THOMPSON, Conn. – The hottest driver on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to open 2026 is unquestionably Stephen Kopcik.

After earning his first series victory at Martinsville Speedway in his 23^rd career start, Kopcik collected another checkered flag on Sunday at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Kopcik earned that victory thanks to a late-race pit stop that catapulted him to the race lead.

RELATED: Complete results from the Icebreaker 150

Track position proved pivotal during the Icebreaker 150 and Kopcik knew his best chance at usurping McKennedy would likely come on pit road. Kopcik credited his Wanick Motorsports crew not only for their efficiency at Thompson, but for the hard work they’ve shown through the first three events.

“That pit stop was crucial,” Kopcik said. “They killed it once again. By coming out first, that gives you lane choice and that means a lot here with 40 to go. It’s unbelievable because yesterday I was wondering if I knew how to drive this place. To come here and win on the Whelen Modified Tour is unbelievable.”

Kopcik now joins a small, but elite group of drivers who have won a Thomposn NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event. That includes the all-time series wins leader Mike Stefanik, along with Justin Bonsignore, Ted Christopher, Jeff Fuller, Richie Evans and many others.

The speed Kopcik possessed at Martinsville carried over into a cold day around Thompson’s fast, banked layout. He qualified three one-thousandths of a second behind front row starters Jon McKennedy and Matt Hirschman, neither of whom have won a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Thompson.

It didn’t take long for Kopcik to find his way around Hirschman, but passing McKennedy proved to be a more arduous task. With McKennedy receiving the benefit of clean air, Kopcik was forced to follow him for most of the Icebreaker 150’s middle portion, all while he patiently waited for an opportunity to materialize.

Ronnie Williams’ crash inside of 45 laps remaining was the break Kopcik and Wanick Motorsports needed. Kopcik’s crew did their job with an efficient stop that got their driver the lead, meaning Kopick just had to figure out how to maintain the top spot with McKennedy applying pressure behind him.

Every attempt McKennedy made at Kopcik proved fruitless, which eventually led him to lose the second position to two-time series champion Ron Silk. Although he gradually erased Kopcik’s advantage, Silk didn’t have enough laps at his disposal to earn his first victory of the 2026 season.

Had Silk chased down and overtaken Kopick, he would have become the fifth driver to amass double digit NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour wins at Thompson alongside Stefanik, Bonsignore, Christopher and Fuller. Instead, Silk was left disappointed with a runner-up finish.

“[It all comes down] to track position,” Silk said. “We’re all running the same speed. In that last run, there was a part at the beginning of it where Jon [McKennedy] was the best, there was a part where Stephen [Kopcik] was the best and a part where my car drove great too. It’s very tough to pass, but it was a good race with everybody and congrats to Stephen and his team.”

Kopcik is one of many drivers Silk will need to deal with to obtain a third title, especially since the former has now won two of the first three races to open the season. The wins have helped Kopcik overcome a minor points deficit that stemmed from a 13^th in the season-opener at New Smyrna Speedway to now lead the standings for the first time in his career.

“We’re going to keep working hard and try to show up with fast cars we can build on,” Kopcik said. “Momentum is huge, but nothing is going to beat hard work. You’ve got to keep working hard and keep making sure our cars are ready and prepared to the best that we can prepare them. We’ll see what happens.”

Mike Christopher Jr.’s solid day at Thompson ended with a third-place finish. McKennedy settled for fourth after a strong start to his day, with Hirschman completing the top five.

Reigning series champion Austin Beers, Justin Bonsignore, Craig Lutz, Chase Dowling and Tyler Rypkema were sixth through 10th, respectively.

Up next for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will be the series’ long awaited return to Oxford Plains Speedway on May 2. The green flag will wave at 6:15 p.m. ET that evening, with FloRacing providing live coverage of all the on-track action.