After getting out ahead of Dan Bowes on lap 22, defending New England Supermodified Series (NESS) champion Jeffrey Battle was a rocket sled on rails taking the dominant Twisted Tea Winged Wednesday win at Thompson Speedway.
The Crown Vics began Wednesday’s showcase with multi-time winner Ethan Williams showing the way early before youth prevailed. Upon his first time at the Thompson 5/8-mile, young Jack Emerson would take over the lead with eight laps remaining and never looked back to take the win over Williams and Ty Mello.
Jared Materas and Jason Williams may have brought the Late Model field to green but it was Matt Lowinski-Loh who quickly took over the top spot within the first lap. Materas would bring out the first caution on lap 10 after spinning across the nose of Jared Roy’s #1CT. Things went sideways once again on lap 18 with a mechanical issue slowing Jake Johnson leaving Williams and Mike Benevides to pile in for a massive wreck into the turn four wall. Back to green, Lowinski-Loh drove away with the 25-lap win over rookie Travis Hydar and Jared Roy.
Todd Douillard ran away with the lead at the start of the SK Light Modified feature before Austin Goff made it a two-man show by lap four. RJ Marcotte, John O’Sullivan, Kevin Davis and Daltin McCarthy ran nose-to-tail behind the leaders, keeping them honest before Goff was shuffled back on the inside groove. Motoring into turn one, Davis and O’Sullivan launched sideways into the corner to bring out the lap nine caution that also ended the day for newcomer Brandon Michael with a hard lick into the turn one wall.
Douillard would be next on the wrecker on the restart with Marcotte leaving no room to race, making hard contact with the turn one wall to end his day. Back to green, McCarthy, Goff and Eddie Gomarlo ran nose-to-tail at the head of the field. The busy night for the Thompson Speedway wreckers continued on lap 13 with McCarthy and O’Sullivan piling into the turn three wall. Under green for the final time, Austin Goff would run away with the win followed by RJ Marcotte and rookie Milania Shilosky.
Dan Bowes took off at the start of the Twisted Tea 40 for the New England Supermodified Series with hopeful winner Jon McKennedy dropping out on lap five with mechanical issues. All the while, Jeffrey Battle began reeling in Bowes out front as Ben Seitz lay in wait back in third. Battle would finally nab the lead on lap 22 while Seitz and PJ Stergios went to war for third behind him. Stergios would win that battle and one more against Bowes as the right-rear tire on the #25 was all but expired through the final fifteen circuits. Jeffrey Battle lambasted the field for the win with PJ Stergios coming home second and Dan Bowes holding on for third to round out the victory lane podium.
Ryan Lineham would bring out the lap one caution in the Street Stocks when a three-wide move in the first corner didn’t pan out. Back under green, Nick Anderson and Mike Viens showed the way up front with Jerrod Soucy and Al Stone III keeping the pressure on behind them. Soucy would make his way around to lead the halfway marker and never looked back for win number one on the season ahead of Lineham and Viens.
The Thompson Sunoco Modifieds rounded out Wednesday’s racing program under the leadership of Nathan Pytko and Derek Ramstrom at the head of each lane under the initial green flag. Keith Rocco and Todd Owen made their way to the front by lap five just as contact between Bryan Narducci and Ramstrom sent the #35 into the turn one retaining wall. The remainder of the 50 lap feature saw Rocco and Owen wage their classic over-under battle for position before Owen finally began to drove away with fifteen laps remaining to take his first Sunoco Modified victory of the season. Keith Rocco came home second with Narducci coming back from his penalty for the lap five caution to claim third.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Thompson Speedway on Wednesday, August 5 for the Thompson 150 presented by FloSports.com. The August midweek showdown at the Big-T will also feature the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, SK Light Modifieds, Street Stocks and Crown Vics with a 6:00pm Post Time. Event schedule will be released in the near future.
The North East Short Track Network (NESTN) will stream Wednesday Night Racing at Thompson Speedway all season long, visit www.nestn.tv for more info including Pay-Per-View pricing and ways to subscribe!