“I’m looking forward to running with Greg & Russ Stoehr and Randy Cabral in 2012,” said Carlson. “I think there will be a lot of [...]]]> BROCKTON, Mass. — 2011 NEMA Lite standout Seth Carlson & Gene Feigel Motorsports have decided to “graduate” Carlson to the big leagues, committing to the full 2012 NEMA schedule.

“I’m looking forward to running with Greg & Russ Stoehr and Randy Cabral in 2012,” said Carlson. “I think there will be a lot of good racing in the 2012 season. I am very excited to get the chance to run with these guys.”

A multi time winner in 2011, Carlson will be coming to NEMA with his familiar, exceptional handling Drinan Chassis with an Esslinger powered “spec” engine – becoming a popular choice for the economics involved.

Carlson, who counts Twin State Speedway as his favorite track, says “The 2011 season was a great learning experience. It was also great to get back on pavement after a few years running Dirt (at Whip City Speedway).”

On Carlson and his move to the full NEMA series – “We have always intended for the Lite series to be a perfect ‘stepping stone’ for the full NEMA series,” said President Mike Scrivani. “Seth is a perfect example of this – he came in, had a bit of a learning curve, then figured it out, and won a bunch of races. The Lite series was a perfect learning ground for him, and we’re confident he’ll be one of our rising stars in the NEMA series,” continued Scrivani.

Carlson is quick to credit Gene Feigel, his owner & sponsor, for helping his racing career along – and his father, for his countless hours spent working on the car and setting up the car at the racetrack. He also credits mentor Greg Stoehr for teaching him the old adage “patience is a virtue” – after some early season DNF’s due to a little “eagerness” to get to the front too quickly.

With Carlson in top notch equipment, as well as the addition of Payne, Cantor, and Cabral coming back in a “freshened” ride for 2012 – the competition should be ripe in the upcoming season.

(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway has begun the process of sending
out special invitations to past and present open wheel championship winning
drivers to make up the starting field for the 2nd Annual CARQUEST Champions
For Charities race. The CARQUEST Champions For Charities race will be part
of the CARQUEST Super [...]]]>

(Stafford Springs, CT)—Stafford Speedway has begun the process of sending
out special invitations to past and present open wheel championship winning
drivers to make up the starting field for the 2nd Annual CARQUEST Champions
For Charities race. The CARQUEST Champions For Charities race will be part
of the CARQUEST Super Saturday program, which will feature the ISMA
Supermodifieds, NEMA Midgets, and Pro-4 Modifieds. The special invitation
only field of open wheel champions will sit behind the wheel of Wild Thing
Kart Senior Outlaw karts and participate in a special 15-lap race while
raising money for a charity of their choosing.

Stafford Speedway thusfar has a starting field of 12 championship-winning
drivers, some of which were part of the Champions For Charities festivities
last season, and some of the drivers are new to the Champions For Charities
experience. Those drivers who will be making their CARQUEST Champions For
Charities debut include 2011 Riverhead Raceway Modified champion Justin
Bonsignore, 2-time Modified Racing Series champion Chris Pasteryak, and 2011
Stafford SK Modified® champion Ryan Preece.

“I watched the race last year and it looked like all the guys were having a
lot of fun out there,” said Preece. “It’s nice to finally be a champion and
I’m really looking forward to being able to raise some money for the
Connecticut chapter of the Make-A-Wish foundation and try to help make a
difference in someone’s life. I’ve driven champ karts and flat karts
before, but the Wild Thing Kart will be a new experience for me. But it
looked like there was a lot of bump drafting going on last year, so it
should be a lot of fun to be part of that race this year.”

Among the returning drivers are 3-time NEMA Midget champion Randy Cabral,
2-time Pro-4 Modified Limited Champion Stan Mertz, Spring Sizzler SK
Modified® champion Richie Pallai, Jr., 2006 Whelen All-American Series
Division 4 Regional Champion Woody Pitkat, 5-time Stafford SK Modified®
champion Bob Potter, 2006 Stafford SK Modified® Champion Frank Ruocco, 2010
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Bobby Santos, III, 2003 NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour Champion Todd Szegedy, and 8-time ISMA Supermodified champion
Russ Wood. For Szegedy, the Champions For Charities experience will take
him back to the early days of his racing career, where he raced WKA Karts
against members of Justin Bonsignore’s family.

“I raced against the Bonsignore’s for years and they were one of my toughest
competitors in WKA Karts,” said Szegedy. “They were the top engine builders
at the time and Justin came from the WKA Karts like I did, so it’s ironic
that we’ll be racing against each other now in the Wild Thing Karts. The
race is going to be a lot of fun, each driver knows how to drive a kart and
it should be some great competition for the fans.”

CARQUEST Champions For Charities will not only see racing on the track, but
there will be a race off the track as well to see which driver can raise the
most money for their charity. The amount of money that each driver raises
will determine their starting position in the 15-lap feature event, as the
driver who raises the most money will start the race from pole and the
driver who raises the least amount of money will have to start at the rear
of the field. The remainder of the starting grid will be set according to
money raised, with higher totals starting ahead of lower totals. Each open
wheel champion will get a kick-start to their fund raising efforts with
CARQUEST and Stafford Motor Speedway contributing $200 to each driver’s
charity. Stafford Motor Speedway will set up a donation page on their
website where fans can go to make donations to their favorite drivers and
charities and help their favorite driver start close to the front of the
pack. Fans can check the Champions For Charities page on SMS Online for
upcoming fundraising events that fans can participate in to help raise funds
for their favorite driver or charity.

CARQUEST Super Saturday will take place on Saturday, June 30 and tickets are
available and on sale now at the Speedway Box Office. CARQUEST Super
Saturday tickets are priced at $33.00 for adult general admission tickets,
$5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted
free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating is priced at
$35.00 for all ages. As always, Stafford Motor Speedway offers free parking
with overnight parking available.

For more information about CARQUEST Super Saturday and the CARQUEST
Champions For Charities event, please call the Stafford Motor Speedway

With three events and six actual Pro finals now in the books, it’s time to review how the 2012 ECS Rookie of the Year (ROTY) candidates are doing on-track.

Three athletes are battling for top honors as they tackle the challenge of Pro level competition; Chris Ackerman, Michael George and Jacob Muller. All three [...]]]>

With three events and six actual Pro finals now in the books, it’s time to review how the 2012 ECS Rookie of the Year (ROTY) candidates are doing on-track.

Three athletes are battling for top honors as they tackle the challenge of Pro level competition; Chris Ackerman, Michael George and Jacob Muller. All three were stars during their time in Pro Lite (I know, we called it Semi-Pro back then – just what is a “Semi-Pro” anyway?) and were clearly ready to make the move in 2012.

With a half dozen finals now complete, Muller leads the current standings with 125 rookie points. Keep in mind, these tallies are based on the highest finishing rookie within each Pro final, and are based on 25, 20 and 15-point awards for the top three rookies in each race.

Do the math, and Muller comes out with a slight five-point advantage over Ackerman and a 10-point gap between himself and Mr. George. While he does have finishes of 10th (Plattsburgh Open) and 14th (Plattsburgh Stock) to his credit, Muller’s performance at Burke and Boonville give him the edge. Just as it is with the big guns fighting for the overall point titles, it’s all about consistency in ROTY action.

What should be noted here is that Mike George has already landed on the podium, with an impressive second place run in Pro Open at Burke Mountain.
For a rookie to hit the box his first time out is indeed spectacular, and we expect more solid runs like that from these talented first-year Pro riders. Ackerman hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in six starts, a real testament to his immense skills. As the season rolls on, it’s clear these three athletes are going to battle right down to the wire at Titus Mountain to earn the coveted ECS ROTY crown.

East Coast Snocross, presented by AMSOIL and Woody’s Traction, sanctions championship snocross races throughout the northeast.

Waterbury, VT – Veteran American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racer Randy Potter of Groveton, NH filed the first full season entry for the 10-event 2012 ACT Tour. Potter and his Lancaster Auto Sales/Speedway Sports Park Chevrolet team were recently honored at the ACT Banquet of Champions for their 5th [...]]]>

Waterbury, VT – Veteran American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racer Randy Potter of Groveton, NH filed the first full season entry for the 10-event 2012 ACT Tour. Potter and his Lancaster Auto Sales/Speedway Sports Park Chevrolet team were recently honored at the ACT Banquet of Champions for their 5th place finish in the 2011 standings.

“Our chances at the 2012 title right now are as good as anyone’s, but in order to pull it out of the clutches of RPM and Brian Hoar we are going to need luck, no mechanical or mental break downs and some really good finishes in all of the 10 races,” said Potter.

During the 2011 season, Potter had one of the most consistent years of his career. He finished with four podium finishes, including three straight at White Mountain Motorsports Park, Twin State Speedway and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. He capped off the year with a second at Airborne Speedway in the season finale.

Potter is looking forward to the 10-event 2012 season and ACT’s return to Sanair Super Speedway in St-Pie, Quebec. “Ten races will probably get more cars to run the whole tour schedule, which is good for the car counts and the competition, but it will make it tougher to qualify too,” said Potter. “I’ve always wanted to go to Sanair. Something always happens to keep us from making the trip so I hate to jinx anything, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Potter, a former Riverside Speedway (Groveton, NH) Late Model Champion, raced off and on with ACT beginning in 1993. He returned to the Tour full-time in 2007 and immediately established himself as a championship contender with his first career ACT win in the season opener at Oxford Plains Speedway. Since 2007, Potter has finished in the top ten in the final standings each season, including three times in the top five. He is also the only driver to qualify for all 63 ACT feature events since 2007.

The 2012 will kick off with the traditional NH Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH on Sunday, April 15.

ACT Forum
ACT News

Glenn Andrews, Conrad Taylor among Five to be Inducted into Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Saturday, March 31

Auburn, Maine – The Selection Committee of the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame recently announced the names of the five individuals to be inducted into the hall of fame. The Class of 2012 [...]]]> Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Glenn Andrews, Conrad Taylor among Five to be Inducted into Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Saturday, March 31

Auburn, Maine – The Selection Committee of the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame recently announced the names of the five individuals to be inducted into the hall of fame. The Class of 2012 is made up of three race drivers, a car owner/crew chief and one who wrote about the excitement on the track.

Bruce Elder, co-chairman of the Selection Committee and vice-president of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, announced the members of the Class of 2012 at the General Meeting of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association held on November 9th.

The Class of 2012 inductees are: drivers Glen Andrews, Ray Leach and Bob Turner, car owner/crew chief Conrad Taylor and motorsports writer Bob Morris.

Presented by the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 dinner and induction ceremonies will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 and presently has 60 members.
The five members of the Class of 2012, with a brief summary of their contributions to motorsports in Maine, are:
- GLENN ANDREWS (Harrison), twenty year racing career began as a 15-year old when Oxford Plains Speedway opened in 1950; consistent top finisher, won on dirt and assault; 1960 champion at Northeastern Speedway in Vermont.

- RAY LEACH (Arundel), twenty-five year racing career began in 1960 at Beech Ridge Speedway; won Modified and ‘B’ Class Bomber championships at Beech Ridge; tutored son Steve; member of the Beech Ridge Hall of Fame

- BOB MORRIS (Auburn), spent nearly thirty years covering motorsports, wrote for New England Speedway Scene and Lewiston Sun Journal SUNDAY; show director for Northeast Motorsports Expo for 20 years; co-founded Maine Vintage Race Car Association.

- CONRAD TAYLOR (Farmington), has spent nearly fifty years as a crew member, crew chief and car owner; won nine track championships and over 60 races as crew chief and car owner for son Jeff Taylor at Oxford Plains Speedway.

- BOB TURNER (Waterboro), began racing at 16 at Arundel (ME) Speedway and Hudson (NH) Raceway; raced NASCAR Modifieds around New England; sat on the pole for the original “Spring Sizzler” in 1972 at Stafford (CT) Motor Speedway; raced at Beech Ridge for 20 years.

In addition, two individuals will be honored posthumously for their significant contributions to auto racing in Maine. The families of Clifford Cyr and Roger Shaw will be presented “Special Recognition” awards at the hall of fame ceremonies. Cyr was involved with auto racing nearly twenty-five years as a car owner, chief mechanic and car builder beginning in the early 1950’s at Oxford Plains Speedway. Shaw’s racing career was only fifteen years in length but was a frequent visitor to victory lane in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He won three track championships – one at Oxford Plains Speedway and two at Beech Ridge Speedway.

Reserved seat tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies are $35.oo each and must be purchased and ordered by March 1, 2012. To request a “Ticket Order Form”, contact the MVRCA at 50 Beech Ridge Road – York, Maine 03909; by e-mail at mvrca@mainevintageracecars.com or visit the website.

For more information about the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2012 dinner and induction ceremonies, visit the Maine Vintage Race Car Association website at www.mainevintageracecars.com.

NAPLES, ME (February 1) – Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials announced today the seven venues that will make up the 2012 PASS National Championship schedule. The PASS National Championship is comprised of seven races that combines select events from the PASS South and PASS North schedules to crown the nation’s only true Super [...]]]>

NAPLES, ME (February 1) – Pro All Stars Series (PASS) officials announced today the seven venues that will make up the 2012 PASS National Championship schedule. The PASS National Championship is comprised of seven races that combines select events from the PASS South and PASS North schedules to crown the nation’s only true Super Late Model Champion. The PASS National Championship will be contested at some of the country’s most famous short tracks including: Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway, Stafford (CT) Motor Speedway, White Mountain (NH) Motorsports Park, Beech Ridge (ME) Motor Speedway, Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, TN, Caraway (NC) Speedway, and Concord (NC) Speedway.

“The 2012 PASS National Championship will be staged at seven of the most iconic racing venues in the United States,” said PASS President Tom Mayberry. “Not only will the PASS National schedule be comprised with some great race tracks, but it will be encompassed by some of the biggest events in short track racing, including the Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory, Nashville’s All-American 400, and the PASS 400 at Beech Ridge. It definitely will not be easy to win and whoever so does can truly say that they beat the best competition in Super Late Model racing.”

The PASS National Championship will kick off with the 7th Annual Easter Bunny 150 on Saturday, April 7th at Hickory Motor Speedway. The Easter Bunny 150 has become a short track racing classic attracting drivers from all over the country and has hosted the first race of the PASS National Championship since its beginning back in 2008. The PASS National Championship will then head North for the next three events, highlighted by PASS’s debut at Stafford Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 26th. White Mountain Motorsports Park hosts race number three of the PASS National Series on Saturday, September 8th. The following week the series is back in action with the 8th Annual PASS 400 Weekend at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, one of New England’s biggest short track events of the year.

The PASS National Championship will conclude with its final three events in the South and will be highlighted by the All-American 400 at the Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday, October 6th. The All-American 400 once attracted drivers from all over North America and saw such legendary winners as Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace. With PASS, that winning heritage will return in 2012 when the Nation’s best drivers compete in a true 400 lap contest with the winner possibly taking home $30,000.

Caraway Speedway will host its first PASS National event on Saturday, November 10th as PASS takes over the Super Late Model sanction of one of short track racing’s most anticipated events every year, the North-South Shootout. And finally, the PASS National Champion will once again be crowned on Thanksgiving weekend at the Concord Speedway as part of the 7th Annual Mason-Dixon Meltdown.

The PASS National Championship has been won by drivers from both the North and South with Cassius Clark taking the title in 2008, Ben Rowe in 2009 and 2011, and Preston Peltier in 2010.

The 2012 PASS South season will kick off its 16 race schedule on Saturday, March 10th with the 7th Annual South Carolina Clash at Dillon (SC) Motor Speedway. PASS North will get their season under way on Saturday, May 5th at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. For more information and schedules on any PASS division, including the new PASS Super Limited division, please visit the website at ProAllStarsSeries.com

Thompson, CT: On Friday and Saturday, January 27 & 28, 2012, Thompson International Speedway crowned champions in its six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT, took center stage on Saturday night as the Sunoco Modified champion. Late Model titlist Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, and Keith “Cam” McDermott of Scituate, [...]]]>

Thompson, CT: On Friday and Saturday, January 27 & 28, 2012, Thompson International Speedway crowned champions in its six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT, took center stage on Saturday night as the Sunoco Modified champion. Late Model titlist Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, and Keith “Cam” McDermott of Scituate, RI, also received accolades. On Friday night, Larry Gelinas of Buxton, ME, shined as the Super Late Model champion. Sharing the spotlight were Chris “Moose” Douton of Waterford, CT, for his Limited Sportsman title and Danny Field of Deep River, CT, for his Mini Stock championship.

In looking back on the 2011 season, despite significant weather problems, the Thompson Speedway faithful were treated to some truly exceptional racing. Week-after-week, the level of excitement was equal only to that of the level of competition. Championships in four of the six divisions were not determined until the very last Thursday night race event; some came down to the final laps.

The competition at Thompson Speedway is unparalleled; proving once again that a championship at the historic facility is a tremendous accomplishment.

Keith Rocco of Wallingford, CT, has become synonymous with winning at Thompson. The Sunoco Modified 2011 title was his second championship in three years at the Speedway (and third overall). The title was a hard-fought one for Rocco and company. Many nights the battle for victory came down to the final turn of the final lap. Intense competition from the likes of runner-up Ryan Preece, Woody Pitkat, Danny Cates, Rick Fuller, and Todd Ceravolo brought fans to their feet time and time again.

“Whether there are 10 cars or 30 cars, on the last lap the fans are always on their feet,” said the champion from the podium at the Raceway Golf Club, “because you never know what is going to happen. That is why I love racing here at Thompson.”

In sixteen races Rocco secured 15 top-five finishes including six victories. Despite the impressive numbers, the championship came down to the final point race. Mechanical woes on Rocco’s #57 early in the race made for some drama. In the end, Rocco earned his car owners Mark and Mike Payne and the M&M Stone Creations team the title by six points over Preece.

For his efforts, Rocco received a bronze eagle trophy from Thompson Speedway. He also received hardware from NASCAR and a champion’s jacket from Hoosier Racing Tires to commemorate his achievement.

Young gun Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT, took over the Falmouth Ready Mix #31 for owners Al & Cathy Moniz at the start of the 2011 season. It became evident early in the season that the new combination would be a force to be reckoned with; giving Rocco and others a run for the money. At season’s end, Preece had earned 15 top-five finishes in 16 starts including three wins. Danny Cates, of Chaplin, CT, continued to develop as an open-wheel driver posting 14 top-ten and 11 top-five finishes with one victory to finish third in the final point standings. Carl Oberg Sutton, MA, rode consistency to fourth place in the final point standings. He was also recognized as the divisions “Most Improved Driver”.

Former divisional champion, Woody Pitkat of Stafford, CT, had an eventful season taking over the potent ride for owner Jimmy Paige on June 16, 2011. After debuting with a victory, Pitkat went on to score 12 top-ten finishes, 11 top-five finishes and three additional wins; finishing fifth in the final point standings. George Wilkinson of Pawcatuck, CT, who finished eighth in the final point standings, earned Rookie-Of-The-Year honors.

Always a strong competitor Tommy O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, turned in one great performance after another on Thursday nights in 2011 to earn the title of Late Model Champion. In fourteen races, the T&E Motorsports Team recorded 13 top-five finishes. A handful of victories proved to be insurmountable as O’Sullivan cruised to the championship.

“This championship gives my parents seven total as car owners,” said O’Sullivan. “My brother Mike and I now both have championships adding our three to the four earned by Tom Rosati. I am so proud to be a part of that.”

During the presentation, O’Sullivan received awards from the Speedway, NASCAR and Dave Lind Racing.

O’Sullivan bested a history-laden crop of competitors. Rick Gentes, who sits second on the all-time win list at Thompson, came home as the runner-up. The well-deserved “Most Improved Driver” Mike Scorzelli of Malta, NY, finished third in the season-long standings. John Falconi of Oakham, MA, continued a family legacy of racing success in New England that spans many decades with his fourth-place honors. Falconi was also presented with the Chief Starter’s Award for Sportsmanship. Accomplished competitor Phil Rondeau of Baltic, CT, returned for a full assault on the Late Models in 2011 to round out the top-five in the final point standings.

The Late Model division did not have a rookie contender in the field in 2011.

Keith “Cam” McDermott of Scituate, RI, had been “the bridesmaid” finishing second in the TIS Modified championship chase two consecutive years. At the start of the 2011 season, his sheer determination to make the ultimate leap was evident. Each week, amidst a tight point battle, McDermott seemed to get more focused. And, after 15 top-ten and 14 top-five finishes (in 15 starts) including four victories, the championship accolades belonged to McDermott.

McDermott shared the limelight with his car owners, parents Keith and Calista McDermott.

“We left Little ‘T’ six years ago, “said McDermott, a former quarter midget competitor, during his acceptance speech. “The first time we drove into the big track we had no clue what we were doing. It took us three years to figure it out. For the last three years we have been in contention. My parents stuck with me through it all. This championship would not have been possible without them.”

McDermott also acknowledged that the advice and assistance from Charlie, Chris, and Carl Pasteryak was instrumental in his success.

McDermott also received champion’s laurels from Thompson Speedway, NASCAR, and Dave Lind Racing.

Only four points was the difference between first and second place in the Thompson Modified Division’s final standings. Glenn Boss gave it a valiant effort with 15 top-ten and 13 top-five finishes and six wins. He claimed victory in the final point race only to come up four-points (two positions) short in the season-long chase for the championship. By virtue of his six wins in 2011 Boss’ career win total is now 52; placing him in the top-5 of all-time winners at Thompson.

Another former champ R.J. Marcotte of Millville, MA and two up-and-comers Jason Sundeen of Douglas, MA, and Ryan Morgan of Mystic, CT, rounded out the top-five in the final Thompson Modified point standings.

At Thompson, the Most Improved Driver Award is not decided simply by the advancement in points from year-to-year but by careful consideration by both track officials and fellow competitors. In the Thompson Modifieds Ryan Morgan was recognized as the division’s “Most Improved Driver”. Again, at Thompson, the Rookie-of-the-Year is not simply the rookie driver finishing the highest in points at year’s end. It is the driver that exhibits skill, respect, and sportsmanship. John Lowinski-Loh, Jr. was honored as such in the Thompson Modifieds for the 2011 season.

The previous evening, Friday, January 27, competitors in the Super Late Models, Limited Sportsman, and Mini Stocks were honored with a ceremony of their own.

Super Late Model champion Larry Gelinas of Buxton, ME, was honored for prevailing in what was one of the tightest point battles in recent history at the Speedway. On the final night of points competition, there were three teams in the hunt for the title-Gelinas, Mike O’Sullivan, and Derek Ramstrom. In the end, 12 points separated the top 3 with Gelinas’ margin of victory a mere 6 points over O’Sullivan. Gelinas and car owner NEAR Hall-of-Famer Rollie Lindblad earned the top-honor by virtue of his 13 top-ten and 12 top-five finishes including three wins.

“I have raced at 25 different race tracks and earned five championships at three different tracks,” said Gelinas. “Thompson will always be one of my favorites. The competitors in this division race hard but keep it clean.”

Gelinas received hardware from Thompson and NASCAR along with a championship jacket from Dave Lind Racing. Gelinas was also recognized with the Chief Starter’s Award.
The last two divisional champions, O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA, and Ramstrom of Worcester, MA, settled for second and third respectively in the season-long chase for the championship.

“The competition is wicked,” added Gelinas. “O’Sullivan and Ramstrom were always faster than me. I just got luckier.”

Ramstrom’s crew chief, his father Rick, was honored with the NASCAR Craftsmen Mechanic of the Year. Jim Banfield of S. Glastonbury, CT and Scott Rutherforth of Glastonbury, CT, rounded out the top-five in the point standings. Rutherforth was also recognized at the “Most Improved Driver”. Rookie-Of-The-Year honors went to Jeff Hartwell of E. Putnam, CT.

The Limited Sportsman Division, with its “no holds barred” style of racing, is a fan-favorite at Thompson International Speedway. Divisional champion Chris “Moose” Douton of Waterford, CT, love him or hate him, is masterful at this brand of racing.

Douton, in 15 races, earned 14 top-five finishes and three victories. The veteran competitor and his car owner Don Stebbins where honored with awards from Thompson Speedway, NASCAR, and Dave Lind Racing.

Former champ Scott Sundeen of Douglas, MA, chased Douton all season to finish second in the final point standings. Shawn Monahan of Waterford, CT, Jason Chicolas of Sutton, MA and Brandon Chamberland of Moosup, CT, completed the top-five in the standings. Chamberland was also recognized as the “Most Improved Driver”. Rookie-of-the-Year honors went to Michael Malbaurn of Sterling, CT.

Mini Stock Champion Danny Field of Deep River, CT, was a dominant force in the Mini Stocks in 2011 with a total of eleven wins in 15 races including seven in a row. All totaled Fields posted 14 top-five finishes.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Field. “It was the perfect season.”

Leo Defevers, of Moosup, CT, Tyler Poulin of Pascoag, RI; Joe Baxter, also of Pascoag, and Eric Bourgeois of Moodus, CT, rounded out the top-five in the final point standings for the Mini Stocks. Specialty awards were presented to Joe Baxter as “Most Improved Driver” and Travis Jurcik as Rookie-Of-The-Year. Jurcik scored a win during his rookie season.

On both evenings, the top-fifteen in each division received recognition. Trophies were presented to all drivers in the top-ten in the final point standings. The Management of the Speedway presented Specialty Awards including “Dedicated to Thompson’ Award. This year’s recipients were George Sawyer, Norbert “Metz” Santerre, and Herb Sward. The coveted John Hoenig Memorial Award was presented to Tom Stroiney.

Master of Ceremonies Russ Dowd ended the festivities both evenings with a message of appreciation on behalf of the Hoenig Family and the entire staff of the Speedway and a warm welcome to all for the upcoming 2012 season that gets underway in less than nine weeks at the Icebreaker. The 2012 schedule can be found at thompsonspeedway.com
Sunoco Modifieds (Top 15) 2011 Final Point Standings: 1. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 2. Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT; 3. Danny Cates, Chaplin, CT; 4. Carl Oberg, Sutton, MA; 5. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 6. John Catania, Agawam, MA; 7. Todd Ceravolo, Gales Ferry, CT; 8. George Wilkinson, Pawcatuck, CT; 9. Rick Fuller, Auburn, MA; 10. Shelly Perry, Westerly, RI; 11. Rick Shawn, Bradford, RI; 12. Andrew Charon, Thompson, CT; 13. Joe Allegro, Jr., Vernon, CT; 14. Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 15. David Morgenstein, Taftville, CT.

Super Late Model (Top-15) 2011 Final Point Standings: 1. Larry Gelinas, Buxton, ME; 2. Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 3. Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA; 4. Jim Banfield, S. Glastonbury, CT; 5. Scott Rutherforth; Glastonbury, CT; 6. Jeff Hartwell, E. Putnam, CT; 7. Jeff Connors, Ellington, CT; 8. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 9. Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA; 10. Mike Stefanik, Coventry, RI; 11. Michael Rivard, N. Scituate, RI; 12. Tom Metcalf, N. Stonington, CT; 13. John Materas, Voluntown, CT; 14. Greg Nanigian, Braintree, MA; 15. Scott Foster, Broadbrook, CT.

Late Models (Top 15) 2011 Final Point Standings: 1. Tommy O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 2. Rick Gentes, Woonsocket, RI; 3. Mike Scorzelli, Malta, NY; 4. John Falconi, Oakham, MA; 5. Phil Rondeau, Baltic,CT; 6. Damon Tinio, Mendon, MA; 7. Randy Tucker, Millis, MA; 8. John Materas, Voluntown, CT; 9. Jeremy Sadowski, Voluntown, CT; 10. Mark Oliveira, Blackstone, MA; 11. Mark Palmisano; Hadley, MA; 12. Wayne Coury, Sr., Milford, CT; 13. Ryan Waterman, Danielson, CT; 14. Corey Hutchings, Salem, CT; 15. Robert O’Connell, Wretham, MA.

Thompson Modifieds (Top 10) 2011 Final Point Standings: 1. Keith McDermott, Scituate, RI; 2. Glenn Boss, Danielson, CT; 3. R.J. Marcotte; Millville, MA; 4. Jason Sundeen; Douglas, MA; 5. Ryan Morgan; Mystic, CT; 6. John Lowinski-Loh, Jr., Milford, MA; 7. John Studley, Framingham, MA; 8. Brian Tagg, Oxford, CT; 9. Chad Labastie, Uxbridge, MA; 10. Denis Legere, N. Reading, MA.

Limited Sportsman (Top-15) 2011 Final Point Standings: 1. Chris Douton, Waterford, CT; 2. Scott Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 3. Shawn Monahan, Waterford, CT; 4. Jason Chicolas, Sutton, MA;5. Brandon Chamberland, Moosup, CT; 6. Joe Coates, Groton, CT; 7. John Carpenter, Danielson, CT; 8. Dwayne Dorr, Ledyard, CT; 9. Art Moran III, Waterford, CT; 10. Michael Malbaurn, Sterling, CT; 11. Larry Barnett, Moosup, CT; 12. Tom Shea, New London, CT; 13. Diego Monahan, Quaker Hill, CT; 14. Chris Bisson, Putnam, CT; 15. Joe Plonski; Worcester, MA.

Mini Stocks (Top-15) 2011 Final Point Standings: 1. Danny Field, Deep River, CT: 2. Leo Defevers, Moosup, CT; 3. Tyler Poulin, Pascoag, RI; 4. Joe Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 5. Eric Bourgeois, Moodus, CT; 6. Mike Viens, Seekonk, MA; 7. Tim Armstrong, Uxbridge, MA; 8. Brent Gleason, Norwich, CT; 9. Roger Ducharme, Foster, RI; 10. Chad Baxter, Pascoag, RI; 11. Travis Jurcik, Chaplin, CT: 12. Steve Romjue, Coventry, RI; 13. Lloyd Anderson, Jr, Wauregan, CT; 14. Louis Bellisle III, Lisbon, CT; 15. Alicia Thatcher, Pascoag, RI.