Four-time Thompson Speedway champion and former track race director Jeff Zuidema will serve as the Grand Marshall for Icebreaker 2014 at the track April 5-6.
Zuidema, of North Brookfield, Mass., served as the track’s race director for the 2013 season before back issues forced him to resign. It was those same back issues that forced Zuidema to end his successful career in competition.
Zuidema will give the command for Late Model division drivers to start their engine on Sunday April 6 to kickoff day two of the Icebreaker weekend.
“We are proud to have Jeff as the Grand Marshall for our season-opening event,” track general manager Josh Vanada said in a release. “He has been a longtime friend of the Hoenig family [track owners] and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. He was an excellent driver, and just as talented of a race director. It seems fitting that he should be the one to give the command to fire engines in the division that he last recorded two Icebreaker wins in in 2009.”
Said Zuidema: “For 28 years, I never took a summer vacation. Everything was planned around the race season at Thompson. It has been a huge part of my life.”
Congratulations Jeff. A well deserved honor, I’m glad to have had the opportunity to race against you and to be able to have become friends with you and your family.
nice good for you jeff enjoy
that great for you jeff always remember to have fun