The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Connecticut for a special throwback event on Saturday.
The NASCAR Busch North Throwback 100 will mark the end of an eight-year absence since the series last competed at the historic New England venue.
Thompson Speedway was a traditional stop on the circuit for 21 years, hosting 27 events between 1988 and 2009. The list of 19 different drivers who went to Victory Lane in series competition there includes Ricky Craven and Mike Stefanik, who each had three wins; along with Martin Truex Jr.; Trevor Bayne; Ryan Truex; Ken Bouchard; and Andy Santerre.
Todd Gilliland, coming off a win at Berlin Raceway on Saturday, wants to continue the momentum and join the list of winners at Thompson Speedway. The 17-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina drives Bill McAnally Racing’s No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry. For this special throwback event, his car will honor a New England driver known for his No. 16 entry that also carried the NAPA logo, the late Stub Fadden.
Fadden of North Haverhill, New Hampshire is credited with winning more than 230 short track events during his 30 years of racing, along with winning multiple track championships at Thunder Road in Barre, Vermont and Catamount Stadium in Milton, Vermont. He also won a track championship at Mount Laurier in Quebec.
Fadden scored four wins in making more than 200 starts in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He finished in the top 10 of the championship standings for seven consecutive seasons, from 1991 through 1997. In addition, he made 12 starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series between 1987 and 1995.
Fadden and his family have a rich legacy in the K&N East. He teamed with his grandson, Mike Olsen, who registered six wins in the series – along with two championships, in 2001 and 2006.
Gilliland also comes from a racing family. His grandfather, Butch Gilliland, was the 1997 champion in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. His father, David Gilliland, won the rookie title in that series in 2004 and went on to race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for more than a decade.
A member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights NASCAR’s rising stars, Gilliland is second in the championship standings – with the series is at the midway point of a 14-race season schedule. He has one win, four top-five, and seven top-10 finishes in seven starts.
“We have a lot in common with Stub Fadden, with both teams being known for the number 16 on their car and both proudly displaying the NAPA logo,” said BMR President Bill McAnally. “Todd’s family and Stub’s family are very similar, as well. This throwback event is a special opportunity to recognize those common bonds in racing.”
The throwback theme is a fitting way to mark the return of the K&N East to Thompson Speedway, according to Joshua Vanada, the speedway’s chief operating officer and general manager.
“We are delighted to have the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returning to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park for the Busch North Throwback 100,” Vanada said. “The series’ roots are up in New England, and we are glad to welcome it back. As part of the event, we will also be honoring the former champions and stars, who gave the series notoriety and staying power, to become the proving ground that it is for national series stars like Kyle Larson.”
The NASCAR Busch North Throwback 100 is slated to be televised on NBCSN on July 13 at 7 p.m. ET.
BMR PR
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