On Tap Presented By Ric’s Café: Icebreaker Time At Thompson Speedway; Waterford Opens Its Gates

On Tap: Presented By Ric’s Cafe

Ryan Preece begins defense of his 2013 NASCAR Modified Tour championship Sunday at Thompson Speedway (Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Weather made for a slight delay to the start of the local racing season last weekend with the postponement of the Budweiser Blastoff at the Waterford Speedbowl, but this weekend fans will get a double dose of track opening fever.

Thompson Speedway hosts the Icebreaker 2014 Saturday and Sunday, highlighted by the season opening event for the NASCAR Modified Tour.

And while Waterford’s Blastoff weekend got pushed to April 12-13, the track will celebrate its weekly schedule opening Saturday with a NASCAR All-American Series racing card.

Check out below for all the weekend details.

Where: Thompson International Speedway

What: Icebreaker 2014

When: Saturday – Sunday

Schedule

Saturday: Practice and qualifying for all divisions. Features: Limited Sportsman segment race, Mini Stock segment race, New England Truck Series, noon.

Sunday: Features: 150-lap NASCAR Modified Tour, 50-lap Granite State Pro Stock Series, 30-lap NASCAR All-American Series SK Modified, 25-lap Late Model, 20-lap SK Light Modified, 20-lap Limited Sportsman and 15-lap Mini Stock, noon.

More: The season opening event for the NASCAR Modified Tour. … The first of three NASCAR Modified Tour events at Thompson in 2014. The series will compete at state short tracks eight times as part of a 14-race schedule in 2014. The division will visit Stafford Motor Speedway four times and the Waterford Speedbowl once. … Marks the 40th overall edition of Icebreaker weekend, and the 30th time that the NASCAR Modified Tour has headlined the event. … The Icebreaker has served as the Modified Tour opener 17 times in the past 29 seasons, including every year since 2002. … Thompson Speedway hosted the first NASCAR Modified Tour event on March 31, 1985. The race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans. … The track has hosted the NASCAR Modified Tour a record 123 times. … Ted Christopher holds the record for Modified Tour Icebreaker victories with four. … Ryan Preece begins defense of his 2013 NASCAR Modified Tour title. Preece has never won a NASCAR Modified Tour event at Thompson. … Seven-time series champion Mike Stefanik is the defending champion of the Icebreaker 150. Stefanik’s 15 career Modified Tour victories at Thompson are the most of any driver. … Stefanik parted ways with former team owner Chris Our following the 2013 season and will compete in select events on the Tour in 2014. He is on the entry list for the Icebreaker. … Stefanik was replaced in Our’s car by 18-year old Tommy Barrett Jr., the runner-up on the Modified Racing Series in 2013. … Doug Coby, the 2012 NASCAR Modified Tour champion, moved from Wayne Darling’s team to Mike Smeriglio Racing in the offseason. Coby replaced 2003 NASCAR Modified Tour champion Todd Szegedy in the Smeriglio owned ride. … Jamie Tomaino has participated in every NASCAR Modified Tour event ever held at Thompson Speedway. … Sunday’s race is expected to feature eight former series champions in Stefanik, Preece, Coby, Tomaino, Ron Silk, Ted Christopher, Donny Lia and Bobby Santos III.

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, 25-lap Legends, 20-lap X-Car and 20-lap Super X-Car. Grandstands open: 3 p.m.; Qualifying: 5:30 p.m.; Features: 7 p.m.

More: The first event of the season at Waterford. … Keith Rocco is the defending champion of both the SK Modified and Late Model divisions at Waterford. In addition to competing in both divisions Saturday at Waterford, Rocco will also compete in the SK Modified feature and NASCAR Modified Tour event at Thompson on Sunday. …. Corey Hutchings is the defending champion of the Street Stock division and Ken Cassidy Jr. is the reigning champion of the Mini Stock division.