The 42nd Annual Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Heralds in the New England Racing Season
This week’s early spring snow makes the name of Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s (TSMP) season-opening event more appropriate than ever this year. The 42nd Annual Icebreaker on April 9th-10th will bring the racing season into full swing as twelve divisions of racing take to the track over two action-packed days, headlined by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT).
Defending NWMT champion, Doug Coby and the No. 2 Mike Smeriglio III Racing Team, have proven a powerful combination over the last couple of years, securing the championship in both 2014 and 2015 and sweeping all four events at TSMP last season. That’s not to say there hasn’t been some fierce competition for them from drivers like Woody Pitkat and Ryan Preece, as the championship last season came down to a tight battle at the last race of the season, Thompson’s Sunoco World Series. With Ryan Preece running a full season in the NASCAR XFINITY series this season, he will be forced to run a limited schedule in the #6 NWMT car. This will provide the opportunity for other strong drivers in the field, like Justin Bonsignore, Timmy Solomito, Donny Lia and Ron Silk, to contend for the title. (more…)
PASS National Championship Heads North To Thompson Speedway
NAPLES, ME (April 7) – After an extremely successful start to the southern season, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model North season will kickoff this weekend with “The Icebreaker” at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. “The Icebreaker” is doubly important as it will mark the halfway point of the PASS National Championship Series, which will once again crown Super Late Model racing’s only true national champion.
Massachusetts’ driver Derek Ramstrom has a steely-eyed focus on winning the 2016 PASS National championship. Ramstrom and Maine’s Jeremy Davis are the only drivers to finish in the top five in both of the PASS National races so far this season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway. This weekend Ramstrom comes to Thompson Speedway with the PASS National points lead and with momentum on his side. (more…)
Eddie MacDonald will take the green flag at Lee USA Speedway, his family-owned track, on Sunday, April 10 in the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 American Canadian Tour’s 25th season opener. As the 2014 Governor’s Cup winner, Eddie Mac would like nothing better than to start the season off with a victory on the track he honed his skills as a teenager.
“We are really looking forward to this race and hope to win in front of all our families and friends,” said Eddie Mac. “My parent’s, Judy and Red, will be celebrating their 30th season owning and operating Lee. It would be awesome to win this for them for everything they have done for me. They haven’t put any pressure on me to win other than my father expecting me to win every race, but I know it would mean a lot to them.”
Following last season’s finale in the Fall Brawl at Speedway 51 the #17 Freddie Peterson owned Hancock Electric/Exit Realty Chevy needed extensive body repairs with Eddie and the crew spending a lot of shop time getting the car back in shape with Eddie saying, “We had to replace all the body panels, nerf bars and just about everything else you could think of but it looks great and we think it will be fast once we hit the track. The guys worked hard getting everything done. Joe St. Jacques did a great job with metal and tin and John Tiernan did his usual great job with the paint and lettering. Rob Drandson took care of all the welding. Herbie Wing and Dick Casey were the guys taking everything apart and putting it all back together. Rollie and I have been putting the final touches in for the set up so we are ready to go.”
Jeff Rocco Looks to Build on Thompson Speedway Late Model Success
(THOMPSON, CT) – With a full season under his belt driving the Eric Grant owned entry at Thompson Speedway, Jeff Rocco’s name ranks high on the list of contenders in 2016. Rocco drove to victory lane 4 times last season, in addition to winning the special Late Model 20/20 Sprint comprised of 3 distinct segment of racing on one night. It was the 14th, 16th, and 17th place efforts that spelled misfortune for Rocco that made him fade from the spotlight at the Sunoco World Series.
“It was a lot less pressure last year coming into a new series,” said Rocco. “If we ran in the top-5 it was a success for us. Now we have set the bar high to go back and achieve that. If you look at where we stacked up against touring competition (American-Canadian Tour) that set the bar of where we need to be. As good as we were for weekly competition we wanted to get better.” (more…)
Ron MacGillivray Chev Buick GMC 150 Will Open Season at Riverside
JAMES RIVER, NS (April 4, 2016) – The Ron MacGillivray Chev Buick GMC 150 will open the 2016 season at Riverside International Speedway on June 11, the ninth consecutive year the Antigonish General Motors dealership has been the title sponsor for Riverside’s season opener.
The event is round two of 12 championship races for the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour and the first of three series stops this year at the acclaimed short track near Antigonish. (more…)
The 42nd Annual Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Heralds in the New England Racing Season
PASS National Championship Heads North To Thompson Speedway