THOMPSON – As a throwback type racer over the last two decades across the landscape of Connecticut short tracks, Keith Rocco has pulled off some amazing feats in grabbing victories in bunches.
From winning multiple features at one track in the same night, to winning on consecutive nights at different tracks, Rocco has seemingly done it all.
The Sunoco World Series schedule at Thompson this weekend affords the Wallingford driver a new feat to try to pencil into his resume.
The Sunoco Modified division will run three 30-lap features over three consecutive days at the World Series.
Friday night Rocco kicked off his attempt at a weekend sweep of three wins with a dominating victory in the 30-lap Sunoco Modified feature.
One down, two to go.
“That would be pretty awesome,” Rocco said. “It would be one for the record books. We’ll see if we can pull it off. And it would be pretty awesome to do a season sweep.”
Todd Owen of Somers was second and Danny Cates of Chaplin third.
Rocco has won all three Sunoco Modified events at Thompson this season and also won the only two run in 2020. The last time a Sunoco Modified feature ran at Thompson that didn’t have Rocco in victory lane was at the Sunoco World Series in 2019. He will also run in the Thompson Outlaw Modified divison’s Thompson 300 on Sunday at the World Series.
“Obviously we always come here to win,” Rocco said. “We always have success here, it doesn’t matter what it’s in, whether it’s an SK [Modified] or a [Tour Type] Modified, we even had some success in the Whelen Modified Tour for other people. Just looking forward to the whole weekend. Looking forward to the Thompson 300. That’s going to be an awesome one for the record books. We’re going to see what we can do.”
Rocco started eighth in the 20-car field and was up to fifth by lap two.
Mike Christopher Jr. went by Cates for second place on lap four with Rocco following him to third. On lap eight it was Christopher getting by Paul LaPlante for the lead with Rocco moving to second a lap later. On lap 11 Rocco got under Christopher going into turn three to take over the top spot. Christopher pulled off the track a lap later with a mechanical issue.
It will be a major surprise if Rocco does not win all 3 SK races this weekend.
The stop watch figuratively speaking says that 82 if they can heal what is wrong with the car and Owen especially can beat the mighty 57.
I have a question about Tyler Barry. So far he has competed in the SK Lights, a tour modified and now an SK. Exactly what is the plan anyway?. He did have the win at Stafford in the Lights but he’s been a little rough around the edges in races at the same time. Isn’t all this division and car hopping counter productive to a very young driver trying to ascend a difficult learning curve in modified racing? Should you learn to walk before you can run? Or can you walk briefly, then run, then jog hoping that when you return to walking you do that really well.
Stat, could someone please check the 50 and driver of the 50 for authenticity. They look familiar but the results would suggest there is an impersonator driving a car that may look like one that used to run at the front.
81 Owen We’ll have something for him for the rest of the weekend. The only reason he won was only one yellow flag I think on lap 3