Nick Johnson Takes Second Career Thompson Late Model Crown
Oct 7, 2023
While sunshine brought fans and teams back to Thompson Speedway in droves to wrap up the 2023 season at the 5/8-mile oval, both groups were also welcomed with good news. It was announced at the drivers meeting on Sunday that the partnership between the American-Canadian Tour and Pro All Stars Series organizations will continue to lease the Thompson Speedway oval for the 2024 season. What remained was a day of championship crowning, heart-stopping action to round out the 61st Sunoco World Series.
Following qualifying for the ten other divisions racing on the 61st Sunoco World Series Super Sunday, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com took the green flag to start the afternoon’s feature racing action. Young-gun Austin Beers quickly shot to the front around title chasers Ron Silk and Justin Bonsignore, leading all the way to lap 64 where Jake Johnson used lap traffic to his advantage and nabbed the top spot. Bonsignore stayed hot on the rear-bumper of Beers in third as Ron Silk dropped back to conserve tires, in hopes for a late race-caution.
That wish would come true on lap 83 with the spinning #19 of Anthony Sesely on the bottom of turn four. With the majority of the field pitting for tires and adjustments, a rough stop for Johnson gave Bonsignore the lead when green-flag action resumed. After a wild restart throughout the field, Eric Berndt lost a right front tire and collected Austin Beers into the turn four wall. While Beers was able to drive away, Berndt went back into the infield behind the Walsh’s Auto Service wrecker.
Silk and Bonsignore faced-off on the lap 101 restart with a hard-charging Jake Johnson looking for more from his fifth-place position. The two title fighters battled it out following the restart before Silk turned up the afterburners and jetted away from Bonsignore, Johnson and Craig Lutz. Despite the spin for Kyle Bonsignore in turn four, a big frontstretch pile-up that ended Sammy Rameau’s day and a late-race charge by Jake Johnson, Ron Silk took down the World Series 150 win presented by FloSports.com and padded his point lead on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour going into Martinsville Speedway on October 26th.
The Evolve Bank & Trust Mortgage Pro Truck Series took the track for their 30-lap Sunoco World Series feature event. Tyler Chapman and Duane Knoll went to battle at the front of the pack before a big pile-up in turn one ended the day for top runners ‘Dangerous’ Dave Koenig and Dennis Charette. Shawn Monahan hunted down Chapman to lead lap 27 off turn four while Chapman spun himself out in turn two to call out the final caution. Shawn Monahan took the World Series win following a strong restart.
‘Leadfoot’ Larry Barnett quickly charged to the front of the 20-lap Limited Sportsman championship event as himself, Corey Fanning and Ryan Waterman battled for the 2023 track championship. Fanning motored into the lead on lap 4 with the title chase still at play. Caution after caution, the season-long championship remained in a stalemate between Fanning and Waterman, tied as they ran throughout the feature event. ‘Kid Chaos’ Corey Fanning took down the World Series win and his first Thompson Speedway Limited Sportsman championship in tiebreaker over Ryan Waterman with three wins on the season.
The Pro-4 Modifieds made their grand return to the Sunoco World Series for their annual Harry Kourafas Memorial event. Rob Richardi Jr. and Brayden Meservey took on a hard-fought battle at the front of the pack before a quick spin for the #57 in turn four slowed the field. While Jack Dumas and Richardi battled for second, Brayden Meservey took down the Harry Kourafas Memorial 22-lap feature win. Jack Dumas held on to second with Rob Richardi rounding out the podium.
Top championship chasers Jonathan ‘JP’ Puleo and Troy Talman led the final Sunoco Modified feature of the season to the green flag with Talman taking the early lead. Talman made growing his lead over Puleo look easy until Keith Rocco caught up to his rear-bumper. Stalking the youngster, veteran Rocco played the mind games from second-place lap after lap before jumping to the low-side and leading lap 14. Keith Rocco kept the hammer down to win the battle but Troy Talman was able to win the war, taking the 2023 Sunoco Modified track championship. Jonathan Puleo able to claim the Sunoco World Series championship by six-points over Talman with his top-5 finish.
Vern Romanowski and Ryan Battle led the New England Supermodified Series (NESS) to green for their 2023 championship finale. Championship chaser Dan Bowes overtook the two front row starters to steal the lead by lap two as point leader Ben Seitz also made his way around the early leaders to take chase. Matt Swanson dove in under Seitz to battle side-by-side in spectacular fashion lap after lap before Swanson finally took the position on lap 11. The lone caution flag flew on lap 24 for Dave Duggan’s spin in turn one to reshuffle the field. Dan Bowes took charge once again on the restart, schooling second-place finisher Matt Swanson with the win and passing over third-place finisher Ben Seitz to take the 2023 NESS championship.
The NEMA Lite feature started with a spin for polesitter Tiana Kibbe as the field settled back in for another go at their 25-lap main event on Sunoco World Series Sunday. Ryan Locke inherited the top spot under green as Randy Cabral hunted him down from the second spot. Cabral took over the lead just after the halfway point and kept it all the way to Sunoco World Series victory lane followed by Jake Trainor and Locke to round out the podium during their annual World Series appearance at the Big-T.
Hard-charging Jake Johnson and Sammy Rameau brought the Sunoco 100 for the Outlaw Open Modified Series to green followed closely by Austin Beers and Keith Rocco. Rameau moved into the lead early, but Johnson wasn’t interested in another second-place run on Sunday. The two battled hard in the early goings as veterans Rocco and Eric Goodale looked to join the fun. Charlie Pasteryak’s spin in turn two called out the first caution on lap 11 leaving Beers and Johnson to fight for the restart lead.
Through several quick-spin cautions and pitting periods, Johnson, Beers and Anthony Bello kept up the action in front of the field. While troubles plagued top pilots Woody Pitkat, Chris Pasteryak, Teddy Hodgdon and Keith Rocco, the gremlins finally caught up to Johnson who missed a shift on the lap 49 restart, giving the lead to Bello. As laps wound down, Ronnie Williams made his way closer and closer to Bello before sweeping under to take the lead away on lap 77. Both would pit on the lap 80 caution, gambling with twenty laps remaining.
Rocco and Rameau led the restart, bare-knuckle battling at the front with Craig Lutz, George Bessette Jr. and Beers capitalizing. George Bessette Jr. and Rameau made hard contact in turn four, ending their days and giving Lutz the lead. Keith Rocco beat Lutz back to the line on the restart, turned around a nearly disastrous mid-race visit to pit road to win the $10,000 Sunoco 100 over Kyle Bonsignore and Austin Beers.
The SK Light Modifieds decided on a no-holds-barred affair, kicking off their 30-lap feature with three caution periods before getting in one lap. Frank Hurt led the first lap while the championship chase between Alexander Pearl and Tyler Chapman followed among the top-ten. A huge calamity broke loose across the frontstretch on lap three, ending the championship hope for Chapman and sending Hurt, George Perreault and Nick Hovey behind the wall for the evening. Pearl faced-off against John O’Sullivan again and again in restart conditions but it was the final re-rack showdown between Pearl and Meghan Fuller that saw Fuller take her first career Thompson Speedway SK Light win using the high-lane. Alexander Pearl would take the 2023 Thompson Speedway track championship with his second-place finish while Sami Anderson took third.
Dave Trudeau led the Mini Stocks to green in search of his first win of the 2023 season at Thompson Speedway with fellow championship hopefuls Kevin Moore and Jarred Roy on his tail. Roy snuck away the lead on lap 4 and kept his foot in the firewall to lead all the way to the end and take down the championship by just two points over third-place finisher, and defending champ, Kevin Moore. Dave Trudeau took home second.
Christopher Buffone and Chad Baxter took off from the Open Street Stock field to start their 40-lap feature event. The final event of the 61st Sunoco World Series, Ryan Waterman quickly joined the group as Baxter took over the lead from Buffone. Baxter’s strong run went up in smoke to give the lead to Waterman who held a full corner lead ahead of Buffone and Jason Woodard. While Woodard and Waterman raced hot and heavy through to lap 38 when contact sent Waterman into the turn three wall, sending Woodard to the rear and gifting Buffone the lead. Christopher Buffone steam-rolled his way to victory lane and the $1,200 grand prize to round out the 61st Sunoco World Series at Thompson Speedway!
While the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park oval settles in for the New England winter ahead, the American-Canadian Tour and Pro All Stars Series will be back to operate Thompson Speedway for the fifth consecutive season in 2024. The 2024 schedule and division rules for the 85th season of stock car racing at the iconic Thompson Speedway oval will be released by Thanksgiving.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
For technical information concerning all PASS divisions, and for media or marketing questions, please contact passracing@roadrunner.com or visit www.proallstarsseries.com. Don't forget to "Like" the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.
For general Thompson Speedway inquiries, call (860) 923-2280, email oval@thompsonspeedway.com, or visit www.thompsonspeedway.com. You can follow Thompson Speedway on Facebook and Instagram at @ThompsonSpeedway or on Twitter at @ThompsonSpdwy.
-ACT Media Press Release
-Photo credit: Tom Morris Racing Photography
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Thompson, CT
61st Sunoco World Series Super Sunday
Sunday, October 8, 2023
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour – World Series 150 presented by FloSports.com
(Finish Pos., Car #, Driver, Sponsor, Laps)
1. 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine & Future Homes 150
2. 3 Jake Johnson Propane Plus/Lin’s Propane Trucks 150
3. 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 150
4. 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munns Auto 150
5. 44 Bobby Santos Harshaw Paving/Olivas Market 150
6. 92 Anthony Nocella Nocella Paving/K and D Associates/Airgas 150
7. 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Manufacturing Co. 150
8. 82 Craig Lutz Horton Avenue Materials 150
9. 6 Woody Pitkat Koopman Lumbar 150
10. 64 Austin Beers AP Marquadt & Sons/Lumiere Electrical 150
11. 89 Matt Swanson Cervado Auto 150
12. 21 Anthony Bello Bello Motorsports/SKM/JB Mgmt 150
13. 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communications Inc. 150
14. 36 Dave Sapienza Sapienza Enterprises 150
15. 19 Anthony Sesely Wanick Construction Inc. 150
16. 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Driling/MUSCO Lighting 150
17. 50 Ronnie Williams Empower Financial Advisory/RP Enterprises 150
18. 26 Max Zachem Lakeland Avenue Landscape Supply 148
19. 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood Market & Restaurant 147
20. 34 JB Fortin A&R Materials/John’s Fuel Oil 141
21. 06 Sam Rameau Quality Fleet Services/Dennison Lubricants 128
22. 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 127
23. 1 Eric Berndt Ferguson Motorsports 94
24. 59 Brett Meservey BNP Machine 62
25. 2 J.R. Bertuccio Gershow Recycling 43
Thompson Outlaw Open Modifieds – Sunoco 100
1. 57 Keith Rocco Berlin, CT
2. 07 Kyle Bonsignore Hebron, IL
3. 00 Austin Beers Northampton, PA
4. 50W Ronnie Williams Ellington, CT
5. 46 Craig Lutz Miller Place, NY
6. 179 Anthony Bello Newtown, CT
7. 43 Matt Kimball Bennington, NH
8. 75 Chris Pasteryak Lisbon, CT
9. 58 Eric Goodale Calverton, NY
10. 76 Kirk Alexander W. Swanzey, NH
11. 28 Buddy Charette Woodstock, CT
12. 25 Matt Swanson Harvard, MA
13. 5CT Charlie Pasteryak Lisbon, CT
14. 31C Andrew Charron E. Greenwich, RI
15. 17 Kevin Folan N. Attleboro, MA
16. 06 Sammy Rameau Westminster, MA
17. 1 George Bessette, Jr. Danbury, CT
18. 3 Jake Johnson Rehoboth, MA
19. 47 Joey Mucciacciaro Wolcott, CT
20. 55CT Teddy Hodgdon Danbury, CT
21. 50M Carl Medeiros, Jr. Westport, MA
22. 48 Glen Steger Copiague, NY
23. 19 Jeffrey Battle Dunstable, MA
24. 88 Woody Pitkat Bellingham, MA
DNS 81 Todd Owen Somers, CT
New England Supermodified Series – (40 Laps)
1. 25 Dan Bowles Epping, NH
2. 97 Anthony Nocella Woburn, MA
3. 11 Ben Seitz Bourne, MA
4. 52 Vern Romanowski Strong, ME
5. 41 Russ Wood Pelham, NH
6. 5 Rob Summers Manchester, CT
7. 13 Bobby Timmons Windham, ME
8. 51 Dave Duggan Milford, NH
9. 45 Mike Mayberry Naples, ME
10. 9 Ryan Battle Dunstable, MA
2023 New England Supermodified Series Champion – Dan Bowes
Open Street Stock Showdown – (40 Laps)
1. 07 Christopher Buffone Belchertown, MA
2. 67 Aaron Plemons Montville, CT
3. 73 Larry Barnett Danielson, CT
4. 75x Troy Waterman Danielson, CT
5. 39 Chris Douton Waterford, CT
6. 28 Austin Flanagan Warwick, RI
7. 68VT Jason Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
8. 80 Tyler Trott E. Hartford, CT
9. 03 Josh Gerard W. Wareham, MA
10. 66CT Tyler Cinamella Willimantic, CT
11. 67x Brandon Plemons Uncasville, CT
12. 75 Ryan Waterman Danielson, CT
13. 45 Tommy Shea Somers, CT
14. 84 Bert Ouellette Ellington, CT
15. 11 Corey Fanning Mapleville, RI
16. 19 Ryan Lineham Warwick, RI
17. 38 Jon Porter Lisbon, CT
18. 26 Chase Curtis Rutland, MA
19. 22T Tim Poulin Thompson, CT
20. 0 Chad Baxter Warwick, RI
Sunoco Modifieds – (30 Laps)
1. 57 Keith Rocco Berlin, CT
2. 3 Troy Talman Oxford, MA
3. 81 Todd Owen Somers, CT
4. 7 Jonathan Puleo Branford, CT
5. 82 Mike Christopher, Jr. Wolcott, CT
6. 14 Isaiah Newcomb Ellington, CT
7. 25 Tom Fox Stafford, CT
8. 18 Tyler Barry Griswold, CT
9. 02 Paul LaPlante Scituate, RI
10. 8 Chase Cook Beacon Falls, CT
11. 62 Cody Rose Southbridge, MA
12. 49 John Bercham West Greenwich, CT
2023 Sunoco Modified Track Champion – Troy Talman
2023 World Series Sunoco Modified Champion – Jonathan Puleo
SK Light Modifieds – (30 Laps)
1. 2 Meghan Fuller Auburn, MA
2. 7 Alexander Pearl Salem, CT
3. 21 Sami Anderson Wolcott, CT
4. 15x Amanda West Colchester, CT
5. 35 Josh Morrison Ashford, CT
6. 22 Isaiah Newcomb Plymouth, MA
7. 09 Cassandra Cole Westbrook, CT
8. 07 Tom Abele Norwich, CT
9. 78 Evan Bourgois E. Haddam, CT
10. 34MA Dalton McCarthy Oxford, MA
11. 15 John O'Sullivan Norwich, CT
12. 88 Danny Gamache Jr. N. Smithfield, RI
13. 26 Steve Kenneway Lowell, MA
14. 47 Zach Sangermano Plainfield, CT
15. 07K Jeff Davenport Cranston, RI
16. 31 Trent Goodrow Carver, MA
17. 24H Frank Hirt Danbury, CT
18. 28CT George Perreault Woodstock, CT
19. 16 Nickolas Hovey Chaplin, CT
20. 41CT Tyler Chapman Ellington, CT
21. 18 Tyler Barry Griswold, CT
22. 36RI Michael Cooper Pawtucket, RI
23. 16MA Todd Douillard Palmer, MA
24. 52 Anthony Forino Waterbury, CT
25. 88x Bert Ouellette Ellington, CT
26. 05 Michael Parolo W. Springfield, MA
SK Light Modified Track Champion – Alexander Pearl
Evolve Bank Pro Truck Series – (30 Laps)
1. 55 Shawn Monahan
2. 15 G-Rod Giordano Jr
3. 2 Duane Noll
4. 47 Todd Taylor
5. 32 Randy Burr
6. 5*
7. ri01 Nicholas Frechette
8. 81 Tyler Chapman
9. 94 Jason Paquette
10. 6 Andrew Pelligrini
11. 14*
12. 97 Dangerous Dave Koenig
13. 1 Dennis Charette
14. 98*
15. 151 RJ Surdell
16. 28*
*No Name Given to Scoring
NEMA Lites – (25 Laps)
1. 47 Randy Cabral
2. 1 Jake Trainor
3. 61 Ryan Locke
4. 48 Todd Bertrand
5. 17 Kyle Valeiri
6. 16 John Zych
7. 20 Alby Ovitt
8. 53 Dylan Coutu
9. 35 Isiah Newcomb
10. 10 Avery Stoehr
11. 29 Chase Locke
12. 30 Paul Scally
13. 59 Brayden Egan
14. 28 Mike Horn
15. 8 Ethan Dionne
16. 3 Chris Vose
17. 55 Drew Eldridge
18. 21 Joey Bailey
19. 94 Tiana Kibbe
Pro-4 Modifieds – Harry Kourafas Memorial Top-3 - (22 Laps)
1. 5 Brayden Meservey
2. 4xl Jack Dumas
3. 12 Rob Richardi Jr.
Limited Sportsman – (20 Laps)
1. 11 Corey Fanning Mapleville, RI
2. 52 Al Stone III Durham, CT
3. 75 Ryan Waterman Danielson, CT
4. 67 Aaron Plemons Uncasville, CT
5. 36 Scott Sundeen Sutton, MA
6. 73 Larry Barnett Moosup, CT
7. 38 Jon Porter E. Lyme, CT
8. 84 Bert Ouellette Ellington, CT
9. 16 Nick Hovey Chaplin, CT
10. 80 Tyler Trott E. Hartford, CT
11. 66 Tyler Cinamella Willimantic, CT
12. 31 Troy Waterman Danielson, CT
13. 3 Adam Coutu Moosup, CT
14. 45 Tommy Shea Somers, CT
15. 10 Charles Stott Medway, MA
16. 22T Tim Poulin N. Grosvenordale, CT
17. 28 Ed Flanagan Jr. Warwick, RI
18. 67x Brandon Plemons Uncasville, CT
2023 Limited Sportsman Track Champion – Corey Fanning
Mini Stocks – (20 Laps)
1. 1CT Jarred Roy Moosup, CT
2. 97 Dave Trudeau Marshfield, CT
3. 82 Kevin Moore Moosup, CT
4. 7 Kyle Wing Marshfield, CT
5. 19 Ryan Pomposelli Smithfield, RI
6. 19x David Dorr Gales Ferry, RI
7. 9CT Rick LaFlesh Griswold, CT
8. 44 Mitch Bombard Willimantic, CT
9. 54 Eric Finkbein Columbia, CT
10. 81 Glynn Roy Sterling, CT
11. 10 Keith Ballou Pascoag, RI
12. 07 Edmond Cousineau Palmer, MA
13. 41 Richard Scalora Mansfield, CT
DNS 16 Tim Dorr Gales Ferry, RI
DNS 22 Brad Caddick Wyoming, RI
2023 Mini Stock Track Champion – Jarred Roy
