Chelmsford’s Jon McKennedy races to victory in Connecticut

A great night of weather and talented fields greeted the crowd that entered Thompson Speedway on Wednesday night with a pit area containing nearly 100 competitors for the Nutmeg State 50 program in Thompson, Conn.

Perhaps none of the drivers went home happier than Chelmsford’s Jon McKennedy.

McKennedy drove to victory at the Outlaw Open Modified Series – Nutmeg State 50. He edged runner-up Mike Christopher Jr. of Wolcott, Conn., and third-place driver Ron Silk of Norwalk, Conn.

McKennedy pocketed $5,000 for the win.

Christopher and Silk brought the Outlaw Open Modified field to green, with Christopher quickly taking the launch out front. Although just 50 short laps around the Thompson 5/8-mile oval, the top five in Silk, Jon McKennedy, Ronnie Williams and Harvard’s Matt Swanson seemed content to play follow the leader early on. Swanson fell out with motor issues on lap nine and it took until lap 30 for Silk to start hitting the ‘go’ button.

Pulling up to Christopher, Silk peeked inside with McKennedy growing ever closer in third, waiting for whatever may come. With laps winding down McKennedy made his move under Silk for second and on lap 42 powered his way under Christopher in turn three and never looked back. McKennedy was joined in victory lane by Christopher and Silk.

McKennedy wasn’t the only local winner.

Sixteen strong, the Street Stocks rebounded with the simplified, more open rules package. Ryan Lineham’s battle with Icebreaker winner Brandon Plemons put on a stellar show just before George Baldwin entered the picture with five laps remaining. Baldwin, a Lowell resident, made his move late in the going to steal away the 20-lap win and the Eden Rafferty bonus in the process.

Thompson Speedway is back in action on Wednesday, July 9 with the Twisted Tea Midsummer 50. The Outlaw Open Modifieds are back for their second $5,000-to-win Dash for Cash of the summer season along with the NEMA Lites in a special Wednesday showdown. The Wednesday midweek special will also include the Thompson Speedway track championship divisions for another night at the Thompson track at 6 p.m.

College

River Hawks shine: Fourteen UMass Lowell student-athletes have been named America East Presidential Scholar-Athletes, one of the conference’s highest honors, as announced by the conference office.

This award recognizes all student-athletes who graduated with a 3.75 GPA or higher from their respective institutions after having attended a minimum of two years.

Field hockey’s Cate Kleeman (Gibbsboro, N.J.) and Jillian Loebs (Acton); men’s lacrosse’s Nolan Perkins (Harwood, Md.) and Trevor Tismo (Centerville, Ohio)’ men’s soccer’s Shunnosuke Nakajima (Yokohama, Japan); softball’s Emily Tow (North Kingstown, R.I.); Fleur Balogh de Galantha (Grafton), Mia Jones (Blacksburg, Va.), and Sarah Ross (Agawam) of the women’s cross country/track and field program; women’s lacrosse’s Jade Catlin (Middletown, Md.), Daia Hansford (Bowie, Md.), Elsa Skinner (Annapolis, Md.) and Kendall Whalen (Belmont); and women’s soccer’s Laerke Niklasson (Roskilde, Denmark) were this year’s recipients.