Green Day: Chase Dowling Wins Monaco Modified Tri-Track Event At Thunder Road

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RaceDayCT: When it comes to describing the Thunder Road International Speedbowl green is a word that certainly would come to mind quickly. Green dominates the color scheme and track logo and all the views of mountains beyond the picturesque historic bullring.

Green also could describe much of the field for the first Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series field when it came to experience at the quarter-mile oval.

Chase Dowling had never turned a lap at the track before Sunday, but he hardly looked like a rookie at the track.

Dowling dominated out front over the second half of the event to win the 100-lap Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series feature Sunday, which was part of the 59th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic racing card.

Dowling, of Roxbury, scored a $10,000 payday for the victory in front of a packed crowd at Thunder Road.

“I just want to say, all you fans, this is badass,” Dowling said. “All you guys coming out on a Sunday for a Memorial Day, remember all the people that aren’t here. This is great to see a great crowd for Tri-Track. This facility is awesome. Hopefully we’re back next year.”

Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass. was second and Matt Hirschman of Northampton, Pa. third.

Dowling got under Kirk Alexander off of turn four on lap 52 and went virtually unchallenged out front the rest of the way.

“I just can’t thank everybody enough,” Dowling said. “This car was on rails. The crew guys did an awesome job all day.”

Following a lap 80 restart Ronnie Williams got by Alexander for third with Hirschman following to fourth. Hirschman got by Williams for third on lap 96 but Dowling and Nocella were far checked out from him.

“Track position is pretty important and we used the cone restart at the end to gain some of those spots,” Hirschman said. “It looked like we had some speed at the end. I’m happy we were able to get to there. Prior to that we weren’t even close to really sniffing the front.

“You guys have got a great thing going here with this crowd up on the hill. … It’s a nice thing on Memorial Day weekend. Obviously remember those lost fighting for our freedom. Just a really nice thing here today. I’d like to win, but we move forward. Got third,  got the wall a little bit, got some green paint to go home on the car. We’ll see if we come back we’ll see if we can do better next time.”