PITKAT LOOKING TO FINISH THE SEASON STRONG AT THOMPSON SPEEDWAY
By: Kyle Souza, for Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
THOMPSON, Conn. – The start to the 2018 season hasn’t gone exactly how Woody Pitkat had planned in the Sunoco Modified division at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
In the first three races, Pitkat had one second-place finish, but finished 11th and 17th in the other two races, and also left the track with a wrecked modified. Last week, as part of the Throwback 100 for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East night at Thompson, Pitkat was able to rebound and finish third.
“I think we’ve found more speed than we ever had with the car, but we’ve had no luck. The first race we got put in the infield, the second race we finished second, and then in the third one we didn’t transfer through the heat race and we got caught in another wreck,” Pitkat said.
Pitkat, the rest of his competitors, and the fans that watched Keith Rocco win the first three Sunoco Modified races of the season know that Rocco has been at the top of his game. Ryan Preece was the first one to knock Rocco off the top this past Saturday, and Pitkat will be hoping to add his name to the list of winners next.
“I kind of thought maybe that night I finished second to him I had something for him, but he’s definitely on his game right now, for sure,” Pitkat said of Rocco. “I think we are getting closer, but right now, he has definitely set the bar pretty high.”
Even though the Sunoco Modified hadn’t gone exactly as planned, the Late Model division was going better for Pitkat. He put together some solid finishes in the first three races, and finished ninth last Saturday night. He currently sits fifth in the championship standings, 24 points from the top, in striking distance.
“We’ve a little bit more luck with the Late Model, we really might be leading if we didn’t get spun out (earlier in the season), but you can’t look at what has happened behind me, we have to look forward,” Pitkat said.
The opportunity to compete in the Late Model ranks gives Pikat a chance to relax a little bit. Although that may sound strange that Pitkat could relax in a race car on the high-banks at the speeds he is going, compared to what he does in the Sunoco Modifieds and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, it provides him with a breath of fresh air.
“That’s what I always liked, when I was running Late Models over at Stafford, it reminded me of running my four wheeler was I younger,” Pitkat said. “It’s a little bit less stressful, and I have a really good team behind me that gives me what I need. I have no pressure doing it, I can just go out there and have fun.”
With just seven races on the schedule this season, Pitkat has enjoyed the chance to spend some time at home with his family during the summer.
“Right now, with my life, my wife, and with the kids, it works good for me,” he said.
Pitkat, the Sunoco Modifieds and the Late Models, will all return to action on Wednesday, August 8, when the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to town for the 29th annual Bud “King of Beers” 150.
For more information on Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, visit www.thompsonspeedway.com, and follow the track via social media.
