By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Max Dolliver earned his career-first Claremont Motorsports Park victory lap Friday, June 21. Sportsman Modified hot shoe Brian Robie won for the fourth week in a row and hometracker Jimmy Zullo ran the season’s second Red Neck Enduro event like Pac Man on steroids.
           
Pure Stock kingpin Kyle Templeton scored his third feature win of the summer Friday, while Six-Shooter ace Jeremy Blood saw his six-race winning streak halted but still went home atop the points parade.
           
Mike Smith led the opening lap of the Pepsi Sportsman Modified main, giving way to points leader Brian Robie the second time around. Two-time track champ Dana Smith then moved up to battle for the deuce but, coming quickly, rookie Kyle Welch was soon in the mix too.
           
Welch, in only his second open-wheeler outing, rocketed by first one Smith and then the other and, on lap eight, was glued to Robie’s bumper. The two would race under a blanket for most of the final 32 laps, with Robie winning the tire wear battle and the race, taking the checkers six lengths ahead of Welch.
           
As in his maiden Sportsman Modified voyage a week earlier, Welch was powerful in earning the runner-up hardware. Dana Smith, close behind, came home third.
           
Max Dolliver led all the way in the Casella Street Stock 30-lapper, becoming the division’s fifth different feature winner this season. The Londonderry, N.H. ace never had it easy though. Chris Riendeau got up for second on lap six and the two ran glued together the rest of the way, trading paint but keeping it clean. 
           
And while the younger Riendeau and Dolliver may have put on the best battle of the young season, the action was just as good behind them, where Dave Greenslit and Larry Riendeau went to war over third. Greenslit earned the night’s bronze, allowing him to stay atop the points parade.
           
Kyle Templeton led early and often in the caution-free Pure Stock 25-lapper, taking the checkers ahead of rookie Bruce Adams to keep the points chase deadlocked. Chris Carver was third on the night, moving up one spot on the seasonal leader board.
           
Hometown pilot Jeremy Blood entered the seventh night of the season one of two drivers still undefeated in 2019 feature races. Friday night’s humble pie express appeared in the person of Seabrook’s Adam Knowles, who dominated the event to score his first-ever Thrasher Road victory ahead of fellow first-timers Shane Horvath and Katie Buxton.
           
Stew McCormack topped the visiting Northeast Classic Lites series main event. Derrick and Paul Marsan were second and third, while series kingpin Duane Skofield came home fourth.
           
With round two of the Red Neck Enduro Series taking the green three-across and eight rows deep, Jimmy Zullo wasted no time in getting to the front and leaving all comers far behind.
Round one victor Justin Harris dropped out early, and the event was red-flagged once and then later shortened to 40 laps because of the downpour. Those distractions mattered little though as, on this night, Zullo ran in a class of his own. Kyle Buck claimed the runner-up hardware, one spot ahead of JJ Hoyt. The Red Neckers will return for round three of the summer series on July 5.
           
Next Friday, June 28, four weekly divisions will be in action at Claremont Motorsports Park. The event will also include special guests the NHMS Legends and Claremont Karting Series
 
JUNE 21 FEATURE FINISHES: 
STREET STOCKS: Max Dolliver, Chris Riendeau, Dave Greenslit, Larry Riendeau, Robbie Streeter, Briana Akusis, Raven Streeter, Nick Little, Cody Schoolcraft.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS: Brian Robie, Kyle Welch, Dana Smith, Mike Smith, Alyssa Rivera, Kenny Thompson.
PURE STOCKS: Kyle Templeton, Bruce Adams, Chris Carver, Milton Duran, Richard Streeter.
SIX-SHOOTERS: Adam Knowles, Shane Horvath, Katie Buxton, Jeremy Blood, Paul Colburn, Chris Colburn.
CLASSIC LITES: Stew McCormack, Derrick Marsan, Paul Marsan.
RED NECK ENDURO: Jimmy Zullo, Kyle Buck, JJ Hoyt, Leon Keniston, Andy Brousseau, Doug Nelson, Steve Gran, JR Carleton, Andrew Plumbs, Drake Nelson, Bree Nelson, Larry Seavey, Dustin Thibodeau, Patrick Kilburn, Milton Duran, Tyson Hayes, Brandon Gassett. Scoring Sheets Inadequate: Justin Harris, Dylan Adams, Dakota Lanou, James Mason, Ben Bosowski, Todd Smith, Hunter Durkee, Blake Shyver.

 By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Mike Willis Jr. earned another big payday Friday, June 14, at Claremont Motorsports Park. The 27-year-old Grantham hot shoe led 27 laps of the Valenti Modified Racing Series 100-lap feature – including the final 19 rapid-fire circuits around the fast third-mile – to easily outdistance Woody Pitkat in the night’s main event.
 
It was Willis’ career-first MRS victory, but hardly his first at the Thrasher Road oval. A former weekly competitor at Claremont, Willis also won a Tri-Track Open Modified 100-lapper there a summer ago.
           
Also earning checkered flag laps Friday were Aaron Fellows, R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsmen; Brian Robie, Pepsi Sportsman Modifieds; Tim St. John, Pure Stocks; and Jeremy Blood, Six-Shooters. The Pure Stock finish was unofficial, pending final tech findings, at press time.
           
Both Fellows and Blood stayed perfect on the young season with six feature wins in as many completed events, while Robie moved to the top of the Sportsman Modified point parade by posting his third consecutive victory.
           
Willis and Kirk Alexander led the MRS ground-pounders to the green, with Willis quickly taking charge. Hometown star Jeff Murray – firing from row three – was quickly in the hunt too.
           
When Willis wobbled, ever so little, on lap 17, Alexander was quick to pounce on the lead. But if the Swanzey speedster was fast, the man glued to his bumper – hometown hot shoe Jeff Murray  - was even faster.
           
Murray, in his first outing of the summer, flew past Alexander on lap nine and rapidly drove away. Setting a blistering pace over the next 73 laps, Murray seemingly had all bases covered. Tire wear, though, would prove his undoing.
           
Sailing high along the frontchute on lap 83, Willis reclaimed the lead. Woody Pitkat got up for second the next time around but, on this night, would have to settle for second. Matt Swanson, aboard the Gary Casella 25, came home third.
           
Ben Poland led the first seven go-rounds of the LMS feature, then watching Aaron Fellows charge to the front and speed off to his sixth win of the year. Poland, strong all night, claimed the deuce spot, with Windsor’s Robert Hagar solid in third.
           
Dylan Bodreau set a fast pace over the first four laps of the Sportsman Modified main, holding Brian Robie in check until the Sunapee star inched ahead as lap six went in the books. Robie, with both Todd Patnode and Dana Smith absent for the night, had plenty to shoot for, and his aim was perfect.
           
Robie’s third win in as many weeks moved him to the top of his division’s point standings. Kyle Welch, in the first Sportsman Modified outing of his career, dazzled in second, with Bodreau earning the third-place hardware.
           
Erin Aiken passed two-time feature winner Seth Melcher on lap 17 of the Pure Stock main and darted off to become the division’s apparent fourth different winner this season. With the finish unofficial at night’s end, Melcher was second under the flags, with Newport’s Sean Lantas earning the three-spot. After post-race inspection, the top 3 were disqualified giving the win to Tim St. John. Kyle Templeton was second with Chris Carver posting his first podium of the year in third.
 
In New England Antique Racer feature races, Jim Allen topped a spirited Modified 15-lapper, taking the checkers just ahead of Bob Donahue and Jamie Ferland. Bear Ridge Speedway owner and former dirt Modified and Coupe champion Butch Elms scored a runaway victory in the NEAR Sportsmen.

Next Friday, June 21, Claremont Motorsports Park will host a full night of oval track racing with the Casella Street Stock, Pepsi Modified, Pure Stock and Six-Shooter weekly racing series divisions all in action, along with the season’s second Redneck Enduro event and the visiting Northeast Classic Lites.
 
JUNE 14 FINISHES:
VALENTI MOD 100: Mike Willis Jr., Woody Pitkat, Matt Swanson, Brian Robie, Kirk Alexander, Jeff Murray, Mike Douglas, CJ Bolton, Donnie Lashua, Dylan Rock, Cam Sontag.
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Aaron Fellows, Ben Poland, Robert Hagar, Ryan Bell, Tyler Lescord, Mark Blair, Eric Martell.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIED: Brian Robie, Kyle Welch, Dylan Bodreau, Alyssa Rivera, Mike Smith.
PURE STOCK: Tim St. John, Kyle Templeton, Chris Carver, Bruce Adams, Richard Streeter, Tom Englehart, Jim Carley, (DQ -Erin Aiken, Seth Melcher, Sean Lantas)
SIX-SHOOTERS: Jeremy Blood, Paul Colburn.
NEAR WINNERS: Jim Allen, Modified; CV Elms III, Sportsman.

 By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Dave Greenslit put his month-long string of bridesmaid finishes behind him, the Superman blew out 40 candles to win his fifth event of the season, and a rookie moved to the top of his division’s points parade.

It all happened Friday, June 7, at Claremont Motorsports Park. On a night that featured lots of great last-lap passes, Brian Robie and Seth Melcher each took his second victory lap of the season, and Six-Shooter king Jeremy Blood, like Aaron Fellows, scored his fifth feature win in as many weeks.

Ben Poland grabbed the opening lead in the R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsman main event, bringing Ryan Bell and Robert Hagar with him, with Ricky Bly in hot pursuit. Bly roared up to third on lap five, then battling with Hagar and Aaron Fellows as Poland pulled away.
Bly dove low through turn one on the eleventh circuit, claiming the deuce spot and bringing Fellows with him. Fellows used the same spot four laps later to claim second, with Poland still 20 lengths ahead. By lap 23, the Croydon star was knocking at the door, again dropping low through one a lap later to take the lead and then drive away to earn his fifth victory in a row.

With Fellows celebrating his 40th birthday with another win, the 11-time track champ stayed perfect on the year. Poland finished his strong night’s work in second, with Bly close behind.

Brian Robie led all the way to score his second Pepsi Sportsman Modified feature in as many weeks. Matt Kimball was strong all night in the deuce spot, claiming the runner-up hardware by only a foot, as he held off an all-out last lap charge by points leader Todd Patnode.

Chris Riendeau, coming off his first win of the summer a week earlier, led the first ten go-rounds of the Casella Street Stock, holding off first Cody Schoolcraft and then Dave Greenslit until Greenslit inched past him on lap 11 after ten laps of wheel-to-wheel battle.
Greenslit, strong all season, would not be denied on this night, earning his first victory lap of the summer ahead of JImmy Renfrew Jr. and Riendeau. At press time, this finish was still unofficial.**

Jim Carley led the first 13 laps of the Pure Stock main event, losing a huge lead to a lap-seven caution and then watching Seth Melcher take control eight laps later. The pass of the night, though, belonged to Unity rookie Bruce Adams, whose last-lap pass netted him the runner-up finish and, with it, the divisional points lead. Carley, strong all night, came home third.

In the Six-Shooters, it was business as usual for hometown pilot Jeremy Blood, who took control on lap three and then drove away to stay undefeated in 2019 feature racing. Paul Colburn, who earlier won his heat race, took the checkers in second, and Chris Colburn earned the three-spot.

In a special Claremont Karting Series 25-lapper, 13-year-old Camryn Curtis of sleepy Baltimore, VT was anything but, racing under a blanket with Colton Martin to score the win in the caution-free event. Martin, 10, of Goshen, finished in his shadow to earn the runner-up hardware, and Branden Morrie, of Chester, VT, came home third.

Next Friday, June 14, the stars and cars of the Valenti Modified Racing Series will make their first of two ground-pounding stops this summer at Claremont Motorsports Park The New England Antique Racers will also be in action, along with five divisions of CMP weekly racing competition.
 
JUNE 7 FEATURE FINISHES:
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Aaron Fellows, Ben Poland, Ricky Bly, Robert Hagar, Ryan Bell, Eric Martell, Mark Blair.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIED: Brian Robie, Matt Kimball, Todd Patnode, Dana Smith, Mike Smith, Dylan Bodreau, Alyssa Rivera, Kenny Thompson.
**STREET STOCK  (official): Dave Greenslit, Chris Riendeau, Max Dolliver, Russ Davis, Larry Riendeau, Robbie Streeter, Briana Akusis, Raven Streeter, Cody Schoolcraft.
PURE STOCK: Seth Melcher, Bruce Adams, Jim Carley, Chris Carver, Tom Englehart, Kyle Templeton, Ken LaFont, Bruce Cantara Jr., Erin Aiken.
SIX-SHOOTER: Jeremy Blood, Paul Colburn, Chris Colburn, Eric Lanou.

By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Veteran Modsman Brian Robie stormed to his first win of the season Friday, May 31, at Claremont Motorsports Park, as did Ascutney’s favorite racing animal, Chris “The Weasel” Riendeau.

Riendeau, the third-mile speedplant’s winningest driver a year ago, topped the Casella Street Stock feature, while Robie earned his victory lap by dominating the Pepsi Sportsman Modified main event.

On the same five-division card, Pure Stock ace Kyle Templeton used his second feature win in as many weeks to move atop his division’s point standings, while both R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsman ace Aaron Fellows and Six-Shooter Jeremy Blood won for the fourth event in a row, Blood staying perfect on the young season by also topping his fourth qualifying race.

In the Modified main, Brian Robie and Dana Smith led the field to the green, with Robie quickly pouncing on the lead and then dashing off to score his first win of the season as he set a blistering pace over the final all-green 39 laps.
Smith, a two-time track champion, was strong all night in second, holding off hard-charging Todd Patnode to earn the deuce hardware. Patnode’s third-place run kept the Swanzey star atop the point standings.

Robert Hagar, fresh off a dominating heat race win, fired to the opening lead in the Late Model Sportsman main, with Aaron Fellows – from row two, powering past Ryan Bell to claim the deuce spot a lap later.

By lap three, Hagar, Fellows, and Ricky Bly ran nose-to-tail, maintaining that order until Fellows dove low through the east end of the track to take command on lap16. Once in front, the Croydon Comet never looked back, finding a fast rhythm as he rocketed off to his fourth win in as many weeks.

Hagar, strong all night, used his runner-up finish to move to second in the point standings, with Bly claiming the night’s three-spot. Ben Poland, who entered the night second in points, fell victim to someone else’s early-race jingle, finished eighth.

Starting Chris Riendeau up front in the Street Stock feature hardly seemed fair to the rest of the field but, after suffering numerous early season woes, the Ascutney star took full advantage of his new-found Friday fortunes to lead all the way en route to his first win of the summer.

Hometown hot shoe Dave Greenslit won an early-race battle with Max Doliver for the deuce spot and then steadily reeled Riendeau in to set up the best finish of the night. By lap 28, Greenslit was knocking, but Riendeau wasn’t opening the door.

They touched, gently, as they rode the bottom of turn three for the final time, with Greenslit coming up short by less than a carlength of victory. Points leader Jimmy Renfrew was third on the night, staying ahead of Greenslit in the points parade. Doliver came home fourth, and Larry Riendeau came all the way from row six to claim the five spot.

Like Riendeau, Pure Stock strongman Kyle Templeton had struggled in early season action. After winning a week ago, the hometown hot shoe proved that his week-three run was no fluke, leading all the way to top Friday’s 20-lapper by a landslide.

Newport’s Jim Carley, strong all night, earned the best-of-the-rest award, holding off rookie powerhouse Bruce Adams for second. Templeton’s heat and feature race wins moved him atop the leader board in the points chase.

In the Six-Shooters, it was all Jeremy Blood again. The hometown racer easily won both his heat and feature to remain perfect on the year. Chris Colburn was second, and Paul Colburn third.

Next Friday, June 7, Claremont Motorsports Park returns to action with a five-division card of racing at the Twin State Valley’s center of speed. The competitors of the Claremont Karting Series will also be on hand to participate in an exhibition event.
 
SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS: Brian Robie, Dana Smith, Todd Patnode, Scott MacMichael, Craig Smith, Dylan Bodreau, Alyssa Rivera, Kenny Thompson.
LATE MODEL SPORTSMEN: Aaron Fellows, Robert Hagar, Ricky Bly, Ryan Bell, Tyler Lescord, Mark Blair, Eric Martell, Ben Poland.
STREET STOCKS: Chris Riendeau, Dave Greenslit, Jimmy Renfrew, Max Doliver, Larry Riendeau, Briana Akusis, Robbie Streeter, Cody Schoolcraft, Raven Streeter, Travis Cass, Jeremy Whitcomb.
PURE STOCKS: Kyle Templeton, Jim Carley, Bruce Adams, Seth Melcher, Chris Carver, Dick Streeter.
SIX-SHOOTERS: Jeremy Blood, Chris Colburn, Paul Colburn.