THOMPSON, Conn. — Tom Carey III won Sunday afternoon’s Back To School Bash for late models at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
Utilizing the American-Canadian Tour Plus/Minus handicap system, Ryan Morgan and Devin Deshaies brought the Thompson Late Models to green for their $5,000 to win Back to School Bash 75.
Morgan drove away with a mirror full of Brian Tagg as Deshaies fell under attack from Nick Johnson. Carey III also broke out under Deshaies for fourth as ACT Tour regulars Erick Sands and Gabe Brown sat in the cat-bird seat.
With plenty of laps ahead, the field spread into a single file line, watching the bumpers ahead of them and waiting patiently for any breaks that might come their way.
Second through seventh remained nose-to-tail before Carey peeked out under Johnson, then Tagg, to take second with Derek Gluchacki looking to try the same under Sands for sixth. The first caution came on lap 21 with Zach Robinson’s solo spin in turn four allowing several mid-packers to enter the infield pit road for adjustments.
Morgan led the restart as the field settled out once again, but Carey stubbornly stuck to the inside groove to keep the pressure on. ‘TC3’ lead lap 27 with Morgan now having to face Nick Johnson before the second caution for the spinning and stalled Jared Materas once again in the turn four grass.
With Tom Carey III pulling away from the pack, Erick Sands powered around Ryan Morgan to take third on lap 33 before making the same power move around Brian Tagg on lap 40. The lap-48 caution saw a spoiled day for track championship hopeful Derek Gluchacki with a hard hit against the turn one wall leaving Carey and Gabe Brown to put on a power-show up front.
Although Brown was three car-lengths back, the two ran comparable lap times with Brown making up inches in the corner as the car got faster and faster in the final ten laps. Brown made it to within a fender-length away but time ran short as Carey III nabbed the $5,000 top prize with Brown taking second and Erick Sands holding on for third.
Jon Puleo won the 50-lap Sunoco Modified feature and Tyler Chapman won the SK Light Modified main event.
Ryan Waterman topped the street stock race and Ryan Pomposelli won the mini stock event.