THOMPSON – It was a battle for the Late Model championship at Thompson International Speedway that got feisty between Rick Gentes and Glenn Boss in the penultimate points race of the season on Aug. 22.
Rick Gentes tries to cool off after winning a heated battle for the Late Model division title Thursday at Thompson Speedway
On championship night the battle got downright ugly between Gentes and Boss.
In what looked more like a prize fight than racing event, Gentes rolled his battered ride into the showcase spot on the track after Thursday’s 40-lap Late Model feature and was celebrated as the division’s champion.
It was the fifth Late Model championship at Thompson for Gentes, of Woonsocket, R.I., the division’s all-time winningest driver.
But it was a subdued celebration for Gentes, who was left livid after the event after wrecking twice during the feature with Boss, of Danielson.
“I’m just totally totally disgusted,” Gentes said. “After last week, well, I really thought Glenn Boss had more class than that last week. I figured he’d certainly be a gentleman tonight. That was a pathetic way to race for a championship, absolutely pathetic.”
Tom Carey Jr. of New Salem, Mass. won the event. Keith Rocco of Wallingford was second and Larry Gelinas of Buxton, Me. third.
Boss came into the event leading Gentes by four points in the standings.
On lap 17, while battling for the lead on the frontstretch, Gentes and Boss got together and wrecked near the start-finish line.
Both went to the rear of the field. As they raced back to the front, contact between the two sent Gentes into the grass on the backstretch and Boss hard into the turn three wall on lap 18.
Boss’ evening was over and Gentes team was left trying to get their driver back on the track to make a run back for the title. On lap 30 it looked as if John Lowinsk-Loh Jr. was running fourth and Gentes eighth, which had it stayed that way, would have given Lowinski-Loh the title. But on lap 34 Lowinski-Loh went to the pits with a flat tire, putting Gentes back into the points lead.
With a 7th place finish, Gentes earned 38 points for the night, giving him an 18 point cushion over Boss, who was credited with an 18th place finish.
While Gentes and his team were taking championship photos on the track, Boss’ car was being loaded on a flatbed just yards away.
“That’s karma,” one of Gentes’ crew members yelled.
“I didn’t even have an exchange of words with [Boss] last week because I’m friendly with Glenn and I used to have respect for him,” Gentes said. “Last week I just kind of let it go. To come back and wreck me in the same exact spot, on the straightaway? How do you crash at the start/finish line on the straightaway? It’s bull. Then we went back out there and I went to go by him coming off of [turn] two and he drove me right down in the grass and we just about destroyed it going through grass. Just a sad way to race. Total bull. He should be smarter. Glenn’s raced for championships before in Street Stocks. Maybe he should go back to a Street Stock because I’ve got no respect for him.”
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Like Gentes is a saint, sounds like two knuckleheads racing or should I say wrecking like knuckleheads….
Idiots, the both of them. What a proud night for the owner and crew of the 3 car!? Boss has absolutely no respect for anyone. It’s not the first time he’s blatantly made this selfish move on the track. I feel bad for the crew and owner. They had to have put a lot of money and time into getting the car straightened out for last night’s race. On the other hand, if they had watched Boss’s driving career, they had to have known what they were getting….an arrogant, spoiled, selfish, angry driver. Time for this guy to drive his own car, spend his money, and fix it himself. I’d rather not see him on the track at all. Gentes got caught cheating again a couple races ago, so he’s not really a champion. Although, over his career of DQ’s he is a champion cheater! Would not miss either of these drivers should they retire……please, retire.
Look back through the years at Thompson, Gentes has a history of cheating and wrecking his closest competition. Think back of what he did to O’Sullivan and Bronzyck, to name just a few, always hooked into the wall at the fastest point in the track. A real “Champion” and “Class Act.”
The real champion of the late model division is the driver of the 20 car who fell victim to a flat tire surrendering the victory and championship title. He possessed a clean race record with extreme sportsmanship throughout the season……….Boss and Gentes should take lessons from a real skilled driver…….Gentes if you think you deserve the title of the late model champion God forgive you……
I’m not sure how a true competitor can take pride with winning a championship when it was achieved by using underhanded tactics, poor sportsmanship and habitual temper tantrums. Gentes did not deserve the win. He played dirty all season as he has done in years past. The winner of this year was the new comer to the division. #20, Lowinski-loh took his hits from the seasoned veteran all year. He sucked up some bad calls, and took the penalties gracefully when he was in the wrong, yet he drove clean and handled it like a pro. Last night’s race was a pathetic display of a battle of egos. The 20 car earned the championship and it was extreme misfortune that it slipped away due to a flat tire. I hope that Thompson Speedway realizes that their patrons are sports fans that want to see racing, not demolition and when politics overrule equality it turns people off.
How come no one is asking how Boss’s nose got caved in. The front of his car was smashed in when Gentes slammed on his brakes in turn 4 under caution and Boss didn’t have a choice but to run in the back of the 70. The race officials did nothing about that. Or how about the week before after they both crashed that the car Gentes’ sponsors (37) stopped in turn 2 so the caution would come out and gave the 70 a chance to get back out and finish ahead of the 3. Again nothing was done by track officials. What is going on up there? Who loves the 70 up there so much? One would think something should have been done
Sounds like a lot of 20 crybaby fans on here.. How bout the fact 6 out of the first 7 races the track whacked him with rough riding penalties!! You all are clueless!!! And what penalties did the 70 have a few weeks ago?? Besides none!! As far as sponsoring the 37 he doesn’t!! Get your facts together before running your mouths!!
What these facts from the website of the race track
37 JARIAH RODERICK E. TAUNTON MA LIFELINE AMBULANCE GENTES EXCAVATION
That’s fact!!
Mike the 37 raced at seekonk he can not drive