Thompson Speedway To Cap July With NASCAR Sunday Showdown

(Press Release from Thompson Speedway)

As the second half of the NASCAR racing season gets underway at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, championship points battles are heating up. Sunday, those battles return to the high-banks for the fifth race of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season.  

The Sunday special will showcase all five Whelen All-American Series classes and will once again include Lock City Drift, for the third round of their Street Series. Lock City’s partnership with Thompson Speedway gives fans a chance to witness both the side-by-side action on the oval and the slipping, sliding and smoking of drift cars on the road course on the same day, at the same time. 

In the Sunoco Modifieds, Keith Rocco might be on his way to another title. The Connecticut veteran, who won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I championship in 2010, has three consecutive championships in the class. This season, he opened with a victory in the Icebreaker, and has finished in the top-five ever since. He’s the only driver in the premiere division to finish inside the top-five in all four events. Mike Christopher Jr., who scored his first career win on June 15, is second in the standings, just 24 back, while Troy Talman wraps the top three.  

The Limited Sportsman title chase is one of the closest in recent memory at Thompson, with the top seven drivers separated by just 18 points entering Sunday. Even though he’s won the last two titles, Shawn Monahan isn’t the driver leading the way. Ryan Waterman opened his season with a victory and has been consistent enough since then to hold a seven-point lead over rising star Meghan Fuller.   

With Thompson’s title on her mind, Fuller is also chasing a title at Stafford Motor Speedway and is in contention for championships on a national level with NASCAR. Zachary Robinson, Ryan Morgan and one-time feature winner Brent Gleason complete the top five. Monahan is sixth, with two wins, while Kyle Gero is seventh.

The Mini Stock division looks like it’s going to be a fight right down to the end. Three drivers are within just four points at the top, with Scott Michalski, who won the last time the class was on the track, leading the way. The Danielson, Connecticut, native leads by just one point over Jared Roy, while Steve Michalski, who won the Icebreaker, is just four back. The three frontrunners are the only drivers to have visited Victory Lane aside from Charles Canfield. 

William Wall has a stranglehold on the Late Model division, as the Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, driver begins his quest for his second title. Wall, who has one victory in the first three Late Model events, leads Mark Jenison by 19 points. Jension is another driver seeking multiple titles this year – he’s looking to capture the Late Model title at Seekonk Speedway and is also contending for a title on the national level with NASCAR. In Thompson’s title chase, Derek Gluchacki is third, 26 points back. 

Bryan Narducci seems to be unstoppable in the SK Light Modified® division. Dating back to last year, Narducci has eight consecutive wins in the class, and it isn’t because of a lack of competition. This season, 26 drivers have already seen the track for competition, but no one has been able to best the Colchester, Connecticut, driver. Cornelius “Mikey” Flynn is the closest to the top, 39 points back, while Albert Ouellette is third. 

Sunday’s action begins when NWAAS drivers hit the track for practice at 12:30 p.m., while Lock City Drift’s practice and qualifying rounds will begin at the same time. Heat racing will begin at 2:30 p.m., while features to follow at approximately 4 p.m. Fans are reminded that the Lock City Drift event will take place in the road course just behind the frontstretch grandstands at the same time as the NWAAS racing. Both a pit pass and a or grandstand admission ticket will allow fans to watch both.  

Pit passes for the day are $35, a price that is the same for both adults and minors. A general admission ticket is just $18 for adults, while children 12 and under are free. Seniors (65+) and veteran and active military members are $16. 

Race teams, drivers, and fans are all reminded that any wristbands purchased during the June 30 show are available to be used this weekend in the pit area for no charge. If anyone would like to use those pit wristbands for another event, they will just have to pay the difference (if there is one) at the pit gate. 

For more information on Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, visit the track on the web at www.thompsonspeedway.com, or follow on social media via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.