THOMPSON, CT. The 41st annual edition of Don Hoenig’s Original Automotive Swap Meet and Flea Market, slated for Saturday, November 3rd and Sunday, November 4th ,will once again attract over 1,500 vendors and thousands of buyers to the sprawling Thompson Speedway complex. The event is held rain or shine.
What started as a swap meet for race car owners and drivers, has grown into a massive compilation of just about anything and everything, new and used, automotive and more. From race cars, haulers, trailers, parts and accessories to antique cars, trucks and parts, motorcycles, snowmobiles, tools, shop equipment, arts and crafts and just about anything one can imagine, have become the mainstay of this amazing collection. Buyers arrive by the thousands to swoop up items at tremendous savings. (more…)
A look back to our trip to the Thompson International Speedway during their annual end-of-the-season World Series of Racing event to watch Vault Crew member Jesse Gleason compete in the Limited Sportsman feature, which he won on WS weekend for the first time in his driving career. Also features a new “helmet cam” worn by Jesse during the event.
Santos Checkers In Thompson WMT Finale; Coby Crowned Champion
World Series Wins To Pitkat, Summers, Cabral and Gelinas
Thompson, Conn: Thompson International Speedway capped off a historic weekend that included an all time high of 337 cars over 16 divisions with a celebration of Doug Coby’s championship in victory lane. The World Series of Auto Racing victory lane also hosted Bobby Santos as Whelen Modified Tour winner, Woody Pitkat in the Sunoco Modifieds, Randy Cabral in the NEMA Midgets, Rob Summers in ISMA Super Modifieds, and Larry Gelinas in the Super Late Models.
Santos held off a determined Todd Szegedy to win the Sunoco Race Fuels – Town Fair Tire 150 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race and collect his second consecutive win this season and 8th career victory. Coby finished sixth and won his first Whelen Modified Tour Championship. (more…)
Thompson, Conn: Rowan Pennink’s victory in the Valenti Modified Racing Series 75-lapper highlighted an action packed night at Thompson International Speedway that offered 11 features of racing. John Studley, John Lowinski-Loh, Tommy O’Sullivan, Jesse Gleason, Eric Bourgeois, Glen Thomas, Jr., Chris Correll, and Dave Richardi all visited victory lane on World Series weekend. Eric Berndt won his second career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour pole for Sunday’s 150-lap tour race.
Rowan Pennink picked up his third victory of the season in the Valenti Modified Racing Series after taking the lead at lap Justin Bonsignore led from the pole before caution slowed the race for the first time at lap two. On the restart, Bonsignore drove back out front with Todd Owen right on his bumper. On lap four, Owen shot around to the lead with Bonsignore and Christopher in tow. Owen drove straight to the front when racing resumed after a caution on lap 11 with Chris Pasteryak getting underneath Bonsignore for second. Pasteryak attached himself to Owen’s bumper, and heading into turn one on lap 17, shot to the bottom and drove to the lead. Pasteryak put some distance over the rest of the field once out front while Christopher took over second. Louie Mechalides took that spot from Christopher when the Plainville, Conn. native pulled his ailing machine onto pit road at lap 34. Mechalides set his sights on Pasteryak, who was maneuvering through lapped traffic nearly a second in front of him. Caution flew at lap 40 with many cars electing to go down pit road, but Pasteryak was not one of them. Rowan Pennink joined Pasteryak on the front row for the restart, and took over the lead when the green flag dropped. On the next circuit, Brad VonHouten and Leo Oliviera made contact. Oliviera’s car climbed the outside retaining wall and traveled over 100 feet on that wall before coming to a stop in the middle of turns one and two. The race went under red flag conditions as safety and track personnel attended to Oliviera, who escaped unharmed, and his car. On the restart, Pennink jumped to the lead with Pasteryak and Richard Savary in tow. Lap 50 brought out the caution once again, and on the restart, Pennink drove straight to the front as Pasteryak held off a challenge for second. Jon McKennedy and Steve Masse rounded out the top-four. McKennedy used the bottom to get by Pasteryak on lap 54 while Masse followed his line on the following circuit. Pennink held off McKennedy through two more restarts, but it was getting harder for him to shake McKennedy, who was glued to his rear bumper as they hit five laps to go. Caution flew with two laps to go setting up a green-white-checkered finish, but even that was not enough to shake Pennink, who drove to the victory. (more…)
Canaan, NH. – Huntingdon Valley, PA., driver Rowan Pennink and Ted Christopher, of Plainville, CT., winners at Thompson (CT) Speedway this season, hope to be able to repeat this weekend when the Valenti Modified Racing Series competes at the annual World Series of Speedway Racing, Saturday night, October 13, for the first time. Track owner Donald Hoenig added the series to the annual event last month.
Pennink won the VMRS race in May while Christopher scored his victory in July. Christopher will wheel Joe Brady’s # 00 car.
Pennink is currently giving chase to two-time series champion Jon McKennedy, of E.Chelmsford, MA. Last week Pennink claimed the victory at Seekonk (MA) Speedway closing the gap to 37 points behind McKennedy in his chase for the title. (more…)
Canaan, NH. – Huntingdon Valley, PA., driver Rowan Pennink and Ted Christopher, of Plainville, CT., winners at Thompson (CT) Speedway this season, hope to be able to repeat this weekend when the Valenti Modified Racing Series competes at the annual World Series of Speedway Racing, Saturday night, October 13, for the first time. Track owner Donald Hoenig added the series to the annual event last month.