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Sanborn Brings Richard Moody Racing Back to PASS Super Late Model Victory Lane
Photos Tom Morris Racing Photography
Thompson, CT — With the weather conditions cooperating one week later than expected, the 49th Icebreaker Weekend at Thompson Speedway successfully opened the 2023 New England racing season with plenty of heart-pounding thrills to set up the summer to come at the Big-T. The Thompson Outlaw Open Modified Icebreaker 125 came down to a stunning green-white-checker in one of the most spectacular open wheeled races in recent memory while winners in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models and the Thompson local divisions proved themselves as the class of the field.
The 49th Icebreaker 125 included some of the Northeast’s best Modified pilots ready to tackle the highbanks for the $10,000 winner’s share of the $46,000 guaranteed purse. Keith Rocco and Matt Swanson brought the twenty-two-car field to green with Swanson getting the jump in the Gary Casella-owned #25. Swanson would hang tough before a hard charging Ronnie Williams overtook the lead on lap 25 followed by Woody Pitkat and Chris Pasteryak as Swanson slid to fourth. Carl Medeiros Jr. brought out the first major caution on lap 55 with several mid-pack teams taking advantage and heading pit-side for adjustments.
Realigned side-by-side to return the field to green, Ronnie Williams got the jump on a slip-sliding Pitkat with Rocco coming around to steal second. While Williams, Pitkat and Rocco battled hard in the top-three, 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Jon McKenney joined the top-five. McKennedy would make it to third with Anthony Nocella also joining the top-five before Anthony Bello’s spin on lap 72 would bring the first crucial caution. While all the top runners jumped pit side for fresh Hoosier Race Tires, Williams and McKennedy elected to stay on the field to lead the impending restart.
RJ Marcotte stole away the lead from McKennedy and Williams as the tire strategy helped Swanson and Nocella battle for second. Nocella would take the lead on lap 78 with Pitkat following and stretching out their lead before the caution flag flew on lap 107 as the engine expired on Teddy Hodgdon’s machine. Nocella kept the lead while a four-way battle for second saw Pitkat, McKennedy, Williams and Mike Christopher, Jr. toss and turn for position. Pitkat brought out the final caution on lap 123 after backing into the turn one wall to set up a green-white-checker between Nocella, Williams, McKennedy, Christopher Jr. and Chris Pasteryak. Nocella gave it all he could, but Ronnie Williams rounded the long-standing leader to claim the $10,000 49th Icebreaker 125 over Jon McKennedy and Anthony Nocella. Mike Christopher Jr. brought the Baldwin Racing 7NY home in fourth and Todd Owen powered up to round out the top-five.
Twenty-two PASS Super Late Models made the trip from across New England to join Icebreaker Saturday at Thompson Speedway. ‘The Outlaw’ Eddie MacDonald and Gabe Brown brought the field down for the green flag with Trevor Sanborn having a strong showing from fourth-place before taking over the lead just five laps in. After quelling a challenge by Derek Griffith, Sanborn continued to lead the charge through the very end to take his first win with Richard Moody Racing since July 31st, 2010, and the first of their rekindled partnership for 2023. After a thrilling three-way battle for second place through the final fifteen circuits, Gabe Brown would bring his family team a second-place run followed by Derek Griffith. Eddie MacDonald finished a fourth-place run followed by Johnny Clark for fifth. Honorable mentions go to Scarborough, Maine’s Garrett Hall who tackled a sixth-place run after starting shotgun on the field in 22nd.
The Sunoco Modifieds returned for their doubleheader Icebreaker Weekend in their second 30-lap shootout. Noticeably absent on Saturday was defending champion Stephen Kopcik as the feature field was led to green by young veterans Troy Talman and Jonathan Puleo. Talman got the jump and the lead as Modified standout Todd Owen began to stalk the Oxford, Massachusetts native. Halfway though, Friday winner Keith Rocco joined the top three to pounce under Owen and take over second. With just eight laps remaining Rocco caught up to the rear of Talman and made a move to the inside. Three veteran crossovers between the two would be settled before Troy Talman took the Sunoco Modified victory by just 0.154-seconds over Keith Rocco with Todd Owen rounding out the top-three.
Thompson’s wildest division had a calm start to their 2023 track championship season. Led to green by Corey Fanning and Travis Jurcik, Fanning led the way through tight competition provided by Ryan Waterman, Jason Chicolas and Larry Barnett. The lone caution would fly for the spinning Tim Poulin against the backstretch wall and bunched the leaders for a final, five-lap charge. ‘Kid Chaos’ Corey Fanning led off the restart and took it right to the checkered flag followed by Waterman and Chicolas to round out the top-three. Defending champion ‘Leadfoot’ Larry Barnett took fourth with Brent Gleason rounding out the top-five.
The SK Lite Modifieds took the biggest local field of the weekend in feature action led by Alexander Pearl and John O’Sullivan. Pearl, in his defense of winning the last SK Lite feature during the World Series in 2022, held the lead until the second post-caution restart saw stalwart John O’Sullivan take charge. O’Sullivan would keep the lead to the very end in no-contest fashion followed by Tyler Chapman and Isaiah Newcomb to round out the podium. Alexander Pearl and Amanda West would round out the top-five.
After several local teams joined in with the Mighty Mini Stock Series on Friday, the Mini Stocks began their championship season on Saturday afternoon. Led by multi-time winners Dave Trudeau and Jarred Roy, Roy would get the upper hand early until Tommy Silva began battling with Roy halfway through. Although awarded the checkers on the track, Silva refused technical inspection giving the win to Jarred Roy with Ryan Pomposelli moving up to second and Rick LaFlesh rounding out the top-three.
Next up at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park will be a new beginning for the Thompson Outlaw Open Modifieds as they compete in the first of three Dash for Cash events on the 5/8-mile oval. Alongside the $5,000 to win, 50-lap sprint will be the visiting New England Supermodified Series, both setting up for a collection of New England’s best open wheeled talent on Wednesday, June 21st. Also included in 2023’s first Wednesday-night showdown will be local championship series events for the Late Models, SK Lite Modifieds, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks. Full schedule and pricing for the Wednesday, June 21st event will be released in the near future.
For more information, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram 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.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Thompson, CT
49th Icebreaker – Day #2
Saturday, April 8, 2023
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
(Finishing Position, Car #, Driver, Hometown)
$10,000-to-Win Open Outlaw Modified Icebreaker – 125 Laps
1. 50W Ronnie Williams Ellington, CT
2. 79 Jon McKennedy Chelmsford, MA
3. 92 Anthony Nocella Woburn, MA
4. 7NY Mike Christopher, Jr. Wolcott, CT
5. 81 Todd Owen Somers, CT
6. 5CT Chris Pasteryak Lisbon, CT
7. 25 Matt Swanson Harvard, MA
8. 179 Anthony Bello Newtown, CT
9. 5MA RJ Marcotte Millville, MA
10. 01NY Artie Peterson Center Moriches, NY
11. 1 George Bessette, Jr. Danbury, CT
12. 57 Keith Rocco Berlin, CT
13. 31C Andrew Charron E. Greenwich, RI
14. 88 Woody Pitkat Bellingham, MA
15. 55CT Teddy Hodgdon Danbury, CT
16. 28 Buddy Charette Woodstock, CT
17. 4NH Tommy Barrett Millis, MA
18. 50M Carl Medeiros, Jr. Westport, MA
19. 33 Paul Buzel Trumbull, CT
20. 43 Devin O’Connell Madison, CT
21. 17 Kevin Folan N. Attleboro, MA
DNS 08 Nick Halkowicz Shelton, CT
PASS Super Late Models – 75 Laps
1. 44 Trevor Sanborn E. Parsonsfield, ME
2. 47B Gabe Brown Center Conway, NH
3. 12G Derek Griffith Hudson, NH
4. 17MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA
5. 54 Johnny Clark Hallowell, ME
6. 94 Garrett Hall Scarborough, ME
7. 39 Max Cookson Pittsfield, ME
8. 88 Brandon Barker Westbrook, ME
9. 60 D.J. Shaw Center Conway, NH
10. 7CT Cory Casagrande Stafford Springs, CT
11. 12 Dennis Spencer, Jr. Oxford, ME
12. 73D Joey Doiron Berwick, ME
13. 21 Josh King Vernon, VT
14. 20 Joe Pastore Gorham, ME
15. 27NH Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Dover, NH
16. 40RI Mike Mitchell Cumberland, RI
17. 18 Michael Scorzelli Feura Bush, NY
18. 17 Kevin Folan W. Attleboro, MA
19. 24J JP Josiasse Ennismore, ON
20. 29 Austin Teras Gray, ME
21. 28 Rowland Robinson, Jr. Steuben, ME
22. 50 Andy Shaw Center Conway, NH
Sunoco Modifieds – 30 Laps
1. 3 Troy Talman Oxford, MA
2. 57 Keith Rocco Berlin, CT
3. 81 Todd Owen Somers, CT
4. 7 JP Puleo Branford, CT
5. 47 Anthony Bello Newtown, CT
6. 22 Isaiah Newcomb Plymouth, MA
7. 28 Rich Gautreau S. Windsor, CT
Limited Sportsman – 25 Laps
1. 11 Corey Fanning Mapleville, RI
2. 75 Ryan Waterman Danielson, CT
3. 7x Jason Chicolas Sutton, MA
4. 73 Larry Barnett Moosup, CT
5. 01 Brent Gleason Griswold, CT
6. 51CT Travis Jurcik Moosup, CT
7. 51 Bert Ouellette Ellington, CT
8. 38 Jon Porter E. Lyme, CT
9. 1 Nathan Taylor Brooklyn, CT
10. 80 Tyler Trott E. Hartford, CT
11. 26 Michael Rotundo Rehoboth, MA
12. 67 Aaron Plemons Uncasville, CT
13. 8 Josh Gerard W. Wareham, MA
14. 10 Hank Stott Medway, MA
15. 66 Tyler Cinamella Willimantic, CT
16. 22T Tim Poulin N. Grosvenordale, CT
DNS 36 Scott Sundeen Sutton, MA
SK Lite Modifieds – 25 Laps
1. 15 John O’Sullivan Norwich, CT
2. 41 Tyler Chapman Ellington, CT
3. 22 Isaiah Newcomb Plymouth, MA
4. 7 Alexander Pearl Salem, CT
5. 15x Amanda West Colchester, CT
6. 27 Corey Caddick Stafford, CT
7. 2 Meghan Fuller Auburn, MA
8. 16CT Ethan Durocher Plainfield, CT
9. 32 Tom Abele Norwich, CT
10. 09 Cassandra Cole Westbrook, CT
11. 16 Nickolas Hovey Chaplin, CT
12. 78 Evan Bourgois E. Haddam, CT
13. 16MA Todd Douillard Palmer, MA
14. 24 Nathan Pytko Oxford, MA
15. 03 Jaden Brown Kunkletown, PA
16. 26 Steve Kenneway Lowell, MA
17. 24H Frank Hirt Danbury, CT
18. 28CT George Perreault Woodstock, CT
19. 36RI Michael Cooper Pawtucket, RI
20. 71 Peter Lopuch Redding, CT
21. 52 Anthony Forino Waterbury, CT
Mini Stocks – 20 Laps
1. 1CT Jarred Roy Moosup, CT
2. 19 Ryan Pomposelli Smithfield, RI
3. 9CT Rick LaFlesh Griswold, CT
4. 97 Dave Trudeau Marshfield, CT
5. 82 Kevin Moore Moosup, CT
6. 44 Steve Michalski Brooklyn, CT
7. 7 Kyle Wing Marshfield, CT
8. 22 Brad Caddick Wyoming, RI
9. 40 Nadine Coates Newport, NH
10. 54 Eric Finkbein, Jr. Columbia, CT
11. 10 Keith Ballou Pascoag, RI
DSQ 31 Tommy Silva Gales Ferry, CT*
*Disqualified for Refusing Post-Race Inspection
