SK Light Purse Grows to $700-to-Win for 2026
Barre, VT & Naples, ME — As the dust settles on another season at Thompson Speedway, officials with the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) and the American Canadian Tour (ACT) have announced a new Loyalty Program for the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds. The Thompson Clash at October’s World Series squared off the “old Sunoco Mods” from 2023 and earlier against the current Thompson Sunoco Modifieds that utilize the 604-bottle cap crate engine in a 50-lap contest. The Clash was won by Kieth Rocco with Todd Owen and Danny Cates following him across the line in the popular addition to the World Series lineup. In 2026, we will see great battles again as the same Clash rulebook will be used for the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds in their nine-race schedule!
“The Clash at the World Series was a big hit with fans and drivers. We had 20 competitive cars on track, and the racing was good,” said co-promoter Tom Mayberry. “We thought it worked so well we decided to run that package for all of 2026.”
Mayberry further went on to explain a new Loyalty Program adopted for the Thompson Sunoco Modifieds in 2026. Each of the nine races will continue to pay the base purse of $3,000 to win, descending to $400 to start. Drivers who compete in three consecutive races will be eligible for the Loyalty Program bonus, paying the winner $4,000 to win and significantly increasing the purse for each finishing position back to $500 for 10th on back.
“We really wanted to make sure these teams had a good purse to race with us all year. Providing a loyalty bonus is a way for us to reward the drivers who make every show,” said Mayberry.
Additionally, any driver who competed in the 2025 Thompson Clash will already be credited with their first loyalty race, meaning that the second event in May has the potential to be race number three for many drivers to get the start of their Loyalty Bonus’.
The final element to the Loyalty Program is a special NON-WINNERS bonus. The top three drivers who have not won a race in 2026 and are part of the Loyalty Program will be eligible for an additional bonus of $300, $200, and $100 paid out at the next event.
Officials with PASS and ACT also announced a new purse structure for the SK Light division. SK Lights have grown into a highly competitive modified class for the budget-minded racer. Featuring the more affordable 602 crate engine and a stricter set of rules, the division has been used as a stepping stone for drivers to learn modified racing before moving up to a higher level. SK lights at Thompson will now pay $700 to the winner with $150 to start.
Thompson Speedway will begin its 86th year of racing on April 10th-12th with the 52nd Icebreaker Weekend. The season will conclude on October 9th-11th with the 64th annual Sunoco World Series of Racing. A full schedule and rules will be released in the coming weeks.
To take advantage of marketing opportunities please call 207-577-1836 or inquire at OPSmarketing50@gmail.com.
For technical information please contact passracing@roadrunner.com or call Jason Ricker 704-881-4429.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
For more information about the Pro All Stars Series, contact the Oxford Plains Speedway offices at 207-539-8865, OPSmarketing50@gmail.com, or visit proallstarsseries.com.
For general Thompson Speedway inquiries, call (860) 923-2280, email oval@thompsonspeedway.com, or visit www.thompsonspeedway.com. You can follow Thompson Speedway on Facebook and Instagram @ThompsonSpeedway or on Twitter at @ThompsonSpdwy.
