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Johnson, Fanning, Seitz, Chapman & Wing Also Score Twisted Tea Wednesday Wins
Story by Souza Media
THOMPSON, Conn. — Ronnie Williams used a late caution to win the Icebreaker 125 for the Outlaw Open Modified Series at Thompson Speedway back in April. Wednesday night, Williams didn’t need a late caution – he did it in dominating fashion. Williams took the lead early and rolled to the win after holding off Chris Pasteryak and on a flurry of late restarts. The victory came in the first of the summer Dash For Cash 50-lap, $5,000 to win races for the Outlaw Open Modifieds at the Connecticut oval in 2023.
Williams had a tough challenge on the final restart with Pasteryak closing in on the back bumper. Pasteryak was close on the final lap when the field took the white flag, but got loose off turn two and had to settle for second. Joey Mucciacciaro posted a strong third-place finish with Kurt Vigeant and Swanson finishing the top-five.
Former Thompson champion Nick Johnson rolled to victory in the 25-lap Late Model race, taking the lead using the bottom lane. Johnson passed Matthew Lowinski-Loh for the second spot on the bottom, then passed Devin Deshaies for the lead just before halfway. Although Lowinski-Loh was closing in during the final laps, Johnson was able to seal the win. Lowinski-Loh finished in second, with Andrew Moelleur wrapping the race in third. Oddly enough, even though Johnson won the championship in the Late Models in 2019, it was his first career track Late Model win, he said in Victory Lane.
The New England Supermodifieds rolled into Thompson to supply pure speed and power and it was a dominant performance by Ben Seitz. The driver of the No. 11 jumped out to the lead passing Anthony Nocella for the top spot and never looked back en route to picking up the dominating victory. Danny Bowes was second and Rob Summers third at the end of their 30-lap feature.
Tyler Chapman collected the extra-distance prize in the SK Light Modifieds at the end of their 30-lap feature, worth $750 to win. Much of the middle portion of the race saw Chapman chasing Danny Cates for the lead, with Alexander Pearl not far behind in third. Chapman would pass Cates for the lead with just under 10 laps remaining and go unchallenged the remainder of the laps to win. Cates would lose second to Pearl in the final laps, but the two did complete the podium. The division not only had extra laps and extra prize money, but also infield pitting during the race for the first time during their Thompson tenure.
Corey Fanning made it two-for-two on the 2023 season in the Limited Sportsman, outlasting a stout group of contenders during a wild green-white-checkered finish to take the win in the 30-lap EdenRaffety Clash For Cash. The $750 to win race looked to be in the control of Ryan Waterman as the field took the white flag, but a caution for a spinning car in turn four slowed the race and set up the dash to the finish with a green-white-checkered. Waterman and Chicolas brought the field down for the green with Waterman jumping away with the lead into turn one. When the field hit turn one after taking the white flag a lap later, contact between Waterman and Chicolas sent Waterman drifting up the track sideways. Chicolas took advantage to grab the lead, but Fanning snagged the bottom lane and drag-raced him for the lead down the backstretch and Waterman rallied to chase them both in third. Off turn four to the checkered, Fanning jumped out to control and crossed for the win. Chicolas was second and Waterman third.
It was a dominant type of night for Kyle Wing in the Mini Stocks. Wing won his qualifying heat in dominant fashion, then followed it up by leading all 15 laps to win the Mini Stock feature race. It was his first career win in racing, he said in Victory Lane. Kevin Moore crossed the stripe second and Glynn Roy in third.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s oval track is promoted by the American-Canadian Tour and Pro All Star Series again in 2023. The track will return to racing action on Wednesday, July 26, with the Twisted Tea Open Modified Dash For Cash round two, set for 50 laps and $5,000 to win. The SK Light Modifieds will run double features, while the Late Models, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks will also be in action. Racing begins at 6PM and a full schedule of events will be released one week prior to race day.
