NASCAR Home Tracks

Right Call In The Rain For Flemke

By Jason Christley, NASCAR
April 6, 2008 - 6:03pm

THOMPSON, Conn. – Rain has ruined Ed Flemke Jr.’s day on more than one occasion. Flemke was more than happy, though, to see the overcast put an early end to Sunday’s race. Flemke’s No. 10 Ron Bouchard AutoParts Chevrolet was out front when rain forced the end of the scheduled 150-lap season-opening Icebreaker after 92 laps.

“I’ve lost many, many races like this,” Flemke said. “I finally won one like this. It’s a good feeling.”

It gave Flemke his 17th win in his 21-year NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career.

“It just means so much to me toward the end of my career,” Flemke said. “Each one gets sweeter. Like Mark Martin once said, you enjoy each win because it may be your last.”

Chuck Hossfeld (No. 4 Dodge) was second, followed by Bobby Grigas III (No. 09 Triple G Scaffolding). Joe Hartmann and rookie Tom Abele Jr. rounded out the top five.

Flemke was running third and he inherited the lead on lap 71 when leader Todd Szegedy and second-place Reggie Ruggiero pitted. Szegedy finished seventh and Ruggiero eighth.

“Everybody was pitting and that was the time to do it,” Flemke said. “I just knew the car was too good and with the way the track was, I knew our best chance was to stay out.”

Before the race, former champions Frankie Schneider (1952) and Donny Lia (2007), and the late Richie Evans (nine-time champion) were honored by NASCAR and series sponsor Whelen Engineering.

Lia has moved up to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, opening the seat with car owner Bob Garbarino for Hossfeld. Hossfeld was also second in last year’s Icebreaker, but parted ways with his team after four events.

James Civali, the Coors Light Pole winner and defending Icebreaker champion, led 30 laps before pitting and handing the lead over to Szegedy. Civali made his way back up to sixth before the race’s final caution.

“When Civali pitted, he pitted the perfect time,” Flemke siad. “He would have been the race winner if the race played out. However, the way things looked, it was the right call (for us not to come in). If we pitted after that and had to come back through the field, we would have had a fifth to 10th-place car.”

It was Flemke’s fourth win at Thompson and his first in the Icebreaker. It was also the first win for Gary Teto, Flemke’s car owner.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS