Jon Puleo Fends Off Keith Rocco for Tripoint Showdown Win at Thompson

What started out as a gloomy day in the quiet corner of Connecticut turned sunny for the teams, fans and supporters of the 5/8-mile Thompson Speedway. Track championship action started with the AZ Roofing SK Light Modified division under the command of John O’Sullivan and Rob Schultz. O’Sullivan quickly took charge on the bottom groove with Schultz sliding back on the outside. Launching into a four-car race saw Meg Fuller, Tyler Chapman and Nick Hovey join O’Sullivan under a blanket at the front.

Fuller stole the lead before a hard-charging Chapman took over on lap five as Nick Hovey stalked from behind. The extra-distance feature saw the three leaders run nose-to-tail before a mid-race caution for the spinning Rob Schultz set up a dash between Chapmen and Hovey. The two leaders turned sour in turn two, spinning off the treacherous turn and leaving Fuller the lead for the restart with eleven laps remaining. In just five laps, Hovey and Chapman returned to the front as Hovey tried his best to claim the win but Tyler Chapman took down his fifth win in a row at Thompson with John O’Sullivan taking third.

The Mini Stocks were next on the field with Rick LaFlesh and Steve Michalski in command under the green flag. LaFlesh led the early goings before Kevin Moore powered through on the bottom to lead lap 4 with defending champ Jarred Roy patiently making his way to the front. After battling LaFlesh for second place lap after lap, Roy finally made his way into the runner-up spot with five laps remaining and set his sights on Moore. Side-by-side under the white flag, both former champions gave it all they had but it would be Kevin Moore at the line to snap Jarred Roy’s four-race wins streak with Ryan Pomposelli joining the podium in third.

Moving on to the Street Stocks, rookie Austin Flanagan and Icebreaker winner Al Stone III brought the fan-favorite division to the initial green with trouble early for Ryan Waterman and Scott Souza as they dragged across the length of the backstretch wall. After rookie Flanagan led lap one, Stone powered back to the lead with Scott Sundeen, Corey Fanning and ‘Leadfoot’ Larry Barnett following him on the bottom. Fanning used a strong run through turns one and two to launch under Stone and lead lap seven.

The Thompson Late Models jumped on the highbanks for their 25-lap feature with Ryan Morgan and Derek Gluchacki leading the charge into turn one. Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) finalist Gluchacki led the early circuits with Jake ‘The Jet’ Johnson trying to track him down as Connor Souza made a physical battle in his fight to third-place. Three wide with former champions Morgan and Nick Johnson, Souza battled hard to join the top-three. The physicality continued to the lap 10 caution with Souza sent to the rear for contact that sent Morgan around in turn two. One final late race caution for rookie Kyle Gero’s dust-up in turn three set up a final chase to the checkers with Derek Gluchacki becoming the first repeat Late Model winner at the Big-T with Jake Johnson and Matt Lowinski-Loh rounding out the podium.

The Tripoint Showdown 50-lap main event for the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds rounded out the evening’s program under the lead of Danny Cates and Josh Carey. Cates led from the start as Jon Puleo motored into second with Keith Rocco looking to come from the back of the pack. Puleo and Cates would swap lanes over and over again with crossovers galore as Rocco watched from two car lengths back in the catbird seat. The first caution would slow the field as Derek Ramstrom smacked the turn one wall with Puleo getting the restart jump on Cates. Cates and Josh Carey would suffer the same fate on lap 27, slamming into the turn one wall. Jon Puleo would take off on the restart and lead down to the wire with Keith Rocco and Isaiah Newcomb rounding out the podium three.

Thompson Speedway is back next Wednesday, August 14 with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Thompson 150! Also headlined by the New England Supermodified Series (NESS), the Thompson 150 program will also include continued track championship action courtesy of the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds, a $1,000-to-win AZ Roofing SK Light Modified showdown, the Late Models, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks for a seven division Wednesday night showcase! Post Time is set for 5:00pm.

For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.

For technical information concerning all PASS divisions, and for media or marketing questions, please contact [email protected] or visit www.proallstarsseries.com. Don't forget to "Like" the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens.

For general Thompson Speedway inquiries, call (860) 923-2280, email [email protected], or visit www.thompsonspeedway.com. You can follow Thompson Speedway on Facebook and Instagram at @ThompsonSpeedway or on Twitter at @ThompsonSpdwy.

-Thompson Speedway Press Release
-Photo credit: Souza Media

Tripoint Showdown
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Thompson, CT
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Thompson Sunoco Modifieds – Tripoint Showdown (50 Laps)

1. 7 Jon Puleo Branford, CT
2. 09 Keith Rocco Berlin, CT
3. 22 #Isaiah Newcomb Plymouth, MA
4. 76 Tyler Barry Griswold, CT
5. 4 #Zach Leone Worcester, MA
6. 69 Josh Carey Belchertown, MA
7. 2 Danny Cates Chaplin, CT
8. 99 Derek Ramstrom Worcester, MA

AZ Roofing SK Light Modifieds – ($1,000-to-Win, 30 Laps)

1. 41CT Tyler Chapman Ellington, CT
2. 16 Nickolas Hovey Chaplin, CT
3. 15 John O'Sullivan Norwich, CT
4. 2 Meghan Fuller Auburn, MA
5. 32 Tom Abele, Jr. Norwich, CT
6. 34MA Daltin McCarthy Oxford, MA
7. 12x Rob Schultz Ocean, NJ
8. 63 Michael Flammia

Late Models – (25 Laps)

1. 03MA Derek Gluchacki N. Dartmouth, MA
2. 91CT Jake Johnson Rehoboth, MA
3. 17 Matt Lowinski-Loh Thompson, CT
4. 6MA Nick Johnson Rehoboth, MA
5. 9MA Brian Tagg Millbury, MA
6. 31CT Ryan Morgan North Franklin, CT
7. 38RI Connor Souza Riverside, RI
8. 14 Zach Robinson Putnam, CT
9. 73CT Jared Materas Westfield, MA
10. 19CT #Kyle Gero Baltic, CT

Street Stocks – (20 Laps)

1. 11 Corey Fanning Mapleville, RI
2. 52 Al Stone III Durham, CT
3. 73 Larry Barnett Moosup, CT
4. 36 Scott Sundeen Sutton, MA
5. 28 Austin Flanagan Warwick, RI
6. 2 Tim Poulin Thompson, CT
7. 85 Michael Viens Seekonk, MA
8. 66 Tyler Cinamella Willimantic, CT
9. 10 Hank Stott Medway, MA
10. 6 Scott Souza Uncasville, CT
11. 75 Ryan Waterman Danielson, CT
DNS 7x Jason Chicolas Sutton, MA
DSQ 67 Aaron Plemons* Uncasville, CT

*Disqualified for Illegal Control Arm

Mini Stocks – (15 Laps)

1. 82 Kevin Moore Moosup, CT
2. 1CT Jared Roy Moosup, CT
3. 19 Ryan Pomposelli Smithfield, RI
4. 9CT Richard LaFlesh Griswold, CT
5. 44 Steve Michalski Brooklyn, CT
6. 84 Bill Schoeler Warwick, RI
7. 13 #Edmond Cousineau Palmer, MA