Jon Puleo Tops Sunoco 604 Modifieds At Thompson Speedway Icebreaker 

The reigning champ defended his throne Saturday at Thompson Speedway in the Sunoco 604 Modified division. 

Jon Puleo, the division’s 2024 champion, held off a charging Todd Owen over the closing laps to win the 30-lap Sunoco 604 Modified feature Saturday at the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway. 

“Definitely a lot closer than I wanted it to be,” said Puleo, of Branford. “But my car was really good. Todd was just really really good. He got to me. Trying to just to take the lanes away a little bit. He raced me really good. That was a lot of fun out there.” 

Owen, of Somers, was second and Danny Cates of Chaplin third. 

Puleo held the top spot at the start. Behind him he left Owen and Keith Rocco to battle for second. 

By lap nine Owen had tracked down Puleo and was all over his bumper. 

On lap 10, Owen spun off of turn two, with a flat left rear tire. Under caution Rocco gave up second place to head to the pits with Owen. 

It set up a restart with Puleo in the front, Cates in second and Rob Summers in third. Owen restarted in eighth and Rocco in ninth. 

By lap 13 Owen was up to third with Rocco in fifth. Owen went by Cates for second place on lap 15 but by then Puleo had about a 1.5 second lead. 

By lap 22 Owen had cut Puleo’s lead in half. On lap 25 Owen was all over Puleo’s bumper off of turn four. 

On lap 26 Owen got under Puleo through turns three and four, but Puleo staved off the attack. Owen tried to get under Puleo one more time on the final lap, but Puleo was able to win the drag race off of turn four to the checkered flag.