DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In the middle of a three races in three weeks stretch, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to action Wednesday with the Thompson 125 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut. Below is a look at the race itself and some of the selected participants.
Thompson 125 Race Setup:
This marks the Whelen Modified Tour’s second stop at Thompson this season. Timmy Solomito of Islip, New York earned his first career victory in the Icebreaker 150 at the track in April. Three-time champion Doug Coby of Milford, Connecticut sits atop the standings after four races and he heads to Thompson where he swept all four series visits in 2015.
At Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park:
History:
• The track opened in 1940 and was immediately dubbed “The Indianapolis of the East” because its .625-mile, banked layout dwarfed all others in the northeast at the time.
• In 1951, Neil Cole won the first NASCAR Grand National division race at the track, driving a 1950 Oldsmobile. NASCAR Hall of Fame member David Pearson won a Grand National event in 1969.
• The facility plays host to four NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events each season, including the season opener and the season finale. It also has a full accompanying road course that hosts non-NASCAR events throughout the year.
Notebook:
• There have been 131 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races held at Thompson, more than any other track has hosted.
• Mike Stefanik owns 15 career wins at Thompson, most of any driver. Ted Christopher leads all active drivers with 13 wins at the track.
Thompson Data:
Race: #5 of 17 overall
Race Date: Wednesday, June 15 at 8:45 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, Wednesday, June 22 at 5 p.m. ET
Track Layout: .625-mile paved oval
Race Length: 125 laps (78.125 miles)
Qualifying/Race Data:
2015 Winner: Doug Coby
2015 Pole Sitter: Woody Pitkat
1-lap Qualifying Record: 123.367 mph (2011, Bobby Santos)
125-lap Race Record: 99.769 mph (2011, Doug Coby)
Active Category Leaders at Thompson:
Wins
1. Ted Christopher … 13
2. Doug Coby … 5
3. Bobby Santos … 4
Ron Silk … 4
Poles
1. Ted Christopher … 7
2. Bobby Santos … 5
3. Donny Lia … 4
Ryan Preece … 4
Top Fives
1. Ted Christopher … 34
2. Jamie Tomaino … 20
3. Ron Silk … 17
Top 10s
1. Ted Christopher … 49
Jamie Tomaino … 49
3. Todd Szegedy … 27
Laps Led
1. Ted Christopher … 1,750
2. Doug Coby … 771
3. Donny Lia … 645
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 131
2. Ted Christopher … 89
3. Wade Cole … 85
Selected Driver Highlights:
Jimmy Blewett (No. 4 Starrett Dodge)
• Is ranked ninth headed into this weekend with back-to-back podium finishes entering the Thompson.
• Has five career Whelen Modified Tour wins, including one at Martinsville and two at Stafford.
• Returned to full-time competition this season with owner Bob Garbarino’s Mystic Missile team.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 M3 Technology Chevrolet)
• Sits second in the Whelen Modified Tour standings with three top fives in four starts.
• Finished third in the season opener at Thompson and has three of his eight career wins at the track.
• Has 12 top 10s in 22 career Thompson starts.
Doug Coby (No. 2 Dunleavy’s Repair Chevrolet)
• Won all four Tour races held at Thompson in 2015 and never started worse than second in any of them.
• Has two wins this season, both at Stafford, after starting from the pole in each event.
• Owns five wins, 15 top fives and 27 top 10s in 47 career starts at Thompson.
• Has finished in the top five in eight of the last 10 races at Thompson.
Eric Goodale (No. 58 GAF Roofing Chevrolet)
• Finished seventh in the season opener at Thompson.
• Has started all four races this season inside the top six and is 12th in the standings with one top five and two top 10 finishes.
• Has three top fives and 13 top 10s in 25 career starts at Thompson.
Donny Lia (No. 8 Sypher Construction/Bardahl Chevrolet)
• Two-time Tour champion is third in the series standings with three top 10s in four starts.
• Has three career wins at Thompson.
• Has five top 10 finishes in last six races at Thompson.
Rowan Pennink (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet)
• Has one career win at Thompson, along with eight top fives and 18 top 10s in 34 career starts at the track.
• Has completed more than 95 percent of all laps contested at Thompson since the start of 2007 season.
Woody Pitkat (No. 85 Stuart’s Automotive Chevrolet)
• Has one top 10 finish, at Thompson, in four races this season.
• Has three poles, 11 top 10s, and three runner-up finishes in 30 career starts at Thompson.
• Was the Icebreaker 150 runner-up the last two years.
• Won the 2006 and 2015 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championships in the Sunoco Modified division.
Ryan Preece (No. 6 TS Haulers/Riverhead Raceway Chevrolet)
• The 2013 NWMT champion has 15 career wins in 125 career starts on Tour, and this week makes his third appearance of the season.
• Has one win, four poles, 21 top 10s and an average finish of 11th in 33 career starts at Thompson.
• Won the 2012 and 2014 Thompson NWAAS track titles in the Sunoco Modifieds, where he has 18 career wins.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Corp./Dan Kelley/Curb Records Chevrolet)
• Has four wins, five poles, 19 top 10s and an average finish of 14th in 36 Thompson races.
Ron Silk (No. 82 Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet)
• Won at New London-Waterford Speedbowl to become third different winner in first three Whelen Modified Tour races of the season
• Finished fifth in the season opener at Thompson in April.
• Has four wins, 17 top fives and 26 top 10s in 41 career starts at Thompson.
Timmy Solomito (No. 16 Diversified Metals/R.B. Enterprises Ford)
• Recorded his first career Whelen Modified Tour win in the season opener at Thompson, leading 50 of 150 laps en route to the victory.
Up To Speed:
• This is the 32nd season of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing. The inaugural race was contested March 31, 1985 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
• The 2015 schedule features 17 points races at nine different tracks across four states.
• The first three races of the season featured three different winners — Timmy Solomito, Doug Coby and Ron Silk.
• Doug Coby is the only multi-time winner this season with two wins at Stafford.
