By Gary Dutton
Photos by Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – Ben Poland wrapped up his first career Late Model Sportsman championship Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park, securing the 2021 crown by rocketing to victory in the first of two NHSTRA Race For The Ring 35-lappers. On an autumn-cold, sometimes slippery racing surface, Poland was red hot. The Charlestown charger finished the second go-round in Jimmy Renfrew’s shadow, as he joined a long list of champions in the 70-year history of the fabled Thrasher Road speedplant. Often the bridesmaid during Aaron Fellows’ two recent storybook seasons, Poland now has a crown of his own. And while there were no first-time winners on the 18th completed event of the summer, there were numerous highlight performances, none better than that of Pure Stocker Andrea St. Amour. Mark McClay was in a class of his own Friday, blasting to victory in the Pure Stock 25-lapper to win his second victory lap of the season. St. Amour, who’d earlier won her heat race, led the first 11 laps, then outraced a virtual All Star cast including Dylan Zullo, Nick Houle and Nolan McClay to earn the runner-up hardware. In the R.E.Hinkley Street Stocks, Cody Schoolcraft, not ready to concede the 2021 championship to points leader Dave Greenslit, took the lead from Jeremy Zullo on lap nine and then soared off to victory for the third time this summer. Greenslit finished the event glued to Schoolcraft’s bumper, while Zullo finished his best run of the season a close third in the 19-car field, establishing himself as a top contender when the storming Streeters return to action on Championship Night in two weeks. With Race For The Ring points leader Bryan Kruzek not in the house Friday, Poland and Renfrew dominated the LMS twinbill. Hayden Scott was strong in third in the first 35, just ahead of Ryan Bell, with the potent pair then trading positions in the nightcap. Frankie Eldridge, quiet Friday night, remained atop the series points parade. If anyone still thought Brayden Morrie’s Mini Stock win back on August 20 was a fluke, they can put that thought to rest. Morrie blasted to victory again Friday, trophying for the fourth week in a row. Ryan Carman led for 11 laps Friday before finishing second at Morrie’s bumper, while eleven-time winner Haydon Grenier will still be crowned champion on September 24 despite falling to mechanical woes Friday. Sixteen and counting. Dustin Thibodeau kept the bounty hounds away again Friday, taking the lead from Robert Shaw on lap 13 of the caution-free Six Shooter feature and blasting off to victory. Shaw’s second-place finish was his first of two top-three outings Friday, later adding a strong run in the Red Neck 50-lapper. Don’t bet against Drake Nelson! The second-generation whirling dervish stayed unbeaten on the year Friday, winning his fifth consecutive Red Neck Enduro 50-lapper in the show’s nightcap event. Mr. Enduro himself, Leon Keniston, was the runner-up in the 34-car field. Claremont Motorsports Park will be silent next Friday, September 17, but returns to action with a blockbuster two-day weekend with its 2021 Championship Night event on September 24 and then the huge rescheduled Modified Racing Series 75, Richard Tetreault 73 on Saturday, September 25. CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK SEPTEMBER 10 TOP TENS LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN 1st 35-LAP FEATURE: Ben Poland, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Hayden Scott, Ryan Bell, Cam Curtis, Justin Littlewood, Ricky Bly, Ryan Currier, Frankie Eldridge, Joe Bates. LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN 2nd 35-LAP FEATURE: Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Ben Poland, Ryan Bell, Hayden Scott, Cam Curtis, Frankie Eldridge, Cole Littlewood, Justin Littlewood, Jack McClay, Joe Bates. STREET STOCK: Cody Schoolcraft, Dave Greenslit, Jeremy Zullo, Briana Akusis, Scott Wade, Robert Hagar, Milton Duran, Erik Smith, Trevor Rocke, Mike Salois. PURE STOCK: Mark McClay, Andrea St. Amour, Dylan Zullo, Nick Houle, Nolan McClay, Travis Sykes, JD Stockwell, Kyle Templeton, Jake Fowler, Carlos Grenier. MINI STOCK: Brayden Morrie, Ryan Carman, Chris Judd, Nick Houle, Richard Stockwell, Joe Olmstread, Dave Thibodeau, Mason Prouty, Dan Young, David Pratt III. SIX SHOOTER: Dustin Thibodeau, Robert Shaw, John Thibodeau, Lucas Bernatchy, Chooch Snide, Marc Laroche, Andy LeClair. RED NECK ENDURO: Drake Nelson, Leon Keniston, Robert Shaw, Dennis Bren, Xander Stillwell. 
By Gary Dutton
Photos By Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H.- Matt Sonnhalter won the 50-lap main event Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park, while both Ben Poland and rookie Dylan Zullo moved closer to clinching their first career championships at the storied asphalt oval. Sonnhalter topped the 50-lap NHSTRA Mini Stock Battle For The Belt feature Friday. Former track champ Kyle Templeton earned his first victory lap of the summer, becoming the eighth different Pure Stock winner of the 2021 campaign, and Robert Hagar powered to his second victory of the season in the highly competitive Streets Stocks. Poland’s eighth Late Model Sportsman feature win helped the Charlestown charger close in on his first track title, while 2020 Six Shooter champ Dustin Thibodeau blasted off to another time zone Friday, winning for the 15th time in 17 completed events. Mini Stock Belt series kingpin Emerson Cayer looked unstoppable in the night’s main event, taking the lead from Brayden Morrie on lap four and then quickly checking out on the field. But an oil leak would sideline the Contoocook ace on lap 24, moving Morrie back to the point, with Sonnhalter nipping at his heels. Hometrack strongman Haydon Grenier was a quick DNF in this one, falling to mechanical failure on lap two, and with Cayer and Berlin’s Cody Leblanc behind the pit wall and Monadnock blaster Gordon Farnum at the back after pitting for fresh rubber, a 26-lap shootout between Sonnhalter and Morrie was on. The Green Mountain powerhouse held strong to notch his first CMP victory lap of the year, with Morrie – victorious here two weeks earlier – strong in second. Outside invader Jonathan Fultz quietly stayed in the hunt all night to claim third, and Farnum came back through the field for fourth Back at mid-season, Robert Hagar and Jack McClay traded both cars and divisions, with Hagar moving from the LMS class to Street Stocks. There’s little doubt as to who got the best of that deal. Friday, Hagar set a new track R.E. Hinkley Oil Company Street Stock record in time trials, and then wired the 25-lap feature for his second win in a row. The best battle in this one was between Kenny Thompson and Dave Greenslit for second, with Thompson earning runner-up honors just inches ahead of the division points leader. Cody Schoolcraft was a close fourth, with Bryan Town wheeling the Greenslit back-up ride to fifth. Nolan McClay and Kyle Templeton were both dominant in winning their Pure Stock heat races Friday, and both carried that edge into the feature race. Templeton took the lead from McClay on lap seven of the 25-lap main event and never looked back en route to his first win of the summer. Rookie sensation Dylan Zullo, firing from row six, got up for second on lap 22 and took the runner-up checkers just ahead of McClay to hike his divisional points lead to 106 markers ahead of Nick Zullo, fifth Friday behind last week’s winner JD Stockwell. Run caution-free, the Route 103 Auto LMS feature went quickly into the books, with no one quicker than Ben Poland, who wired the event for his eighth victory of the summer. Ryan Bell was strong all the way for second, with former track champ Ricky Bly third on the night. A few weeks back, CMP promoter Mike Parks put a bounty up for grabs to anyone who could derail Six Shooter Dustin Thibodeau’s fantastic winning streak. You’d think Thibodeau was protecting his own money! Friday, he took the lead from his father, John, on lap ten and drove away. The elder Thibodeau held strong in second, with Robert Shaw powering to third, just ahead of the winner’s brother, Bucky, in a reversal of last week’s three-four finish. After completing its busy two-race Labor Day weekend schedule, CMP returns to action next Friday, September 10, with an NHSTRA Late Model Sportsman Race For The Ring event atop a five-division weekly racing series card of competition plus a Red Neck Enduro 50-lapper. CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK SEPTEMBER 3 TOP TENS MINI STOCK, 50-lap Battle For The Belt Race: Matt Sonnhalter, Brayden Morrie, Jonathan Fultz, Gordon Farnum, Ricky Fisette, Ray King, Joe Olmstead, Ryan Carman, Pat Houle, David Pratt III. STREET STOCK: Robert Hagar, Kenny Thompson, Dave Greenslit, Cody Schoolcraft, Bryan Town, Joe Tetreault, Briana Akusis, Jeremy Zullo, Robbie Streeter, Trevor Rocke. LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Ben Poland, Ryan Bell, Ricky Bly, Hayden Scott, Jack McClay, Matt Winter, Steve Bly, Zach Jewett, Tyler Lescord. PURE STOCK: Kyle Templeton, Dylan Zullo, Nolan McClay, JD Stockwell, Nick Houle, Travis Sykes, Zach Richardson, Drake Nelson, Doug Nelson, Amy Jaycox. SIX SHOOTER: Dustin Thibodeau, John Thibodeau, Robert Shaw, Bucky Thibodeau, Marc Laroche, Lucas Bernatchy, Chooch Snide, Xander Stillwell. 
By Gary Dutton
Photos By Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – Todd Patnode has had an abundance of big nights in three decades of racing, most of those battles waged against the best competition in New England. Friday, Patnode added to that long list of major scores, sweeping an NHSTRA Modified Quest For The Cup twinbill at Claremont Motorsports Park. But if Patnode’s was a night to remember, no one left the track happier than JD Stockwell. The ultra-likeable Bay State 14-year-old outraced a 26-car field to score his career-first CMP feature win in the night’s Pure Stock 25-lapper. Ben Poland made a huge jump toward his first-ever Late Model Sportsman championship. His seventh LMS win of the summer, and second in a row, coupled with Ricky Bly’s absence, placed the Charlestown charger comfortably atop of the 2021 title race. In a best-of-Claremont versus best-of-Monadnock duel, Haydon Grenier edged Gordon Farnum to score his tenth 2021 Mini Stock victory at the Thrasher Road speedplant, while promoter Mike Parks got to keep his posted $100 bounty money for another week when Six Shooter wizard Dustin Thibodeau rocketed to victory number 14. Patnode, who also set fast time in qualifying, led all the way in the opening Modified 35-lapper and then patiently worked his way from the back of the pack to lead the final 15 go-rounds of the nightcap. His twinbill sweep, his second in a row at Claremont, moved him to the top of the leaderboard in the NHSTRA Cup points chase, ten markers ahead of Matt Kimball, a crash victim in round two. Geoff Rollins was second in round one, one spot better than Kimball, while George Helliwell pitted out of second for fresh rubber on lap 29 of the nightcap, moving Walt Hammond up to the deuce spot. Andrew Martell, who struggled mightily in round one, quietly claimed third in round two, and Kimball dropped out of the series’ points lead after finishing tenth. Seth Melcher, dominant in winning his earlier heat race, led the first 13 laps of the Pure Stock feature. But when his car then loosened abruptly, Stockwell was quick to pounce. Leading the rest of the way, he took the checkers just ahead of fellow teen Dylan Zullo – the divisional points leader - and Zach Richardson, who rocketed out of the final turn to swipe third from Kyle Templeton. Nick Houle’s forgettable night netted him eighth. Poland took first from Ryan Bell on lap five of LMS feature and the two then staged an epic battle, racing door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper the rest of the way in a great match up. Hayden Scott, an infrequent runner this summer at CMP, was strong in third. Joe Olmstead led the first 18 laps of the Mini Stock main. Grenier then took charge, bringing Farnum with him, and held the Monadnock star in his shadow the rest of the way. Brayden Morrie, a first-time feature winner a week earlier, was impressive in third Friday. And Dustin Thibodeau, what can you say? The defending track Six Shooter champion took the lead from his father, John, on lap eight and then drove away. With Dustin’s father John second, and brother Bucky third on the night, Friday’s top-three marked the third 2021 sweep of podium finishes by the family Thibodeau. Like the Mini Stocks, the Six Shooters raced caution-free Friday, quickly putting their event-16 20-lapper to rest. Claremont Motorsports Park will return to action next Friday, September 3, when the legendary oval hosts the first of two big Labor Day weekend events. An NHSTRA Mini Stock Battle For The Belt race is on tap Friday, along with a full card of Late Model Sportsman, Street Stock, Pure Stock, and Six Shooter events. CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK AUGUST 27 TOP TENS MODIFIED, Feature 1: Todd Patnode, Geoff Rollins, Matt Kimball, Cory Plummer, George Helliwell, Walt Hammond, Tyler Leary, Brad Zahensky, Cole Littlewood, Mike Smith. MODIFIED, Feature 2: Todd Patnode, Walt Hammond, Andrew Martell, Geoff Rollins, Brad Zahensky, Tyler Leary, George Helliwell, Cole Littlewood, Craig Smith, Matt Kimball. LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Ben Poland, Ryan Bell, Hayden Scott, Ryan Currier, Alyssa Rivera, Steve Bly, Matt Winter, Jesse Emerson, Cory Bly, Jack McClay. MINI STOCK: Haydon Grenier, Gordon Farnum, Brayden Morrie, Joe Olmstead, Ryan Carman, Louie Maher, Chris Judd, Pat Houle, Dave Thibodeau, Sean Lantas. PURE STOCK: JD Stockwell, Dylan Zullo, Zach Richardson, Kyle Templeton, Nolan McClay, Mark McClay, Amy Jaycox, Nick Houle, Justin Cousino, Andrea St. Amour. SIX SHOOTER: Dustin Thibodeau, John Thibodeau, Bucky Thibodeau, Robert Shaw, Marc Laroche, Lucas Bernatchy, Chooch Snide, Jeremy Blood, Andy LaClair, Xander Stillwell. 
By Gary Dutton
Photo by Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – Imagine, if you will, making a hard left turn at 108 miles per hour. With Claremont’s finest radaring on the backchute, Bay State rocketman Jon McKennedy did it Friday on Claremont Motorsports Park’s tricky one-third mile oval. The ISMA SuperModified pilot turned a practice lap of 11.812 seconds Friday at CMP, shattering the 74-year-old speedway’s all time lap speed record by two seconds - that set in a Tour Type Modified - then almost eclipsed it later with an 11.827 lap in heavy traffic in the 75-lap main event. But, while McKennedy had the large crowd in awe, he wasn’t Friday’s only top achiever. Robert Hagar won his first of the summer in the Street Stocks, and Braden Morrie earned his first career checkered flag lap in the Mini Stocks. Rookie Pure Stock sensation Dylan Zullo boosted his points lead with his fourth 2021 victory romp. Dustin Thibodeau outran the bounty hunters to win his 13th Six Shooter feature, and both Andrea St Amour and Nathan LeClair trophied for the first time, although St. Amour had previously topped a “B”feature. Front-row starter Chris Perley led the first 24 go-rounds of the ISMA 75-lapper, but the dominant McKennedy was just biding his time. The Chelmsford, Mass. superstar led twice, including the final 43 laps, to win easily. Empire Stater Otto Sitterly guided the chief pursuit car for much of the second half of the night’s main event, but Anthony Nocella – who, like McKennedy, brought valuable Modified lap time at Claremont to the event – came home second. Ben Seitz was third, with Sitterly and polesitter Dan Bowes rounding out the top five. Rupert Thompson led early in the Street Stock main, with Hagar taking the top spot on lap nine and never looking back. CMP’s reigning King of The Streets, Dave Greenslit made a furious last-lap charge to nip Cody Schoolcraft for second. In earlier time trials, Schoolcraft had set a new Street Stock lap time record. Bruce Jaycox, having his best run of the summer in the Pure Stocks, led early in the night’s 25-lap feature but Zullo, strong and steady but winless since June 25, was on a mission. Roaring from row six, he blasted into third on lap five, second two laps later, and then took charge on lap ten, quickly driving off to win by a country mile. Three-time winner Nick Houle, second in the points parade, flexed some late-race muscle to earn the runner-up hardware, while St. Amour outdistanced some stout competition to take the checkers in third. Braden Morrie took the lead from Ryan Carman on lap three in the Minis and never looked back. Haydon Grenier did his best to extend his months-long winning streak but, on this night, settled for a close second. Carman, strong all night, came home third. With a $100 bounty on Dustin Thibodeau’s head in the Six Shooter feature there were some hungry warriors who went to battle Friday night, nobody more focused on the prize than frequent number two man Robert Shaw. Shaw got to the point on lap two but a patient Thibodeau said “not tonight fellas,” taking charge on lap ten and then simply driving off to a different time zone ahead of Shaw and Nathan LeClair Hagar and Morrie were the 24th and 25th feature winners in 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series events through fifteen completed full events at CMP. The Street Stock and Pure Stock divisions have each produced six unique winners, while defending 2020 Six Shooter champ Dustin Thibodeau is tops with 13 victories this summer. Claremont Motorsports Park continues its march toward the 2021 championships next Friday, August 27, when the Thrasher Road speedplant hosts twin 35-lap NHSTRA Modified features, along with a full card of Late Model Sportsman, Mini Stock, Pure Stock, and Six Shooter racing. Post time is 7 p.m. CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK AUGUST 20 TOP TENS STREET STOCK: Robert Hagar, Dave Greenslit, Cody Schoolcraft, Chris Riendeau, Briana Akusis, Brian Robie, Kenny Thompson, Joe Tetreault, Jeremy Zullo, Trevor Rocke. PURE STOCK: Dylan Zullo, Nick Houle, Andrea St. Amour, Zach Richardson, Travis Sykes, Jacob Fowler, Mark Snide, Bruce Jaycox, Carlos Grenier, Jim Rhodes. MINI STOCK: Braden Morrie, Haydon Grenier, Ryan Carman, Joe Olmstead, Pat Houle, Mason Prouty, Sean Lantas, David Thibodeau, Dan Young, David Pratt III. SIX SHOOTER: Dustin Thibodeau, Robert Shaw, Nathan LeClair, Bucky Thibodeau, John Thibodeau, Lucas Bernatchy, Steve Miller, Marc Laroche, Andy LaClair. ISMA SUPERMODIFIED: Jon McKennedy, Anthony Nocella, Ben Seitz, Otto Sitterly, Dan Bowes, Russ Wood, Ryan Lock, Moe Lilje, Chris Perley, Dave Helliwell, Kenny White Jr.  By Gary Dutton
Photo By Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – The fastest cars on asphalt are coming to Claremont Motorsports Park Friday night, when the lightening-quick ISMA Supermodifieds invade the third-mile speedplant atop a five-division card of racing. What has more than 900 horsepower, weighs only 1,850 pounds, burns methanol fuel and sizzles around racetracks on a winged, offset chassis? An ISMA Supermodified, and there’ll be a strong field of them competing in Friday’s 75-lap main event at the storied Thrasher Road oval. Empire State superstar Otto Sitterly, a nine time Supermod champ at New York’s legendary Oswego Speedway, fresh off his recent Ollie Silva Memorial win at Lee, will lead the open-wheeled missiles into Claremont, but he’ll be strongly tested in Friday’s biggie by the likes of Jon McKennedy, - the winner back in June at Monadnock – Moe Litje, Mike Ordway Jr., Anthony Nocella, Ben Seitz, and Russ Wood. The R.E. Hinkley Oil Street Stocks will also be in action Friday, along with the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stocks, In City Sugar Shack Mini Stocks, and Avery Insurance Six Shooters. While 2020 Six Shooter champ Dustin Thibodeau has already earned a dozen victory laps this summer, Friday’s feature should be a wild one, as CMP promoter Mike Parks has posted a $100 bounty on the surging Thibodeau, up for grabs to whoever can beat him in Friday’s Six Shooter feature. Robert Shaw and John Thibodeau each have one 2021 victory, but both came on night’s the young Thibodeau struggled mechanically. Action will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, as the fastest cars on asphalt invade Claremont Motorsports Park.
By Gary Dutton
Photography By Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – Travis Sykes and Tim LaDuc each earned his first victory lap of the summer Friday, August 13, at Claremont Motorsports Park, as the third-mile Thrasher Road oval completed its 14th full event of the season. And while both LaDuc and Sykes would scoff at the idea of Friday the 13th being anything but wonderful, there are others who’d swear to its unlucky character. Ray King got a heaping dose of Friday the 13th disaster, ditto for Carlos Grenier and Ricky Bly. Joey Jarvis is always on top of his game when making one of his infrequent 2021 runs at CMP. Friday, the Ascutney pilot came from deep in the 26-car Pure Stock field to earn his fourth victory lap of the summer by topping the first race of the night. Nick Houle took the lead from JD Stockwell on lap five and held a huge lead until Jarvis came from nowhere to fire low on lap 21 and then rocket off to his fourth win of the summer. Houle was strong in second, with Mark McClay coming home third. In the nightcap 25-lapper, Travis Sykes left little doubt who the big dog was. Getting to the front early, he simply drove away, taking the checkers a full country mile ahead of runner-up Nick Houle. Second generation hot shoe Nolan McClay was third, wheeling the same car his father, Mark, had earned the bronze in a few hours earlier. Carlos Grenier, a lap-two crash victim in the opening go-round, was unable to return for the nightcap. Points leader Dylan Zullo pitched a pair of top fives to stay comfortably atop the championship chase. Ryan Bell and Ricky Bly were racing glued together atop the Late Model Sportsman feature when the race’s only caution waved on lap 12. But things weren’t done with the yellow flag. Still under caution, as the field was lining up for a restart, Kevin Vaudrien, whose turn-four looper had caused the pause, blatantly trashed Bly’s ride near the entrance to turn three. When the smoke had settled, Vaudrien was tossed for night, Bly was done, and Bell then had Ben Poland knocking at his door. Poland used the low groove to take charge on lap 15 and then speed off to his sixth win of the summer. Bell was strong in second, and Cory Bly completed his night’s good work in third. Bly was credited with tenth, losing 18 points to Poland in their tight championship battle. Haydon Grenier wired the Mini Stock feature to win his ninth consecutive feature race, his tenth victory of the summer. But the last 15 go-rounds weren’t all the easy. Grenier held a sizable lead when a lap-nine restart brought Cody LeBlanc to his side. While Grenier would lead all the way, LeBlanc would stay in his shadow, as the Berlin, N.H. star pulled out every trick in the book before settling for second. Joe Olmstead was strong in third, while Ray King’s heat race blow-up caused him to lose 50 points in the championship chase. Dustin Thibodeau ran wild again in the Avery Insurance Six Shooter feature, taking the lead from Robert Shaw on lap six and rocketing off to make it a dozen wins on the year. Shaw, the night’s heat race winner, earned the silver medal, and Bucky Thibodeau was third. Tim LaDuc dominated the Peanut’s Auto Sales 602 Dirt Modified heat race then drew the pole and again ran roughshod in the night’s main event. Matt Lashua was strong in second in the caution-free 25-lapper, with two-time 2021 winner Tanner Siemons coming on strong in the final laps to claim third. Colton Martin made easy work of winning the Junior Champ Kart 15-lapper. Hailey Maxham was second in the Sunday Karting Series feature, and Stephen Rouleau came home third. Next Friday, August 20, the fastest cars in oval racing will invade CMP, as the ISMA Super Modifieds come to town for a very special 75-lap event. The Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Six Shooters will also be in action. CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK AUGUST 13 TOP TENS: LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Ben Poland, Ryan Bell, Cory Bly, Jack McClay, Steve Bly, Craig Smith, Matt Winter, Ben Lambert, Ricky Bly. PURE STOCK (Make-up event): Joey Jarvis, Nick Houle, Mark McClay, Dylan Zullo, Nolan McClay, Kyle Templeton, JD Stockwell, Doug Nelson, Andrea St. Amour, Travis Sykes. PURE STOCK (regular event): Travis Sykes, Nick Houle, Nolan McClay, Joey Jarvis, Dylan Zullo, Kyle Templeton, Andrea St. Amour, JD Stockwell, Zach Richardson, Amy Jaycox. MINI STOCK: Haydon Grenier, Cody LeBlanc, Joe Olmstead, Jayden Morrie, David Pratt III, Richard Stockwell, Mason Prouty, Dave Thibodeau, Sean Lantas, Dan Young. SIX SHOOTER: Dustin Thibodeau, Robert Shaw, Bucky Thibodeau, John Thibodeau, Chooch Snide, Steve Miller, Lucas Bernatchy, Marc Laroche. 602 DIRT MODIFIED: Tim LaDuc, Matt Lashua, Tanner Siemons, Ryan Christian, Todd Buckwold.  By Gary Dutton
Photo By Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – The exciting 602 Dirt Modifieds will be in town for their fourth race of the year this Friday, August 13, at Claremont Motorsports Park. The twisting, sliding small blockers will be one of five divisions in competition at the Thrasher Road speedplant. The slideways crew will be joined by the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stocks, Route 103 Late Model Sportsmen, In City Sugar Shack Mini Stocks, and Avery Insurance Six Shooters, all competing for valuable championship points as the second half of the 2021 racing season heats up, as well as the competitors of the Claremont Karting Series. The Pure Stockers will be contesting double feature races Friday as the deep and talented field goes to battle twice. Four-cylinder star Kodi Sabins topped last Friday’s feature, leading a virtual All Star field under the checkers in the 23-car, 25-lap event. Haydon Grenier and Dustin Thibodeau stayed red hot in the Mini Stock and Six Shooters respectively on Friday, and Ricky Bly edged co-powerhouse Ben Poland in the LMS main. The Street Stocks will not race Friday, having the weekend off to compete in an NHSTRA Battle For The Belt event at Lee. Action gets underway promptly at 7 p.m. each Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park. For more information, please visit the speedway’s website or facebook page.
By Gary Dutton
Photos by Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – Kodi Sabins won a thriller Friday, August 6, at Claremont Motorsports Park, taking the lead in heavy lapped traffic as the white flag waved over a 23-car field of LaValley Building Supply Pure Stocks on the fast third-miler. Late Model Sportsman star Ricky Bly broke Ben Poland’s winning streak Friday, and Dave Greenslit, king of the Streeters, won his sixth main event of the summer, boosting his points lead with the victory as he bids to repeat his 2020 track title. Mini Stock ace Haydon Grenier won his ninth feature of the season and, not to be outdone, Six Shooter king Dustin Thibodeau dusted the field again, earning his track-high eleventh 2021 victory lap. Rookie blaster Dylan Zullo took the lead from Drake Nelson on lap eight of the Pure Stock feature and appeared headed for the fourth win of his rookie season. Kodi Sabins got up for second on lap 20 in the caution-free event and, when the leaders drove up on a solid wall of lappers with three to go, reeled in Zullo and set his sights on victory lane. With the white flag in the air, the Windsor, VT star found his way to the front, earning the win just ahead of Zullo and Nick Houle, whose own late-race charge had moved him ahead of Nelson for third. Joe Tetreault took charge on lap two of the R.E. Hinkley Oil Co. Street Stock feature, holding the point until a softening tire allowed Robert Hagar to take the lead from him on lap 14. Tetreault’s bad luck moved Hagar and Chris Riendeau to row one but a dispute over how narrow the track should be resulted in both going backwards, moving fast-charging Cody Schoolcraft to the lead on lap 17. After a terrific back-and-forth, Greenslit used a slick crossover maneuver to take charge on lap 20 and hold Schoolcraft at bay the rest of the way. Trevor Rocke was strong in third in the Street Stock go-round, with Rupert Thompson and Briana Akusis completing the top five. Ricky Bly passed Ryan Bell to take the lead on lap two of the Late Model Sportsman feature and rocketed off to his fourth win of the summer. Five-time winner Ben Poland was a close second, and opening night winner Dallas Trombley returned from a lengthy hiatus to come home third. Haydon Grenier took the lead on lap seven of the In City Sugar Shack Mini Stock feature and simply drove away. Ryan Carman had his best run of the summer, finishing strongly in second, and Ray King was close behind in third. In the Six Shooters, who else? Dustin Thibodeau passed his father, John, on lap five of Friday’s 20-lapper and drove away to score his eleventh win of the summer. It was, in fact, a family photo top three for the second time this season. With John, following Dustin across the finish line in second, son Bucky earned the night’s bronze medal. Robert Shaw, very much in the championship hunt, came home fourth. The STAR, Senior Tour Auto Racers, antiquers made their annual CMP visit Friday, with deep fields of coupes, coaches, Pintos, Gremlins, and Vegas going bumper-to-bumper and wheel-to-wheel in a pair of 15 lappers. Veteran oldies pilot Jim Allen of Westminster, Mass., aboard a 1967 Mustang-bodied open-wheeler, topped the STAR Modifieds. Bob Donahue, many times a CMP winner, was a close second, and Arthur Hammond brought his vintage Malibu home third. In the STAR Sportsmen, Allen’s son-in-law, John Jalbert scored the win. Next Friday, August 13, the exciting 602 Dirt Modifieds will return to town for their fourth run of the summer at the Thrasher Road speedplant. They’ll be joined by a full card of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series events. CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK AUGUST 6 TOP TENS: STREET STOCK: Dave Greenslit, Cody Schoolcraft, Trevor Rocke, Kenny Thompson, Briana Akusis, Chris Riendeau, Joe Tetreault, Jeremy Zullo, Mike Salois, Jesse Emerson. LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Ricky Bly, Ben Poland, Dallas Trombley, Ryan Bell, Dylan Bodreau, Matt Winter, Scott Boisvert, Jack McClay, Chris Jackman. PURE STOCK: Kodi Sabins, Dylan Zullo, Nick Houle, Drake Nelson, JD Stockwell, Nolan McClay, Kyle Templeton, Zach Richardson, Carlos Grenier, Raven Streeter. MINI STOCK: Haydon Grenier, Ryan Carman, Ray King Jr, Joe Olmstead, Brayden Morrie, Dave Pratt III, Richard Stockwell, Chris Judd, Mason Prouty, Dave Thibodeau. SIX SHOOTER: Dustin Thibodeau, John Thibodeau, Bucky Thibodeau, Robert Shaw, Chooch Snide, Marc LaRoche, Lucas Bernatchy, Xander Stillwell.  By Gary Dutton
Photo By Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – Claremont Motorsports Park will welcome the month of August this Friday, with five exciting divisions of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series action on tap plus the stars and cars of STAR. Ben Poland and Ricky Bly will lead the Route 103 Late Model Sportsmen into action Friday. Poland, with five 2021 feature wins, and Bly with three are virtually deadlocked atop the points parade entering August, but Ryan Bell, Jack McClay and crew will be gunning to keep the potent pair out of victory lane. In the R.E. Hinkley Oil Co. Street Stocks, 2020 champ Dave Greenslit sits atop the points chase, adding to that advantage with Sunday’s 25-lap victory. But there’s an All Star cast including Cody Schoolcraft, Joe Tetreault, Chris Riendeau and Robert Hagar who’ll be out to put Greenslit in his place Friday. While super rookie Dylan Zullo has a comfortable points lead in the LaValley’s Building Supply Pure Stocks, it will be Nick Houle with the target on his back Friday. Houle will bring a three-race winning streak into Friday night’s main event, where Zullo, the father and son team of Mark and Jack McClay, Carlos Grenier and many others will bid to end his checkered flag run. Haydon Grenier will be bidding for his ninth In City Sugar Shack Mini Stock victory of the summer on Friday, and Avery Insurance Six Shooter king Dustin Thibodeau goes for number eleven, while holding only a slim, two-point, advantage over single-race winner Robert Shaw. The STAR, Senior Tour Auto Racers, classic stock cars will join the blockbuster weekly CMP lineup Friday, with action underway at 7 p.m.  
By Gary Dutton
Photos by Miss Em's Photography Adventures CLAREMONT, N.H. – North Conway teen Gabe Brown dominated Saturday’s Key Chevrolet, Buick, GMC of Newport 150-lap GSPSS main event at Claremont Motorsports Park, topping his first career series event and, with it, earning the $10,000 winner’s purse. But while Brown scored the day’s biggest payday, it was Modsman Todd Patnode who had the large crowd on its feet. The Swanzey star, who’s been winning races for twice as long as Brown has been alive, swept Saturday’s Modified twinbill, topping the nightcap in thrilling fashion. Earning the pole in time trials, Patnode wired the first NHSTRA Modified 35-lapper, leading the Bennington, N.H. son and father pair, Matt and Bill Kimball, under the checkers to score his second CMP victory of the summer. Mired in heavy traffic for much of the second go-round, Patnode used a three-to-go restart to finally reach the top three behind Walt Hammond and Cory Plummer. Two laps later, he blistered the backchute to take the lead and, with it, his second win of the day. Joe Tetreault led the first 13 laps of the Street Stock feature, then giving way to division kingpin Dave Greenslit who, as he often does, got to the front and quickly drove away. With Greenslit earning his fifth 2021 victory lap, Tetreault was rock-solid in second, and Green Mountain star Chris Riendeau came home third. In the Granite State Pro Stock Series main event, Brown took the lead from Joey Polewarczyk on lap 26 and held him at bay the rest of the way. Hometrack hot shoe Luke Hinkley was strong in third, with Eddie MacDonald holding last year’s race winner Derek Griffith off to come home fourth. Nick Houle made it two wins in two days, topping Saturday’s Pure Stock main in a thriller. Splitting a sea of lappers with Carlos Grenier lap after lap, Houle finally used the low groove to take charge on lap 21 and then dash off to his third win of the season. Rookie Nolan McClay, third the night before, earned the runner-up hardware Saturday, and Grenier finished his impressive day’s work in third, just ahead of Kyle Templeton and Dylan Zullo. Six Shooter rocketman Dustin Thibodeau took the lead from his father, John, on a lap-14 restart and sailed off to his tenth win of the summer and, with it, passed Robert Shaw in the points chase. Shaw, third on the day, is now two markers behind Thibodeau after a dozen 2021 events. Red Neck Enduro whirling dervish Drake Nelson attributed part of his high success rate to an ability to find the right holes in traffic and quickly fill them. Nelson stayed perfect on the season Saturday, running his winning streak to four-for-four by filling all the right holes in the day’s nightcap 50-lapper en route to victory lane. Veteran Enduro master Leon Keniston was second Saturday, and Chris Colburn came home third. Richie Coy topped the NEMA Lites 25-lap main, his second series win of the summer. P.J. Sturgess was second, and 16-year-old Midget phenom Jake Trainor, the Lites points leader, came home third. In the Pro-4 Modified 25-lapper, veteran open-wheelsman Rob Richardi prevailed. Rising Pro-4 star Cody Rose took the checkers in second, and Ryan McPartland was Saturday’s bronze medallist. Fresh off its huge two-day weekend, Claremont Motorsports Park will roar back into action Friday, August 6, with a five-division card of racing plus the STAR antiquers on the 13th event of its 2021 racing season. CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK JULY 31 TOP TENS: NHSTRA MODIFIED (First 35-lapper): Todd Patnode, Matt Kimball, Bill Kimball, Cory Plummer, George Helliwell, Geoff Rollins, Walt Hammond, Mike Smith, Nate Wenzel, Andrew Martell. NHSTRA MODIFIED (Second 35-lapper): Todd Patnode, Walt Hammond, Cory Plummer, Geoff Rollins, Matt Kimball, George Helliwell, Brad Zahensky, Kimmy Rivet, Nate Wenzel, Tyler Leary. STREET STOCK: Dave Greenslit, Joe Tetreault, Chris Riendeau, Cody Schoolcraft, Robert Hagar, Robbie Streeter, Trevor Rocke, Jason Kozacka, Briana Akusis, Jeremy Zullo. PURE STOCK: Nick Houle, Nolan McClay, Carlos Grenier, Kyle Templeton, Dylan Zullo, Andrea St. Amour, Doug Nelson, Zach Richardson, JD Stockwell, Brandon Picknell. SIX SHOOTER: Dustin Thibodeau, John Thibodeau, Robert Shaw, Paul Colburn, Chris Colburn, Jordan Keefe, Lucas Bernatchy, Bucky Thibodeau. RED NECK ENDURO: Drake Nelson, Leon Keniston, Chris Colburn, Dennis Brenn, Doug Cameron, Robert Shaw, Chad Ricketts, Cory Downs, DJ Girard, Nadine Coates. |
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