Analyzing The Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway
Story By: KYLE SOUZA / NASCAR WMT SERIES MEDIA
Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –March 30, 2017- The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will continue the 2017 season at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut, on Sunday afternoon. Below is a statistical look at the Icebreaker 150, including selected driver notes:
Icebreaker 150 Setup:
• This marks the first of four appearances for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Thompson this season.
• The track has held 134 Whelen Modified Tour races, the most of any track in series history.
• Timmy Solomito returns to Thompson as the defending winner of the Icebreaker 150 and the current points leader following his win in the season-opening event at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
At Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park:
• The historic .625-mile oval opened in 1940 and has held at least one NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race since the series started in 1985.
• The track held three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races in history, with the first being won by Neil Cole back in 1951.
• The track also has a non-NASCAR road course, where events are held throughout the year.
• The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Tour will return to Thompson for the first time since 2009 in July.
• Chevrolet drivers have won seven of the last eight Whelen Modified Tour races at the track.
Notebook:
• In its history, the track has held 134 Whelen Modified Tour races, the most of any other facility on the 2017 schedule.
• Seven-time series champion Mike Stefanik holds the lead with 15 career wins at the Connecticut oval, while Doug Coby, Bobby Santos and Justin Bonsignore lead all active drivers with five career wins.
• There have been 45 different pole winners at Thompson. Tony Hirschman leads the list with 13 career poles, while Doug Coby is the active leader with seven poles.
• This is just the second time since 1995 that the Icebreaker has not opened the NWMT season. In 1998, Reggie Ruggiero won at the now-closer Riverside Speedway on March 29 before Mike Stefanik won the Icebreaker on April 5. In 2001, Jerry Marquis won the season-opener at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway on March 11 and Rick Fuller won the Icebreaker on March 22.
• Jamie Tomaino is the only driver to compete in all 134 previous races at Thompson, but that streak will end this weekend.
Thompson Data:
Race: #2 of 17 overall
Race Date: Sunday, April 2 at 3:45 p.m. (approx.)
Track Layout: 0.625-mile banked asphalt oval
Race Length: 150 laps (93.8 miles)
Qualifying/Race Data:
2016 Winner: Timmy Solomito
2016 Polesitter: Doug Coby
1-Lap Qualifying Record: 123.376 mph (Bobby Santos — April 2011)
150-Lap Race Record: 96.429 mph (Mike Stefanik – August 2003)
Active Category Leaders at Thompson:
Wins
1. Justin Bonsignore … 5
Doug Coby … 5
Bobby Santos … 5
2. Ron Silk … 4
Poles
1. Doug Coby … 7
2. Bobby Santos … 5
3. Donny Lia …. 4
4. Ryan Preece …. 4
Top Fives
1. Jamie Tomaino … 20
2. Ron Silk … 17
3. Doug Coby ….16
Top 10s
1. Jamie Tomaino … 49
2. Doug Coby …. 29
3. Todd Szegedy … 27
Laps Led
1. Doug Coby … 847
2. Donny Lia … 645
Starts
1. Jamie Tomaino … 134
2. Wade Cole … 88
3. Doug Coby … 50
Selected Driver Highlights:
Doug Coby (No. 2 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet)
• The four-time series champion won three of the four pole awards at Thompson last season.
• Has five wins, 16 top fives and 29 top 10s in 50 career NWMT starts at Thompson.
• Swept all four races at the Connecticut oval in 2015.
Justin Bonsignore (No. 51 Phoenix Communications Inc. Chevrolet)
• Has 12 wins, 48 top fives and 66 top 10s in 106 career series starts.
• Has five wins, 10 top fives and 14 top 10s in 25 career NWMT starts at Thompson.
• Won the 2014 Icebreaker 150 and also won the final two races at Thompson in 2016.
Timmy Solomito (No. 16 Starrett Tools Ford)
• Has five wins, 16 top fives, 29 top 10s in 53 career series starts.
• Has one win, four top fives and 10 top 10s in 14 career Thompson starts.
• Won the 2017 season-opening race at Myrtle Beach Speedway, his fifth career win dating back to his first win in last year’s Icebreaker 150.
Ryan Preece (No. 6 TS Haulers Chevrolet)
• Has 15 wins, 59 top fives and 85 top 10s in 132 career series starts.
• Has one win, 16 top fives and 24 top 10s in 36 career Thompson starts.
• Won the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.
Woody Pitkat (No. 46 Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet)
• Has three wins, 23 top fives and 63 top 10s in 120 career series starts.
• Has no wins, seven top fives and 13 top 10s in 33 career Thompson starts.
• Won the 2006 and 2015 NWAAS Sunoco Modified title at Thompson.
Bobby Santos (No. 44 Tinio Cor/Worldband Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, 15 top fives and 21 top 10s in 163 career series starts.
• Has five wins, 15 top fives and 21 top 10s in 39 career Thompson starts, leading 469 laps.
• Led only one lap in winning at Thompson last June; won 2010 Icebreaker 150
Ron Silk (No. 82 Horton. Ave Materials Chevrolet)
• Has 10 wins, 59 top fives and 95 top 10s in 163 career series starts.
• Has four wins, 17 top fives and 27 top 10s in 44 career Thompson starts.
• Last series win came at New London-Waterford Speedbowl in 2015.
Rowan Pennink (No. 3 Cape Cod Copper Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, 29 top fives and 67 top 10s in 142 career series starts.
• Has one win, eight top fives and 19 top 10s in 37 career Thompson starts.
• Won the 2013 Sunoco World Series at Thompson.
Max Zachem (No. 20 MPZ Motorsports/Lu Mac’s Package Store Chevrolet)
• Has 4 top fives and 15 top 10s in 36 career series starts.
• Has one top five, four top 10s and 43 laps led in 10 career Thompson starts.
• Finished fifth in the season-opener at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
Todd Szegedy (No. 85 Montanari Fuel/Stuarts Automotive/J&R Pre-Cast Chevrolet)
• Has 19 wins, 86 top fives and 129 top 10s in 206 career series starts.
• Won the 2003 series championship.
• Has three wins, 15 top fives and 27 top 10s in 49 career Thompson starts.
Andy Seuss (No. 11 LFR Chassis Chevrolet)
• Has 22 wins, 70 top fives and 93 top 10s in 115 career Whelen Southern Modified Tour starts.
• Has one top 10 in nine career Thompson starts.
• Opened the season with a third-place finish at Myrtle Beach.
• Two-time Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion – the last in 2015.
Up To Speed:
• This is the 33rd season of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour action. The first race was in 1985 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
• The 2017 schedule includes 17 points races at 10 different tracks, across seven different states. It also includes two non-points events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Rob Summers won the Coors Light Pole Award and led a race-high 72 laps before finishing second to Solomito at Myrtle Beach.
• Following the Icebreaker 150, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Stafford Motor Speedway for the Spring Sizzler on April 30.
