A mere six points separated Woody Pitkat and Jeff Malave atop the Sunoco Modified point standings; however, a dismal night for Malave gave Pitkat some breathing room entering the final Thursday night that will feature double features for the division.

Marvin and Keith Rocco brought the field to green; however, the action was short-lived when on lap one the action was slowed for an incident that resulted in front-end damage on point leader Pitkat’s machine. Pitkat was able to continue after service from his pit crew, rejoining the field in the 23rd position.

Marvin led Rocco and a charging Jimmy Blewett on the restart. Blewett drove by Rocco and into the second position. Malave passed Buddy Charette for fourth and a single lap later took third from Rocco. Ricky Shawn led the second group of cars that included Tommy Cravenho and Todd Ceravolo.

By lap 10, Pitkat was solidly into the top-ten. Pitkat passed Charette on lap 11. Meanwhile, Shawn had fallen to the challenges of Cravenho and Ceravolo. Rocco had slipped by to the fifth position.

The leader, Marvin, hit heavy lapped traffic by the halfway marker. Malave began to pressure Blewett for the second spot. Exiting turn four of lap 18, Malave was second. Blewett tried in vain to catch Malave but got out of shape, in the process falling into the clutches of Cravenho. Pitkat was pressuring Rocco for seventh when the caution flew on lap 21 for a spin by Charette.

The restart pitted Marvin and Malave followed by Blewett and Cravenho in row two. Marvin got a great restart to retain his spot at the head of the pack. Blewett gave Malave a run but had to settle in for third. Contact between Cravenho and Ceravolo from third and fourth sent cars scattering. Pitkat managed to maneuver his way through the mess. Ceravolo and Dan LaJeunesse sustained heavy damage.

The top-five for the restart were Marvin, Malave, Blewett, Pitkat and Rocco. Again it was Marvin getting the edge. Contact between Malave and Blewett sent Malave into the marbles and losing two spots, one to Blewett and rival Pitkat. Blewett drove by Marvin for the lead on lap 23.

The caution flew on lap 25 for a spin by Pitkat. Malave was sent to the tail for his involvement in the incident.

Blewett led the charge to the restart flag with Marvin in tow. Contact between Ricky Shawn and Keith Rocco for the third spot sent Shawn spinning. Both Malave and Pitkat were involved in the incident. Malave headed to pit road with heavy right front damage. Pitkat was able to continue.

Blewett sailed out to the lead on the restart with five laps remaining. Marvin had his hands full with Rocco while Charette had to contend with Pitkat. Over the final laps, Blewett stretch his lead apparently coming home with his third win of the season. Marvin was able to turn his dismal luck around with a runner-up finish turned feature victory. Rocco was credited with a second-place finish over Charette, Pitkat, and Brian Tagg inside the top-five. Pitkat was named Sunoco Modified “Most Popular Driver”.

Marc Palmisano of Hadley, MA added a feature win to his award winning night. Earlier in the day, Palmisano was honored as the Program Dynamics Late Model Division’s “Most Popular Driver”. The lead being hotly contested right from the get-go with a three-car battle with Mark Oliviera, Mark Jenison and Marc Palmisano. Oliveira held the top spot before relinquishing the lead to Palmisano on lap five.

A pair of cautions slowed the field but not Palmisano’s determination. Back under green, the leader began to stretch his lead slightly over Jenison. The front two had a half-straightaway advantage on the rest of the pack, where the action was intense.

Dave Trudeau held the third spot but was trailed by Zuidema and Conrad Cote. The battling also included Paul Newcomb, Jr., Oliviera and Tommy O’Sullivan inside the top ten. Just as Zuidema began to apply heavy pressure to Trudeau for third, contact between O’Sullivan and Oliviera resulted in a pile-up that also involved John Materas. Under the caution Zuidema relinquished the fourth spot to bring his car down pit road and ultimately behind the wall.

On the restart Palmisano again jumped out to lead the pack. Trudeau made a quick challenge on Jenison but had to settle back into the third position. The caution flew once again for an incident that involved Rick Gentes and Newcomb. It was a repeat on the ensuing restart.

With only a handful of laps remaining, Palmisano checked out on the field leaving Jenison to fend off the challenges of Trudeau and a charging Cote. A spin by Rick Nelson brought out an unwelcome caution for Palmisano. The green-white-checker restart was a walk in the park for Palmisano who cruised to the checkers over Jenison, and Trudeau. Point leader Steve Landry came on strong in the end to steal fourth-place from Cote.

Les Rose, Jr. of E. Wareham, MA wired the field to score his first win of the season at Thompson International Speedway. It was the second win for a crate motor at Thompson this season. With his third-place finish, Jeff Zuidema of N. Brookfield, MA clinched his second-straight Pro Stock championship.

Rose jumped from his pole starting position to lead the field that went 26-cars strong. He motored out to a commanding lead over Mike O’Sullivan under green flag racing conditions. With the laps winding down O’Sullivan began to reel in Rose. The best battle on the track was the three-car battle for the third spot between Zuidema, Dennis Maxfield and Fred Astle. Maxfield was shuffled back to fifth when the first caution of the event flew on lap 16. It was a tense moment for the leader when Henry Stampfl and Pete Donato spun in front of the leaders

Rose was able to maintain his position but with heavy pressure coming from O’Sullivan. Zuidema and Astle took chase of the lead duo. Norm Wrenn, who had trouble in the early going, had worked his way into the top-five. The front three ran nose-to-tail with neither one jumping out of line. Rose withstood all challenges from fellow crate motor contender O’Sullivan to score the victory. Zuidema, Astle, Jr., and Wrenn rounded out the top-five.

Larry Barnett of Ledyard, CT, too, capped off a night when he was honored as the Limited Sportsman division’s Most Popular Driver with a feature victory. In the early going, Jay Sundeen had worked out to a sizeable lead over jay Chicolas while Glenn Boss, father Scott (Sundeen), Keith DeSanctis, Larry Barnett and Danny Cates were mired in traffic near mid-pack. An incident on lap three involved DeSanctis, Cates and others to bring out the caution.

Back under green, racing immediately went three-wide for the third spot between Steve Kenneway, Joe Arena, and Boss. When things were sorted out, Kenneway was second followed by Arena, Boss and the elder Sundeen. The division’s most popular driver sat just outside of the top-five.

A lap six restart was the undoing for J. Sundeen, who watched his best run of the season end with an incident at the start-finish line to begin lap seven. Sundeen, Chicolas, Boss, DeSanctis and others were involved. Kenneway was the new leader when the race resumed.

Arena did not wait long to try his hand at Kenneway’s lead. Arena went low through the turns but could not make the pass stick. The action up front allowed S. Sundeen and Barnett to join the fray. Barnett rapidly moved from fourth to second before the caution flew again on lap 9.

Kenneway and Barnett went wheel-to-wheel on the restart and ran that way for two laps before Barnett took sole possession of the top-spot. Once out front, Barnett ran out to a solid lead over a torrid battle for second between S. Sundeen and Kenneway. S. Sundeen finally took the spot on lap 14.

The top three of Barnett, Sundeen, and Kenneway enjoyed some running room while Arena and Brian Blaise sat inside the top-five. They would come across the stripe to take the checkers in the same manner. The victory was the fourth of the season for “Lead foot” Larry Barnett.

Scott Michalski of S. Killingly, CT drove home to an exciting win; ending the uncharacteristic dry spell for the Michalski clan in the Mini Stock ranks. After jumping out to the lead early in the event, Scott Michalski had a sizeable margin on second running Mike Anzalone when the first caution flew on lap 11. Unfazed by the restart, Michalski set sail in the lead once again. The second caution of the event set up a great battle for the lead and the win. Joe Godbout rocketed into the second spot on the restart. Over the ensuing laps, Godbout got alongside the leader. The two ran door-to-door until the white flag lap when Michalski was able to edge ahead once again. The victory was the first of the season for Michalski. Godbout settled for second over Anzalone. Brad Caddick, and Rick Blanchard rounded out the top-five.

Kudos to point leader Shelly Perry on her tenth-place finish despite the cast on her arm. Perry, who fractured her wrist in a racing incident during the True Value Modified event on Modified Mania weekend, is hoping to become the first female champion at Thompson International Speedway. The young lady was all smiles in the afternoon as she was presented with “Most Popular Mini Stock” driver.

Kurt Vigeant capitalized on an early race incident to capture his second TIS Modified feature win of the season. Sparks were flying at the head of the pack in the early going of the TIS Modified main event. Just as a battle for the lead was brewing between Richie Ferriera and Glenn Boss when contact inside the top-three sent Oliviera spinning collecting Boss, Roger Larson and Leo Adams.

Vigeant inherited the lead. Steven LaBreck and Tim Sullivan lined up inside the top-three. Vigeant jumped out to a commanding lead over Sullivan, who had made quick work of LaBreck. Larson was quickly making up the ground he lost during the lap two incident.

By the halfway marker, Sullivan had chipped into Vigeant’s lead and Larson had worked his way back into the fourth spot. A brush of the backstretch wall found LaBreck faltering. With only three laps remaining there was a battle for the lead. Sullivan had caught Vigeant. Sullivan looked low on successive laps but settled back in line; settling to chase Vigeant to the checkers. Larson salvaged a top-three finish ahead of Mike Viens and Roger Ducharme inside the top five. Roger Larson, Jr. was named “Most Popular Driver” for the TIS Modifieds.

One last week of regular NASCAR Weekly Racing Series competition remains on the Thompson International Speedway schedule. The point championship will be settled in five of the Thompson Super-Six divisions. There are national implications in the Sunoco Modified championship chase as the winner could go on to win the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Regional championship and possibly the National Championship. The championship will be decided between Pitkat and Malave when the Sunoco Modifieds run a pair of 20-lap feature events on Thursday, September 28, 2006. The Late Models will also finish off the regular season with Twin 20s. The remaining four divisions will run single feature events. For more information visit the Speedway website at www.thompsonspeedway.com or call the race hotline at (860) 923-2280.

Sunoco Modified Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Bert Marvin, Waterford, CT; 2. Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 3. Paul “Buddy” Charrette, Woodstock, CT; 4. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, CT; 5. Brian Tagg, Oxford, MA; 6. Stephen Masse, Bellingham, MA; 7. Scott Nordman, Woodstock, CT; 8. Billy Ramsey, Uxbridge, MA; 9. James Harrison, Seekonk, MA; 10. Rick D’Abate, Johnston, RI.

Late Model Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Marc Palmisano, Hadley, MA; 2.Mark Jenison, Cranston, RI; 3. Dasve Trudeau, Mansfield, CT; 4. Steve Landry, Tyngsboro, MA; 5. Conrad Cote, Lisbon, CT; 6. Pete Yetman, Peru, MA; 7. Tommy O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA; 8. Jeff Hesselton, Auburn, MA; 9. Al Mandarino, Lake Grove, NY; 10. Wayne Coury, Milford, CT.

Pro Stock Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Les Rose, Jr., E. Wareham, MA; 2. Mike O’Sullivan, Sprngfield, MA; 3. Jeff Zuidema, N. Brookfield, MA; 4. Fred Astle, Jr., N. Westport, MA; 5. Norm Wrenn, Nashua, NH; 6. Jeff Connors, Ellington, CT; 7. George Bessette, Danbury, CT; 8. David Berghman, Seekonk, MA; 9. Jay Macedonio, Somerset, MA; 10. Andy Johnson, Rehoboth, MA.

Limited Sportsman Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Larry Barnett, Ledyard, CT; 2. Scott Sundeen, Douglas, MA; 3. Steve Kenneway, Lowell, MA; 4. Joe Arena, Kensington, CT; 5. Brian Blaise, Manchester, CT; 6. Kevin Riley, Plainfield, CT; 7. John Bercham, W. Greenwich, CT; 8. Scott Fanning, Smithfield, RI; 9. Mark Charette, Wolcott, CT; 10. Chris Bisson, Putnam, CT.

Mini Stock Feature Finish (Top Ten): 1. Scott Michalski, S. Killingly, CT; 2. Joe Godbout, III, Hope Valley, RI; 3. Mike Anzalone, Griswold, CT; 4. Brad Caddick, New London, CT; 5. Rick Blanchard, Pascoag, RI; 6. Andy Publicover, Sudbury, MA; 7. Steve Michalski, Dayville, CT; 8. Randy Jurcik, Chaplin, CT; 9. Shane Michalski, Woodstock, CT; 10. Shelly Perry, Ashaway, RI.