By Gary Dutton
    
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Kodi Sabins won the Cody LaFont Memorial Race Friday, July 27, at Claremont Speedway, a victory that meant a ton to him, Putting together a third-place run in the first 25-lap go-round and then acing the nightcap, the Windsor hot shoe topped the second annual event run in honor of his fallen friend.
           
Earning his first victory lap of the summer, Kenny Thompson stormed to victory in the Pepsi Street Stock feature race, while third-generation star Dylan Bodreau made easy work of gobbling up the field en route to his second R.E. Hinkley Super Street win of the season, good enough to place him back atop his division’s points race after a dozen weeks of racing.
           
The Northeast Classic Lites series was in town Friday and Bay State star Robbie Bryant blasted through the field to lead the final 15 laps of the Full Moon event for the motorcycle-engine-powered missiles.
             
Bodreau started up front in the Super Street 40-lapper, firing alongside Tyler Lescord and immediately pulling away from all contenders. On this night, the hometown speedster was untouchbable but, far behind him, many battles were being waged.
           
Aaron Fellows and Ricky Bly, racing for third-place when the sparks flew, traded paint at both ends of the track at mid-race, both pitting and then returning but never again factors. Ben Poland’s strong bid for victory went awry on lap 24 and, in the closing go-rounds, Joe Brown and Craig Smith swapped enamel but, on this rain-threatened Friday night, Dylan Bodreau simply drove away.
           
Following the Claremont pilot into Daddy’s Pizza Victory Lane, Judge Joe Brown – who’d arrived at the track too late to run a heat race - came home second, with Craig Smith just inches behind. Tyler Lescord’s strong run netted him the fourth-place finish, and steady Alex Poisson came home fifth.
           
In the first T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcat 25-lapper – round one of the twin Cody LaFont Memorial 25s – Zach Lyn started in row two, immediately grabbed the point and – as he’s done many times over the past few years – sped away to victory.
           
Kyle Templeton chased Lyn under the flags in second, and Kodi Sabins came home third, putting himself in good position to later earn the over-all victory. Lyn, for winning the first 25-lap segment, earned a $100 bonus.
           
Chris Davis and Chris Riendeau – the Ascutney pilot doing double duty on the night – led early in the second 25-lap go-round, with Sabins reeling Riendeau in on lap five, dropping him to seconds five circuits later, and then running out the event from the point to earn the overall top prize. Templeton was second on the night, Lyn third, with Davis and Seth Melcher rounding out the top five.
           
Street Stocker Kenny Thompson had victory in his grasp when it was punted away from him in his heat race Friday. In the night’s feature, he was taking no chances.
           
Starting up front the Alstead teen never looked back, rocketing to his first win of the summer, then joined in Daddy’s Pizza Victory Lane by runner-up Dave Greenslit and number three man Lenny Silver.
           
Chris Riendeau’s fourth-place run brought him to within a single point of Bryan Town, eighth on the night after earlier winning his qualifying race. Briana Akusis hard work earned the teen driver the fifth-place finish. 
           
Next Friday, August 3, Claremont Speedway returns to action with a full card of Super Street, Street Stock, and Wildcat racing. Round two of the popular Spectator Drags will be held, along with Big Wheel racing for the children, personal bicycle helmets required. Post time is 7 p.m.

JACK IS BACK! If competition atop the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets isn’t tough enough already, 2016 track champion Jack McClay will be back in action Friday after recovering from surgery earlier this summer. For more information on this and all other events, please visit www.claremontspeedway.net.
 
CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY JULY 27 TOP TENS:
SUPER STREET: Dylan Bodreau, Joe Brown, Craig Smith, Tyler Lescord, Alex Poisson, Mark McClay, Ricky Bly, Tyler Searles, Aaron Fellows, Allen Fellows.
STREET STOCK: Kenny Thompson, Dave Greenslit, Lenny Silver, Chris Riendeau, Briana Akusis, Robbie Streeter, Nick Little, Bryan Town, Chris Colburn.
WILDCAT: Kodi Sabins, Kyle Templeton, Zach Lyn, Chris Davis, Seth Melcher, Chris Riendeau, Victor Branch, Zach Morse, Haydon Grenier, Chris Carver.

Photos courtesy of Tyke Matheson

The last of three extra distance events for the T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcat division is next Friday night, July 27, and it will be run in memory of a former driver of the division. The 2nd Annual Cody LaFont Memorial Twin 25’s will boast nearly $ 4,000 in purse offerings including several race winner bonuses for the 4-cylinder division at Claremont Speedway. This event was created by the LaFont family to serve as a remembrance of their son and a race bearing his name at the place he treasured most was the best way to do so.

The race itself will continue to be two 25-lap segment events. The best average overall finisher of the two segment events will be declared the event winner and will pocket a minimum of $ 600 for their efforts. Each segment winner will also receive a $ 100 bonus as part of the total purse. There are also two $ 50 heat race winner bonuses. With a full field set at 24 cars, drivers will need to qualify through heat races to make the segment portion of the event. In addition, race teams will need to register with the speedway if they have not already.

Cody LaFont Memorial Twin 25's
Total Purse: $ 3,875
Segment Winner Bonus: $ 100 (x 2)
Heat Race Winner Bonus: $ 50 (x 2) donated by Kenny Silva
1 - $ 600 ($ 500 plus $ 100 donated by Kenny Silva)
2 - $ 350
3 - $ 275
4 - $ 200
5 - $ 175
6 - $ 150
7 - $ 125
8-24 - $ 100
 
Last year, 18 drivers participated in the augural event with 2016 champion Kodi Sabins sweeping both segment races for the overall win. 2017 champion Zach Lyn finished second while Matt Gauffin was third. Lyn is the current points leader at Claremont and Gauffin at Monadnock Speedway in the Lightning Stock division. The T-Bird Mini Mart Wildcat division has seen seven different feature winners this season in eleven events with four grabbing their first-career feature win.

The purse additions were made possible through the generous sponsorships from the LaFont family, Blue Springs Ice, Kidder’s Automotive, Gomer’s Trucking, Joe’s Family Car Care, Rich’s Lawn Care, Wade’s Ice Cream, Mercedes West Photograph, Andrew Lapointe Carpentry, B&B Campers, Marro’s Home Center and the Mill Pond River Pigs.
 
Speedway registrations forms and divisional rules can be obtained on the speedway's website while questions concerning the event can be directed to track officials by email or message.
 

By Gary Dutton
           
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Ricky Bly earned his first checkered flag lap of the season, Wildcat rookie Jon Alden won his first ever, and the Chris Riendeau Express kept rolling Friday, July 13, at Claremont Speedway.
           
Bly won one segment of the prestigious Mike Richardson Sr. Memorial Super Street race and crossed the finish line third in the nightcap to claim the overall victory in the 75-lap event. The non-points race was the Sunapee speedster’s first score of the summer, although he currently sits atop the Super Street points parade as the speedway enters its annual summer break week.
           
The 17-year-old Alden led the final 22 laps of the Wildcat feature to score his first career feature win ten carlengths ahead of Zach Morse. With the win, the North Springfield, VT rookie became the fourth Wildcat driver in as many weeks to earn his first victory, joining Kyle Templeton, Kyle Buck, and Victor Branch as first-time winners.
           
Riendeau’s points-sweeping night – he won both the Street Stock feature and heat race – brought the Ascutney star to within four points of division leader Bryan Town. It was Riendeau’s fifth victory of the summer, tying him with Super Streeter Aaron Fellows for most wins.
           
Aaron Fellows set fast time, turning a 15.223 lap to earn the pole in the first 35-lap segment of the Richardson Memorial Super Street event, firing alongside his cousin, Craig Smith, whose 15.227 effort placed him on the front row. Dylan Bodreau and Hayden Scott made up row two of the 18-car field.
           
Ricky Bly, diving low through turn one, ended Bodreau’s 18-lap run at the front on lap 31, then holding the Claremont hot shoe in his shadow over the final four laps to score the win. Craig Smith followed them under the checkers as the trio hit the stripe nose-to-tail. Scott was fourth in the 35-lap go-round, and Fellows was fifth.
           
In the 40-lap nightcap, Allen Fellows set fast time the first two trips around, giving way to Ben Poland on lap three, with son Aaron following Poland forward to claim the deuce. Five laps later, Aaron had the lead and once in front, the younger Fellows never looked back.
           
Craig Smith, who’d qualified in a second car after his night’s planned ride broke during practice, got up for second on lap 26 but a very savvy Bly, knowing what he needed to claim the overall top prize, cruised in third the final seven laps, earning his first win of the year in the no-points event.
           
Hometown pilots Dylan Bodreau and Joe Brown came home fourth and fifth respectively, in both the second segment and overall finish of the Richardson Memorial.
           
Rookie Robbie Streeter led the first two go-rounds of the Street Stock feature, then giving way to a very fast Chris Colburn. Chris Riendeau made it his race, though, on lap seven, taking the lead and then driving away from the field to score his fifth win in eleven 2018 events.
           
Colburn, strong all night, earned the runner-up finish, Dave Greenslit was third, Lenny Silver fourth, and Bryan Town came home fifth to maintain his divisional points lead at the halfway mark of the season.
           
Firing from row three, rookie pilot Jon Alden took the lead on lap four of the Wildcat 25-lapper and never looked back. Zach Morse, bidding for his first win, settled for a strong second, ten lengths behind Alden. Kyle Templeton earned the third-place hardware just ahead of Zach Lyn, and Kyle Buck came home fifth.
           
Lyn, although winless in more than a month, continued to be the gold standard in the four-holer class, maintaining a 70-point lead over Alden at the mid-summer break.
           
Claremont Speedway Thrasher Road speedplant will return to action on July 27, when the North East Classic Lites join the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets, Pepsi Street Stocks, and T-Bird Mini Mart Wild Cats in a full card of oval track action.
           
For more information, please visit www.claremontspeedway.net.
 
CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY TOP TENS, JULY 13:
 
SUPER STREET, 75-lap combined finish.: Ricky Bly, Craig Smith, Aaron Fellows, Dylan Bodreau, Joe Brown, Alex Poisson, Ben Poland, Hayden Scott, Tyler Lescord,
Allen Fellows. SEGMENT WINNERS: Ricky Bly, Aaron Fellows.
 
STREET STOCK: Chris Riendeau, Chris Colburn, Dave Greenslit, Lenny Silver, Bryan Town, Kenny Thompson, Briana Akusis, Nick Little, Dave Donahue, Robbie Streeter.
 
WILDCAT: Jon Alden, Zach Morse, Kyle Templeton, Zach Lyn, Kyle Buck, Victor Branch, Sam Giveens, Raven Streeter, Haydon Grenier, Seth Melcher. 

Photos by Linda and Tyke Matheson

With 10 races in the books on the 2018 race season, the R.E. Hinkley Super Streets have their final extra distance race of the season this Friday night with the running of the Mike Richardson Sr. Memorial Race. With 75 total green flag laps, an added $ 3,400 to the normal purse structure as well as $ 800 in additional race bonuses in this non-points event, this race is one that should not be missed.

The starting grid is determined by a two-lap qualification period in place of heat races. The first segment race will be 35 laps in length. Points will be awarded based on finishing position (1=1, 2=2, etc.) In the second segment race of 40 green flag laps, starting positions 10 through 1 will be inverted based on their finish in the first segment. The remainder will start where they originally finished the first segment.

The overall winner is the driver with the lowest point total. Should two drivers have the same point total after two races, the second race will serve as the tiebreaker to determine finishing position.

These amounts will also be added to the normal purse:

1- $ 800
2- $ 400
3- $ 275
4- $ 225
5- $ 200
6- $ 150
7- $ 150
8- $ 150
9- $ 150
10- $ 150
11- $ 100
12- $ 100
13- $ 100
14- $ 100
15- $ 100
16 - $ 50
17- $ 50
18- $ 50
19- $ 50
20- $ 50

Pole Award Bonus - $ 100
Lap 12 Leader Bonus - $ 500
Lap 35 Leader Bonus - $ 100
Hard Luck Award Bonus - $ 100

Ricky Bly and Hayden Scott were  the winner of this event the past two seasons in a different race format.

By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Aaron Fellows rocketed to his fifth win of the summer, Chris Riendeau won an epic battle with Bryan Town to score his fourth victory, and Newport teen Victor Branch earned his first career checkered flag lap Friday, July 6, at Claremont Speedway.
The 15-year-old Branch, in fact, was the third Wildcat driver in as many weeks to score a career-first feature win, wiring the four-holer 35-lapper to join recent victors Kyle Buck and Kyle Templeton as first-time winners.

Ricky Bly is finally solving the mystery that has been the 2017 track champion’s new car. Friday, the Sunapee speedster moved to the top of the points parade, taking the checkers in Aaron Fellows’ shadow. Fellows, meanwhile, who’s had a feast-or-famine ten-week run, used Friday’s fifth-of-the-summer victory to move to within striking distance of the top of the leader board; bad news for the rest of the field.

Alex Poisson and Ryan Currier swapped the lead early in Friday’s Super Street 50-lapper, with Ben Poland taking charge on lap ten. Fellows quickly pulled up to Poland’s bumper, content to ride there until the Charlestown hot shoe slowed in a spray of sparks on lap 27.
Bly was quick to follow Fellows to the point on lap 28 but, other than a complimentary hey-I’m-back-here-if-you-need-me tap on lap 37, had to content himself with scoring the strong runner-up finish. Dylan Bodreau continued his strong season with his third-place run, Joe Brown was fourth, and Hayden Scott came home fifth.

If the fireworks that filled the speedway skyline after the races were spectacular – they were – the action over the final 15 laps of the Street Stock feature wasn’t bad either.

Chris Riendeau was the fourth man to the point – Chris Colburn, Joe Tetreault, and Bryan Town preceded him there – and once he’d caught Town up front on their 25th go-round, the two three-feature winners put on a show.

They raced side-by-side, they battled nose-to-tail. The exit turns grew narrow, the sparks flew and paint was traded; it was a classic. In the end, it was Riendeau earning his fourth victory lap; Town, with the blockbuster runner-up finish and another heat race victory going home still atop the points parade, and Tetreault – with the best seat in the house – claiming the third-place hardware.
         
Raven Streeter and Sam Giveen led the Wildcats to the green, but it was Victor Branch – firing from row two – jumping all over the lap-one lead and then never looking back as he sped off to his first career win.
           
Kyle Templeton grabbed second on a lap-nine restart, and points leader Zach Lyn took third from Giveen on the 20th go-round but Friday, Branch appeared untouchable. Only a caution could keep him from victory on this night.
           
That caution appeared on lap 34, bringing the field back to Branch’s bumper but the youthful pilot was up to the challenge, leading Lyn under the checkers, with Templeton close behind in third. Kyle Buck was strong in fourth, and Jon Alden came home fifth.
           
Next Friday, July 13, night’s event at Claremont Speedway is a big one, as the Super Streets square off in a multi-segment, added purse 75-lap event, the annual Richardson Memorial Race. The Street Stocks and Wildcats will also be in action, with post time set for 7 p.m.
           
Fans are reminded that there will be no racing at the speedway on July 20, as the third-mile oval observes its annual summer break. Racing will resume on July 27. For more information, please visit www.claremontspeedway.net.
 
CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY JUNE 6 TOP TENS:
SUPER STREET: Aaron Fellows, Ricky Bly, Dylan Bodreau, Joe Brown, Hayden Scott, Alex Poisson, Craig M Smith, Tyler Searles, Tyler Lescord, Ken Fowler.

STREET STOCK: Chris Riendeau, Bryan Town, Joe Tetreault, Lenny Silver, Dave Greenslit, Chris Colburn, Briana Akusis, Robbie Streeter, Kenny Thompson, Mike Salois.

WILDCAT: Victor Branch, Zach Lyn, Kyle Templeton, Kyle Buck, Jon Alden, Sam Giveen, Raven Streeter, Jim Carley, Chris Carver, Hayden Grenier.

 By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Joe Brown slammed the pedal to the floor early Friday night at Claremont Speedway, kept it buried for 40 laps, and completed the task that had barely eluded him a few weeks past, as the hometown hot shoe won his career-first Super Street feature at the Thrasher Road speedplant.

Not to be outdone, Wildcat speedster Kyle Buck also earned his first victory lap Friday, dominating the four-holer feature to become his division’s second career-first winner in as many weeks.

But, while both Brown and Buck crafted first-ever successes Friday, Street Stock strongman Bryan Town busied himself doing what he’s done often in 2018; storming to victory lane.

Town’s Friday night score was his third feature triumph of the summer. He’s also won eight of nine heat races he’s entered and, but for a couple of wrong-place, wrong-time incidents, would probably be a five-time feature winner already. He is currently 22 points ahead of Chris Riendeau in the point parade.

Brown, firing from row one, led Ken Fowler early in the Super Street 40-lapper, with Alex Poisson charging forward to take the deuce on lap five before giving way to Ben Poland four go-rounds later. Points leader Craig Smith roared into third on lap ten, bringing his cousin, four-time 2018 winner Aaron Fellows with him.

Smith would claim second on lap 22, with Fellows following him through the low groove for third. Then ten lengths behind Brown, they would reel him in to race nose-to-tail behind him over much of their final eight trips around the third-mile but this night was Brown’s.

Taking one last shot at the opportunity set up by a lapped car, Smith rocketed low along the frontchute as the checkers waved, coming up a half length shy of Brown and, although still winless on the season, adding to his points lead with the night’s runner-up finish. With Fellows strong in third, Poland completed his strong night’s work in fourth.

Ricky Bly, still winless as he defends his 2017 track crown, came home fifth on the night, good enough to move him up to second in the points parade, 31 markers behind Smith with a full half-season still ahead. Brown and Poland won the night’s qualifying races.

Winless after eight events and sitting 12th in the Wildcat points parade, Kyle Buck added lots of sparkle to his season Friday, leading all the way to claim his first-ever victory far ahead of the rest of the field.

Rookie Jon Alden, himself bidding for win number one, held the deuce position all the way but, on this night, his hard work would net him the impressive runner-up finish, just ahead of fellow freshman Kyle Templeton, himself a first-time winner a week earlier. Victor Branch earned the four-spot, with Sam Giveen coming home fifth.
 
Second-generation Alstead hot shoe Kenny Thompson led the first ten go-rounds of the Street Stock feature, racing under a blanket with Chris Riendeau until the 25-lapper’s only caution bunched the field, giving Bryan Town all the chance he’d need on the ensuing restart, as he took control on the backchute, bringing Joe Tetreault with him and dropping Thompson to third.
           
Once at the point, Town had all bases covered, taking the checkers four lengths ahead of Tetreault, with Thompson a distant third, winning a strong three-car race over Riendeau and Dave Greenslit.
           
Next Friday, July 6, Claremont Speedway will celebrate Independence Day with its annual fireworks extravaganza. The Super Streets, Street Stocks, and Wild Cats will each contest extra-distance feature events, with the night’s racing action followed by a large aerial fireworks display.
           
Post time at Claremont Speedway is 7 p.m., with each event rain-dated to the following night as necessitated by inclement weather. For more information, please visit www.claremontpspeedway.net.
 
CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY JUNE 29 TOP TEN RESULTS:
SUPER STREET: Joe Brown, Craig Smith, Aaron Fellows, Ben Poland, Ricky Bly, Alex Poisson, Hayden Scott, Mark McClay, Craig M. Smith, Ken Fowler.
STREET STOCK: Bryan Town, Joe Tetreault, Kenny Thompson, Chris Riendeau, Dave Greenslit, Lenny Silver, Robbie Streeter, Briana Akusis, Chris Colburn, Nick Little.
WILDCAT: Kyle Buck, Jon Alden, Kyle Templeton, Victor Branch, Sam Giveen, Kyle Currier, Raven Streeter, Jim Carley, Chris Carver, Zach Lyn.