THOMPSON, CT.  With only five races remaining on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2009 schedule, the competition for that division’s championship is really heating up. Defending champion, Ted Christopher, will enter the Budweiser 150 presented by the New England Dodge Dealers at the Thompson Speedway this Thursday night with a slim 29 point advantage over Todd Szegedy. Ryan Preece finds himself only three points behind Szegedy.

The extremely competitive Whelen Modified Tour (WMT) finds itself in a very familiar position with regard to the race for the title. Virtually every year, the lucrative championship honors are not determined until very late in the season if not at the final event of the year at Thompson. This Thursday’s running of the Bud 150 at Thompson will play a vital role in determining the outcome of the title chase for 2009.

`           Christopher has maintained the points lead for most of the season. He gave it up briefly to Szegedy but roared back to put himself at the top once again. Szegedy, however, is one tough customer and has the 2003 title to his credit and finished 2nd in 2007 and 3rd last year in the final standings.

The dark horse in what may appear to be a two-man race is Ryan Preece. The eighteen year old driver from Berlin, CT has won two of the last four WMT events and is a mere 32 points away from Christopher. Preece has positioned himself to be a real contender for the prestigious crown. Other drivers in the top five in points are the 2007 champ, Donny Lia and one of the busiest drivers in the northeast, Rowan Pennink. The title will not be settled this Thursday, but the Bud 150 at Thompson is sure to play a major role in determining the eventual winner.

The WMT will be joined by Thompson’s own NASCAR Whelen All American Race Series divisions in their features only presentation. Those races will be preceded by time trials for the WMT. It all gets underway at 5:30 PM. Grandstands will open at 2 PM.

For more information and the complete schedule for the day, fans are urged to visit the Thompson web site. www.thompsonspeedway.com  Advance ticket sales are available by calling the track office at 860-923-2280.