By Lou Modestino
Thompson Speedway’s track owner/promoter Don Hoenig was finally able to put together a plan to give his 5/8 mile oval track a unique program that would entice Modified fans from New England and New York State an excuse to come to his track and partake in a combination North/South NASCAR Modified Tours. It was an expensive ticket both through the front and back gates, so it had to be something special. Consider that the NASCAR Modified Tours alone carried purses and point monies of around $180,000 which justified the admission price. The three segments which included a 125 lap race for each regional tour and then at the very end of the program a 50 lap shoot-out with the top 12 from each touring series making the starting grid.
Had there been weather problems last weekend, Hoenig might have taken an expensive financial bath. But, Donald rolled the dice and he won this time. It was also a coup for NASCAR. Because Donald previously tried to take the weekend after Labor Day and turn it into something special. Like the Thompson 300, then triple 100 lappers for the Whelen Modified Tour, Race of Champions based in upper New York State and the Valente Modified Racing Series. Neither programs worked out and Hoenig didn’t run a version of the show in 2010. Based on what we saw on Sunday, though, the inaugural NASCAR North/South combo worked.
Prior to the event and the support divisions, Thompson Speedway’s midway was a beehive of activity. New Hampshire International Speedway sent down a team to give out 50% discount coupon’s for its upcoming Sylvania 300 NASCAR weekend at the Loudon, NH track. We also heard from an associate that NHIS folks were at the Star Speedway in Epping, NH giving out the same coupons. Star held its annual ISMA Super Modified Classic event that night.
Other displays on the midway included next month’s ISMA Super Modified race for Breast Cancer at Seekonk Speedway. Another display for the nearby Pomfret Speedway which hosts kart racing on a paved track plus souvenir and collectables trailers and lots of new cars and trucks from local dealers.
We also talked to the local Budweiser rep who sponsors the Bud 150 at Thompson Speedway every August. We asked how Bud was doing in the beer wars. He told us that the high end Mic and Bud brands were way off because the beer drinkers were “buying down”. That is drinking the cheaper brands. Although, the Busch brand was doing well and still holding it’s own. We’re not surprised given the 9.2 percent national unemployment average. Plus, the fact that things don’t look like they will improve on the jobs front anytime soon.
Anyway, here’s what transpired. Doug Coby put together an unforgettable Sunday drive at Thompson International Speedway.
The Milford, Conn., driver collected his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win in the Northern Thompson 150 and then backed it up by winning the non-points UNOH Showdown in a matchup of the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified tours.
Ted Christopher and James Civali finished second and third, respectively, in the UNOH Showdown.
The 50-lap “dash for cash” matched the top finishers from the two 125-lap events earlier in the day. George Brunnhoelzl III, who won the Southern Thompson 125, earlier in the day, finished fourth in the showdown. By virtue of their wins, Brunnhoelzl and Coby started on the front row for the showdown. Coby took the lead on Lap 1 and never looked back.
Eric Goodale was fifth, followed by Bobby Santos, Ryan Preece, Mike Stefanik, Justin Bosignore and Eddie Flemke.
Coby also dominated the Northern Modified 125. He was followed across the line by James Civali, Ryan Preece, Ted Christopher and Todd Szegedy. Coby’s other career win was at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway on April 30, 2006.
Tom Rogers Jr. was sixth, followed by Eric Goodale, Rowan Pennink, points leader Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore.
Brunnhoelzl took advantage of a late penalty to Steve Masse to grab the win in the Southern Thompson 125.
Masse, making his NASCAR touring series debut, took the lead on Lap 47 of the Southern Thompson 125 from two-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Donny Lia. However, on a Lap 119 restart, Masse was posted for jumping the restart. That handed the lead to Brunnhoelzl, who cruised to his third win of the season. The decision by NASCAR officials didn’t please some of the fans who gathered at the start/finish line to express their displeasure. The controversy centered on the fact that NASCAR failed to be consistent because the rule was violated in previous races and not enforced. But this time it appeared to be a case of “selective enforcement”. There was also considerable debate in the press box about this. Because of the inconsistency factor there was no clear cut answer or justification, in our opinion.
Burt Myers was second and Tim Brown third. Andy Seuss, Steve Park, Frank Fleming, Timmy Solomito, Lia, Thomas Stinson and Austin Pack rounded out the top 10. Masse, who did not heed the black flag, was scored with a 14th-place finish.
Brunnhoelzl leads Seuss by 134 points and John Smith by 162 with four races remaining.
The Whelen South Modified Tour drew about 10-12 entries that made the trek up from the Winston-Salem, NC area and the field was filled in by other drivers from the New England and the northeast. Among them were; Bert Myers, Tim Brown and Frank Fleming. All three drivers were featured in the reality TV series dubbed MADHOUSE and aired on the History Channel a few years back. The TV crew spent a lot of time at the Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC, one of NASCAR’s oldest sanctioned tracks. The realty show covered racing at the track, in the drivers homes with their families as well as in their race shops. We ran into Fleming and he had this to say. “I don’t get intimidated by any of these drivers. I’ve been around a long time and my sponsors really believe in me. I race very hard and when some driver tries to put it to me, I’ll retaliate. That’s the way I am. Take it leave it.” Fleming also revealed that one of the reasons that the TV production company didn’t return to do more taping at Bowman-Gray was that it was more expensive than they anticipated.
Both tours are back on track Saturday, Sept. 17 as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour has the Town Fair Tire 100 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., and the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour is at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour-Northern Thompson 125 Unofficial Results
Sunday
At Thompson International Speedway
1. (2) Doug Coby, Milford, Conn., Chevrolet, 125 laps, 99.769 mph.
2. (8) James Civali, Meriden, Conn., Pontiac, 125.
3. (1) Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.
4. (6) Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.
5. (9) Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, Conn., Ford, 125.
6. (10) Tom Rogers, Jr., Patchogue, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.
7. (4) Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.
8. (16) Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Chevrolet, 125.
9. (5) Ron Silk, Norwalk, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.
10. (23) Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.
11. (19) Ed Flemke, Jr., Southington, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.
12. (17) Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, N.Y., Ford, 125.
13. (13) Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass., Dodge, 125.
14. (20) Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.
15. (14) Matt Hirschman, Northampton, Pa., Chevrolet, 125.
16. (25) Jamie Tomaino, Howell, N.J., Chevrolet, 125.
17. (12) Eric Beers, Northampton, Pa., Chevrolet, 124.
18. (7) Kevin Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 124.
19. (11) Mike Stefanik, Coventry, R.I., Ford, 124.
20. (15) Jimmy Blewett, Howell, N.J., Chevrolet, 122.
21. (24) Wade Cole, Riverton, Conn., Chevrolet, 122.
22. (22) Ken Heagy, Calverton, N.Y., Chevrolet, 76, engine.
23. (21) Bryon Chew, Mattituck, N.Y., Chevrolet, 65, mechanical.
24. (18) Eric Berndt, Cromwell, Conn., Chevrolet, 58, accident.
Time of Race: 0 hours 46 minutes 59 seconds
Margin of Victory: 2.087 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: R.Preece (119.879 mph, 18.769 seconds)
Caution Flags: 2 for 10 laps.
Lead Changes: 3 among 2 drivers.
Lap Leaders: R. Preece 1-19; D. Coby 20; R. Preece 21-28; D. Coby 29-125.
Standings: 1. R. Silk, 1874; 2. T. Szegedy, 1814; 3. R. Pennink, 1761; 4. D. Coby, 1719; 5. E. Beers, 1701; 6. B. Santos, 1655; 7. M. Hirschman, 1591; 8. J. Civali, 1571; 9. J. Bonsignore, 1562; 10. E. Goodale, 1490.
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour-Southern Thompson 125 Unofficial Results
Sunday
At Thompson International Speedway
Thompson, Conn.
Lap length: 0.625 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (8) George Brunnhoelzl III, West Babylon, NY, Chevrolet, 125 laps, 93.563 mph.
2. (3) Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, NC, Ford, 125.
3. (7) Tim Brown, Cana, VA, Chevrolet, 125.
4. (1) Andy Seuss, Hampstead, NH, Chevrolet, 125.
5. (13) Steve Park, East Northport, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.
6. (16) Frank Fleming, Mt. Airy, NC, Ford, 125.
7. (11) Timmy Solomito, Islip, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.
8. (4) Donny Lia, Jericho, N.Y., Chevrolet, 125.
9. (19) Thomas Stinson, Chester, VA, Chevrolet, 125.
10. (10) Austin Pack, Winston-Salem, NC, Chevrolet, 125.
11. (15) Renee Dupuis, Glastonbury, Conn., Chevrolet, 125.
12. (14) Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, NC, Ford, 124.
13. (6) John Smith, Mount Airy, NC, Chevrolet, 124.
14. (2) Steve Masse, Bellingham, Mass., Chevrolet, 123.
15. (22) Jeff Malave, South Windson, Conn., Chevrolet, 123.
16. (9) Gary Putnam, Concord, NC, Chevrolet, 123.
17. (20) Greg Butcher, Mocksville, NC, Chevrolet, 110.
18. (17) Rob Fuller, Boylston, Mass., Ford, 107.
19. (5) L.W. Miller, Dushore, PA, Chevrolet, 92.
20. (12) Ricky Gentes, Woonsocket, R.I., Chevrolet, 23, oil line.
21. (23) Richard Savary, Canton, Mass., Chevrolet, 21, accident.
22. (18) Jeff Fuller, Auburn, Mass., Ford, 20, accident.
23. (21) Keith Rocco, Wallingford, Conn., Pontiac, 0, did not start.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 0 hours 50 minutes 6 seconds
Margin of Victory: .447 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: A.Seuss (119.231 mph, 18.871 seconds)
Caution Flags: 3 for 16 laps.
Lead Changes: 4 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: D. Lia 1; A. Seuss 2; D. Lia 3-47; S. Masse 48-123; G. Brunnhoelzl III 124-125.
Standings: 1. G. Brunnhoelzl III, 1685; 2. A. Seuss, 1551; 3. J. Smith, 1523; 4. J. Myers, 1492; 5. L. Miller, 1455; 6. F. Fleming, 1450; 7. T. Brown, 1421; 8. A. Pack, 1332; 9. B. Myers, 1212; 10. T. Stinson, 1055.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour-NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
UNOH Showdown Unofficial Results (Exhibition)
Sunday
At Thompson International Speedway
1. Doug Coby, Milford, Conn., Chevrolet, 50 laps, 41.421 mph.
2. Ted Christopher, Plainville, Conn., Chevrolet, 50.
3. James Civali, Meriden, Conn., Pontiac, 50.
4. George Brunnhoelzl, III, W. Babylon, N.Y., Chevrolet, 50.
5. Eric Goodale, Riverhead, N.Y., Chevrolet, 50.
6. Bobby Santos, Franklin, Mass., Dodge, 50.
7. Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn., Chevrolet, 50.
8. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, R.I., Ford, 50.
9. Justin Bonsignore, Holtsville, N.Y., Chevrolet, 50.
10. Ed Flemke, Jr., Southington, Conn., Chevrolet, 50.
11. Donny Lia, Jericho, N.Y., Ford, 50.
12. Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H., Chevrolet, 50.
13. Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, N.Y., Chevrolet, 50.
14. L.W. Miller, Dushore, Pa., Chevrolet, 50.
15. Tom Rogers, Jr., Patchogue, N.Y., Chevrolet, 50.
16. Frank Fleming, Mt. Airy, N.C., Ford, 50.
17. Rob Fuller, Boylston, Mass., Ford, 50.
18. Tim Brown, Cana, Va., Chevrolet, 50.
19. Gary Putnam, Concord, N.C., Chevrolet, 50.
20. Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C., Ford, 50.
21. Thomas Stinson, Chester, Va., Chevrolet, 50.
22. Austin Pack, Winston-Salem, N.C., Chevrolet, 50.
23. Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C., Ford, 50.
24. Richard Savary, Canton, Mass., Chevrolet, 50.
25. Steve Park, East Northport, N.Y., Chevrolet, 50.
26. John Smith, Mount Airy, N.C., Chevrolet, 50.
27. Renee Dupuis, Glastonbury, Conn., Chevrolet, 50.
28. Todd Szegedy, Ridgefield, Conn., Ford, 43, accident.
29. Jimmy Blewett, Howell, N.J., Chevrolet, 37, suspension.
30. Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, N.Y., Ford, 35.
31. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., Chevrolet, 34.
32. Jeff Malave, South Windsor, Conn., Chevrolet, 28.
33. Greg Butcher, Mocksville, N.C., Chevrolet, 15, shifter.
34. Matt Hirschman, Northampton, Pa., Chevrolet, 12, engine.
35. Jamie Tomaino, Howell, N.J., Chevrolet, 6, mechanical.
36. Ron Silk, Norwalk, Conn., Chevrolet, 3, axle.
Time of Race: 0 hours 45 minutes 16 seconds
Margin of Victory: 0.994 seconds
Laps Led: Doug Coby 46, Ted Christopher 4
Caution Flags: 8
Lead Changes: 2 among 2 drivers.
On the way down to the Thompson event we took a slight detour and and stopped at the Endicott Estate in Dedham, MA. Because it was the date for the Bay State Auto Club’s special car show limited to motor vehicles built from 1893 to 1941. Also, in another part of the estate was another show dubbed Chrome and Fins. Between both vehicle shows there were about 100 entries. In the 1893-1941 catagory we saw rare Locomobiles, Hudsons, a Haynes, Ford Model T’s, Model A’s, Packards and Caddies among other makes. In the Chrome and Fin catagory there were some pristine cars like a beautiful restored jet back 1956 Lincoln Continental among a group of gems.