THOMPSON – In 2025 Modified veteran Ron Silk won’t be chasing points anywhere.
The hope for the Haydt-Yanonne Racing driver from Norwalk is that instead of chasing points in 2025 he will be getting chased by everyone else on the track.
That was the case on Saturday at Thompson Speedway when the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series presented by Better Basement Systems opened its 2025 season with the running of the Propane Plus Heating & Cooling 75.
Silk started ninth, methodically worked his way to the front and then was untouchable in the lead on the way to victory in the Propane Plus Heating & Cooling 75.
“It’s pretty nice,” Silk said. “I knew we’d have a really good car here. It’s nice not having to worry about points. This one, the weather sucked but everyone made the most out of it and got it in, so that’s really matters. We’re just going to go to the races we want to go to this year and try and win as many of them as we can.”
Silk went to the lead on lap 32 and never trailed again. It was the fifth career Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series victory for Silk. Silk also won the Better Built Basements pole award for the event.
Silk emerged from his car after the event not wearing his typical Haydt-Yannone Racing firesuit, but rather a Bob Horn Racing firesuit. The move was in dedication to the longtime team owner who passed away on February 24.
“He ran [the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series] throughout the existence of this series and I drove for him for a while,” Silk said. “I thought this would be a good day to wear his suit. Glad to get a victory and get a picture of it. Bob was a great guy, very close friend to me besides being a car owner. He’s missed and I’m glad we could win it for him.”
Anthony Nocella of Norwalk was second.
“We were pretty good all day for the most part,” Nocella said. “Changed a few little things, nothing too much. We were close, close all day. Fought some little issues all day. Just a little too tight getting into the corners. … The pace he was running we were just giving up a little too much on him.”
Jake Johnson of Rehoboth, Mass. was third.
“I think [the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series] did a great job having such a good event,” Johnson said. “They got dealt a very hard deal this weekend and the way they pushed everything in and made the show happen, I’m really thankful for that. [Crew chief] Ryan Stone gave me a great race car. We were just a little short on Silk and Nocella, they ran a great race both of them.”
With Silk and Nocella not planning to run the series full-time, Johnson is essentially holds the championship points lead after the first event.
“I didn’t even think about it that way,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to have a nice smooth race to start the year on the right foot. I hope we can keep up this momentum of consistency and top-five’s and the wins will come with it.”
With weather issues in the area, qualifying was scrapped and the the field for the event was set through recorded times during the division’s scuff sessions. The top-nine for the scuff session redrew for starting spots. Silk led the session but drew the ninth starting spot.
Johnson started on the pole and took control out front at the green flag with Nocella settling into second.
Nocella wasted no time to go on the attack, getting under Johnson off of turn two on lap three and completing the pass for the lead off of turn four.
On lap seven Stephen Kopcik found a lane under Johnson to move into second place. Jon McKennedy following by Johnson to take third on lap eight.
On lap nine Kopcik got under Nocella into turn three and completed his pass for the lead off of turn four.
By lap 11 the top three of Kopcik, Nocella and McKennedy had opened up a significant gap over fourth place Johnson.
On lap 15 Luke Baldwin got into the wall in turn two and then again in turn three. Baldwin was able to get to pit road without a caution flying.
By lap 17 Kopcik had opened about a half second lead over second place Nocella. Ron Silk, who started ninth, was up to third on lap 17.
On lap 25 Silk found a lane under Nocella off of turn two and completed the pass for second place into turn three. Silk quickly erased Kopcik’s lead and was on his bumper by lap 27.
Silk pestered Kopcik’s bumper for four laps before making a diving move into turn three on lap 32 to take over the lead.
After moving to the front Silk was able to quickly put a half second gap on Kopcik by lap 34.
The first caution of the event flew on lap 34 when Tyler Barry spun in turn four, collecting Dave Sapienza in the mess.
Under caution the field headed to pit road. Silk won the race off of pit road. Johnson, who had been running sixth, was second off pit road. Joey Cipriano, who was running eighth at the time of the caution, was third after the pit stop. Nocella fell from third to fourth and Kopcik went fro, second to fifth.
Silk got the jump on Johnson at the front on the restart. Behind them Marcello Rufrano and Kopcik got tangled together in turn three to bring out the second caution of the event.
On the second attempt at the lap 34 restart, it was Silk once again getting the advantage on Johnson out front with Nocella also getting by Johnson for second place.
By lap 43 Silk had opened up a three-quarters of a second gap over Nocella in second place, with Johnson a distant third, more than two seconds off the lead.
With Silk leading, Nocella in second, Johnson third and Patrick Emerling fourth, the third caution of the event flew on lap 50 for the stopped car of Tyler Rypkema in turn four.
Silk quickly got the jump on Nocella on the lap 50 restart and cruised to the checkered from there.
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If you look up the word “class” in the dictionary, you will see a picture of Ron Silk! A top notch tribute to Bobby from Ronnie. Bob was a great friend and mentor to me and my son when me ran an SK at the Bowl. Any one who needed hep or had a question, Bob was there to get you right! Bobby is greatly missed as a fellow racer but even more as a n incredible human being. Nicely done Ron!!!