THOMPSON – In 2005 Keith Rocco arrived on the scene of the Connecticut SK Modified racing landscape driving for Jean Guy and Brigitte Poulin with a cocksure swagger about him, and quickly showed fans and competitors he had the talent to back up that confidence.
Two years later the Wallingford driver celebrated his first SK Modified championship at Thompson Speedway for Bannister Motorsports.
Fast forward to Sunday, the young gun of SK Modified racing is now the grizzled and accomplished veteran, and also now NASCAR national record holder.
Rocco used a fifth place finish in the 30-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at the Sunoco World Series at Thompson Speedway to clinch his eighth SK Modified championship at the track.
The championship allowed Rocco to match the NASCAR national record for NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I track championships.
It was Rocco’s 17th NASCAR sanctioned SK Modified championship between three tracks in Connecticut. Rocco – the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion – also has three SK Modified titles at Stafford Motor Speedway and six at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. Rocco matched Joe Kosiski for the all-time record for Division I titles.
“It’s really awesome,” Rocco said. “Just the people that I’ve had help me and surround me over the past 15 years or so, it’s just unbelievable. To put that many numbers and stats together is just mind blowing.”
Rocco finished the season at Thompson with three victories in 11 starts. He ended up besting second place Woody Pitkat in the standings by 36 points. Todd Owen was third in the standings, 50 back Rocco.
“It’s almost like a dream because of the opportunities I’ve had and the teams that we’ve built,” Rocco said. “These are people that in 2005 I didn’t even really think that I’d be driving for. … It’s impressive that everything came together the way that it did.”
Todd Owen of Somers got his first victory of the season in the feature.
CONGRATS to Keith Rocco and team on your 8th Sunoco Modified championship at Thompson Speedway