A Night of Wins for BFR Chassis
Scott Sundeen and Tommy Sullivan Both Take 4th Wins of Season at Thompson
Night of Repeat Winners; Sundeen Gets 4th Win and O'Sullivan Grabs 4th Checkers At Thompson
Thompson, CT: Repeat winners dominated victory lane in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action on Thompson’s Thursday Night Thunder program. Cam McDermott, John Lowinski-Loh, and Tommy O’Sullivan all added to their win totals while Mike Veins became the first repeat winner in the Mini Stock division. Woody Pitkat earned his first win of the season in the Sunoco Modified division. The North East Mini Stock Tour entertained with a victory by Emerson Cayer in their stand-alone event and a Showdown victory for Thompson favorite Danny Field.
Woody Pitkat earned his first Sunoco Modified victory of the season after Keith Rocco was disqualified in post-race technical inspection. John Catania drove out front on lap one of the Sunoco Modified feature, but heading into turn four, went high, and collected Shawn Thibeault as the two came flying across the front stretch and hit the inside pit road retaining wall. Catania’s No. 52 machine hit the wall hard and his night was over. Keith Rocco took the lead when the race resumed with Ryan Preece, Ted Christopher, and Woody Pitkat rounding out the top four. Preece was glued to Rocco’s bumper, occasionally moving out of line to look for a way around. Rocco never game him the chance to make a formal challenge for the lead, but Pitkat, was able to muscle his way around Christopher for the third spot at lap seven. Preece tried again to get by Rocco on lap 10 using the bottom, but Rocco closed the door. Rocco got some breathing room on lap 13 when Preece got loose coming off of turn four. Pitkat used the opportunity to his advantage and challenged Preece on lap 14, but Preece fought back and held on to the spot. On the following circuit, Pitkat darted to the outside and easily drove by Preece for the second position. Rocco drove straight to the checkered flag, but was later disqualified in tech handing the win to Pitkat.
Emerson Cayer won the Northeast Mini Stock feature after taking the lead from Mark Panaroni with six laps to go. Chris Williams and Roger Ducharme swapped the lead a few times over the course of the first circuit, but it was Ducharme who came out on top before the caution flew for an accident in turn four. Williams and Ducharme continued their exchange when racing resumed, but in turn two of lap four, Williams went around and collected Ducharme relegating both of them to the tail end of the field. Cayer inherited the lead but had his hands full of Mark Panaroni, who, at one point, got in front of the No. 88 machine. Cayer pulled back to the lead after a brief battle and created a five-car length advantage before driving to the victory unchallenged.
Mike Viens became the first repeat winner in the Monster Mini Stock division after taking the lead from Dave Trudeau on the sixth lap of a 15-lap contest. At the start, the battle for the lead got intense but it was Dave Trudeau out front when all the dust settled. The caution came out on lap two and set up Trudeau and Travis Jurcik on the front row for the start. Trudeau won the charge into turn one with Viens using the bottom groove to make a run on Jurcik for the second spot. The two ran side-by-side for second and swapped the position several times before Jurcik settled in behind Viens on lap five. Viens ran down Trudeau and was about the challenge for the lead when caution flew at lap six. On the restart Trudeau and Viens dueled it out into turn three, but Viens was the victor out of turn four and took over the lead. The yellow came out again at lap nine, but it didn’t stop Viens, who drove right back out front on the restart. Viens started pulling away as Chad Baxter used the bottom groove to make a bid on Trudeau’s second place position. Despite running a tight door-to-door battle, Trudeau was able to shut the door and keep the spot by inches to finish behind a dominant Viens.
Danny Field returned to Thompson victory lane with a win in the combination North East Mini Stock Tour/Monster Mini Stock feature. Fields came from a 26th place starting position to take the lead on lap 14. Viens went out front early, but tour regular and winner Emerson Cayer was close behind and just as anxious for the lead. Dave Trudeau, who also ran well earlier in the evening, rounded out the top-three. The trio pulled away from the rest of the field as they set a torrid pace that was slowed at lap nine by caution. On the restart, Cayer used the bottom groove to drive by Viens for the top spot as former Thompson champion Field took over third. Field was on the move, and on lap 12, moved by Viens for second, and then on lap 13, challenged Cayer for the lead heading into turn three. Field took over the lead on lap 14 but Cayer was fighting back in an intense side-by-side battle that lasted for the next two laps before caution slowed it. Field held off a hard-charging Cayer on the restart and held on to the lead, but he would have to do it one more time before the race concluded. Field and Cayer came to the green double-file, but again, it was Fields who won the drag race to turn one. Cayer lost some momentum and fell back two car lengths behind before Field took the checkered flag.
John Lowinski-Loh earned his fourth consecutive victory in the Thompson Modified feature and his fifth this season after taking the lead from Brian Tagg eleven laps before the race conclusion. The feature began with contact between Jay Sundeen and Glenn Boss on the front stretch that took Boss out of contention for the evening. After the cleanup, the race resumed with Brian Tagg out front followed by John Lowinski-Loh, Jr. and Danny Gamache, Jr. hooked on to his back bumper. Lowinski-Loh made a bid for the lead with Tagg shutting the door on his challenge. Lowinski-Loh was about to make his second attempt at the lead when a caution slowed his progress. On the restart, Tagg drove straight to the front with Lowinski-Loh in tow. On lap seven, Lowinski-Loh went low in turns one and two to challenge. The duo were dead even through turns three and four, but it was Tagg by inches at the line. Lowinski-Loh continued his challenge and took the lead at lap nine. Sundeen began his challenge on Tagg using the same groove that was so successful for Lowinski-Loh, and on lap 14, took over the second spot. Lowinski-Loh, however, had put too much distance over the rest of the field and soared to the victory in commanding style.
Cam McDermott earned his fifth Lite Modified victory of the season after an accident took early leader Troy Talman out of contention. Talman drove in front of early leader Nikki Ouellette at the drop of the green with McDermott glued to his back bumper. On lap six, things took a dramatic turn when contact was made between McDermott and Talman that ended Talman’s day prematurely. Ouellette inherited the lead for the restart with Eric Leclair close behind, but McDermott reemerged at lap seven after taking the high line around Leclair. McDermott took the lead on the front stretch as the trio approached lap ten. Ouellette and Leclair dueled side-by-side for the second position, but it was Leclair who eventually prevailed as he set his sights on McDermott. Leclair ran out of time while McDermott rallied to the victory.
Tommy O’Sullivan earned his fourth season victory when he led all but two laps of the Late Model feature. John Falconi took the lead from Randy Tucker in turn two of lap one, but even he had a lot of pressure from O’Sullivan, who dove to the inside lane to challenge for the lead and take it at the line with two laps complete. Marc Palmisano and Mike Scorzelli rounded out the top four. O’Sullivan took off once out front with Falconi, Palmisano and Scorzelli running single-file about a half a track behind him. Falconi started to pull away from Palmisano, but Palmisano reeled him back in within five laps. Four laps before the race conclusion, Palmisano was on Falconi’s bumper, but never got close enough to derail him from the second spot. O’Sullivan continued his commanding pace and nailed down the win.
Scott Sundeen won his fourth Limited Sportsman feature race of the season after taking the lead four laps before the race conclusion. Chris Bisson led the first lap of the feature with Kevin Bowe filling his rear view mirror. Despite contact in turn four on the first lap, Bisson was able to hold on to his No. 15 machine and keep the lead. On lap four, Bowe was able to drive to the lead when Bisson fell off the pace and down to the apron before getting back into the groove in 14th place. The first caution flew at lap six and put Bowe double file with Fanning for the restart. Fanning got the advantage into turn one, but the lap could not be completed after a tangle on the front stretch brought out the caution. At the drop of the green, Bowe drove back out front as Fanning was left to deal with the challenges of Jason Chicolas. Art Moran got into the mix and made it a three-wide battle for second with Chicolas coming out on top. Bowe’s commanding lead was closing up as Moran passed Chicolas for second and set his sights on Bowe. On lap 13, Moran went low and got loose in turn three before collecting Bowe who spun into the turn four infield grass. Caution flew after Chicolas inherited the lead. Sundeen lined up on the outside of Chicolas for the restart with Chicolas darting to the front. Jesse Gleason challenged Sundeen for the second spot, but Sundeen closed the door before diving low to challenge Chicolas for the lead on lap 15. Sundeen got side-by-side with the No. 7 machine and took the lead by inches at the line. Sundeen pulled away from Gleason and took down the win unchallenged.
NORTHEAST MINI STOCK TOUR FEATURE FINISH: 1. Emerson Cayer, Contoocook, NH; 2. Mark Panaroni, Ivoryton, CT; 3. Scott Michalski, South Killingly, CT; 4. Shawn Swallow, Stark, NH; 5. Glenn Colvin, Clinton, CT; 6. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 7. Louis Maher, North Brookfield, MA; 8. Cristofer King, Derry, NH; 9. Nick Maniatis, Hooksett, NH; 10. Chris Williams, Waterford CT.
MINI STOCK FEATURE FINISH: 1. MIKE VIENS, Seekonk, MA; 2. Dave Trudeau, Mansfield, CT; 3. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 4. Brad Caddick, Wyoming, RI; 5. Mike Gorgievski, Auburn, MA; 6. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 7. Trevor Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 8. Steve Michalski, Brooklyn, CT; 9. Steve Violette, Canterbury, CT; 10. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI.
NORTH EAST MINI STOCK TOUR/MONSTER MINI STOCK SHOWDOWN FEATURE FINISH: 1. Danny Field, Deep River, CT; 2. Emerson Cayer, Contoocook, NH; 3. Dave Trudeau, Mansfield, CT; 4. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 5. Mike Viens, Seekonk, MA; 6. Glenn Colvin, Clinton, CT; 7. Mark Panaroni, Ivoryton, CT; 8. Roger Ducharme, Foster, RI; 9. Chris Williams, Waterford, CT; 10. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI.
SUNOCO MODIFIED FINISH: 1. Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT; 2. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 3. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 4. Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 5. Dennis Perry, Pawcatuck, CT; 6. Wayne Arute, Meriden, CT; 7. Shawn Thibeault, Southington, CT; 8. Adam Norton, Brookfield, MA; 9. Ron D’Alessandro, East Hartford, CT; 10. James Smith, Woodstock, CT.
LATE MODEL FEATURE FINISH: 1. Tommy O’Sullivan, Wilbraham, MA; 2. John Falconi, Oakham, MA; 3. Marc Palmisano, Hadley, MA; 4. Mike Scorzelli, Malta, NY; 5. Damon Tinio, Mendon, MA; 6. Wayne Coury, Milford, CT; 7. Randy Tucker, Millis, MA; 8. Ryan Waterman, Danielson, CT; 9. Robert O’Connell, Jr., Wrentham, MA.
LITE MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: 1. Cam McDermott, Scituate, RI; 2. Eric LeClair, Easthampton, MA; 3. Nikki Ouellette, East Granby, CT; 4. Troy Talman, Oxford, MA; 5. Shawn Brule, W. Thompson, CT.
THOMPSON MODIFIED FINISH: 1. John Lowinski-Loh, Jr., Milford, MA; 2. Jay Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 3. Chad LaBastie, Uxbridge, MA; 4. Ryan Morgan, Mystic, CT; 5. Brian Tagg, Oxford, MA; 6. Danny Gamache, Jr., Woonsocket, RI; 7. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT.
LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH: 1. Scott Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 2. Jesse Gleason, Lisbon, CT; 3. Steve Kenneway, Lowell, MA; 4. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, MA; 5. Corey Fanning, Mapleville, RI; 6. Mike Palin, Dudley, MA; 7. Mark Jenison, Warwick, RI; 8. Art Moran III, Preston, CT; 9. Matt Lowinski-Loh, Milford, MA; 10. Kevin Bowe, Pawtucket, RI.