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Story by Souza Media
Photo Tom Morris
Waterbury, VT and Naples, ME — A mix of new names and a slate of returning faces are set to keep fans on the edge of their seats at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway on Wednesday, September 15. As the Outlaw Open Modified Series readies to return to the track for the $5,000-to-win Twisted Tea Tripoint Showdown 75, the fourth race of the season will mark the final tune-up for the return of the historic Thompson 300 on Sunday, October 10.
Over the first three races, Ron Silk scored the $10,000 prize at the Icebreaker in April, Keith Rocco won the Nutmeg State 75 in June, and Ronnie Williams scored last time on the track at the Midsummer 75 in August. This time around, Rocco and Williams are back to defend their crowns while names like Matt Swanson, Chris Pasteryak, and Tyler Barry are heading back to Thompson with their sights set on Victory Lane.
Swanson and Pasteryak have shown speed in the first few events of the year. Swanson, who finished third last time out, is looking for his first Thompson victory after years of coming close with Boehler Racing. Pasteryak, a veteran of Modified racing, is a former Modified Racing Series champion and frontrunner in every series he runs.
On the flip side, rising star Tyler Barry only has a few Tour-Type Modified stars to his credit. Barry will return to Thompson on Wednesday looking to storm to the front of the field and challenge some of the most experienced Modified drivers in the region. Names like Brett Meservey and Tommy Barrett are officially entered to compete on the 0.625-mile oval.
As far as new names are concerned, the biggest of them all might be Chase Dowling. Set to come to Thompson for the first time this year, Dowling will drive the No. 9 Start/Finish Motorsports entry — the same car he has been to Victory Lane with multiple times this year. Dowling is a multi-time winner of the Stafford Motor Speedway Open Modified events and also has one Tri-Track Open Modified Series win to his credit at Monadnock Speedway last month. He is currently second in the Tri Track point standings with just one race left in their season. Dowling, who is planning on being a major contender for the $20,000 to win prize at the Thompson 300 next month, is hoping to get a $5,000 prize on September 15 first as part of a “practice” session for his team.
“That’s the goal of it all,” the Roxbury, CT native, said. “I wanted to hunker down and we decided to go there on Wednesday and try and figure it out. I think the car count is going to be high this Wednesday with the Thompson 300 closing in. It should be a good race. The competition is strong in these races, but I think we will be good. I don’t doubt our team. We have been great showing up at race tracks all year and adapting, and we have a notebook from there in the past, whether it be in the Tour-Type or the SK Modified.”
Other new names that have filed entries for the event are two-time SK Light Modified winner Paul “Buddy” Charette and fellow SK Light Modified ace Nick Anglace. So have Paul LaPlante and Josh Zentek as they get ready for the Thompson 300.
Outside of the Outlaw Open Modified Series, four other divisions will roar back to life on Wednesday. The Vandi Auto Supply Limited Sportsman division returns to a tight battle at the top of their championship standings with two races to go. With one victory, former track champion “Leadfoot” Larry Barnett leads August winner Ryan Waterman by three points. Corey Fanning, who also has a win this year, is only seven points back. Those three will be joined by the likes of Brent Gleason, Scott Sundeen and more in the 20-lap feature.
Another $1,200 to win, 25-lap feature for the Late Models is also on tap. In the first three events, three different drivers have graced Victory Lane: Tom Carey III, Mark Jenison and Brian Tagg. However, consistent top-five finishes have Ryan Morgan ahead in the championship battle over Woody Pitkat by just one point.
The SK Light Modifieds return to Thompson with youngster Anthony Bello holding a small nine-point advantage over Paul Charette. Bello and Albert Ouellette are the only two drivers to finish inside the top-five in the first three races while Charette’s two wins have him in the hunt. Charette will do double-duty next Wednesday in both the Outlaw Open Modified Series and SK Light Modifieds. The Mini Stocks are also heading back to the track for a 15-lap feature featuring point leader Jared Roy, June winner Steve Michalski and many others.
The Wednesday racing series at Thompson Speedway wraps up with the Tripoint Showdown 75 presented by Twisted Tea on Wednesday, September 15 at 6:00pm. The Outlaw Open Modified Series has a $5,000-to-win showdown in their final tune-up for next month’s Thompson 300. They’ll be joined by the Late Models, Vandi Auto Supply Limited Sportsmen, SK Light Modifieds, and Mini Stocks. Admission is $30 for adults, $10 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids ages 5 and under.
The return of the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing is set for October 8-10. Camping spots are already open for purchase by visiting www.thompsonspeedway.com. ACT and PASS plan to release the division line-up soon.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
For technical information concerning all PASS divisions, and for media or marketing questions, please contact passracing@roadrunner.com or visit www.proallstarsseries.com. Don’t forget to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.For general Thompson Speedway inquiries, call (860) 923-2280, email oval@thompsonspeedway.com, or visit www.thompsonspeedway.com. You can follow Thompson Speedway on Facebook and Instagram at @ThompsonSpeedway or on Twitter at @ThompsonSpdwy.
