VOTE NOW – RaceDayCT Poll: Your Rating Of The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series At Thompson
THOMPSON – Thompson Speedway has long been a favorite circuit for Jon McKennedy.
The veteran Modified racer has always seemed to be in the mix up front when it comes to Tour Type Modified events at the historic .625-mile oval.
The problem being, for all the success the Chelmsford, Mass. driver had at the facility, it never included a trip to victory lane.
Saturday McKennedy finally filled the box he wanted so badly to fill on his Modified racing resume, and in dramatic style.
McKennedy held off the charges of Matt Hirschman over the closing laps to win the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series Constantine Paving & Sealing 75 at the Sunoco World Series Saturday at Thompson Speedway.
“Between Art Barry’s car, driving for Tommy Baldwin Jr., a few of my own and driving for Tim Lepine, I think I’ve had 11 seconds [in Tour Type Modified events at Thompson],” McKennedy said. “… We’ve always run so good here, just never could close the deal. Big win tonight. Beating Matt Hirschman in a pretty cool race there with five [laps] to go. It’s pretty awesome.”
It was the first event in series history at Thompson Speedway for the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series. The event was originally scheduled to be run as part of the track’s Icebreaker weekend on April 6 but was rained out.
McKennedy, who took home $10,000 for the win, became the sixth different winner in seven Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series events this season. It was McKennedy’s third Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series victory and first since May 22, 2021 at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H.
Hirschman, of Northampton, Pa., was second and Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass. was third.
McKennedy led all but the first six laps of the event.
On lap 72 Hirschman took a peek under McKennedy in turn two, but backed out. Hirschman took another look again low in turn two on lap 74 as the leaders dealt with lapped traffic.
“I knew he was there and he was the last one I wanted to see behind me,” McKennedy said.
On the final lap, McKennedy and Hirschman both had to navigate lapped traffic for nearly the entire lap.
“I think it helped me for sure,” McKennedy said of the slower traffic. “I was getting really loose. I had a lot of front brake in the car. I was kind of able to use those lapped cars kind of as a pick those last two laps. It probably worked to my favor for sure. He was definitely a little bit better.”
Said Hirschman: “I guess it was maybe even the last two laps, [lapped traffic] kind of took away any chances. I’m not saying I would have got him, but it might have took away any chances I had. There was one time going into [turn] one and two that I was able to actually get a wheel inside, but if we were going to make I was trying to do it cleanly. [McKennedy] and I have always raced well. I didn’t want to do it the wrong way. There was maybe once there I had a wheel and you just try and fight for position, but just not quite enough there. I wanted to keep it clean and finish.”
Joey Cipriano controlled out front from the pole for the start with second place starting Stephen Kopcik quickly falling to sixth.
On lap five McKennedy – who started sixth – made a diving move into turn three to get by Patrick Emerling for second. Woody Pitkat overtook Emerling for third with the same move on lap six.
On lap seven McKennedy got under Cipriano into turn three and came off of turn four with the lead. A lap later Pitkat followed McKennedy’s lead with the same pass to move to second.
With McKennedy leading, Pitkat in second and Emerling third, the first caution flew on lap 18 for the wrecked car of Ryan Doucette in the turn three wall.
On the lap 18 restart it was McKennedy able to keep Pitkat at bay out front. Caution was back for the stopped car of Glen Steger on lap 22.
McKennedy once again controlled at the front on the lap 22 restart.
With McKennedy leading, Pitkat in second and Emerling third, caution flew on lap 28 for the wrecked car of Buddy Charette in turn four. McKennedy got the jump on Pitkat on the ensuing restart but the action was short lived with Charette stopping on the backstretch and Kyle Bonsignore getting into the inside wall on the backstretch to bring the caution right back out.
McKennedy got the jump again at the front on the second attempt at a lap 28 restart with Pitkat continuing to fend off Emerling for second place.
On lap 47 Kopcik found the lane to get by Emerling for third place. At the front McKennedy had opened up nearly a one second lead on second place Pitkat. Hirschman got by Emerling for fourth on lap 51. Two laps later Hirschman got under Kopcik for third place. On lap 54 Hirschman got under Pitkat through turn two to take over second. Pitkat got up the track through the corner and fell to seventh.
Hirschman made quick work to begin cutting into McKennedy’s lead out front. By lap 60 Hirschman had closed to within a car length of McKennedy with third place Kopcik nearly a straightaway behind the leaders.
On lap 68 Anthony Nocella got under Kopcik into turn three and came off turn four with third place.
Nocella started last in the 33-car field after blowing a motor in practice early in the day.
“It was either load up and go home or send somebody back to our shop to get another engine,” Nocella said. “… We just thrashed away and got it one just before it was time to go.”
With one race remaining this season, the Haunted Hundred on Nov. 2 at Seekonk Speedway, Hirschman leads the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series standings by 27 points over second place Woody Pitkat. Ronnie Williams sits third in the standings, 33 points behind Hirschman. Teddy Hodgdon IV is fourth, 34 points off the lead. Hirschman has won eight Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series titles.
VOTE NOW – RaceDayCT Poll: Your Rating Of The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series At Thompson
Discover more from RaceDayCT.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I usually get to go to all 3 days of this event, but a family illness kept me from going for the first time in over 20 years. One big question so far; with only 10 cars, where were all the PASS teams? The ACT team count wasn’t bad, but I thought there would have been more. However, nice TriTrack turnout! Glad to read that one of my favorites finally nailed a Modified win at Thompson!
What was the 28 doing? Get the hell out of the way and let the leaders race for the win. What a hack move by the 28. Messed up a great finish by being a road block
Great job Jon… !! Finally got that Brass Ring at Thompson !!! Just keep digging and you eventually get there… Perseverance pays off !! Hopefully this is the spark needed to energize the Team & keep the ball rolling to
finish the season & into 2025 and beyond…Great job !!
Pass car count was disappointing. They had 10 or 11 the week before at TRoad. I wasn’t expecting much for Thompson. I don’t think they like the walls at Thompson and with their big season ender at Oxford coming up most decided to stay away. Not sure what the point situation is with them but there apparently isn’t too many drivers chasing points or it was already decided. They just don’t get a good car count outside of Maine and NH. I don’t think there was any Seekonk cars there and their season is over. Not sure why, maybe the Seekonk crate is a big disadvantage at the high banks. Perhaps Pass can tweak the rules to bring them out. Not sure what they can do to attract more cars to the World Series. Maybe run later after the Pass 400 weekend.
The ACT race had a good car count but not much action. The Supers really go like heck but I believe it went caution free and the winner had a full straight away lead. It was nice to see the super mod count much better than last year. The 604 mod division hit double digits. Hopefully a good sign for next year. In theory the division should work. The 604 engine package has been successful in dirt and pavement late models around the country. I heard the 604 can be run in NH and at Waterford. So, if people invest in a 604 and Thompson goes dormant there is a place to race or a local resale market. Ideally, Stafford should permit the 604s to compete alongside the SKs, with some adjustments for equalization, which could propel the division forward. However, Stafford already has a successful operation, and at this time they don’t require the 604s to bolster car counts. My guess it will be status quo at Stafford. The race between Rocco and Owen was great.
Monaco was definitely the highlight for car count. It was a pretty good race. I agree the tri track belongs on the smaller tracks but the bigger tracks want them. They get great car counts. I am sure the big tracks are here to stay. I do hope they stay to a mostly smaller track schedule.
Overall, I am happy I went. Probably just Seekonk left for me. I wish Waterford was running tour types and SKs the same day. That might get me there.
“What was the 28 doing? Get the hell out of the way and let the leaders race for the win. What a hack move by the 28. Messed up a great finish by being a road block.”
I just watched race in an abridged form on Sid’s View. I can’t imagine what you wanted the 28 to do. He stayed well out of the racing groove and Hirschman still had room to try to thread the needle. He messed up nothing. Experienced race fans – not to mention drivers, neither of whom complained about the 28’s choice of lane – know when a lap car makes “a road block.” Alas…
@csg I agree the Tri-Track car count was great, but aside from the Doucette and Bonsignore wrecks I don’t think anyone was out with damage unless I’m forgetting something. That means up to 20th place cars were dropping out due to mechanical issues. That may be a freak problem for a team like Boehler that consistently runs the NASCAR tour, but the teams that mostly run smaller tracks might just skip Thompson next time if it’s a major risk to their equipment. That’s just my feeling though, I have no inside knowledge.