On Tap: Getting Back On Track

Rain left last week’s local racing schedule a shambles with cancellations at Thompson International Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway.

Last Thursday marked the third consecutive rain out at Thompson.

It looks like that streak will come to an end Thursday, with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in town for the Bud 150.

At Stafford Motor Speedway Friday, the Call Before You Dig 811 challenge takes place on Friday and the Late Model division gets showcase treatment with a 60-lap feature.

The New England Truck Series is part of Saturday’s racing card at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Where: Thompson International Speedway
What: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
When: Thursday
Schedule: 150-lap Whelen Modified Tour, 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified, 25-lap Late Model, 20-lap SK Light Modified, 20-lap Limited Sportsman and 15-lap Mini Stock. Grandstands open: 2:30 p.m.; Qualifying begins: 5:30 p.m.
More: The sixth week of Thursday night racing at Thompson in 2013. … The ninth of 14 Whelen Modified Tour events in 2013 at Thompson and the second of three visits to Thompson for the division this year. The division opened its season at the track on April 14 with the running of the Icebreaker. Mike Stefanik won that event. The division will close its season at Thompson on Oct. 20. … Ryan Preece, who has won three of eight events this year, goes into the race with a 25-point lead in the standings over reigning series champion Doug Coby. Coby won the most recent event for the series on Aug. 2 at Stafford Motor Speedway, his second victory in the last three events. Coby knocked Preece’s lead from 44 to 25 points with his win at Stafford. … Other winners this year in the division include Bobby Santos III and Justin Bonsignore. … There have been 121 Whelen Modified Tour events at Thompson since the division’s inception, the most of any track. There have been 32 different race winners. Stefanik leads all drivers with 15 career Modified Tour victories at Thompson. … Donny Lia is the defending champion of the event at Thompson. … Thompson’s has seen rain outs over the last three Thursday evenings. … In the track’s last event on July 18, Matt Gallo won for the first time in his career at Thompson in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified division. … Keith Rocco leads the SK Modified division point standings. Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat and Kerry Malone are in a three-way tie for second, six points behind Rocco. Todd Ceravolo is fifth in the standings, 12 points behind the leader. … Rocco has won four of seven SK Modified events at Thompson this year. Preece and Malone are the other winners at the track this year in the division. … Drifting champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. will perform an exhibition and have an autograph session Thursday at the track.

Where: Stafford Motor Speedway
What: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event
When: Friday
Schedule: 40-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified, 60-lap Late Model, 20-lap SK Light Modified, 20-lap Limited Late Model and 15-lap DARE Stock. Grandstands open: 5:15 p.m.; Qualifying begins: 6:15 p.m. Features begin: Approximately 7:15 p.m.
More: The 12th week of Friday night racing at Stafford in 2013. … In the last event at the track, Eric Berndt won for the first time in 2013 in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature on Aug. 2. Doug Coby, who finished second in the event, took over the division points lead. Coby has not won an SK Modified event at Stafford this year. Ryan Preece, who has six wins in 12 races this year at Stafford, sits six points behind Coby in the standings. Woody Pitkat is in third, 18 points behind Coby. Preece and Ted Christopher, are the only multi-time SK Modified winners this year at Stafford. Christopher has two wins. Other SK Modified division winners this season include Danny Cates, Rowan Pennink and Keith Rocco. … The Late Model goes double their normal distance Friday with a 60-lap feature. … Late Model division standings leader Adam Gray won on Aug. 2 and has finished in the top-three in the last 11 consecutive events at Stafford. Gray’s only finish outside the top three in 11 events this year was an 18th place in the first race of the year. Gray holds a 60-point lead over second place Tom Fearn at the top of the Late Model standings.

Where: Waterford Speedbowl
What: NASCAR Whelen All-American Series event
When: Saturday
Schedule: 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified, 30-lap Late Model, 25-lap Street Stock, 25-lap Mini Stock, 20-lap Legends and 25-lap New England Truck Series. Grandstands open: 3 p.m.; Qualifying: 5:30 p.m.; Features: 7 p.m.
More: The 17th event of the season at the shoreline oval. … Keith Rocco picked up his sixth victory of the 2013 season in the Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature last week at Waterford. It was Rocco’s 50th career victory in the division at Waterford. … Rocco holds a 41-point lead over his father-in-law Todd Ceravolo in the SK Modified standings. Last year’s division champion Tyler Chadwick is 103 points out of the lead in third place. … Chadwick has three victories this year. With two victories this year, Kyle James joins Rocco and Chadwick as the only multi-time winners in the division this year. Ceravolo, Diego Monahan Jeff Rocco, Joey Gada and Rob Janovic Jr. … Keith Rocco won the last Late Model feature at Waterford on Aug. 3. It was his sixth Late Model victory of the season at Waterford. Rocco holds a 41-point lead over second place Dillon Moltz in the division standings.