Timmy Solomito Gets Whelen Mod Tour Pole For Thompson Sunoco World Series 150

Timmy Solomito (Photo: Brenda Meserve)

Timmy Solomito (Photo: Brenda Meserve)

THOMPSON – Timmy Solomito began the 2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season by celebrating his first career series victory in the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway on April 10.

Sunday the Whelen Modified Tour season will end with Solomito taking the field to green for the division finale.

Solomito, of Islip, N.Y., won the pole in qualifying Saturday for Sunday’s Whelen Modified Tour Sunoco World Series 150 at Thompson.

“We had a really good car before qualifying and we hit it just right,” Solomito said. “That’s what it takes to qualify on the pole.”

The big picture of the event Sunday revolves around the championship battle between Doug Coby and Justin Bonsignore. Coby leads Bonsignore by 20 points heading into the season finale. Solomito, who is third place in the standings, 48 points behind Coby, is a mathematical long shot for the title.

“I’ve got nothing to lose. [Coby] and [Bonsignore] are in it for the championship and they’ve got to race pretty smart,” Solomito said. “Obviously I’ve got to race smart too. … I’d love to be in the thick of things with the championship but it didn’t work out that way so we’re really going to go out there and focus on winning and end the year off the way we started.”

Solomito toured the .625-mile oval with a fast lap in qualifying of 18.643 seconds (120.689 mph). Coby was second at 18.720 seconds (120.192 mph). Woody Pitkat of Stafford was third in qualifying (18.756, 119.962 mph).

For Coby the day represents the chance to make series history. The Milford driver is looking to become the first driver since the inception of the Whelen Modified Tour in 1985 to win three consecutive championships. Coby also won a title in 2012. He finished second in the standings in 2013.

“It’s funny, these seasons just blur together,” Coby said. “Everybody is asking about this. We’re here at the World Series and it feels like I was just talking at Stafford two hours ago. I think we all feel the same thing. Everything just blurs together. To me there’s never an end to a season for me it’s like, whatever we accomplish, we get some awards and we started again. It’s never really about that. It’s cool and it will be neat if it happens. If not it will still be five years in a row with top-two in points.”

Bonsignore will start seventh. Coby needs to finish 16th or better in the 27-car field to clinch the title.

“I’m happy to start in front of [Bonsignore] and try to just pace ourselves and run like three 50 laps segments tomorrow and just try to make it through all three of them,” Coby said. “… It’s going to be a tall order for us to get out of here unscathed and it’s also going to be a challenge for Justin to go out there and lead the most laps. … It’s going to take him some time. He’s going to get to the front. I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes him a few laps to get there. Anything can happen. I’ve never been conservative. It’s been five years in a row and I’m not going to change anything. I’m just going to go race.”

Bonsignore said he goes into the event simply focused on winning and not worrying about anything else that needs to happen for him to score his first career series title.

“We missed it, but not by much,” Bonsignore said of his qualifying effort. “We know our car is really really good in race mode like it always is here. I wouldn’t doubt if by lap 30 or 40 we’re if we’re up there contending for the lead. I have a lot of confidence. We’ll just try to get up there as quick as possible and lead the most laps to win the race and I’ll let the race fall where it may.

“I don’t care about anything else besides winning the World Series. We just have to get max points tomorrow and if something happens it happens and if not, either way, we’ve all got our heads held high and we go into the offseason proud.”

Comments

  1. Liz Cherokee says

    Stolimoto!

  2. Liz Cherokee says

    And another top 25 quiver of alifying effort for Melissa! See ya all later at the Publick House!

  3. Thats when she shines Liz…….on a track by herself.

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