The Thompson Speedway oval will be open in 2022 with the current operating group returning.
Cris Michaud and Tom Mayberry have overseen operations of the six-event schedule on the Thompson Oval in 2021.
Michaud announced at the driver’s meeting tonight at Thompson Speedway that the operating partnership will remain in place for 2022 at the track.
Michaud is the co-owner of the American-Canadian Tour and Mayberry owns the Pro All-Stars Series. They partnered to run two events at Thompson Speedway in 2020. For the 2021 season they offered a six-event schedule bookended by the traditional Icebreaker and World Series. They also introduced the Thompson Outlaw Modified division at the track for the 2021 season.
Wednesday’s event at Thompson was the fifth scheduled event of the season for the operating group. There were 19 entries on hand for the Thompson Outlaw Open Modified event.
“You can’t just give up,” Michaud told RaceDayCT. “You’ve got to keep trying. Things are positive, people are positive. … We’ve got our dates booked [for 2022] and they’re pretty much the same as what we did this year.”
Michaud also co-owns Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT and White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, N.H. Mayberry owns Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine.
Michaud said the 2022 season for the operating group at Thompson will once again include an Icebreaker event, a World Series event and four Wednesday night events taking place in June, July, August and September.
Michaud said he expects the Thompson Outlaw Open Modified format to return for 2022.
“I think it has some legs,” Michaud said. “I think it’s something we can grow. I hope we can. I think this year people just were unsure of us. I think down here they probably knew Tom a little bit, but they didn’t know me. I think us together they looked at us as fenderered racing guys. Hopefully they were just waiting to see our commitment and we’re showing that commitment now.”
The 2021 season marked the first year since the inception of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 1985 that the series didn’t hold an event at Thompson Speedway. Michaud said as of now there are no plans to bring the series to the track in 2022. Michaud said he spoke with a series representative on Wednesday.
“The conversation was short, but you always listen,” Michaud said. “It doesn’t cost anything to listen. We’ll listen and we’ll see and if it works there’s a possibility. But as of right now there’s nothing.”
The Thompson Speedway will close the 2021 oval track season with the running of the Sunoco World Series Oct. 8-10. The weekend racing card will include the return of the Thomspon 300 for the Thompson Outaw Modifieds on Oct. 10.
I applaud the effort but as far as OPEN MOD SHOWS between Wednesday nights and a 5/8 mile track you have to have more $$$$$$$$$$ to attract teams, allll can place blame on NASCAR for the demise of teams but MOD racing is not cheap and $$$$ have to be paid to get Teams, i still think the 300 will be a Big event unless Mother Nature steps in, Good Luck in 2022.
I think they are going to get the race in tonight. It will be interesting to see all the numbers as far as both Open Modified teams and support divisions. Hopefully they are making money. If they count on an October weekend, not the best strategy.
I wish someone would explain the whole Wednesday thought process to me and how does it make sense in their business plan. We all know the cars are in the garages but thy don’t come out for the mid week shows. I can promise you it isn’t a money / purse thing. I as a car owner chose not to go because of it being mid week and it is to much to ask of my crew to make the mid week show. Run this same race on Sunday and you will go from 18 cars to 35 cars in a blink of an eye. (Pending weather) Also make it a 5 tire race and axe the 300 lap race my god you need a set of valves springs when your done and they’re $600 themselves. Don’t get me wrong I applaud anyone trying to promote racing and keep events for us to run but I don’t agree with the mid week shows.
Happy they will be back next year. Thank you to PASS and ACT for keeping the track alive. Hopefully they have a great World Series to help them out.
Man these guys have stones to do the Wednesday shows again next year. I believe they only got one Wednesday show in with pristine weather, the rest like tonight with the threat of rain.
The race live now on Speed51 as part of the subscription service. Was going to be PPV but one would guess the threat of rain depressed sales so they said what the heck throw it up with no additional charges.
It ain’t over until it’s over and apparently the idea of the NWMT is not completely dead for next year. The vibe I got was the NWMT guys want a race at Thompson. The only question is how far will they bend over backwards to get it?
McKennedy is there and looked to be sandbagging in the heat. We’ll see. Savory fast again.
Brian,
I’ll be honest, I find it hard to believe you’re a “car owner” and you don’t know why the events are on Wednesdays. I think most people with that sort of investment in racing locally would have a better understanding of the numerous players, divisions and tracks involved here. But real quick, you can’t operate the road course and the oval at the same time at Thompson Speedway. Obviously the owners of Thompson Speedway don’t want to give up bookings on the road course for four Sunday’s when they have about a seven month window of operation. Combine that with the fact that Cris Michaud and Tom Mayberry are also both operators of multiple race tracks and touring divisions. Michaud is the co-owner of Thunder Road and White Mountain Motorsports Park and the American-Canadian Tour, so there’s a lot of responsibilities there as far as operations. Mayberry owns/operates the Pro All Stars Series and Oxford Plains Speedway. So with all that happening, you basically have a choice of Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday to operate events. I think a lot of people would take Wednesday over the shutting down of the Thompson Speedway oval.
This is great news for Thompson in 2022. 19 tour type mods tonight, not bad for a Wednesday night.
I’d be more worried about why only 17 tour regulars at Riverhead for Saturday night.
Thompson 300 the biggest tour mod race of the year! Can’t wait………
I don’t believe the weather has anything to do with the day of the week you select to run your shows on? One has nothing to do with the other. We live in New England and the weather can change in a heart beat. Maybe next year Stafford will fall to rain on Friday nights or Waterford on Saturday nights. You can’t predict the weather 365 days from now, that a stretch.
Shawn please , Do you honestly think the track bring’s in any more of a profit running these practice sessions for these wannabe Ultimate street car guy’s . Run the Damm show on Sunday afternoon and let Cris and Tom make some type of a profit ! ( THE DRIVERS CLUB PLEASE !!! ) Another Lime Rock Park A t least lime rock has Scca , Imsa , and the Trans Am serie’s on there calender . Thompson a bunch of want a bee’s .
Doug,
What do Wednesday shows and the weather have to do with each other? Is it statistically more likely to rain in Thompson on Wednesdays than it is on Sundays, or Thursdays, or any other day of the week? Or did the promoters maybe just get the wrong end of variance this year in that regard?
Good observation Capt Obvious.
What I ham handedly was trying to convey was that in their first attempt at Wednesday shows, that I think we all would agree are tricky at best, the weather was not ideal more times then not. 14 tour mods and 10 SK Lights in the August event with the SK’s left out because of the tire situation is evidence of the challenges they had to overcome.
The stones part eludes to the fact that in spite of not having what could be called the optimum conditions they are still going to do it again next year. All the more incredible because these guys have other very successful race related commitments that make the entire endeavor quite remarkable.
It was meant to convey admiration.
Shout out to Carl Block I do admire your steadfast commitment to changing reality to bend to your wishes. You know what you want and any obstruction between that and a Sunday show whether that be scheduling, the established track business model, Shawn Courchesne relating the facts nor even the promoters re-signing for the same arrangement will deter you from your goal.
It’s ALIVE!!! Thanks to the Michaud and Mayberry teams!! Despite the small car counts, the teams that have been there are RACING and putting on a good show IMHO. Been to all of them and glad i did, except for the monsoon event!
Rumor is the 300 might be in jeopardy because of the volume of tires needed for the teams, anybody else hear the same?
Rich,
That’s been the “rumor” since the tire shortage began back in May and the race is still on.
Michaud and Mayberry, Jake Bateman, Josh Vanada, Dick Williams, Maurice Hurd Jim Schaefer, Wayne Coates, Wayne Darling, Ed Bennett and others?. Part businessmen, part entrepreneur, part promoter and a lot of riverboat gambler.
Why do they do it? Fighting a declining industry and mother nature it makes no sense.
Thank goodness they do aye race fans?
The Race last night had a GOOD CROWD & We were treated to lots of Good Racing in most of the Divisions…. Great news about next year. Oh by the way the Mods paid 5000 to WIN , Stafford pays 3500 so don’t say the purse is the reason… The 300 is 20,000 to WIN ….300 is gonna be EPIC,,,, If you own a Modified you will be there…. Can’t wait
Suitcase Jake,
Stafford also pays $5k to win on their Open shows this year.
Its AMAZING u guys cant remember from 1 day to the next, I HAVE said before STAFFORD has an ADVANTAGE of FRIDAY nights and having SK regulars run a OPEN CAR. THE racing last night was AVERAGE at best, glad good crowds have shown!
I hope the punk saw all the outside passing he could handle
Hey Doug , Thanks for the compliment .And yes I’am a devoted and loyal race fan having visited Thompson speedway since early 1976 .With that said , The 168 mile trek up there for a wednesday or thursday evening show suck’s ! Sitting in traffic for hour’s on end with the wife , family and crew bitching and moaning . Shame on you chis and tom for not negotiating a better lease agreement . ( Are you guy’s just kissing up to get your full fender car’s into the area ? ) 4 sunday afternoon’s is’nt much to ask for !
These 2 guys know how to run a show and take care of the racers.Thank goodness for these 2 guys,go to a track that they own and see how race shows get run and how the drivers respect these guys.Ill support them whenever.
To be able to race at Thompson this year was a bonus considering all BS rumors flying around…be them true or false. I look forward to a great 2022 racing season at Thompson…it was mentioned in the drivers meeting that this is a building process for future oval track racing at Thompson so it can only get better.
I’m all in…!
All fans, drivers and car owners need to support Mr. Machaud and Mr. Mayberry for setting the record straight last night….we can all look forward to racing at Thompson next year and hopefully into the future. Again…thanks Mr. Machaud and Mayberry