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Thompson, CT — The second annual Sunoco MODIFIED MANIA is on track for this coming weekend of September 8th & 9th. With 400 laps of Modified feature event racing, fans of these open wheel, super-fast racecars will get to see an entire weekend of nothing but their favorite kind of short track racing.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will lead the six-division MODIFIED MANIA race weekend. It will mark the fourth appearance of the Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson this year. Race winners James Civali (ICEBREAKER), Donny Lia (June 21st) and Todd Szegedy (Aug. 16th) will all be on hand along with all of the top competitors on this exciting touring series.
Norwich – Edwin F. Yerrington Sr., 78, of 31 Trading Cove Circle, passed away Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007, at his home. He was born Oct. 14, 1928, in Norwich, the…
Thompson, CT — It was a night of close finishes in the six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series on Thursday Night Thompson Thunder. Keith Rocco of Wallingford went the distance in the Sunoco Modified 50-lapper on Thursday night at Thompson International Speedway. Jeff Zuidema of N. Brookfield, MA made a long-anticipated return to Pro Stock victory lane while Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, scored his second Late Model feature win of the season. Scott Sundeen of Douglas, MA edged Larry Barnett for the Limited Sportsman victory. Roger Larson, Jr. won the TIS Modified feature in tech while Brad Caddick of New London won a barnburner in the Mini Stocks.
Keith Rocco gave his car owner Don Bannister the best birthday gift by winning the 50-lapper for the Sunoco Modifieds. Rocco who is in the hunt for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National championship bested his rival Woody Pitkat to score the victory. Steve Masse jumped out from his front row starting spot to lead the opening lap of the event but it did not take long for Todd Ceravolo to take over command. Woody Pitkat gave up the third spot to a charging Kerry Malone while Tommy Cravenho had his hands full with Rocco.
Stafford, CT — Woody Pitkat might someday win the Daytona 500. He could end up being a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion someday. Maybe he’ll visit victory lane at New…
Thompson, CT — The second edition of MODIFIED MANIA will return to the Thompson International Speedway the weekend of September 8 & 9. Fans of Modified racing are getting excited over this unique race weekend when almost every kind of asphalt Modified imaginable will be in competition. Six distinct Modified divisions will participate in this two-day race program which has been called an “open house for open wheels.”
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return for its fourth appearance of the year. The NASCAR “Tour” will be joined by the True Value Modifieds, the R.O.C. Modifieds, the Pro Four Modifieds and Thompson’s own Sunoco and T. I. S. Modifieds.
Thompson, CT — In difficult times, sometimes the best way to cope is to get back to normal, the “new” normal. The new normal at Thompson International Speedway is a Sunoco Modified event without standout John Blewett III. Last week, Blewett of Howell, NJ, lost his life at the Speedway after being involved in an incident during the Whelen Modified Tour main event.
The management, fans, friends, and family joined the racing community in mourning the tragic loss of such a talented driver and loyal friend. On Thursday Night, the Thompson International Speedway hosted a moving tribute to John Blewett III.
The T.S. Haulers team is in mourning in the wake of the tragic incident that took the life of their Sunoco Modified driver, John Blewett, III. The fact that this accident also involved the team’s Whelen Modified Tour driver, John’s brother Jimmy, makes this disastrous occurrence all the more devastating. The mishap took place at Thompson Speedway in Thompson, CT Thursday evening.
Team owners, Eddie and Connie Partridge said, “Our thoughts and our prayers are with the entire Blewett family, John’s girlfriend, Crystal and her entire family. We’ve considered all of the Blewett’s as part of our family since Jimmy first drove for us. It’s just so surreal that in a blink of an eye how the future of people’s lives change and how overwhelming this is to us.” The team has no comment of their future racing endeavors at this time.
Thompson, CT — A racing accident at the Thompson International Speedway has claimed the life of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver John Blewett, III of Howell, New Jersey. The accident occurred following a restart on lap 107 of a 150 lap event.
“Everyone at the Thompson Speedway is deeply saddened by this tragic accident. John Blewett, III was a driver who was admired and respected by the racing community and his loss will be felt for a long time to come. It is impossible to express our feelings in words. We do, however, extend our deepest sympathies to John’s family, friends and his many fans,” said track owner, Donald Hoenig.
Thompson, CT — The Whelen Modified Tour event was stopped at lap 107 on Thursday night after an incident that involved John Blewett of Howell, NJ. John was transported to Hubbard Regional Hospital in Webster, MA for further evaluation. At press time, no information was available on John’s condition. No decisions have been made regarding the remainder of the 150-lap event.
Earlier in the evening, Tommy Cravenho of Raynham, MA, withstood a number of cautions to score his first victory of the season. Fred Astle, Jr. of N. Westport, MA, continues to run strong in the Pro Stock division winning his second feature event in three weeks. Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI streaked to consecutive wins in the Late Model division. Ed Puleo of Branford was another first time winner on the season after taking down the victory in the Limited Sportsman Division. Roger Larson, Jr. of Milford, MA, and Rick Blanchard of Pascoag, RI, added to their win tallies in the TIS Modified and Mini Stock divisions respectively.
Thompson, CT — Donny Lia will lead the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour back to the Thompson International Speedway on Thursday, August 16th. Lia will tackle the BUDWEISER 150 presented by the New England Dodge dealers with the same determination that has gained him five wins in eight starts this season. Lia has enjoyed incredible success in one of NASCAR’s most competitive divisions.
However, Lia knows that the BUDWEISER 150 at Thompson will be anything but a walk in the park for his Mystic, CT based team. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is loaded with fast cars and very talented drivers and each one of them is looking to best Lia in this annual mid-week racing spectacle.
Thompson, CT — The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour swings into the Thompson International Speedway this Thursday night for the running of the annual BUDWEISER 150 presented by the New England Dodge Dealers. Traditionally, this is one of the most popular summer races in New England and fans are ready for another Modified Tour spectacular.
Last year’s winner, Ted Christopher, is hot off a recent win at the Stafford Motor Speedway and he will arrive at Thompson ready to defend his victory of last year. Christopher will be joined by the very best cars and drivers on the Whelen Modified Tour in what is bound to be another in a long line of great “Tour” races at the high-banked Thompson track.
Thompson, CT — The hot and steamy weather was equaled only by the action on the track at Thompson International Speedway on Thursday night. Bert Marvin of Waterford made a strong statement returning to competition in style by dominating the Sunoco Modified main event. Steve Michalski of Dayville won post-race tech to earn his first victory of the season in the Mini Stock 25-lapper. Fred Astle of N. Westport, MA, scored his long-awaited first win of the 2007 season. Mark Jenison of Danielson continues his impressive 2007 season with his fourth Late Model victory. Kurt Vigeant of Oxford was tops in the TIS Modified division while Ernie LaRose of Plainfield checkered the Limited Sportsman main.
After a one-week hiatus, Bert Marvin came back to Thompson with a vengeance. The veteran grabbed the lead early in the race and went on to dominate the 30-lap feature. On the opening lap, Kerry Malone dove to the inside of a side-by-side battle between pole sitter Dave Salzarulo and Josh Steeves to make it three-wide for the lead. Malone could not keep up his momentum and fell back to third. Marvin meanwhile appeared to be on rails, easily driving to the lead on lap three.
Thompson, CT — Each of the six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions provided its own brand of racing excitement during Thursday Night Thompson Thunder at the Thompson International Speedway on Thursday night. Jimmy “Showtime” Blewett of Howell, NJ, held off a stellar field of Sunoco Modified competitors to score his third win of the season. Dave Berghman of Seekonk, MA, led flag-to-flag in the Pro Stock 50-Lapper to score the popular victory. In other full-fendered action, Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, scored a dramatic win to earn what appears to be his fifth triumph of the 2007 season. At press time, the Late Model feature finish was unofficial pending further technical inspection. Joe Arena of Kensington took down top honors in the Limited Sportsman division. Roger Larson, Jr. of Milford, MA, and Mike Romano of Pascoag, RI, were victorious in the TIS Modifieds and Mini Stocks respectively.
Jimmy Blewett of Howell, NJ enjoyed a rollercoaster of a ride in the Sunoco Modified feature to take down his third win of the season. Dave Salzarulo and Steve Masse both took brief turns at the head of the pack before John Blewett muscled his way into the top spot over Masse. Contact between Jimmy Blewett and Salzarulo caused a chain reaction deeper in the top ten collecting strong competitors Kerry Malone, Todd Ceravolo, Tommy Cravenho, and Geoff Gernhard.
Thompson, CT — Heavy rains over the entire northeast forced the cancellation of the July 19th Thursday Night Thompson Thunder (TNTT) race program. Rains moved into the area just prior to the time racecars were scheduled to take to the track for practice sessions. A look at local weather radar showed a huge area of rain headed towards the speedway and that was enough to force the hands of track officials to cancel the evening’s races.
Fans will be glad to know that the 50-lap Pro Stock race scheduled for July 19th will be run as part of the full NASCAR Whelen All American Series race program next Thursday, July 26th.
Thompson, CT — Phase two of the pit road improvement at Thompson Int’l Speedway is in full swing. The design of the new and larger infield pit road was done during the winter months and a portion of the project was completed prior to the ICEBREAKER in April. The second phase includes extending and re-shaping of the exit in order to allow racecars a smoother and safer re-entry to the speedway following a pit stop.
The new pit road will be longer to accommodate more racecars and will exit onto the back straightaway of the historic 5/8ths mile oval. In addition to the construction and design of the road itself, considerable construction and re-construction of the concrete walls on both sides of pit road are also a major part of this improvement.
Thompson, CT — Following several weeks of negotiations, Thompson International Speedway and NASCAR have agreed on the dates for the major events to be run at the historic Connecticut oval for the 2001 racing season.
The season will open with the traditional two-day ICEBREAKER event on the weekend of March 31st and April 1st. The featured division will be theNASCAR Featherlite Modified Series. A full card of support divisions that make the ICEBREAKER the premier spring event in the northeast will join them.
Thompson, CT — Donald Hoenig, owner of the Thompson International Speedway, announced today that veteran NASCAR official Richard Brooks has been appointed Chief Steward for the speedway’s 2000 racing season. Brooks will operate under the direction of Operations Consultant Ben Dodge, Jr., assisted by Russ Dowd. Brooks’ first race will be the BUDWEISER KICK-OFF 2000 for the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series and six other NASCAR weekly divisions. This event is scheduled for the weekend of May 20th and 21st.
Brooks, of Waterford, CT, is the owner of Connecticut Auto Radiator. He started his racing career as a racecar owner in the 1960s. By the mid seventies, “Brooksie” had become involved in officiating races and served as a flagman at Thompson and many other speedways throughout the northeast. He remained in his position as Chief Starter at Thompson until 1997. In 1982, Ben Dodge, Jr., brought Brooks to Riverside Park Speedway as the Chief Starter. He was soon promoted to the post of Chief Steward during Riverside’s most successful years under the direction of Dodge. Brooks also serves as Director of Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida during Speed Weeks each February. He also serves as an official for the NASCAR Featherlite Modified and Busch North series. “Brooksie is well liked by the competitors and has an understanding of the NASCAR program, stated Dodge. Besides this, he understands Thompson and how we need things done. I have always enjoyed working with him,” Dodge concluded.
Thompson, CT — Thompson International Speedway is seeking several hundred brave men and women to compete in two huge demolition derby events this year.
The first event is slated for Sunday, May 28th of the Memorial Day weekend and the second will be part of a huge forth of July celebration on Sunday, July 2nd.
Thompson, CT — Jim McCallum of Fall River, Mass. took his second 100 lap Pro Stock race at The New Thompson Speedway on Sunday night. He was able to avoid the numerous wrecks and nine caution periods that whittled the original 37 starters down to 18 who were still running at the end of the Winston-Cumberland Farms 100 Presented by ABCO Refrigeration. Mike Camarra of Kingston, Mass. and Rusty Bryant of Weymouth, Mass. brought the hungry field of cars down for the green flag. But, by the seventh lap Camarra dropped back with Bryant inheriting the lead after two false starts. Bryant continued to lead the race through two more yellow flag caution periods and was being shadowed by McCallum.
On lap 47, McCallum was in the right spot when Bryant tangled with Fred Astle, Jr. another Fall River, Mass. driver which brought out the fifth yellow caution period of the race. At the half-way mark, 50 laps, Jim McCallum was in firm control of the race and was able to avoid further trouble in four more successive yellow caution periods. Roger Godin of Spencer, Mass. tried to stalk McCallum for the final 48 circuits but was never able to get a bead on the leader when the race was stopped for problems on the track four more times in the long event. Godin had to be satisfied with the runner-up spot while Rusty Bryant was able to salvage a third place after a quick trip to the pits for new tires and some body work. Chris Perley of Rowley, Mass., an infrequent competitor at The New Thompson Speedway came in fourth while Dick Houlihan of Berkley, Mass. rounded out the top five. Winner McCallum took home the lion’s share of the $17,000 purse, which was $3,500. “I was able to keep out of trouble and that’s what helped, said McCallum, a man of few words.
Thompson, CT — The second annual Sunoco MODIFIED MANIA is on track for this coming weekend of September 8th & 9th. With 400 laps of Modified feature event racing, fans of these open wheel, super-fast racecars will get to see an entire weekend of nothing but their favorite kind of short track racing. 
Thompson, CT — Heavy rains over the entire northeast forced the cancellation of the July 19th Thursday Night Thompson Thunder (TNTT) race program. Rains moved into the area just prior to the time racecars were scheduled to take to the track for practice sessions. A look at local weather radar showed a huge area of rain headed towards the speedway and that was enough to force the hands of track officials to cancel the evening’s races.