Race fans and race teams can find pertinent information about this weekend’s Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (CT) in 51’s Fast Facts below.
Date: April 7 – April 9
Track: Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (5/8-mile paved oval)
Location: 205 E Thompson Rd, Thompson, CT 06227
Sanction: NASCAR / Pro All Stars Series
Purse: NWMT (Not Posted) / PASS ($19,575)
Distance: 150 laps / 75 laps
Tickets: General Admission ($48 – Saturday & Sunday), Seniors (65+), Veterans & Active Duty ($46 – Saturday & Sunday), Kids 12 & Under (Free).
Pits: $55 – Saturday and Sunday, $15 – Friday
Live coverage: Speed51.com will have live Trackside Now coverage of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour throughout the weekend. Fans can find PASS North updates within that Trackside Now coverage on Saturday and in our Speed Central coverage on Sunday afternoon.
Websites: www.thompsonspeedway.com, www.nascarhometracks.com, www.proallstarsseries.com.
Track phone: 860-923-2280
NWMT Notes: For the first time since the 2001 season, the Icebreaker will not serve as the season-opening event for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The Tour kicked off the season two weeks ago at Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina, but for many drivers the Icebreaker is the event that signifies the start of the racing season. Timmy Solomito sits atop the championship standings after his win at Myrtle Beach. Three-time defending champion Doug Coby will be looking to bounce back after a rough outing in South Carolina. Justin Bonsignore, who came on strong at the end of the 2016 season, will be looking to make it three wins in a row at Thompson behind the wheel of a brand new race car. Jimmy Blewett, Chase Dowling and Bobby Santos will be among the drivers making their first start of the season. Thirty-nine year old racer Brad Vanhouten, a regular at Riverhead Raceway in New York, will be making his NWMT debut.
Last Year’s NWMT Winner: Timmy Solomito
PASS Notes: One year ago, a pair of young Super Late Model drivers put on a show for the fans in “Modified Country.” Eventual winner Garrett Hall and runner-up Derek Griffith battled side-by-side for much of the race while battling for the top spot. Both drivers will return in 2017 looking to kick off the 2017 PASS North season with a win. One driver to keep an eye on, and one of the few drivers in the field with a win at Thompson is Derek Ramstrom. Despite only winning one PASS race since 2013, Ramstrom has a pair of PASS wins at Thompson (2009 and 2012) on his resume. Defending PASS North champion DJ Shaw will be looking to kick off his title defense in style on Sunday, while others including Travis Benjamin, Glen Luce, Johnny Clark, Ben Rowe and Joey Doiron hope to show why they’re going to be title contenders in 2017.
Last Year’s PASS Winner: Garrett Hall
NWMT Icebreaker Winners:
2016 – Timmy Solomito
2015 – Doug Coby
2014 – Justin Bonsignore
2013 – Mike Stefanik
2012 – Ron Silk
2011 – Ted Christopher
2010 – Bobby Santos, III
2009 – Ted Christopher
2008 – Ed Flemke, Jr.
2007 – James Civali
2006 – Mike Stefanik
2005 – Ted Christopher
2004 – Ted Christopher
2003 – Chuck Hossfeld
2002 – Jerry Marquis
2001 – Rick Fuller
2000 – Not Run
1999 – Mike Ewanitsko
1998 – Mike Stefanik
1997 – Rick Fuller
1996 – Steve Park
1995 – Tommy Cravenho, Jr.
1994 – Charlie Pasteryak
1993 – Jeff Fuller
1992 – Jeff Fuller
1991 – Rick Fuller
1990 – Tony Hirschman
1989 – Mike McLaughlin
1988 – Mike Ewantisko
1987 – Jimmy Spencer
1986 – Charlie Jarzombek
1985 – Richie Evans
1984 – Not Run
1983 – Greg Sacks
1982 – Richie Evans
NWMT Entry List (As of 3/29/17):
| Car # | Driver |
| 01 | Melissa Fifield |
| 2 | Doug Coby |
| 3 | Rowan Pennink |
| 6 | Ryan Preece |
| 07 | Patrick Emerling |
| 9 | Brad Vanhouten |
| 11 | Andy Seuss |
| 15 | Chase Dowling |
| 16 | Timmy Solomito |
| 17 | Kyle Ellwood |
| 20 | Max Zachem |
| 23 | Troy Talman |
| 24 | Andrew Krause |
| 26 | Gary McDonald |
| 29 | Brendon Bock |
| 33 | Wade Cole |
| 36 | Dave Sapienza |
| 38 | Gary Byington |
| 39 | Calvin Carroll |
| 44 | Bobby Santos |
| 46 | Woody Pitkat |
| 51 | Justin Bonsignore |
| 56 | Craig Lutz |
| 58 | Eric Goodale |
| 64 | Rob Summers |
| 75 | Shawn Solomito |
| 76 | Jimmy Blewett |
| 78 | Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. |
| 82 | Ron Silk |
| 85 | Todd Szegedy |
| 89 | Matt Swanson |
| 97 | Bryan Dauzat |
PASS Entry List (As of 3/28/17):
| Car # | Driver |
| 1x | Todd Stone |
| 4 | Ben Rowe |
| 7 | Travis Benjamin |
| 7 | Dave Farrington, Jr. |
| 7L | Glen Luce |
| 8 | Travis Fisher |
| 12 | Derek Griffith |
| 28 | Greg Nanigian |
| 35 | Derek Ramstrom |
| 54 | Johnny Clark |
| 60 | DJ Shaw |
| 73 | Joey Doiron |
| 94 | Garrett Hall |
| 97 | Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. |
| 99 | Sarah Cornett-Ching |
Icebreaker Event Schedule:
Friday, April 7
12:00 p.m. – Haulers Enter & Pits Open
1:00 p.m. – Rotating Practice (All Divisions Except NWMT & PASS)
Saturday, April 8
8:00 a.m. – Pits Open
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. – Tech Opens for Super Late Models
9:30 a.m. – Rotating Practice
10:30 a.m. – Grandstands Open
10:35 – 11:05 a.m. – PASS Practice
11:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. – Final Rotating Practice
12:15 – 12:45 p.m – PASS Final Practice
12:45 p.m. – Qualifying Races
– Mr. Rooter Pro Truck Series (8 laps)
– NEMA Lite (8 laps)
– Street Stock (8 laps)
– Lite Modified (8 laps)
– Sunoco Modified (8 laps)
– PASS Super Late Models (10 laps)
– Limited Sportsman (8 laps)
– Late Models (8 laps)
– Mini Stocks (6 laps)
3:00 – 3:45 p.m. – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Practice #1
To Follow: Vintage Outlaw Race (15 laps)
4:10 – 4:55 p.m. – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Final Practice
5:00 p.m. (approx.) – Race of Champion (12 laps)
– Mr. Rooter Pro Truck Series Feature (35 laps)
– NEMA Lite Feature (20 laps)
– Thompson Street Stock Open Feature(20 laps)
– Lite Modified Feature (20 laps)
Sunday, April 9
8:30 a.m. – Pits Open
11:00 – 11:50 a.m. – Fan Appreciation Party
12:15 p.m. – Pre-race Ceremonies
12:30 p.m. – Sunoco Modified Feature (30 laps)
To Follow: PASS Super Late Model Feature (75 laps)
To Follow: Limited Sportsman Feature (20 laps)
To Follow: Late Model Feature (25 laps)
2:45 p.m. (approx.) – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Qualifying
To Follow: Mini Stock Feature (15 laps)
3:45 p.m. (approx.) – NWMT Icebreaker 150
-Featured photo credit: Rick Ibsen/Speed51.com
