Bruce Thomas Jr. celebrates his first victory of the season in the Late Model division Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl (Photo: Mark Caise/Waterford Speedbowl)
WATERFORD – On May 10 Bruce Thomas Jr. spun Keith Rocco out of the lead in an effort to keep the Wallingford driver for capturing another in a string of Late Model victories at the Waterford Speedbowl.
The strategy didn’t work. Thomas was penalized and Rocco came back to win his fifth event in five races that night.
Saturday night Thomas, of Groton, didn’t need a bumper, all he had to do was keep his bumper in front.
Thomas drove away from Rocco over the closing laps to win the 30-lap Late Model feature and end Rocco’s perfect run in the division in 2014.
Rocco, of Wallingford, was second and Anthony Ryan Jr. of Danbury third.
Rocco, of Wallingford. had won the previous 10 Late Model events at Waterford dating back to the 2013 season.
“I’ve been trying all damn year and I haven’t been able to do anything with him,” Thomas said. “Whether or not he missed the setup tonight or what, we didn’t, so that was good. I’ve been trying to get that all damn year. Actually, going into last year too.”
Thomas went to the lead on the second lap of the race with Rocco following to second. Once out front, Thomas realized after a number of laps keeping Rocco at bay that he likely had the car to beat him.
“I was pretty surprised seeing how the way it’s been going this year because sometimes when he gets in the lead, I can make ground on him and then he takes it back away,” Thomas said. “He’s playing. That means somebody has a real lot of car and driver to be able to do that. … He was staying back there and I know what he’s like, he’s a go, go, goer. At that time I just figured I was going really good or he missed it.”
Said Rocco: “I think we missed the stagger tonight.”
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