THOMPSON SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK ANNOUNCES 2019 SCHEDULE
THOMPSON SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK ANNOUNCES 2019 SCHEDULE CHANGES ON TAP WITH 10-RACE SLATE PLANNED
Story By: Kyle Souza/Thompson Speedway
Photos By: Dave Dalesandro/RacersGuide.com
THOMPSON, Conn. – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park has revealed a 10-race schedule for the 2019 NASCAR Whelen All American Series (NWAAS) season. Three added events to the oval schedule for the newest campaign are sure to give fans added excitement and opportunity at the Connecticut oval.
Terry Eames, Thompson’s newly appointed General Manager, put together the 10-race slate as the oval looks to spark further growth for the Whelen All American Series and give fans as many chances as possible to be at the track.
The 2019 calendar includes various touring divisions from across New England, staple special event dates including the Icebreaker and Sunoco World Series and standalone dates reserved for the stars of Thompson’s local classes to showcase their talent to dedicated fans.
Speaking of local divisions, Thompson is also proud to announce the addition of the Lite Modifieds to the NWAAS slate on a weekly basis. The Lite Modifieds will slide to Division III, dropping the Limited Sportsman to Division IV and the Mini Stocks to Division V. The Sunoco Modifieds will return as Division I and the Late Models are back as the Division II class.
All five classes of Thompson’s drivers will have the chance to earn NWAAS points towards both a track championship and the national titles in their respective divisions.
“We had a lot of questions about where we were going with the oval schedule for the 2019 season,” Eames said. “I concentrated a lot on the competitors, asking them for their input about what number of events would make them feel comfortable about committing to racing at Thompson regularly. Ten races seemed to fit for everyone well.”
After a March 23 Test & Tune for drivers to make sure they have all of the bolts tight, the season kicks-off in style April 6-7 with the 45th annual Icebreaker. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour headlines the weekend with what will be their third race of the 2019 season — while Justin Bonsignore — who swept all four tour races at Thompson last season, looks to continue his streak. The NWAAS divisions will also begin their season with qualifying and feature action across the two days.
The first NWAAS standalone event of the season is slated for Sunday, May 19, with the Limited Sportsman division taking center stage for their annual long distance event. The Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Lite Modifieds and Mini Stocks will join the card and all active military and veterans with ID will be admitted free.
The Thompson 125 night for the Whelen Modified Tour moves up one week this season and the Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Lite Modifieds, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks will join NASCAR’s modified stars for racing to kick-off the summer months. The rain date for this event is Thursday, June 6.
For the third straight year, NASCAR’s upcoming talent of the K&N Pro Series East return to Connecticut on Saturday, June 15 for a 100-lap event. New this year, the ACT Tour, one of the top Late Model touring divisions in Canada and the United States, will run for 75 laps that night. The Whelen All American Series divisions are also on tap for what is sure to be an action packed night of racing.
The middle of the summer will give Thompson’s fans a chance to see the stars and cars of the Whelen All American Series by themselves on the track. On June 30, July 21 and August 4, the Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Limited Sportsman, Lite Modifieds and Mini Stocks will take center stage as their championship battles heat up on Sunday afternoons.
“While connecting with the competitors about the schedule, I ran into a lot of people who asked if I had thought about bringing the Lite Modifieds in on a weekly basis,” Eames mentioned. “I’m fond of the Lite Modifieds because there are a lot of success stories for upcoming talent in a place where we can showcase the youth in Connecticut racing. Drivers have been known to perfect their talent in this division, and now, someone can run a multiple-track Lite Modified program and build points towards the NASCAR standings.”
In the middle of August, Budweiser returns as the primary sponsor of the 30th annual Bud “King of Beers” 150 for the Whelen Modified Tour, their third of four appearances. The NEMA Midgets will hit the high-banks as well, along with the NWAAS classes.
With great success in its past, the Sunoco Modified 20/20 sprint returns for three segments on For the Fans Day at the track on Sunday, September 8. The modified standouts will share the track with their fellow NWAAS divisions.
And, as Thompson does each season, the racing concludes with a three-day spectacular as part of the 57th annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing. The 2019 event will run from Friday, October 11, through Sunday, October 13, and will cumulate with the crowning of various champions from across New England, and the crowning of Thompson’s NASCAR Whelen All American Series champions.
Fans can see the entire schedule that includes pricing breakdown for each event in the grandstands and pit area on www.thompsonspeedway.com, and are encouraged to follow the track on social media for the latest updates throughout the offseason.
QUICK VIEW: 2019 Thompson Schedule of Events
Saturday, March 23: Test & Tune (All Safe Race Cars Welcome)
April 5: Icebreaker Test & Tune (Cars on track 2-5pm)
April 6-7: 45th annual Icebreaker weekend (Rain date April 13-14)
May 19: Limited Sportsman Long Distance & Active Military & Veterans
June 5: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Thompson 125 + NWAAS
June 14: K&N Pro Series East & NWAAS Test & Tune
June 15: NASCAR K&N Pro East 100 & ACT Tour 75 + NWAAS
June 30: NWAAS Racing
July 21: NWAAS Racing
August 4: NWAAS Racing
August 14: NASCAR Modified Tour Bud “King of Beers” 150 + NEMA & NWAAS
September 8: Sunoco Mod 20/20 & For The Fans Night
October 11-13: 57th annual Sunoco World Series (Rain Date: October 18-20)
