Late Model Results from the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Conn. June 10, 2015

    Posted by Wayne G. Barber & Photos by Wayne G. Barber

#15 Jeff Smith

Beautiful Wed. night for short track racing in the Nutmeg State. The competitors and race fans were getting a little itchy with the last race at the premier facility at the Ice Breaker on April 12, 2015
   Good 18 car count for a Wed. so the track decided on two heats to settle the starting positions for the feature coming up later. I was at the facility early for practice, photos and interviews and the cars were really dialed in.
 The first heat # 15 Jeff Smith, from Old Lime Conn.who had a 4th place finish at the April race edged out 8 time champion # Glenn Boss from nearby Danielson,Conn.for the win. # 44 Chad LaBastie who hails from Uxbridge ,Mass. gets a solid 3rd

#68 Jeff Rocco

 The second heat race #68 Jeff Rocco Wallingford, Conn. showed why he would be the race car to beat tonight and held  off his famous brother #88 Keith Rocco from Berlin, Conn.who dominates the late model division at the near by New London Waterford Speed Bowl with 4 out of 6 features victories in 2015.Keith Rocco struggled in April race with a 7th place feature finish. Third went to the Ice Breaker winner #27 Marc Curtis. 4th went to #9ma piloted by Brian Tagg who had a top ten 9th place feature finish in April.#70 Rick Gentes the late model division all-time winner and last years champion brought two cars again tonight and is geared up to win another 2015 championship tried a few things in the heat and took down the 5th spot. Gentes the seasoned veteran nailed down a solid 2nd place finish in April with about half the sheet metal left on his race car good

#70 Rick Gentes always brings two to increase the odds of a repeat championship

# Glenn Boss is a 8 time champion (6 Thompson & 2 Waterford)

#27 Mark Curtis destroyed the field in April

for 52 valuable points.
 The 25 lap feature race started with the #13 Jarrod Materas ordered to go to the rear and #3 Glenn Boss and the #14 of Bob Hanley starting up front at the green flag. This division is not very forgiving and if the slightest slip you will quickly loose a position. The cream rose to the top and the #68 Jeff Rocco and #9ma Brian Tagg putting on quite a sparring match. Up to lap 15 it was #68,#9ma, #70 Gentes and the fast#27 Curtis from the April show over #3Boss and the other Rocco #88. The pack could not catch the top two who were hitting their marks and really pulling away.
 That all changed for #68 Rocco at lap 18 when the blue #00 Zach Fisher from Smithfield R.I. spun out on some marbles in turn 4.  Fisher used to be one of my employers in years past and now is the proud father of 3 little girls of his own.
 The restart saw half the field attempt to drive up the tailpipe of Rocco who either spun the rear tires or missed a gear. The beautiful best appearing race car award winner would need the help of the tow truck Hook to get off the racing surface. Miraculously everyone else must have been regular church members escaped with No Damage. I later found out that Tagg's transmission was coming apart and he had no 2nd gear on the restart and had to use a high gear to get up to speed. Only 7 laps left, next lap and a half Tagg and Gentes duked it out until Gentes hit the afterburners and said it's time to settle this race.
 Lap 21 saw the #14 of Bob Hanley limp off. and the race continued in the order of #70 Gentes, Tagg 9ma, #91 Larry Gelinas who ran a racers race and kept his car out of harms way and came out of no-where to stay in contention, #88 Rocco and #27 Curtis who had started to fade. for the final 4 laps.
    Yes #70 Rick Gentes, the Burrillville Bronco. no longer the Woonsocket Rocket earns another piece of hardware in his certain NEAR Hall of Fame Late/ Model racing career. Gentes will now pad his early short Thompson racing season after race # two and look just ahead for the Twin Late Model 20/20 Sprints coming up on July 8th, 2015 right back here at the Thompson Speedway Motorspots Park. Should be a good one with this all-star caliber of drivers from all of New England.
 Unofficial Race Results for June 10, 2015

1	70	Rick Gentes	25
2	9Ma	Brian Tagg	25
3	91	Larry Gelinas	25
4	88	Keith Rocco	25
5	27	Marc Curtis	25
6	2	Anthony Ryan	25
7	4	William Wall	25
8	20	John Lowinski-Loh	25
9	15	Jeff Smith	25
10	96	Art Moran III	25
11	44	Chad LaBastie	25
12	3	Glen Boss	25
13	97	Ernest LaRose	25
14	13	Jared Materas	25
15	00	Zach Fisher	25
16	14	Robert Hanley	21
17	68	Jeff Rocco	18
18	10Ma	Mike Sweeney	18
	62	Les Rose Jr.