RPW Exclusive: The Champ Trail: NASCAR Mods At Thompson Pushed Back A Week, Icebreaker Saturday & More…

Column Compiled By: PHIL SMITH / RPW – WESTERLY, RI – After a long cold winter IceBreaker XXV finally arrived.

Thirty two NASCAR Whelen Modifieds were pre-entered.

Race management announced Thursday that the Saturday portion of the 51st Icebreaker weekend at Thompson is on as scheduled, along with Friday’s practice day. A forecast calling for rain most of the day Sunday, Race management postponed the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event to Saturday April 5.

The Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series presented by Better Basement Systems is on track for Saturday with the Propane Plus Heating & Cooling 75 at Thompson Speedway for the division’s 2025 season opener. The Saturday portion of the 51st Icebreaker weekend at Thompson was on as scheduled, along with Friday’s practice day.

The NASCAR Modified Tour Icebreaker 150 will go green on Saturday, April 5 along with the originally scheduled season opener for the Late Models, Street Stocks, SK Light Modifieds and Thompson Sunoco Modifieds. There should be no affect on a schedule SMART event at Rougemont in North Carolina.

Luke Baldwin had originally planned on running three races a two different tracks over the weekend, Martinsville Speedway and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, in both a Truck and a Modified.

Friday, he was scheduled to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Martinsville with Thorsport Racing. After the race, where he finished 22nd on the lead lap, he flew north to Thompson Speedway for two Modified events on Saturday and Sunday. He was scheduled to compete in the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series for the first time in his career on Saturday, driving the Ryan Preece Racing No. 40 and before it was postponed, the Whelen Modified Tour event on Sunday.

With Sunday’s races postponed and the outlook for Saturday not much better, Matt Hirschman, who lives six hours away from Thompson made the decision to stay home, rather to risk the expense of traveling back and forth which saved both him and his crew thousands of dollars. Needless to say, Thompson was able to run its Saturday schedule as the rain held off.

Jake Johnson took the thirty-car Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series field to green for the Icebreaker 75 presented by Propane Plus. Anthony Nocella quickly dove under to lead lap four with Stephen Kopcik and Jon McKennedy also going to work on Johnson. Set to have the best track position for pit strategy, Kopcik took over the lead on lap nine as the field thundered in the hills of Northeast Connecticut. After making the overnight haul up from his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway, Luke Baldwin got a piece of the wall on lap 15 and brought the Ryan Preece Racing-machine pit-side for a check up.

Ron Silk took a backstretch sling shot to motor under Kopcik just before the first caution on lap 32 for Tyler Berry and Dave Sapienza’s scuffle in turn four. All but Luke Baldwin jumped pit-side for tires with Silk winning the race off pit road. A pair of mid-race cautions saw Silk again and again maintain a dominant lead out front but Nocella and Johnson kept him within their sights from second and third. Ron Silk never felt the pressure build, taking down the Icebreaker 75 presented by Propane Plus in a strong start on the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series circuit, dedicating the win to late car owner Bob Horn in victory lane.

Anthony Nocella finished second with Johnson, third. Jon McKennedy and Austin Beers rounded out the top five. Sixth thru tenth included Chris Pasteryak, Patrick Emerling, George Bessette Jr, Ronnie Williams and Teddy Hodgdon.

It was no-holds-barred fisticuffs between Garrett Hall and Derek Griffith from the drop of the green flag in the PASS Super Late Model feature which began the afternoon. The two drove door handle-to-door handle in the opening laps before Griffith finally got a good launch off turn four to take the lead. Eddie MacDonald motored around to take the spot away for thirteen laps before his right-front tire let go, sending ‘the Outlaw’ into the wall on lap 63. Griffith’s regained lead lasted just one turn before getting loose and colliding with the wall to end his day, gifting the lead to Oxford Plains Speedway champion Trevor Sanborn. Sanborn would go on to win the PASS Icebreaker 75 followed by D.J. Shaw and Corey Casagrande.

Thompson Speedway’s two most recent Street Stock track champions, Ryan Waterman and Corey Fanning, led the R&R Race Parts NH Open Street Stock Series to green for their 50-lap main event. The two quickly showed displeasure for one-another, the Waterman vs. Fanning show boiled-over into a collision into the turn two wall and ending Waterman’s day. The frequent yellow flags prompted officials to park the field and when they returned Ryan Lineham licked the field to claim the $1,000 winner’s share.

The Thompson Sunoco Modifieds (602s) also got their start to the 2025 track championship season on Saturday as defending champ Jon Puleo faced off with veteran standouts Todd Owen and Keith Rocco at the onset. Both wily veterans got their fill of rapid, divebomb lane-changes that allowed Puleo to gain a growing lead before Owen’s left rear went flat for lone first caution on lap 9. Owen worked his way back up to battle with Puleo over the final five laps, bringing fans to their feet as the pair went toe-to-toe. At the line it was Jon Puleo who out-dueled Todd Owen with Danny Cates rounding out the top three. Rocco finished fourth.

Ryan Lineham was the Street Stock winner, Randy Burr was the truck winner, Andrew Krzeminski was the Mini Stock winner and Ethan Williams was the Crown Vic winner.

The IceBreaker resumes this Sunday at Thompson, April 6.

Coastal 181, Reading For Racers has released their 2024-2025 Catalog of great books. Among the newer titles is “Lazzaro, the man and his machine”. Lou Lazzaro became one of the Northeast’ most revered drivers of all time. He was equally as good on dirt as he was on asphalt. For many years he raced and won, sometimes three to five times a week at his home tracks, the Albany Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY, Fonda Speedway in Fonda, NY and at the Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, New York. Lazzaro was a regular track representative for the All Star League that raced on dirt and asphalt tracks during the late 60’s. The most remarkable thing was that he did it all with the same car. One of his biggest fans believe it or not was Richie Evans. Other great reading in the Coastal 181 catalog include “Ray Everham-Trophies and Scars”, “Bugsy”, “Richie”, “Eddie Flemke” and “The Soul of a Modified” Lenny Boehlers Ole Blue. Call Coastal181 at 877-907-8181.

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).