Some Are Fast, Some Race Well During Thompson Mod Mania Prelims by Denise DuPont
Time Trials and Heat Races Make Up Saturday Racing Card
The second annual Sunoco Modified Mania at Thompson International Speedway (CT) started the weekend with qualifying time trials and heat races on Saturday September 8th, 2007. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, True Value Modified Racing Series, and the Sunoco Race of Champions Series are all competing, with features scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Donny Lia (L) and Matt Hirschman (R) were top qualifiers in the NASCAR WMT and RoC Modified ranks respectively. (Left - Rick Ibsen Photo, Right - Jim DuPont Photo)
Donny Lia drove the Mystic Missile #4 to to capture his third pole for the 2007 race season in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Lia also proved to be lucky in the redraw. He will take the green flag on the pole with Ron Yuhas, Jr. on his outside.
Chris Pasteryak, Andy Seuss and Jimmy Kuhn, Jr. won the three True Value Modified Racing Series heat races. Pasteryak is having a great run this year in the TVMRS will start on the pole. Seuss will start right alongside him when the green flag flies on Sunday. Kuhn, who finished second in the 2006 points, will start third.
Matt Hirschman is doing double duty this weekend. The young Pennsylvania driver jumped from his WMT ride into his ROC car to win the pole in the Race of Champion series. Matt’s run in his ROC car was .156 seconds faster around Thompson’s track than his WMT car.
Woody Pitkat is doing triple duty at Thompson this
weekend. He parked the #79 WMT car and then belted up in his ROC #79 ride to compete. Pitkat time trialed eighth in the ROC series - a bit better then his 15th spot in the WMT. When you would have thought he had had enough of heat on the track, he suited up to compete in a Sunoco Modified race. He finished the first heat race in third spot, his best finish for the day.
Tomorrow the drivers will go at it all over again to run for the cash in 300 touring laps (NWMT-150; TVMRS-75; ROC-75) at Thompson Speedway’s Sunoco Sponsored Modified Mania Event.
Whelen Modified Tour Starting Line Up
Starting Position / Car # / Driver
1
4Donny Lia
4Donny Lia26Ron Yuhas, Jr
6Ron Yuhas, Jr359Matt Hirschman
59Matt Hirschman419Ronnie Silk
19Ronnie Silk546Dick Houlihan
46Dick Houlihan631Tony Ferrante
31Tony Ferrante72Todd Szegedy
2Todd Szegedy800Jerry Marquis
00Jerry Marquis936Ted Christopher
36Ted Christopher1006Billy Pauch, Jr.
06Billy Pauch, Jr.110Danny Sammons
0Danny Sammons1264Eric Berndt
64Eric Berndt133Bobby Santos III
3Bobby Santos III1416Mike Stefanik
16Mike Stefanik1579Woody Pitkat
79Woody Pitkat1658Kevin Goodale
58Kevin Goodale1799Jamie Tomaino
99Jamie Tomaino1840Ryan Preece
40Ryan Preece1914Reggie Ruggiero
14Reggie Ruggiero2077Rick Fuller
77Rick Fuller2121Richard Savary
21Richard Savary2294Eric Beers
94Eric Beers2312Jimmy Blewett
12Jimmy Blewett2448Tony Hirschman
48Tony Hirschman2509Bobby Grigas III
09Bobby Grigas III2633Wade Cole
33Wade Cole2728James Civali
28James Civali2890Renee Dupuis
90Renee Dupuis2993Rowan Pennink
93Rowan Pennink3010Eddie Flemke Jr.
10Eddie Flemke Jr.311Rob Summers
1Rob Summers3205Joe Hartmann
05Joe Hartmann339Jake Marosz
9Jake Marosz3413Tommy Cravenho, Jr
13Tommy Cravenho, Jr3538Ken Heagy
38Ken Heagy3627Roy Seidell
27Roy SeidellTVMRS Starting Line Up for first 18 Positions
(Rest of positions determined through consolation race)
Starting Position / Car # / Driver
115Chris Pasteryak
15Chris Pasteryak270Andy Seuss
70Andy Seuss372Jimmy Kuhn, Jr.
72Jimmy Kuhn, Jr. 428Dwight Jarvis
28Dwight Jarvis540Lou Mechalides
40Lou Mechalides632Tom Abele, Jr
32Tom Abele, Jr735Dale Evonsion
35Dale Evonsion869Jim Dolan
69Jim Dolan96Rob Goodnough
6Rob Goodnough1007Brian Schofield
07Brian Schofield1154Dave Etheridge
54Dave Etheridge120Mike Holdridge
0Mike Holdridge1348Ed Dachenhausen
48Ed Dachenhausen1427Richard Savary
27Richard Savary1525Tommy Cravenho
25Tommy Cravenho1612Vinnie Annaarunno
12Vinnie Annaarunno1721Glen Billings
21Glen Billings1817Jack Bateman
17Jack BatemanROC Time Trial Results
Car # / Driver / Lap Time
60Matt Hirschman18.760
Matt Hirschman18.76095Lee Sherwood18.838
Lee Sherwood18.8389Eric Beers18.909
Eric Beers18.90955Steven Reed19.011
Steven Reed19.01166Pete Brittain19.040
Pete Brittain19.04075Carl Pasterak19.091
Carl Pasterak19.09179Woody Pitkat19.169
Woody Pitkat19.16944Rick Kluth19.183
Rick Kluth19.1835Bryan Shumway19.239
Bryan Shumway19.23988Billy Putney19.346
Billy Putney19.34624Phil Slater19.364
Phil Slater19.36495mJohn Markovic19.420
John Markovic19.42014Doug Reaume19.622
Doug Reaume19.6223Daren Scherer19.802
Daren Scherer19.80255xKen Bouchard19.989
Ken Bouchard19.98985Lenny Fisher20.029
Lenny Fisher20.02953Sean Patterson20.104
Sean Patterson20.10426Gary McDonald20.254
Gary McDonald20.25496Butch Perry20.734
Butch Perry20.7349xMatt Clemens20.888
Matt Clemens20.88841Kenny Berry21.059
Kenny Berry21.05986Mike StefanikMotor Issues
Mike StefanikMotor IssuesChris Pasteryak (#15), Andy Seuss (#70) and Jimmy Kuhn (#72) all won TVMRS heat races on Saturday at Thompson. (Jim DuPont Photos)
