Thompson Speedway 20/20/10 Sunoco Sk Results 9-10-17 Segment One

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

 This type of Sunoco SK mod. racing is really gaining in fan popularity in it's third year. With the short seven event schedule it surely decides who has a chance at a track championship. In 2017 it's been Keith Rocco or Ryan Preece in the points lead and dominating victory lane. Troy Talman and Todd Owen also have a victory in 2017. Teddy Christopher rejoined the competitive division full time in 2017 after cutting down his schedule in 2015 & 2016. The weather was perfect and the practice times and heat races provided some real good track times to go along with a nice 26 race teams making the rare Sunday event in Connecticut. A little extra moolah dos it every time and a chance for race teams to compete at the larger racing surface.
 Christopher has been the wheelman in a few different color schemes and car numbers in 2017 and today selected the black #79 for the second time. The two time national points champion and current all-time track win leader at 98 had to wonder at 59 years old will I get to the century mark ( 108 SK ) like I have accomplished at Stafford Speedway.
 Race fans were about to see two completely different races, then a 10 lap shoot out for cash and a overall champion of the event. The first segment had a few cautions on Lap 7 and again at lap 9. A third caution came out for a spin on the homestretch by Andrew Charron #7 The Talman prepared #3 and Todd Owen kept doing text book restarts with the Stan Mertz # 6 piloted by the former 2015 division champion Woody Pitkat and one of the most under rated modified drivers in New England ,Stephen Masse #87 who hails out of Bellingham, Mass. in the 3 and 4 holes lurking for a victory. On lap 16 with another caution flag for the  Marcello Rufrano #68 coming down from Stafford and trimming the infield grass after a few slightly bent nerf bars the race quickly developed between Christopher and Owen who never backed down to the certain first round Hall of Famer to the delight of the crowd. I was on the track for photos and a interview and the crowd has clearly divided in the win between loyal race fans and the " Anybody but Teddy again" minority. The twist for this event is that the race teams now go to the infield track pit area while a different division competes, then invert with a certain time under your clock to determine the next race starting field. Each 20 lapper earns a win and the 50 points for each segment and heat points but No win credit or points for the 10 lap shootout.
   Christopher said he was proud of the achievement, but admitted he forgot how competitive Thompson Speedway can be. “It’s like the WWF out there,” Christopher said in victory lane. “It was fun. It’s been a while since we’ve had a Sunoco Sk win here. We had a really good car today. It’s only the second time I’ve driven it.” This scribe and the race fans could not wait for the next twenty laps to deliver live racing drama.

SUNOCO MODIFIED 20/20 SPRINT SEGMENT ONE TOP-10: 1. Ted Christopher (Plainville, CT); 2. Todd Owen (Somers, CT); 3. Woody Pitkat (Sturbridge, MA); 4. Steve Masse (Bellingham, MA); 5. John Studley (Framingham, MA); 6. Troy Talman (Oxford, MA); 7. Ryan Preece (Berlin, CT); 8. Nick Salva ( Prospect, CT); 9. Keith Rocco (Berlin, CT); 10. Timmy Jordan (Brooklyn, CT)