THOMPSON, Conn. — American-Canadian Tour and Pro All Stars Series officials have announced a six-event schedule for the coming season that features the new Thompson Outlaw Open Modified Series at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
The Outlaw Open Series consists of half a dozen high-paying events for tour-type modifieds. The series begins at the 46th annual Thompson Icebreaker from Friday, April 9 to Sunday, April 11. A 150-lap, $10,000-to-win Outlaw Open Series event will highlight the weekend card.
The stakes get even higher at the season-ending 59th annual Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing from Oct. 8-10. ACT and PASS have organized the return of the historic Thompson 300, which was last contested in 2005. A $20,000 minimum prize has been posted for the winner of the 300-lap showdown.
In addition, ACT and PASS are selling $50 lap sponsorships for the Thompson 300. All laps that are sold will award the full $50 to the leader of that lap. This means a driver could earn up to $35,000 that weekend.
Four other events are scheduled in-between the Icebreaker and World Series. The additional race dates are Wednesday, June 16; Wednesday, July 7; Wednesday, Aug. 11; and Wednesday, Sept. 8. These dates were chosen to minimize conflict with other tracks and series in the region, allowing teams and fans to attend as many events as they wish.
The Outlaw Open Series features at the Wednesday events will pay at least $5,000-to-win and potentially more. Furthermore, drivers and teams that attempt to qualify for all six events will be eligible for potential provisional starting spots at the Thompson 300.
“We think the Outlaw Open Modified Series is going to be huge for teams and fans,” ACT managing partner Cris Michaud said. “The open-event model for the modifieds has gotten a lot of traction in recent years, and we got to see it first-hand at the most recent World Series. We’re especially excited for the return of the Thompson 300. Somebody will be walking away with at least $20,000 that weekend, and it’s going to take the intensity to a whole other level.”
Thompson Speedway’s local divisions will also be part of all six events, including the Sunoco Modifieds, Late Models, Limited Sportsmen/Street Stocks, SK Light Modifieds, and Mini Stocks. Although details are still being finalized, ACT and PASS officials hope to organize special events for the local divisions throughout the summer, giving each class a chance in the spotlight.
A variety of touring series and open shows will also be part of the Icebreaker and World Series weekends. More information regarding all events will be announced over the coming weeks.
“The most important part of all of this is that Thompson oval track racing will continue,” PASS owner Tom Mayberry said. “We were very satisfied with how the Thompson 150 and World Series went in 2020, and those events showed the appetite is still there for racing in eastern Connecticut. With those events to build on, we think the excitement for Thompson Speedway is going to be even bigger in 2021.”