Ryan Preece Tops SK Modified Field At Thompson International Speedway

THOMPSON – Opening Thursday night of the 2013 season at Thompson International Speedway saw the champion ascending to his throne in the track’s premier division.

Ryan Preece celebrates an SK Modified victory Thursday at Thompson International Speedway

Ryan Preece took the lead from Todd Ceravolo on a lap nine restart and then went virtually unchallenged the rest of the way in winning the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature.

It was a ride back to the top for Preece, of Berlin, who finished fourth in the division’s first event of the year on April 14 at the Icebreaker.

“This Magnus Transmission got the job done for me tonight,” Preece said. “This car was awesome. Mike Paquette, my crew chief, that guy, he puts a lot of hours in. He was at the race shot scaling the SK Modified for Stafford until four in the morning and he came here tonight. I can’t thank him enough.”

Woody Pitkat of Stafford rallied from an early spin to edge Ceravolo, of Gales Ferry, for second place.

With Ceravolo leading and Rocco running third, Preece blasted to the front on a lap nine restart.

“Todd, he’s a heck of a restarter,” Preece said. “And you can’t ever count Keith out, he’ll make things happen. It was a great race. A good start to our Thursday Night Thunder deal.”

Pitkat got spun by Paul Newcomb on lap nine but quickly marched back through the field.

“We just ran out of laps,” Pitkat said. “Toward the end I think we might have had something.”