(Press Release from Thompson Speedway)
With just under one month until the 57th annual Sunoco World Series takes the green flag at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, officials have released the schedule for the prestigious event, which is scheduled for October 11-13.
Over the course of three days, twenty different divisions will compete on the Connecticut high-banks, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Thompson’s five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions.
The schedule begins on Friday, when paddock areas open at 9 a.m., and a full day of racing kicks-off the weekend with practice beginning at 11 a.m. Practice sessions will roll right through until 4:30 p.m., when NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour haulers will enter the pit area, and racing will get underway with a time trial session for the Granite State Pro Stock Series.
Qualifying and feature races for the Granite State Pro Stock Series, Whelen All-American Series Late Models, Open Vintage Modifieds, Senior Tour Auto Racer Modifieds and Senior Tour Auto Racer Sportsman will all take place on Friday night.
Qualifying for the SK Light Modifieds®, Valenti Modified Racing Series, Street Stock Showdown Series and North East Mini Stock Tour will also occur on Friday, but their feature events will be held on Saturday. The final feature of the night on Friday will be the 50-lap main event for the Granite State Pro Stocks, their penultimate race of the season.
Saturday begins with rotating practice at 8:55 a.m., followed by practice sessions for the Whelen Modified Tour and American Canadian Tour Late Models. Qualifying races will take the green at 1:30 p.m. with the NEMA Midgets, ISMA Supermodifieds, Sunoco Modifieds, Limited Sportsman, ACT, NHSTRA Late Model Sportsman, Exit Realty Truck Series and NEMA Lites.
As part of the annual Saturday night that is stacked with feature racing, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Mini Stocks will decide their title battle, while the SK Light Modifieds®, NEMA Midgets, ACT Tour, Valenti Modifieds, NHSTRA Late Model Sportsman, Exit Realty Trucks, North East Mini Stock Tour and Street Stock Showdown Series will all run main events.
Sunday, the annual hayrides for race fans will begin at 10 a.m., leaving every 20 minutes, while pre-race ceremonies will begin with a quick warmup session for the ISMA Supermodifieds at 12 p.m. The run of show on Sunday includes feature races for the Sunoco Modifieds, Limited Sportsman, ISMA Supermodifieds, NEMA Lites and the season finale for the Whelen Modified Tour — the Sunoco World Series 150.
Race fans can find the full weekend schedule by visit thompsonspeedway.com. A three-day pit pass for the weekend is $75, while a three-day general admission ticket is $55. Any seniors (65+), active military and veterans can enter general admission for $50. Kids 12 and under are free in the grandstands but do have to pay full price in the pit area. There are no one-day tickets for the Sunoco World Series.
Fans should keep in mind that more information regarding the annual breakfast buffet and dinner buffet is coming soon. Follow the track on social media via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest Sunoco World Series updates leading up to the weekend.
That is one jam packed weekend of racing. Throw in food and beverage for the 3 days probly looking at around $150 per person, a bargain you’d pay more than that just for admission to a football game. Hope the weather cooperates that weekend. Good luck to all the competing teams.
The difference here is Thompsons events are minor league. NFL football is major league. I wouldn’t pay to see an NFL game personally, as well as struggling to pull the trigger on Thompson, but that is my preference and decision as to how I choose to allocate my entertainment dollars.