a twin bill for the Sunoco Modifieds, Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, and Todd Ceravolo of Gales Ferry, CT, each scored victories in the 50-lappers. George Bessette of Danbury, CT, broke into victory lane for his first of the season in the Super Late Models.
Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, made it look easy with his victory in the Late Models. Scott Sundeen of Douglas, MA, earned his second of the season in the Limited Sportsman division while Brian Sullivan of S. Windsor, CT, took down his fourth TIS Modified win of the season. Tim Taylor of Wauregan, CT, continued his domination of the Mini Stock division with his sixth win of the 2009 season.
Ted Christopher of Plainville, CT, was the first to cross under the checkers to score the victory in the opener for the Sunoco Modifieds. The veteran took it all in stride and even with a little humor when he was greeted with a barrage of boos in victory lane.
[Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
After a failed attempt at a start, Rowan Pennink grabbed the lead on the opening lap but immediately felt the pressure from Jimmy Blewett. Point leader Woody Pitkat stalled on a restart on lap 6, after a caution for Andy Gaspar, to bring out the events second caution. Pitkat was able to rejoin the tail end of the field.
Blewett was the new leader to complete lap six. The second spot was being hotly contested by Pennink, Danny Cates, Ted Christopher, and Keith Rocco. The top ten ran nose to tail. Rocco had made his way into the second spot by lap 10. The best battle was for the third spot between Pennink, Malone, Christopher and Cates. Tim Sullivan had joined the mix as well. On lap 13, Rocco began to look low on Blewett. Things settled down with Pennink in third followed by Malone, Christopher, and Cates.
On lap 16 the caution flew when the #47 of Carl Oberg came to rest against the outside wall in turn three. The restart shuffled the running order slightly but not for Blewett and Rocco. A melee on the backstretch that involved Andrew Charron, Wayne Arute, Andrew Dzenkowski, Frank Hirt III, and Andy Gaspar slowed the action.
Pennink found some running room in the outside lane motoring back into the second spot on the restart. Malone followed through into third ahead of Rocco. A spin by Harry Rheaume slowed the action once again. Blewett was shuffled back after the restart. Pennink held the top spot momentarily before giving way to Malone. The top three positions were now occupied by Malone, Christopher, and Pennink. Cates was back on the charge; moving into the third spot at halfway.
Back up front, Christopher got up along side Malone. Christopher put his #00 in the top spot just after halfway. Pitkat entered the mix joining the battle for the fourth position with the likes of Pennink and Rocco. Rocco passed Pennink and into fourth. During a long green flag run, Christopher and Malone were able to edge away from Cates in third.
The caution flew on lap 35 when Eric Goodale lost a motor spinning in his own fluid. Under the caution Pitkat and Pennink both hit pit road for service. Christopher resumed his place at the head of the pack once back under green. Cates slipped back on the restart allowing the top three of Christopher, Malone and Rocco to break away. Rocco was looking racy in second. With ten laps remaining Pitkat had worked his way into the fifth spot. Blewett ran in sixth.
In the closing stages the top three ran nose to tail with a half straightaway advantage over Cates, who enjoyed a comfortable advantage over Pitkat. On the final two laps the top three began to jockey for position. Malone peaked low on Christopher, who had to settle for second. Rocco pushed Malone underneath the white flag. Christopher was able to take down the win narrowly over Malone, Rocco, Cates, and Pitkat.
Through the generosity of Independent Truck Service of Shrewsbury, MA, who put up an extra $2,000 up on Thursday night, five drivers, who were randomly selected by a drawing of finishing positions before the start of the race, received a $200 bonus after their performance in the opening event. Danny Cates, Glenn Griswold, Jodi Johnson, Todd Ceravolo and Andrew Dzenkowski were each beneficiaries of the bonus.
Todd Ceravolo completely turned his night around going from a DNF in the opener to the winner of the night capper for the Sunoco Modifieds. Pennink once again brought the field to the green flag. Right away he had his hands full with Malone and Ceravolo. Christopher was making his way toward the front from deeper in the pack as Rocco was motoring into the lead.
Rocco edged out to a three-car length advantage over a heated battle for second between Pennink and Ceravolo. Christopher had passed Malone for fourth and immediately reeled in the battle for second. It quickly became a three car battle for the position. Ceravolo got underneath Pennink on lap 16 to move into second. Christopher followed suit putting Pennink back to fourth. Rocco continued to lead but Ceravolo looked to be catching him as they entered lapped traffic.
With the crossed flags in the air at the flag stand, Ceravolo made a slingshot move entering turn three to take the lead away. At halfway, Ceravolo led Rocco, Christopher, Pennink, in a distant fourth, Malone, Danny Cates, Pitkat, Tim Sullivan, Jimmy Blewett, and Harry Rheaume inside the top ten.
Ceravolo began to build an advantage over an emerging battle between Rocco and Christopher. Christopher dove low on Rocco in turn two on lap 32 to gain the second position. Once free of Rocco, Christopher, little by little chopped into Ceravolo’s lead. The remainder of the top ten was strung out throughout the Speedway.
The final run to the checkers was smooth sailing for Ceravolo, who earned his first win of the season since Icebreaker Sunday back in April. Christopher capped off a great night with a runner-up finish. Rocco settled for a pair of third place finishes on the night. Pennink and Sullivan completed the top five.
Ceravolo once again received one of the Independent Truck Services bonuses for his efforts in the second feature. Woody Pitkat, Harry Rheaume, Carl Oberg, and Eric Goodale each also received a $200 bonus.
George Bessette made quick work of the early leader Jay Macedonio to take over the top spot. Bessette immediately began to stretch his lead. Rick Fuller had maneuvered his way into the second position but could not bite into Bessette’s lead.
Mike O’Sullivan picked his way through traffic and into the third position. It was not an easy ride to the front as the right read fender was flapping in the breeze. Officials deemed the car safe for competition. Jeff Connors ran alone in third. Mired deeper in the pack the likes of Norm Wrenn, Derek Ramstrom worked tirelessly to make tracks to the front. The duo of Wrenn and Ramstrom caught Connors making it a three-car battle for the fourth spot.
The first caution of the event flew with only five laps remaining when Dave Silvia lost the handle making hard contact with the inside retaining wall. The caution erased the large lead that Bessette had amassed. Bessette was up for the challenge and immediately put some distance between himself and Fuller. The run was for naught as contact between Connors and Wrenn for the fourth caused Connors to spin and the caution to wave. Wrenn was penalized for the contact. Unphased by the caution, Bessette cruised out to the lead once again and ultimately to the checkers. Fuller settled for second over O’Sullivan, Ramstrom, and Macedonio.
Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, took the lead and would never be headed en route to his second win of the season. The early going featured a fierce battle between Mark Oliveira and O’Sullivan. After a side-by-side battle, O’Sullivan took over the top spot on lap five. A battle for the third position between John Materas and Corey Hutchings got too hot as Materas spun in turn four to bring out the caution. Hutchings was sent to the tail end of the field for his involvement in the incident.
The man on the move was on the restart was Rick Gentes, who made his way by Oliveira. Shortly after, Oliveira saw his strong run come to an end after brushing the wall in turn two on lap 12. After a stop on pit road under green, Oliveira was able to rejoin the field.
The best race on the track was for the third position between Jay Stuart and Jeff Zuidema. After a short battle, Zuidema moved by Stuart and into third. The final run to the checkers was uneventful with O’Sullivan cruising to the victory over his rival Rick Gentes. Zuidema, Stuart, and Wayne Coury, Jr. completed the top five.
Brian Sullivan of S. Windsor, CT, returned to victory lane in the TIS Modifieds. For the second week in a row John Studley looked like the man to beat but a late race pass denied him a victory yet again. Studley led from the drop of the green flag holding of the likes of Leo Oliveira and RJ Marcotte in the early going.
Oliveira and Marcotte, running second and third, tangled on lap eight to bring out one of several cautions in the event. Back under green, a handful of racers who had problems early, rebounded to become part of the action at the head of the pack. Glenn Boss, Sullivan and Cam McDermott had entered the top five. Studley got some breathing room when Richie Ferreira and Sullivan began to do battle.
Sullivan was able to take the away the runner-up spot on lap 15. He quickly reeled in Studley. A pass for the lead was negated by an incident that involved Oliveira. After two green flag laps, Sullivan was able to take the lead once again. Sullivan went on to claim the victory over Studley, McDermott, Boss and Bart Ramos.
Scott Sundeen of Douglas, MA, topped a strong field of Limited Sportsmen to score his second win of the season. Not since early in the season, has Sundeen visited victory lane in the Limited Sportsman division. The patriarch of the Douglas Racing family has been strong all year but has shut out of victory lane since May. The run was anything but easy as Sundeen had his hands full with a charging Larry Barnett. Barnett waited until late in the race but applied real pressure over the final laps of the race. Last week’s winner Chris “Moose” Douton crossed the line in third but was later disqualified in post race inspection. Paul Coutu, Jr., Jay Sundeen and Kevin Bowe completed the top five.
Tim Taylor of Wauregan, CT, ran to his sixth victory of the season in the Mini Stock main event. If anything could overshadow Taylor’s victory it may have been the run of his son Nate. The start of the event found point leader Brad Caddick in control. A restart early in the event proved to be his undoing as mechanical failure cost Caddick the top spot. The caution flew when Caddick came to rest in turn one. On the ensuing restart, Randy Churchill had inherited the lead. His teammate Taylor quickly asserted himself as the new leader. Churchill would not give up and dogged Taylor to the checkers. Scott Michalski finished third over Chuck Rogers and Jeff Moffat. Nate Taylor came home sixth after starting in the 23rd position. It was a proud night for the Taylor family.
The action returns to Thompson Speedway next Thursday night with the running of the Whelen Modified Tour. Complete details are available at thompsonspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway hotline at (860) 923-2280.
Sunoco Modified 50-Lap Feature Event #1 (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 2. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 3. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT, 4. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 5. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 6. Jimmy Blewett, Howell, NJ; 7. Tim Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 8.Rown Pennink, Huntingdon, PA; 9. David LaCroix, Fitchburg, MA; 10. Frank Hirt III, Danbury, CT.
Sunoco Modified 50-Lap Feature Event #2 (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Todd Ceravolo, Gales Ferry, CT; 2. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 3. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 4. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon, PA; 5. Tim Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 6. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 7. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 8. Jimmy Blewett, Howell, NJ; 9. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 10. Frank Hirt III, Danbury, CT.
Super Late Model Feature Event (Top Ten) Finish: 1. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 2. Rick Fuller, Auburn, MA; 3. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 4. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 5. Jay Macedonio, Somerset, MA; 6. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 7. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, RI; 8. Les Rose, Jr., Southbridge, MA; 9. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 10. Norm Wrenn, Nashua, NH.
Late Model Feature Event (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Tommy O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 2. Rick Gentes, Woonsocket, RI; 3. Jeff Zuidema, N. Brookfield, MA, 4. Jay Stuart, Preston, CT; 5. Wayne Coury, Sr., Milford, CT; 6. John Materas, Voluntown, CT; 7. Corey Hutchings, Salem, CT; 8. Jeff Hesselton, Auburn, MA; 9. Jeremy Sadowski, Voluntown, CT; 10. Damon Tinio, Mendon, MA.
Limited Sportsman Feature Event (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Scott Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 2. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 3. Paul Coutu, Jr., Thompson, CT; 4 Jay Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 5. Kevin Bowe, Pawtucket, RI; 6. Joe Campbell, Moosup, CT; 7. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, MA; 8. Joe Arena, Bristol, CT; 9. Gerald Sevigny, Brooklyn, CT, 10. Paul Palen, Pelham, NH.
TIS Modified Feature Event (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Brian Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 2. John Studley, Framingham, MA; 3. Cam McDermott, Scituate, RI; 4. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT; 5. Bart Ramos, Putnam, MA; 6. Jay Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 7. Leo Oliveira, Raynham, MA; 8. Jeff Barrow, Worcester, MA; 9. Denis Legere, N. Reading, MA; 10. Richie Ferreira, Raynham, MA.
Mini Stock 30-Lap Feature Event (Top Ten) Finish: 1. Tim Taylor, Wauregan, CT; 2. Randy Churchill, Niantic, CT; 3. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 4. Chuck Rogers, Quaker Hill, CT; 5. Jeff Moffat, Warwick, RI; 6. Nate Taylor, Wauregan, CT; 7. Leo Defevers, Brooklyn, CT; 8. Steven Michalski, Brooklyn, CT; 9. Billy Pomposelli, Chepachet, RI; 10. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI.
Souces: Dale Wolbrink/Thompson International Speedway PR