(Press Release from Thompson Speedway)
Mikey Flynn is chasing his first checkered flag in Thompson’s SK Light Modified division, and he is getting closer each time he hits the track.
The Hampden, Massachusetts, driver is just 17-years-old, and started his racing career behind the wheel of a snowmobile before moving into auto racing. Since then, running in the open-wheel modifieds might have been his ultimate goal, but he spent his time in multiple different divisions before getting to this point.
“With Stafford (Motor Speedway) only 15 minutes away from home, I bought a Wild Kart and won a lot of races in the karting and championships. We even ran at Pomfret (Speedway), before running Legends Cars, Late Models and Sportsman modifieds at Monadnock Speedway.”
Flynn is one of the drivers in Thompson’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions who doesn’t have a family with a background behind the wheel. “No one in my family actually raced before me, but my mom was a race fan who went to Riverside Park Speedway and Stafford a lot,” Flynn said. “My grandparents would take her to the track every week.”
Fast-forward to where he is sitting now, all his success in multiple divisions is paying off for him this season at Thompson. Flynn sits second in Thompson’s championship standings, 47 points from the top with four top-10 finishes in the first four races of the season. His worst finish is sixth (twice), and last time on the track, Flynn was up to second, before having to take his car to the rear of the field. But charging back up through the pack and finishing sixth showed the speed under the hood.
“The last race we were the fastest car by far, driving to the front,” Flynn said. “Bryan (Narducci) is dominating up there right now, but we are closing in. There are some others closing in as well. It’s going to be a fun rest of the season.”
Narducci has eight consecutive SK Light Modified® victories in the class, capturing the first four wins of this year and four last season. But Flynn feels like he is close to holding his own checkered flag, which would be his first at Thompson. In multiple starts over at Stafford, Flynn has also yet to visit Victory Lane.
“Thompson is by far the biggest track I have ever been on, and close to, if not the fastest I have ever been on,” Flynn said. “It was a learning curve the first few times out there. It was just about going out there and sending it in the corner hard and seeing what the car is going to do. Catching up to Bryan and the rest of the field was hard when I first started. But it looks like we are doing pretty well.”
Flynn competes in a SPAFCO chassis, a chassis builder that has been successful at Thompson’s high-banked oval for many years.
“Running Stafford really helped out a lot because we are close with Ken Barry and all of the SPAFCO guys, and they are helping us out a lot with the setups,” Flynn said. “When we have a good setup, I can just worry about the driving. I’ve been close to winning over at Stafford, with like six second-place runs. It’s crazy to think that we are just learning as we go. A lot of the other guys have families that have years of experience in their background, but we are just learning something new every day.”
For now, Flynn has a couple of things he would like to accomplish in the final six Whelen All-American Series races of the season. He would like to capture his first win, contend for the Thompson championship, and stay in the mix in the battle for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division III national championship. While running both tracks, Flynn is currently third in the national standings, 17 points back.
“I was curious and when I looked at those standings it definitely took me by surprise,” Flynn said. “We are going to go for it. My parents are a huge help in supporting me and helping me whenever I need it, and I can’t thank my sponsors enough.”
For those fans who have been keeping a close eye on Flynn, the team is also building a modified they hope to run in the SK Modified division at Stafford, and hopefully the Sunoco Modified division at Thompson in the future.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park teams have a chance to tune on their rides during a short break from NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action. Racing returns to the NASCAR oval on Sunday, July 28, where all five of the NWAAS divisions will compete, along with the second round of the Street Series for Lock City Drift on the road course outside of the front stretch grandstands.
For more information on Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, fans are encouraged to visit www.thompsonspeedway.com, and for the latest and breaking news, follow the track on social media via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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