Monster Mini Results from Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park 7-29-15

                   Posted by Wayne G. Barber and photos from the Wayne G. Barber Collection
One competitive division at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park at the midway point of the 2015 racing season. Veteran #97 Dave Trudeau, Mansfield, Conn. in a" Lucky" green race car leads the pack at 237 points down to the sixth place #33 Eric Bourgeois, E.Haddam,Conn. at 202 points.  Yes 35 points between the top 6.
 The Monster Mini's went out last tonight in their 15 lap feature with a good car count of 16 regulars.
 The heats had #24 Joey Baxter from Pascoag, R.I. with a quick time of 24.893 and the #33 Bourgeois at 24.907. #97 Trudeau at 24.917 and Mike Veins at 24.947 The black #19 Nick Matera out of Warwick, R.I. has been improving every event and tonight would be his best career finish at Thompson.
  The front row had #26 Jeff Moffat. Sr. and #19 Matera with #85 Veins and #33 Bourgeois glued to their rear bumpers on a very tight start.

Eric Bourgeois found himself back in victory lane after early leader Jeff Moffat, Sr. suffered mechanical issues causing him to retire from the race. The big story of the event was the career-best run for Nick Matera who finished second. The run was so impressive Bourgeois gave him credit for a good race after pulling into victory lane.
 “Nick’s come a long way. I looked in the mirror the last couple laps and I’m going ‘oh man don’t miss your marks’. I missed it a couple times and he was right there,” said Bourgeois who explained his main strategy was always to lead early and hold his position as long as he could. “I absolutely had no choice (but to take the lead early on). I know there were a lot of good competitors behind me – This class is really close.” I won on Ice Breaker week and received a DQ. I then came back with two victories and got right back into the race to repeat as the division champion. It would be quite a achievement said the very emotional Bourgeois.

MONSTER MINI STOCK FEATURE FINISH (TOP-10): 1. Eric Bourgeois (East Haddam, CT); 2. Nick Matera (Warwick, RI); 3. Mike Veins (Seekonk, MA); 4. Dave Trudeau (Mansfield, CT); 5. Joe Baxter (Pascoag, RI); 6. Louis Bellisle (Lisbon, CT); 7. Scott Michalski (S. Killingly, CT); 8. Steve Michalski (Brooklyn, CT); 9. Christopher Viens (Putnam, CT); 10. Ed Field (Deep River, CT)
 11. Mike Veins,Putnam,Conn. 12. Cory Caddick ,13 Roger Ducharme Glendale, R.I. 14. Nick Anderson,Oxford, Mass. 15. Jeff Moffat Sr. Smithfield, R.I. 16. Keith Ballou, Pascoag,R.I.