RPW Exclusive: Recapping Turkey Derby, Series, Track & Event News & Much More…

Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – Racing in the northeast came to an end this past weekend with the running of the 50th annual Turkey Derby at the Wall Stadium in New Jersey.

A full weekend of racing was on tap at the Jersey shore oval. On Friday the SK/Wall modifieds will were featured in a 100-lap contest.

Also featured were Limited Late Models: 50 laps, INEX Legends: 40 laps, Factory Stocks: 50 laps and Four Cylinders: 30 laps. Saturday featured the Turkey Derby 150 for Tour type Modifieds, ATQMRA TQ Midgets: 30 laps, Sportsman: 50 laps and Dirt Modifieds: 50 laps.

The weekend wrapped up on Sunday with an 8cylinder Demolition Derby and a Minivan Demolition Derby.

Friday’s action at Wall saw Timmy Solomito take the 100 lap SK Modified portion of the derby over Eddie McCarthy, Matt Hirschman, Carsten DeGiantomasso and Stephen Kopcik. Other winners were Gerard Giordano in the Late Models, Alex McCollum in the Legends, John Carpenter in the Factory Stocks and Bill Schwarz in the Fast 4’s.

The actual Turkey Derby was actually a page out of the Bowman Gray Stadium play book. It was a rolling Demolition Derby, survival of the fit and lucky. The 50th running of the Turkey Derby was plagued by a number of caution flags throughout the event, but in the end it was pole-sitter ‘Big Money’ Matt Hirschman scoring his eight victory in the prestigious event at the 0.333-mile speedway. Saturday night’s win was Hirschman’s fifth win in the last six Turkey Derby events and secured him a $15,000 payday. Hirschman didn’t escape the wrath as he too got spun out but was lucky enough not to suffer damage to his car.

Hirschman was followed by Stephen Kopcik, who overcame an early-race incident and avoided the wrath of other cautions to finish second.

With less than 20 laps to go, the battle for the lead tightened up between the top three cars, Andy Jankowiak, Andrew Krause and Hirschman. The beating-and-banging at the front of the field continued as the leaders worked through traffic and the laps clicked away. With just eight laps to go, Krause got into the left rear tire of Jankowiak. The contact sent Jankowiak spinning and Krause tangled up with the No. 73. Hirschman was able to avoid the incident by going low in the corner and assuming the race lead with Stephen Kopcik on his back bumper.

On the ensuing restart, Hirschman took off and never looked back. Kopcik finished second with Patrick Emerling, third. Ronnie Williams finished fourth with Dave Sapienza, fifth. Sixth thru tenth at the finish included Steven Reed, Brian Robie, Jimmy Zacharias, Austin Beers and Andrew Krause.

Repeated caution flags and incidents plagued the event. The first caution flew on the opening lap, and it was only the beginning. On a restart following the second caution of the night, the yellow immediately flew again for two separate incidents. Coming to the green Stephen Kopcik was spun to the infield while at the front of the field leader Danny Bohn made contact with second-place Anthony Sesely.

Race officials penalized Bohn for rough driving for causing the incident, but with Sesely unable to continue due to excessive damage. Bohn was disqualified from the event and parked. Despite being out front, Bohn’s race ended after just 28 laps.

Bohn issued the following statement at the conclusion of the event “We brought a rocket ship to Turkey Derby 50. P1 in practice, bottomed out in qualifying but still ended up 9th, and got black flagged for a racing incident while leading over a “judgement” call. I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped this weekend and leading up to this weekend. With that being said I have made the decision to not participate in anymore racing events at @wallstadiumspeedwayofficial until further notice”.

During the fourth caution of the day on Lap 74, Sesely rejoined the race many laps down.

Most of the field pitted under caution on Lap 103, including Hirschman, who was then mired mid-pack behind cars that had hit pit road under earlier cautions, including Jankowiak. Following that Lap 103 incident, the field had seven cautions in a row when the field attempted to restart. From stalled cars to crashes, the green flag flew only to be followed immediately by the yellow multiple times. These repeated cautions, and a fast car, helped Hirschman work his way through the field and back into contention.

The biggest wreck of the night took place on a lap 45 restart when the front row got together coming off Turn 4 to restart after a string of cautions. Race leader Andy Jankowiak made contact with second-place runner Timmy Solomito, sending Solomito’s No. 66 into the outside wall in front of the entire field. A host of cars piled into the back of the stopped car, bringing out the red flag for the event.

Other winners on the day included Ryan Tidman in the TQ midgets, Blake Barney in sportsman modifieds, and Dillon Steuer in dirt modifieds

Officials from the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) have announced an expanded twelve-event schedule for the Thompson Speedway oval in 2024. Schedule highlights include the 50th Icebreaker and 62nd Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing book-end weekends plus the return of Thursday Night Thunder at the 85-year-old oval in the fifth season under the operation of ACT and PASS.

Following traditional open practice on Friday, April 5, the 50th Icebreaker weekend will once again start off the New England racing season in high-speed excitement. The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series makes their Thompson Speedway debut on Saturday, April 6 and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Icebreaker weekend on Sunday, April 7. The Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models will also make the first of two visits on Saturday, April 6, returning again during Sunoco World Series weekend.

Icebreaker Weekend will also signal the start of the Thompson Speedway championship title chases for the Late Models, SK Light Modifieds, and Mini Stocks. After discussion with several teams, the former Limited Sportsman division has taken steps to morph into a new Street Stock division that will call Thompson home throughout the season. In another addition, the newly announced Sunoco 604 Modifieds will also be introduced during Icebreaker weekend as a track championship division.

Conspicuous by their absence are the SK Modifieds. With close to one hundred SK Modifieds home based in Connecticut it doesn’t make sense to bring in another modified division but then again, maybe it does. A few years back, Jonathan Hoenig, grandson of Don Hoenig took over the operation of the Thompson track. It was his grand plan to eliminate all oval track racing at the oval that had been in operation since 1940. Public opinion was so against him that he decided to run events on the oval track with extremely small purses. Competitors avoided the track like the plague. Racing on the oval track went idle until ACT and PASS came along and leased the track. For the most part competitors stayed away. In addition to the purse structure little maintenance had been performed and no updates to the facility had taken place. In an act of desperation ACT/PASS brought back NASCAR and the Whelen Modified Tour Series which brought new life to the failing facility. NASCAR mandates the purse structure and the competitors came. Car counts for the weekly divisions were still down and the SK’s were eliminated. Car brands do not draw fans, drivers do! Unknown drivers in 602 modifieds won’t draw flys.

A Memorial Day Monday Special on May 27 brings the return of the Outlaw Open Modified Series and their popular Dash for Cash, 50-lap sprints! The Dash for Cash showdowns will continue to post a $5,000 winners share in victory lane throughout the summer. The Outlaw Open Modifieds headline the return of Thursday Night Thunder at Thompson Speedway on June 13 and 27 and July 25, the Wednesday, August 7 and Sunday, September 8 events.

Each of the Dash for Cash events throughout the summer are complete with a full line-up of weekly, championship divisions that include the Sunoco 604 Modifieds, Late Models, SK Light Modifieds, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks. Each of the five point-counting divisions will run double-features on one date during the summer season, specific events will be released by the ACT and PASS offices soon.

Wednesday, August 14 with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Thompson 150, complete with the first of two visits for the New England Supermodified Series (NESS) with the winged-rockets returning on Sunoco World Series weekend.

Speaking of, the 62nd Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing will once again feature the excitement of Tour-type Modifieds for all three days, starting with the Modified Racing Series on Friday, October 11. Saturday, October 12 brings the return of the $10,000 to win Sunoco 100 for the Outlaw Open Modifieds and the American-Canadian Tour return for a $5,000 to win, 75-lap showdown. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour headline’s Sunday, October 13 with the World Series 150. As is tradition, all track champions will be crowned on World Series weekend as well.

With the 2024 schedule of events for Thompson Speedway now released, updated rule books will be released within two weeks through the ACT and PASS offices.

The all new book, The Modified Years At Stafford, by the Grace of God and 600 hp, is gaining interest and has become a must have in race fans and competitors library. Race by Race, Year by Year, it’s all there. Read all about it! Books are now available on Amazon.com and Coastal 181 (877-907-8181 toll free) and are available thru Stafford’s web site in their store. Order yours now. Makes a great gift!

With the cooperation of the Arute family another book has been published with pictures and biographies of the 50 Greatest Drivers at Stafford.

The Stafford Motor Speedway had become the epicenter of NASCAR Modified racing in the northeast by the late 1980’s. From its dirt beginnings to its lightning-fast asphalt, Stafford had become the toughest and most gratifying track to score a victory. The Arute family which has owned and guided the destiny of the facility commissioned their thousands of loyal fans to name their favorite drivers. In alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone:

Tom Baldwin, Gene Bergin, Brett Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Ken Bouchard, Ron Bouchard, Mario “Fats” Caruso, Rene Charland, Ted Christopher, Leo Cleary, Tim Connolly, Jerry Cook, Corky Cookman, Pete Corey, Fred DeSarro, Richie Evans, Mike Ewanitsko, Ed Flemke, Sr., Jeff Fuller, Rick Fuller, Ernie Gahan, Bill Greco, Bo Gunning, Ray Hendrick, George “Moose” Hewitt, Tony Hirschman, George Janoski, Charlie Jarzombek, George Kent, Buddy Krebs, Randy LaJoie, Jan Leaty, Jerry Marquis, Mike McLaughlin, Ray Miller, Steve Park, Bob Polverari, Bob Potter, Brian Ross, John “Reggie” Ruggiero, Greg Sacks, Ollie Silva, “Wild” Bill Slater, Jimmy Spencer, Mike Stefanik, Carl “Bugsy” Stevens, George Summers, Jamie “The Jet” Tomaino, Maynard Troyer and Satch Worley.

Books are priced at $17.95 each and be purchased at the track at the Novelty Booth or at the Stafford Motor Speedway on line store. Books are also available at Amazon.com and at Coastal181 (877-907-8181).