Moonlight Madness: Tony Membrino Jr. Grabs Hard Fought SK Light Mod Win At Thompson

Tony Membrino Jr. celebrates victory in Saturday's SK Light Modified feature at Thompson Speedway

Tony Membrino Jr. celebrates victory in Saturday’s SK Light Modified feature at Thompson Speedway

THOMPSON – Corey Barry promised Tony Membrino Jr. some fun in the SK Light Modified feature Saturday at Thompson Speedway.

Barry kept that promise.

Membrino, of Berlin, held off a hard charge from Barry in the final corner to win the 20-lap SK Light Modified feature at Thompson Saturday.

Barry, of Plainfield, was second. Vin Anglace of Ansonia third.

Through the final corner Barry got under Membrino and made contact coming off the corner to the frontstretch. Membrino wrangled in a sideways sliding car to hold off Barry at the checkered.

“If you saw the heat race it was pretty competitive,” Membrino said. “He threw a dive bomb move going into turn three on the last lap and got into the side of me and I was able to hang on for the win in the qualifier. We were parked near each other and he walked over to me and he was all smiles and said ‘That was fun, it will be a fun race.’ Of course it will. But I didn’t think it was going to be that fun.

“I didn’t think I was going to have to try not getting spun out. But I mean, maybe this is some leftovers from when him and I were side-by-side for a win at [the New London-Waterford Speedbowl] not to long ago. … I hope we understand each other now.”

It was the second win in as many SK Light Modified events at Thompson this year for Membrino. And the victory carried some extra pride for Membrino and his family owned team. Membrino was involved in a wreck Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway and his crew spent the overnight moonlighting in the shop to get ready for Thompson.

“We were at Raceworks [Chassis] until three o’clock in the morning,” Membrino said. “[Raceworks Chassis owner Ed Flemke Jr.] worked his butt off, my dad, all the guys came that came to the track with us basically came to the shop with us and they worked tireless through the night.

“My brother dropped the ladies off and he made a McDonald’s run and brought like ten McDouble’s and ten McChickens and it was just one of those nights that we haven’t had in a long time. Everything that happened today is a testament to them and we still had to work through it today. I’m just so thankful. It’s unreal how fortunate I am to have such good people around me. They’re the reason I’m here today.”

Brad Caddick of Wyoming, R.I. won the 25-lap Mini Stock feature. Wayne Burroughs Jr. of Oakdale was second and Ed Field of Deep River third. With the first 12 laps completed, the race was delayed about two hours because of rain and subsequent track drying efforts.

Corey Hutchings of Salem won the 20-lap Limited Sportsman feature. Al Stone III of Durham was second and Scott Sundeen of Sutton, Mass. third.

Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, R.I. won the 25-lap Late Model feature. Marc Curtis of Brookfield, Mass. was second and Tom Carey III of Orange, Mass. third.

Jared Soucy of Marlboro, Mass. won the 25-lap North East Mini Stock Tour feature. Glen Thomas of Groton was second and Nick Maniatis of Hookset, N.H. third.

The 35-lap SK Modified feature scheduled for the evenings card was postponed because of the showers and will be made up at a later date.

Comments

  1. Just my thoughts on the night, great job by Josh and Scott Tapley to keep the show moving along. Everyone knew rain was on the way, and once the mini stock tour finished I thought they might move the SK race up… but realize that wouldn’t be fair to all the other divisions. First time in years I have seen 20 SK’s show up at Thompson, not counting the Ice Breaker or World Series. I hope they all return for the make-up.

    Now to the negative (nearly 4 of the 6 scheduled features are complete), it starts pouring and hundreds of people are trying to get to their vehicles through two 36 inch openings…. and the people at the ticket booth expect you to wait to get a yellow ticket to get back in, in the event they are able to dry the track? One person at each opening with a roll of tickets, ripping them off one by one. Get a clue!

  2. What an amazing race the Lites were!!! Hats off to every competitor and crew!!! From the winner to last place!!! Wow!! Even the anounser stated they had never seen them put on such a show!!! Please Thompson!!! You had 13 of them there last night!!! Add them to your schedule!!!! They will come!!!!!

  3. Tapley was not there he was at Riverhead and you could tell cause he would have had the stones to stick it out and run the sks. Take notice management go back to Sundays you’ll get the cars and the fans Wednesdays suck.

  4. Kevin Trageser says

    LOTS of contact from the 39 to everyone.Hope he can handle it back,with no crying.You keep rattleing the Lions cage he will bite.All drivers took noticed of his actions.

  5. What a run in the Lites!!! The best show of the night!

  6. Hats off to the #24 Lite!!! Quite the run he had going for a rookie! Thought he was going to whipe out the field when the 95 crowded him up into the backstrech wall like that but he saved it and still finished 4th! 95 couldn’t beat him fairly even w/ his revlimiter disconevted, lap after lap the 24 would pull him!!! I guess a guys got to do what he has too for that extra spot!! If u can’t beat him crashem!!

  7. Frank Rizzo says

    Sounds like I missed a good SK Light race. However, I’m glad I didn’t miss yet another mismanagement of the race schedule with questionable weather in the forecast. When will these tracks figure out how to handle it correctly in the eyes of their paying customers? Why was the SK race scheduled to be run last of the 6 races on the card? That was moronic!

  8. Seekonk fan says

    It’s no secret that most tracks run the “main event” last. Why ? Economics. Concessions are a big part of the take.

  9. Amazing how many people know how to run a race track,as long as its not there Money there spending

  10. Amazing how many people know how to run a race track,as long as its not there Money there spending

  11. The SK race was not slotted to be last, they took the SK`s and moved them to the end of the show just to get the other guys in. Just another great move by Josh and his awesome decision making. and PAUL Scott Tapley was not at the track yesterday.

  12. Frank Rizzo says

    I have no problem when the so called feature event is run last on nights where the weather is not a factor. However anyone with a modicum of business acumen knows that concession sales after 10pm should not make or break your night on the ledger. Actually getting fans to drive to the track and purchase tickets has by far the best rate of return.

    What all promotional geniuses out there fail to realize is that continued mismanagement of time by many of the tracks is one of the reasons that fans choose not to show up, especially when weather is a factor. In many cases, those fans and families–including my own–choose to spend THEIR money elsewhere…

  13. Cheryl Membrino says

    Congrats to my nephew Tony Membrino Jr on his Second win at Thompson & NUMBER 10 for the season!!!!!

  14. No, don’t add more sk lite shows. Not sure why anyone would be so excited about a 13 car field. There was a reason why they took them off the schedule. They’re not going to get any cars to show up for a mid week show. 11 late models. So what happened there? Seemed like they were the premiere division this year. Should have been a full field on a Saturday night. 13 mini stocks, another poor showing on a Saturday night. Good field of sk’s. Not sure where they all came from all of a sudden. Although everyone pretty much knows who’s going to win no matter how many show up. Kind of ironic it was for the fans night and hardly any showed up. Should have been packed for a $12 ticket. Blame it on the weather I guess.

  15. wmass01013 says

    If you don’t have the WMT running no matter what night u schedule the race you wont get a big crowd @ Thompson.

  16. Rich, perhaps some of us may like to see the Lites run more shows. Although you may not want to others may. They actually in my opinion put on a dam good show. Hats off to them all, especially the 44ct and the 39! Both of them are the class of the field!!! The 39 could of easily taken out several cars like the 24 and the 44ct but he didn’t! He listen to his spotter and kept his cool! That says something! Now the 95 is a different story! He cut the corners way way to low like he was on a bowl never mind an ovel, then he would slide up into the Grove w/ total disregard to any other competitor and bounce off who ever was there! He either needs to get a spotter, clean out his ears, get in the right Grove or stay home!!!

  17. As far as the late models it is my understanding that 97&81 closed up shop even after the 81 won the previous race. The 6 was racing over at seekonk as well as the Lineham car. As far as running mid week they seem to hav a better car count in a Wednesday 6/15..16 cars, 6/1..15 cars. The 11 cars is still more than stafford and Waterford.

  18. Nate Pytko says

    Corey Barry raced me clean the whole race…..

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