THOMPSON, Conn. — The 49th Icebreaker Weekend at Thompson Speedway began the New England racing season in style on a frigid Friday night in northeast Connecticut.
For some powerhouse teams it was a successful and steady start to the new season, for others Icebreaker Friday spelled redemption and a fresh start for the new season.
The Mighty Mini Stocks took the first green in their inaugural, point-counting event led to point by youngster Jake Rheaume and veteran Mike Viens. Under the starting flag, third-place starter Desmond Skillings jumped to the bottom to take the lead by turn one with a calamity in store for turn two.
With Rheaume slipping and sliding out of turn two, drivers scattered and ultimately sent Viens and Thompson Speedway standout Jarred Roy into the concrete wall. Skillings would again take the point until fellow Mini Stock titan Cody LeBlanc jumped up to the top spot and led the way to the checkered flag. Erin Aiken followed Skillings and LeBlanc to round out the top three.
Young-guns Jake ‘The Jet’ Johnson and Devin Deshaies lead the Thompson Speedway late model field to green in their 30-lap main event to start the 2023 championship season.
Johnson would lead the way in the Hartwell Motorsports No. 91CT as the best battle on the track was for third between Matt Lowinski-Loh, Deshaies and Derek Gluchacki. After dispatching Lowinski-Loh, Gluchacki and Deshaies continued to battle for second until a hard crash for Mike Benevides in turn one slowed the field on lap 18.
The restart would see former legend car standout Deshaies go around on the backstretch and leave the race up to Johnson and Gluchacki. After several rounds of side-by-side racing, Gluchacki would take the last-lap pass over Jake Johnson to win the Icebreaker opening round for the late models followed by Nick Johnson for third, Lowinski-Loh in fourth and rookie Andrew Molleur to round out the top-five.
The Thunder and Lightning of the Sunoco Modifieds returned to Thompson with the championship-winning duo of Keith Rocco and Stephen Kopcik pacing the field. Fans would see a tough start to 2022 SK Lite Modified champion Stephen Chapman in his Sunoco Mod debut at Thompson with a hard wreck in turn one.
Rocco would power off once again until defending track champion Kopcik began to challenge the former NASCAR National Weekly Series champion on lap 8 before taking the lead on lap 12.
After coming up from shotgun on the field to fifth, Mike Christopher, Jr. slammed hard into turn one wall to end his day while Todd Owen also caught a piece during his third-place run.
On the restart Kopcik would follow-up with a drag race alongside Rocco until a huge run off turn two helped the defending champ to keep the lead. Under the white flag Rocco jumped to the bottom of Kopcik in turn one and led the way to the checkered flag.
Post-race technical inspection disqualified Kopcik due to weight and carburetor infractions giving J.P. Puleo second and allowing Troy Talman to round out the top three. Anthony Bello charged to a fourth place run while Todd Owen rebounded to fifth on the field.
To start their 2023 season off, the Evolve Bank & Mortgage Pro Truck Challenge remembered one of their own. The Jim Boyle Memorial Icebreaker 35 was dominated by former Waterford Speedbowl track champion Duane Noll who led every lap en route to victory lane followed by Gerard Giordano, Jr. and Todd Taylor.
The Street Stock Open saw fantastic racing from the start between Southern New England stalwarts Ryan Waterman, Chad Baxter, and Corey Fanning.
With Mainer Kris Watson joining the early mix, the four would swap lanes and positions throughout the first 48 laps until Fanning spun in turn four on the overflowing water from Baxter’s overheating radiator.
The instant reshuffle granted Waterman and Watson a two lap shootout for the $1,200 prize waiting in victory lane. The already physical duo didn’t back down and in spectacular fashion saw Kris Watson take the prize back home to Vacationland.