by | Mar 28, 2014 | Connecticut, Thompson
Thompson, CT- The Icebreaker, presented by Town Fair Tire, will mark the beginning of Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s 74th season of operation. The 2014 running of the event will mark the 40th time it has been held. The traditional season-opening event will feature nine divisions, headlined by the first championship race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT).
Defending NWMT Champion, Ryan Preece, will begin his title defense behind the wheel of the Eric Sanderson-owned No. 16, but it won’t be without some stiff competition. Doug Coby headlines an impressive list of drivers who will be behind the wheel of another car this season. Coby teamed up with Mike Smeriglio, III to drive the Dunleavy’s Truck & Trailer Repair Chevrolet. Another driver on the move this year was nine-time NASCAR regional touring series champion, and defending Icebreaker race winner, Mike Stefanik. The Coventry, RI-native has teamed up with car owner Ed Marceau to drive the No. 1 entry. Tommy Barrett, a standout on the Valenti Modified Racing Series, replaced Stefanik in Chris Our’s No. 22 Chevrolet. The young driver will look to make his third start on the NWMT. Defending TSMP Sunoco Modified Champion, Keith Rocco, has entered the No. 48 car, which he will be driving for John Rufrano.
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by | Mar 22, 2014 | Connecticut, Thompson
(Thompson, CT) – The historic Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park has announced that Spencer, MA based Victory Lane Radio will embark on a first-of-its-kind program which will allow fans to listen to live lap-by-lap coverage, from the drop of the first green flag to the waving of the last checker flag, free of charge.
Never before has a NASCAR sanctioned track provided live, free coverage, which is available world-wide. Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park General Manager, Josh Vanada had this to say, “We are excited about this partnership with Victory Lane Radio. Since we started discussing it, they have gone at it with a great deal of enthusiasm and professionalism. I am confident that this will be a high quality product, and a great opportunity for our fans to listen in on their smart phones while they are here, or from anywhere worldwide if they cannot make it to one of our events. All of us at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park look forward to offering this added coverage with Victory Lane Radio, beginning in a few weeks at the Icebreaker presented by Town Fair Tire.”
To listen to the live broadcast, simply go to www.victorylaneradio.com and click the ‘listen live’ button at the top of the page, or go to www.thompsonspeedway and click the link. All of these broadcasts will also be available, free of charge as a podcast, if you cannot listen live. The podcasts will be located on www.victorylaneradio.com and www.thompsonspeedway.com
Eric LaFleche of Victory Lane Radio remarked, “I really think this is a great opportunity for both parties. The coverage will be provided by Alan Ward, Patrick Brooks and I, it will include an in the pits reporter who will be tied into the live broadcast to provide the latest news and happenings behind the scenes, which will give the listener a more, in-depth experience.
I believe the days of having to be glued to your portable device or home computer to follow an event that you can’t be there for live is over. Now you can simply listen to the action on any device with an internet connection. Another advantage is you can even hear it again on the podcast, all free of charge.”
The first live broadcast is slated for April 5-6 during the Ice Breaker season opening event. We will go live Saturday, April 5th at around 2 PM EST.
by | Mar 22, 2014 | Connecticut, Thompson
Thompson, CT- Please excuse these drivers, but they aren’t your average racers. TSMP will be home to four female racers in 2014; Shelly Perry, Alicia Thatcher, Alecia Parker, and Nikki Ouellette.
Parker will be returning to the track she considers home at TSMP. The Hubbardston, MA native got her feet wet at Monadnock Speedway, but is looking for a new challenge in 2014, returning to the track she grew up near. The 31 year-old got into the sport by going to the races with her parents and helping them with their car, until they stopped racing when she turned 10. Parker would then go to TSMP to watch from the stands, and knew she wanted to be behind the wheel. Parker will be competing in the Mini Stock division with her #07 Lenny Mort the Sign Guy Ford Mustang, and hopes to be victorious this year. “Everyone wants a championship, everyone wants more than one win,” explains Parker. “We’ve found a little bit more than what we wanted wrong with the car this off-season, so bare minimum, we’d like to come away with a win.”
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by | Feb 13, 2014 | Connecticut, Thompson
Thompson, CT- Big car counts, wheel-to-wheel racing, and edge-of your-seat excitement have long been the trademarks of Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s (TSMP) Limited Sportsman Division. If early registrations are any indication, those characteristics will be even more prominent in 2014. With just under two months remaining before the season-opening Icebreaker, over 40 drivers have registered.
The Division’s defending titlist, Steve Kenneway, will be returning in 2014 to compete in his Greener Blast Technologies No. 55. In 2013, the Lowell, MA native enjoyed a spectacular season, providing car owners, David and Charlie Banta, with the championship they coveted for quite some time. With that goal accomplished, Kenneway says that the focus in 2014 is on race wins. “I felt we left a little bit on the table in the winning races department to sacrifice points a few times. We put so much emphasis on winning the championship last year, that now we can just go back to racing again,” the veteran driver observed. Kenneway plainly concluded, “At this point I want to win races.”
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by | Feb 11, 2014 | Connecticut, Thompson
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) Officials announced today that, as a way to say thank you to each of the track’s four NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions, they will be offering complimentary use of the garages during selected events of the 2014 season. The Sunoco Modified, Late Model, Limited Sportsman, and Mini Stock Divisions will all be in one of the garage’s 30 stalls during one of the track’s seven events.
“We are delighted to showcase our oval track competitors, who have been with us for nearly 75 years, in our brand new garage building,” said TSMP’s General Manager, Josh Vanada.
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by | Feb 7, 2014 | Connecticut, Thompson
Thompson, CT- Registrations are pouring in for the Late Model Division at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP). To date, over 30 different drivers, hailing from four states, have registered for competition. A blend of seasoned veterans as well as young, up-and-coming drivers make up the 2014 roster.
The Materas family is a perfect snapshot, as seasoned father, John, and his son, Jared, intend to run the full schedule in 2014. John has enjoyed a storied career, including a Late Model Division track championship in 2009. His son, Jared, competed in the Late Model Division in 2013, and finished the season 11th in the championship point standings. The father-son duo only raced together once last year, and it was Jared who came out on top, as John was involved in an incident that forced him to retire from the race. When asked about the family goals for 2014, John said, “We’d like a top 10 in the Icebreaker and to be able to load the car on the trailer.” Jared has similar ideas: “We want to run every race, finish every race, run up front, and work together.” John did indicate that on the track, the father and son are fellow drivers: “If it came down to my son and I to win the race, I’m not really sure what would happen. We’ll have to see when it happens.”
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Thompson, CT- The Icebreaker, presented by Town Fair Tire, will mark the beginning of Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s 74th season of operation. The 2014 running of the event will mark the 40th time it has been held. The traditional season-opening event will feature nine divisions, headlined by the first championship race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT).