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RGeeProductions
08-19-2010, 11:14 PM
Pitkat Blisters Field to Score Sunoco Modified Victory
Milestone Victory for Barnett; Linderman Truck Series Winner
Ramstrom, Gentes, Studley & Dorr Weekly Winners

Woody Pitkat of Stafford, CT, dodged a bullet in the opening laps of the Sunoco Modified feature event and then looked like he was shot out of a cannon to score a dominating win at Thompson International Speedway on Thursday night. Larry Barnett of Moosup, CT, reached a milestone on Thursday night; scoring his 50th Limited Sportsman feature win at Thompson in dominating fashion. Derek Ramstrom of Worcester, MA, scored his sixth Super Late Model feature win of the season while Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, scored his fifth in Late Model action.

It was a long time coming for John Studley of Framingham, MA, who also reached a racing milestone; scoring his career first victory in the TIS Modifieds. Dwayne Dorr of Ledyard, CT, made it two straight in Mini Stock competition. In the visiting New England Trucks Series, Andy Linderman of Poestenkill, NY, proved why he is the point leader with his impressive victory at Thompson on Thursday night.

Woody Pitkat of Stafford, CT, was flawless in the Sunoco Modified main event to score the victory. Tim Sullivan brought the field to green to start an action-packed 30-lapper for the Sunoco Modifieds. The complexion of the Sunoco Modified main event changed drastically with a lap one incident. The #44 of Dave Salzarulo slowed coming out of turn two. In the chain reaction, several cars were collected including point leader Ted Christopher, Rowan Pennink, Bert Marvin, Ricky Shawn and Carl Oberg. Christopher was able to make repairs to his car to rejoin the field.

Ronnie Silk made quick work of Sullivan to take over the top spot on the complete restart. Not to be outdone, Sullivan made a bold move exiting turn one to take over the top spot once again. Danny Cates joined the fray making it a three-car battle for the lead. Cates bobbled slightly on lap three; opening the door for Pitkat.

Pitkat got alongside Silk in turn one and grabbed the second spot in turn two. He duplicated the move in turn two this time taking the lead from Sullivan. Once out front, Pitkat immediately ran out to a commanding lead. The best battle was for the third position between Cates and Silk. On lap eight, Cates was able to move past Silk to take over third; meanwhile, Christopher had moved into the top-five after passing Salzarulo.

A spin by the #5 of Ryan Stone brought out the caution on lap 10. Under the caution, teammate Silk headed to pit road for service to his ride. On the ensuing restart, Pitkat got the edge once again. Christopher, who had moved up to fourth after Silk’s visit to pit road, was giving Cates a run for his money. A spin by Andy Gaspar brought out the caution once again to slow the action.

Another attempt at a restart found Pitkat again as the leader. Sullivan was getting a double-barrel assault from Cates and Christopher. Cates motored into the second spot while Christopher fell back to fourth behind Sullivan. Pitkat edged away from Cates as Sullivan had to contend with Christopher for third.

At halfway, Pitkat enjoyed a 10-car length advantage over Cates. Sullivan ran in fourth followed by Christopher and a hard-charging Silk. With the long green flag run the field got strung out with Pitkat enjoying a sizeable lead over Cates, who enjoyed an equally as comfortable advantage over Sullivan.

Silk began to run down Christopher for fourth. With five laps to go, Silk had caught Christopher. The duo appeared to be cutting down the margin to Sullivan as well. Out front, it was all Pitkat, who was enjoying a straightaway advantage over Cates. Over the final two laps, Christopher caught Sullivan while Silk faded.

Pitkat would not be denied as he blistered the field to score his second win of the season at Thompson. Cates posted a strong finish in second. Sullivan held on to the third position followed by Christopher. Silk rounded out the top five.

It took until halfway for Derek Ramstrom of Worcester, MA, to grab the lead in the Super Late Model main event but once out front the youngster would never be headed. The opening laps of the Super Late Model race featured a tight race between leader Jim Banfield and Derek Ramstrom. The remainder of the top-five of Mike Stefanik, Mike O’ Sullivan and Larry Gelinas were strung out a behind the lead duo. Lap-after-lap, Ramstrom stayed glued to the back bumper of Banfield.

Ramstrom started to get racy on lap 10; peeking on the low side of Banfield. The battle allowed Stefanik to gain some ground on the leaders. Gelinas looked to be running down O’Sullivan for fifth. On lap 13, Ramstrom got alongside Banfield. He gained ground in each turn until grabbing the stop spot in turn one of lap 14.

Once out front, Ramstrom was able to run out to a 10-car length advantage. While Ramstrom’s lead grew, things closed up from second on back. Stefanik had reeled in Banfield while O’Sullivan caught the back bumper of Stefanik.

With five laps remaining and Ramstrom handily out front, the three-car battle tightened further. O’Sullivan looked low on Stefanik for third. A lapped car slowed O’Sullivan’s advances on Stefanik. Banfield was able to get some breathing room as O’Sullivan continued to dog Stefanik. With two laps remaining, O’Sullivan began to look for running room below Stefanik. Banfield appeared to slow up making it a freight train to the finish. Ramstrom streaked to the checkers to score his sixth win of the season. Banfield held on for second while Stefanik held back O’Sullivan. Larry Gelinas rounded out the top five.

In Late Model action it was Rick Gentes of Woonsocket, RI, taking down the victory in an eventful feature event. Things got interesting right from the drop of the green flag as Wayne Coury, Jr., Damon Tinio and Jeff Hartwell went three-wide for the lead. Tinio wisely backed out; giving Coury the edge over Hartwell for the lead. Hartwell slowed drastically exiting turn one on lap two; sending the field scattering. John Falconi capitalized to catapult himself into second. Falconi immediately had company in Rick Gentes. On lap three, Gentes had worked his way into second. Falconi backslid losing positions to Mark Jenison and Tommy O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan made a nice move exiting turn four to take over third. The battle as not done as Jenison fought back. After a quick bid, Jenison fell back in line behind O’Sullivan. Upfront, Gentes has caught the leader Coury. O’Sullivan was marching his way toward the lead duo.

At halfway, Coury held a slight advantage over Gentes followed by O’Sullivan and Jenison. Mark Oliveira and John Materas were locked in a heated battle for fifth. O’Sullivan had caught the bumper of Gentes. The top three ran nose to tail.

With five laps to go, Gentes continued to chase Coury. Gentes had pressure from O’Sullivan. On the backstretch on lap 20, Gentes got along side Coury. O’Sullivan thought about making it three-wide for the lead but settled back in line. On lap 23, exiting turn four, O’Sullivan did make it three-wide for the lead. The three cars of Coury, Gentes, and O’Sullivan went three-wide down the front stretch. Things ended badly for Coury, who ended up in the outside wall after contact with O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan was put to the rear for his actions. On the restart with two laps remaining, Gentes had clear sailing to the checkers. Jenison finished second followed by Materas, Oliveira and Mike Scorzelli.

Owner/Driver Larry Barnett of Moosup, CT, took the lead early and proved to be the class of the field with his commanding victory. Tommy Shea and Joe Arena showed the way in the opening laps of the Limited Sportsman main event. A bit deeper in the pack the action was fierce between Steve Kenneway, Paul Coutu, Jr., and Joe Coates.

Leader Shea got out of shape on lap four losing several positions. Arena, who inherited the lead had to check up to avoid contact with Shea; opening the door for Barnett. The two went door-to-door for a couple of laps before Barnett asserted himself as the new leader. Jesse Gleason and Scott Sundeen were locked in a battle for the third position.

Once free of Gleason, Sundeen went to work on Arena. At the stripe to complete lap 11, Sundeen was able to take the position away. Barnett, meanwhile, had run out to nearly a straightaway advantage over Sundeen.

Coutu had advanced to the fifth position taking chase of Scott Fanning. Coates was having a solid run when contact with the outside wall in turn two on lap 14 necessitated the caution. On the restart, Barnett easily ran out to the lead once again. Sundeen was shown the consolation flag as his mount was showing smoke. Last week’s winner was forced to give up the second position to head to pit road.

A vicious hit for Jen Cook and Josh Galvin brought out the caution again on lap 15. Galvin’s car got on it side but dropped back on its wheels. Both drivers walked way from the incident. Sundeen sat on pit road as Barnett bolted back out to the lead on the ensuing attempt at a restart.

The division had a difficult time finishing out the final five laps of their main event suffering a number of yellow flags. Under green flag conditions it was all Barnett. As Barnett continued to show the way, Gleason was applying pressure to Arena in second. Barnett cruised to his fiftieth career victory. Arena held on for second over Gleason. Fanning and Coutu rounded out the top five.

(continued)

RGeeProductions
08-19-2010, 11:15 PM
Andy Linderman of Poestenkill, NY, came on late in the New England Truck Series (NETS) feature event to score the victory. The NETS had a short field but there was no shortage of action; especially in the early going. Willie Auchmoody took advantage of his front row starting position to show the way from the drop of the green flag. Gee Perry had rocketed from his fourth starting position to run second on the opening lap. Immediately, Perry was locked in a heated battle for the lead with Auchmoody.

Perry watched his great night fall by the wayside as he pulled his truck down pit road with mechanical trouble. Auchmoody immediately had his hands full with Linderman; who poured in on in the late stages of the event. Auchmoody and Linderman went door-to-door for several laps before Linderman finally took over the top spot. Once out front, Linderman cruised out to a sizable advantage. Greg Butler, Jr. was able to make his way by Auchmoody over the final stages of the feature. The point leader cruised to the checkers to extend his point lead. Butler came home second followed by Auchmoody, Derek Chriss, and Howard Payne.

John Studley of Framingham, MA, scored his first career TIS Modified victory on Thursday night; holding back divisional heavy hitters to score the victory. The TIS Modifieds struggled to get their race going with several cautions in the opening laps. When things finally got sorted out, it was John Studley leading the way. He had his hands full with the point leader R.J. Marcotte, who was in search of his third straight victory. Keith McDermott came from scratch on the field to run in the third position.

The lead pack ran nose to tail in a three-car breakaway from the rest of the field. Studley enjoyed a slightly larger advantage as McDermott started to apply pressure to Marcotte for second. As the laps began to wind down, Studley’s car appeared to get stronger. With five laps to go, he enjoyed the largest margin of the race.

He stretched the advantage further when McDermott once again applied pressure to Marcotte in second. Things got too hot for the battle for the second spot as contact between Marcotte and McDermott sent Marcotte spinning. This made the trip to victory lane a bit easier for Studley, who ran to his career first. McDermott finished second followed by Shane Michalski, Denis Legere, and Leo Adams.

Dwayne Dorr of Ledyard, CT, made it look easy in the Mini Stocks as he cruised to his second straight victory. Dorr had worked up from his twelfth starting position, maneuvering in both the high and low groove with equal ease, to gain the top spot.

An incident that eliminated Jason Paquette and Steve Michalski opened the door for Randy Churchill, Jr.

A three-wide move on a mid-race restart found Churchill in the second position. On the same lap, Churchill got into the back of Dorr slightly. Unphased by the contact, Dorr settled in to maintain his lead. Churchill fell back in line in second. Mike Viens had worked his way into contention. Over the last dash to the checkers, Dorr withstood heavy pressure from Churchill. Dorr scored the victory over Churchill, Viens, Mike Gorgievski and Jeff Moffat. In post race technical inspection both Churchill and Viens were disqualified for rules infractions. Gorgievski, Moffat, Lloyd Anderson and Leo Defevers officially completed the top five.

Sunoco Modified Feature (Top-Ten) Finish: 1. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 2. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 3. Tim Sullivan, S. Windsor, CT; 4. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 5. Ronnie Silk, Norwalk, CT; 6. Dave Salzarulo, Monson, MA; 7. Nichole Morgillo, Yalesville, CT; 8. Henry Stampfl, Norwood, MA; 9. Andrew Charron, N. Grosvenerdale, CT; 10. Ryan Stone, Milford, CT.

Super Late Model Feature (Top-Ten) Finish: 1.Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 2. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 3. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, RI; 4. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 5. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 6. Dave Silvia, Warwick, RI; 7. Daryl Stampfl, Norwood, MA; 8. Greg Nanigian, Braintree, MA; 9. Scott Rotherforth, Glastonbury, CT; 10. Mike Rivard, N. Scituate, RI.

Late Model Feature (Top-Ten) Finish: 1. Rick Gentes, Woonsocket, RI; 2. Mark Jenison, Warwick, RI; 3. John Materas, Voluntown, CT; 4. Mark Oliveira, Blackstone, MA; 5. Mike Scorzelli, Malta, NY; 6. Wayne Coury, Sr., Milford, CT; 7. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 8. Damon Tinio, Mendon, MA; 9. Randy Waterman, Danielson, CT; 10. John Falconi, N. Grafton, MA.

Limited Sportsman Feature (Top-Ten) Finish: 1. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 2. Joe Arena, Bristol, CT; 3. Jesse Gleason, Lisbon, CT; 4. Scott Fanning, Mapleville, RI; 5. Paul Coutu, Jr., Thompson, CT; 6. Art Moran, III, Preston, CT; 7. Steve Kenneway, Jr., Lowell, MA; 8. Mike Romano, Chepachet, RI; 9. Tommy Shea, New London, CT; 10. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, MA.

TIS Modified Feature (Top-Ten) Finish: 1. John Studley, Framingham, MA; 2. Keith McDermott, Scituate, RI; 3. Shane Michalski, Woodstock, CT; 4. Denis Legere, N. Reading, MA; 5. Leo Adams, Putnam, CT; 6. R.J. Marcotte, Millville, MA; 7. Ryan Morgan, Mystic, CT; 8. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT; 9. Jason Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 10. Brian Tagg, Oxford, CT.

Mini Stock Feature (Top-Ten) Finish: 1. Dwayne Dorr, Ledyard, CT; 2. Mike Gorgievski, Auburn, MA; 3. Jeff Moffat, Warwick, RI; 4. Lloyd Anderson, Wauregan, CT; 5. Leo Defevers, Brooklyn, CT; 6. Scott Jussaume, Danielson, CT; 7. Chuck Rogers, Quaker Hill, CT; 8. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 9. Roger Ducharme, Foster, RI; 10. Tim Armstrong, Uxbridge, MA.

New England Truck Series Feature Finish: 1. Andy Linderman of Poestenkill, NY; 2. Greg Butler, Jr., E. Hampton, CT; 3. Willie Auchmoody, N/A; 4. Derek Chriss, Averill Park, NY; 5. Howard Payne, Shelton, CT; 6. Gee Perry, Granby, CT.

Russ Dowd