By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Erin Aiken won the third annual two-segment Cody LaFont Memorial Race Friday, July 26,at Claremont Motorsports Park, putting together a pair of deuces to edge rookie upstart Dylan Adams and earn the $500 Pure Stock payday and her first victory of the summer at the Thrasher Road speedplant.
           
In the Late Model Sportsmen, Croydon Comet Aaron Fellows again rocketed to victory, staying a perfect ten-for-ten on the season. Sunapee speedster Brian Robie earned his sixth victory lap of the summer in the Sportsman Modifieds, division points leader Dave Greenslit topped the Street Stocks, and Six-Shooter Paul Colburn scored his first career win.
           
Jim Carley and Dylan Adams led the Pure Stocks to the green in their first 25-lap go-round, with Adams, in his first NASCAR-sanctioned outing ever, jumping all over the lead and then never looking back. Aiken got up to second on lap 22, but it was Adams picking up the $100 segment -winner bonus. Newport’s Chris Conroy was third.
           
In the nightcap, Chris Carver was the early leader but Kodi Sabins, the winner of the first two LaFont Memorial events, took charge on lap 19 and sped off to victory. Aiken stormed into second with two laps to go to clinch the overall victory. Adams, fourth in round two, was second, and Sabins third.
           
Mark Blair led the first two go-rounds in the R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsman main, then giving way to hard-charging Ben Poland. By lap 13, Aaron Fellows was knocking and, two laps later, the 11-time track champ was in charge and on his way to victory ten of the 2019 season. Poland was strong in second, and Ryan Bell posted a season-best third.
           
Mike Smith set a fast pace in the Pepsi Sportsman Modified 40 lappers, leading the first three laps before giving way to fellow Sunapee star Brian Robie. Once in front, Robie withstood the all-out charge of rookie Kyle Welch to win for the sixth time and, in so doing, increase his divisional points lead.
           
Welch, on a rail all night, was the runner-up, with Mike Smith impressive in third. Dana Smith and Alyssa Rivera rounded out the top five.
           
Dave Greenslit battled Briana Akusis for two laps in the Casella Street Stock feature, then taking command and never looking back. Chris Riendeau got up to second on lap ten but Joe Tetreault, who had won the Streeter’s previous feature, had his own eyes on the prize, dropping Riendeau to third but then running out of laps in his pursuit of Greenslit, whose second win of the summer helped him pad his championship points lead.
           
Paul Colburn led all the way to score his career-first Six-Shooter feature win. Points leader Jeremy Blood was second, and Green Mountain Boy Earl Moul came home third. Colburn also won his heat race.
           
Northeast Classic Lites kingpin Stew McCormack of Plaistow, N.H. did what he’d done a month earlier at the Thrasher Road oval, gobbling up the field for an easy feature win. Duane Skofield was second, and Derrick Marsan third.
           
Next Friday, August 2, the Street Stock Battle of the Belt comes to Claremont Motorsports Park, with more than 30 of the top Street Stocks in northern New England expected in to participate in the multi-track series event. The Sportsman Modifieds, Late Model Sportsmen, Pure Stocks, and Six-Shooters will all be in action too.
           
For more information, please visit www.claremontmotorsportspark.com.
 
JULY 26 FEATURE FINISHES:
PURE STOCK (Cody LaFont Memorial Twin 25s): Erin Aiken, Dylan Adams, Kodi Sabins, Kyle Templeton, Chris Conroy, Chris Carver, Jim Carley, Seth Melcher, Rich Streeter, Bruce Adams, Sammy Silva, Jon Alden, Aaron Thompson, Carter Chamberlain, Dylan Bodreau, Bruce Cantara Jr., Clark Brooks, Cooper Roberge.
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Aaron Fellows, Ben Poland, Ryan Bell, Kenny Fowler, Mark Blair, Eric Martell, Victor Branch, Scott Boisvert, Tyler Lescord.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIED: Brian Robie, Kyle Welch, Mike Smith, Dana Smith, Alyssa Rivera, Kenny Thompson, Eric Leclair.
STREET STOCK: Dave Greenslit, Joe Tetreault, Chris Riendeau, Larry Riendeau, Briana Akusis, Robbie Streeter, Cody Schoolcraft, Raven Streeter, Mike Salois, Mike Parks, Nick Little.
SIX-SHOOTERS: Paul Colburn, Jeremy Blood, Earl Moul, Katie Buxton, Eric Lanou, Eric Prescott, Stephanie Zara.
N.E. Classic Lites: Stew McCormack, Duane Skofield, Derrick Marsan.

By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Four drivers earned their first victory laps of the season Friday, July 12, at Claremont Motorsports Park; no small accomplishment on the tenth night of the 2019 season. And then there was Aaron Fellows.
           
While Fellows continued to baffle both fans and fellow competitors en route to his ninth feature win in a row, Dana Smith topped the Sportsman Mods for the first time this year, as did Joe Tetreault in the Street Stock main, Bruce Adams in the Pure Stocks, and Six-Shooter Eric Lanou. Both Adams and Tetreault were perfect on the night, also winning their qualifying races.
           
Jack McClay and Eric Martell led the R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsmen to the green, with McClay leading lap one before row-two starter Ricky Bly took command. Luke Hinkley and Ben Poland were soon in hot pursuit, but Fellows, starting scratch on the field, was up to third as lap ten went in the books, and cruised into second four laps later.
           
The 11-time-track champ inched ahead of Bly on lap 18 and then sailed to victory, taking the checkers six lengths ahead of last season’s champ, with Poland close behind in third. Hinkley, in his first Friday night run of the summer, was fourth, and Tyler Lescord came home fifth.
           
With a huge crowd on hand for the Five Dollar Fireworks event, nobody went away less than amazed with the three-car war that waged over the final 12 go-rounds of the Casella Street Stock feature.
           
Joe Tetreault started up front and after two close laps racing against Briana Akusis, then saw multi-race winner Dave Greenslit in his rearview mirror, bearing down from ten lengths back and, not far behind Greenslit, Chris Riendeau.
Tetreault held an eight-length lead when a Raven Streeter looper on lap 18 brought Greenslit to his door and Riendeau to his bumper. And the battle was on.

With Greenslit in the high groove, and Tetreault down low, they swapped the lead back-and-forth through two subsequent cautions, with neither giving an inch. Greenslit held a wheel’s-length advantage on laps 28 and 29, but it was Tetreault scoring his first victory of the summer as the lead trio flew under the checkers glued together.

It was a Sunapee sweep in the Pepsi Sportsman Mods. Alyssa Rivera led the first five go-rounds of the main event, but two-time track champ Dana Smith, hungry for his first win of the season, then took charge on a restart and drove away.

Brian Robie – already a five-time winner this summer- was soon up to second and, a few laps later, it was Mike Smith powering into third but, on this night, Dana Smith had all bases covered as the laketown trio took the top three spots.

Chris Carver was the man on the point for the first ten laps of the Pure Stock main but when he was popped out of the lead to bring out the race’s second caution, and he and the offending party both refired from the rear, Kyle Templeton and rookie Bruce Adams moved to the front row.

Adams made quick work of taking command and speeding off to his first career victory. Templeton, the Pure Stock points leader, was strong in second, while first-timer Clark Brooks – at 11, already a Hudson champ, and weighing in at 58 pounds – made his Motorsports Park debut a successful one, earning the third-place trophy just ahead of Carver.
       
Eric Lanou led all the way to score his career-first Six-Shooter victory. Division kingpin Jeremy Blood, already an eight-time winner this summer, was second on the night, and Paul Colburn – an earlier heat race winner – earned the third-place hardware.
           
Claremont Motorsports Park will be silent next Friday, July 19, as the Thrasher Road speedplant takes its annual summer break before returning to action on July 26. For information on the speedway and its upcoming events, visit www.claremontmotorsportspark.com.
 
JULY 12 FEATURE FINISHES:
LATE MODEL SPORTSMEN: Aaron Fellows, Ricky Bly, Ben Poland, Luke Hinkley, Tyler Lescord, Jack McClay, Ryan Bell, Mark Blair, Eric Martell.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS: Dana Smith, Brian Robie, Mike Smith, Kyle Welch, Kenny Thompson, Alyssa Rivera, Eric LeClair.
STREET STOCKS: Joe Tetreault, Dave Greenslit, Chris Riendeau, Robbie Streeter, Mike Parks, Briana Akusis, Raven Streeter, Cody Schoolcraft, Travis Cass.
PURE STOCKS: Bruce Adams, Kyle Templeton, Clark Brooks, Chris Carver, Cooper Roberge, Sammy Silva, Tom Englehart, Jon Alden, Richard Streeter, Jim Carley.
SIX-SHOOTERS: Eric Lanou, Jeremy Blood, Paul Colburn, Eric Prescott, Earl Moul.

 By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Sportsman Modified rookie Kyle Welch earned his career-first open-wheel victory lap Friday, July 5, at Claremont Motorsports Park, dominating the 40-lap main event to win in only his third outing in the potent Pepsi Sportsman Mods.

Superman Aaron Fellows stayed undefeated in R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsman action this summer, again dusting the field to run his winning streak to eight in a row. Chris Riendeau topped the Casella Street Stocks for the second time this season, ditto for Red Neck Enduro ace Jimmy Zullo.

Six-Shooter ace Jeremy Blood used a late-race pass to win for the eighth time in nine outings, while Newport’s Jim Carley kept himself in the Pure Stock championship points race by notching his third feature win this year. It was Carley’s second win in as many weeks.

Little changed in the weekly racing series points battles, as Modsman Brian Robie, Street Stocker Dave Greenslit, and Pure Stock strongman Kyle Templeton each came home second Friday to stay atop his respective division in the 2019 points parade.

Kyle Welch and Alyssa Rivera led the Pepsi Sportsman Modifieds to the green and this one was over quickly. Welch took off like a man possessed and, with the entire race quickly run under all green, he was never challenged.

Five-time 2019 winner Brian Robie got up for second on lap four and two-time track champ Dana Smith powered into third three go-rounds later but, on this night, Welch was in a class of his own, taking the checkers a full three seconds ahead of Robie. Smith, Kenny Thompson and Mike Smith completed the top five.

Tyler Lescord led lap one of the R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsman main, then giving way to Ben Poland, who held the point until Aaron Fellows inched ahead on lap eight. Once in front, the 11-time track champ drove away, easily winning his eighth feature in a row.

Poland, strong all night, came home second, with Lescord earning his first trophy of the summer in third. Jack McClay and Ryan Bell completed the top five. The 35-lapper, like the Sportsman Modified feature before, was run caution free.

Chris Riendeau beat Briana Akusis to the stripe to lead lap one of the Casella Street Stock main. Riendeau’s mirror was filled by the Dave Greenslit ride the rest of the way, but the Ascutney star held strong to earn his second victory lap of the summer. Robbie Streeter was third on the night, his first podium finish of the season.

Richard Streeter was the point man for the first nine laps of the Pure Stock main, then giving way to Jim Carley, who outran Kyle Templeton and Bruce Adams to win for the second week in a row.

Eric Lanou led all but the final two circuits of the Six-Shooter feature. Those belonged to Jeremy Blood, who led Lanou under the flags to score his eighth win of the summer.  Eric Prescott finished third.

Two weeks ago, Jimmy Zullo gobbled up everything in site en route to winning round two of the Red Neck Enduro series. Friday, the hometown hot shoe made it a little more interesting, outracing Leon Keniston to top the night’s 50-lapper.

Keniston took the lead from Kyle Buck on lap ten but, over the last 20 go-rounds, it was Zullo who was quickest through often-dense lapped traffic. Hometown pilot Andrew Brousseau, fifth two weeks earlier, came home third. The Red Necks square off again on August 30.

Next Friday, July 12, Claremont Motorsports Park will host a special Five Dollar Fireworks Friday event, with admission only $5 for a full five-division card of racing, along with a huge aerial fireworks display at the storied Thrasher Road oval.
 
JULY 5 FEATURE FINISHES:
SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS: Kyle Welch, Brian Robie, Dana Smith, Kenny Thompson, Mike Smith, Eric LaClair, Alyssa Rivera.
LATE MODEL SPORTSMEN: Aaron Fellows, Ben Poland, Tyler Lescord, Jack McClay, Ryan Bell, Mark Blair, Eric Martell, Victor Branch.
STREET STOCKS: Chris Riendeau, Dave Greenslit, Robbie Streeter, Cody Schoolcraft, Raven Streeter, Briana Akusis, Nick Little, Chris Buffone.
PURE STOCKS: Jim Carley, Kyle Templeton, Bruce Adams, Rich Streeter, Chris Carver, Sammy Silva, Kyle Buck, Carter Chamberlain, Aaron Thompson, Sean Lantas.
SIX-SHOOTERS: Jeremy Blood, Eric Lanou, Eric Prescott, Paul Colburn.
RED NECK ENDURO, Top three of 30: Jimmy Zullo, Leon Keniston, Andrew Brousseau.

 By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, NH. – Nobody collected the Superman Bounty Friday, June 28, at Claremont Motorsports Park, as Croydon Comet Aaron Fellows again dominated the R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsman feature to stay a perfect seven-for-seven this season.
           
Fellows wasn’t the only repeat winner Friday at the Thrasher Road speedplant. Pepsi Sportsman Modified points leader Brian Robie held off Dana Smith to score his fifth victory of the summer, Six-Shooter Jeremy Blood earned his seventh victory lap, and Newport’s Jim Carley topped the Pure Stocks for the second time.
           
Fellows, at 40 already an 11-time Motorsports Park champion, entered Friday’s LMS main event with a bulls eye on his back and a bounty on his head. A $500 bonus has been offered to the first driver to beat him on-track this summer, but that perk went uncollected Friday.
           
After two attempts to complete the opening lap, Ben Poland was the point man as green-flag racing finally prevailed. By lap four, Fellows was already up to second but far behind the speedy Poland. By lap ten, he’d closed to within five lengths and the next time around he was knocking at the door.
           
Rocketing low out of turn four, he beat Poland to the stripe on lap13 and then gave up big leads three times as subsequent cautions regrouped the field but still took the checkers six lengths ahead to score win number seven. Poland and two-time defending champ Ricky Bly put on a great show for second and, with Bly coming home third, Ryan Bell and Tyler Lescord rounded out the top five.
           
Firing from outside on the front row, Modsman Brian Robie looked to have the deck stacked in his favor in his quest for five wins in a row. Dana Smith, though, had other plans.
           
Robie jumped all over the opening lead, bringing Dylan Bodreau with him, with Smith powering into third a lap later. By lap seven, Smith was up for second and coming fast. As the tenth go-round went in the books, he was knocking.
           
The only stoppage of the 40-lapper happened on lap 18, as a stuck throttle sent Bodreau – running strong in third at the time – hurtling into the turn three wall. While the third-generation pilot’s car was heavily damaged, Bodreau escaped the crash without injury.
           
Back under green, Robie and Smith were side-by-side. Smith, from the high groove, led by inches as lap 19 was completed, a foot on lap 20, and then two feet on circuits 21 and 22. But the next time around, it was Robie by a wheel.
           
With Robie adding to his points lead with his fifth win in a row, Smith was a strong second, and open-wheel rookie Kyle Welch came home third, earning his third top-three trophy in as many outings. Mike Smith, solid all night, claimed the four-spot, and Kenny Thompson was fifth.
           
Kyle Templeton led the first eight go-rounds of the Pure Stock feature, then giving way to Jim Carley, who sped off to his second victory of the summer. Templeton was strong all night to earn the runner-up hardware and, with it, move back atop the points parade. Rich Streeter claimed the three-spot.
           
In the Six-Shooter 15-lapper, Paul Colburn led lap one, with Jeremy Blood then taking over and darting off to his seventh win in eight outings. Colburn finished second, and Eric Lanou was third.
           
In support events, Granite State Legends ace Shaun Buffington won both his heat and feature races, leading Thomas Gray and Jack Walker under the checkers, while Baltimore, VT youngster Camdyn Curtis topped the Claremont Karting Series 25-lapper ahead of Mason Prouty and Braden Morrie.
           
Next Friday, July 5, Claremont Motorsports Park will present a big night of oval track racing, culminated by a huge aerial fireworks display. It all starts with an on-track meet and greet session from 6-7 p.m., followed by five divisions of weekly racing series action and the third go-round of the 2019 Red Neck Enduro series.
 
JUNE 28 FEATURE FINISHES:
SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS: Brian Robie, Dana Smith, Kyle Welch, Mike Smith, Kenny Thompson, Cole Littlewood, Alyssa Rivera, Dylan Bodreau.
LATE MODEL SPORTSMEN: Aaron Fellows, Ben Poland, Ricky Bly, Ryan Bell, Tyler Lescord, Briana Akusis, Greg Millette, Mark Blair.
PURE STOCKS: Jim Carley, Kyle Templeton, Rich Streeter, Tom Engelhart, Bruce Adams, Bruce Cantara Jr.
SIX-SHOOTERS: Jeremy Blood, Paul Colburn, Eric Lanou, Eric Prescott

 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.
 

By Gary Dutton
          
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Late Model Sportsman star Aaron Fellows and Six-shooter Jeremy Blood both stayed undefeated on the young season Sunday, May 26, at Claremont Motorsports Park, but it was Keystone State rocketman Matt Hirschman that hit the ball out of the park at the Thrasher Road speedplant.
           
The second-generation Modified star led the final 37 laps of the 100-lap Tri-Track Open Modified Series main event to earn the $7,000 winner’s purse, taking the checkers a dozen lengths ahead of Nutmeg State hot shoe Les Hinckley, the winner of many prior feature victories at the Claremont third-mile.
           
Grantham’s Mike Willis Jr., firing from row two, pounced on the lap-one lead in the big show, keeping Ron Silk in his shadow as the two major event winners from a season ago battled in Sunday’s big event. Silk, sailing from the outside lane, inched ahead at the stripe as lap 19 went into the books, still holding the point ahead of Willis and Todd Patnode as the race reached its halfway mark.    
           
A lap-56 looper brought out the fourth caution of the race, with Silk, Patnode and many other front runners heading pitside for fresh rubber, as Willis stayed out and reclaimed the lead
.
Hirschman was the first man back out with new Hoosiers, refiring three rows back, with Silk alongside. Silk’s charge back to the front was brief though, as he was nudged into the turn four wall on lap 62, then hurtling along the frontchute, collecting Brian Robie, Kirk Alexander, Joey Jarvis, and Patnode, with both Silk and Alexander done for the night when the smoke had cleared.

From there, it was all Hirschman. Hinckley was strong in second but, on this night, no match for Hirschman, taking the checkers in the runner-up spot, ahead of Ronnie Williams and Andy Jankowiak. Russ Hersey came back from early trouble to round out the top five.

In the LMS 35-lapper, Robert Hagar beat Aaron Fellows to the stripe to lead lap one, still holding the point when he looped out of the lead, with help, on lap three. That moved the 11-time-track champ to the point, where he quickly sped away, as the race looked to be over. Maybe not though.

With Fellows far, far ahead of Ben Poland as the white flag waved, his car disappeared in smoke as he sailed through turn two on the last go-round. His lead though, was vast enough to carry him to the R.E. Hinkley LMS checkers ahead of Poland, with Ricky Bly, Hagar, and Tyler Lescord completing the top five.

Two-time Street Stock winner Jimmy Renfrew fired quickly to the point in his 30-lapper, looking to stay undefeated on the young season. Teammate Alby Ovitt, though, had other ideas, riding under a blanket with Renfrew until rubbing past him along the backchute on lap 22.
Ovitt sailed under the flags three lengths ahead of Renfrew to score his first win of the season, with Max Doliver coming home third. Hometown hot shoes Dave Greenslit and Lenny Silver completed the top five.

Unity’s Bruce Adams, coming off an earlier heat race victory, led the first eight laps of the Pure Stock feature, with 2018 multi-feature winner Kyle Templeton then taking over and darting off to the checkers. Adams finished strong in the runner-up spot, with Jon Baker coming home third.

Jeremy Blood stayed undefeated in the Six-Shooters, winning both his third heat and third feature race. Paul Colburn was second, and Eric Lanou third.

This Friday, May 31, Claremont Motorsport Park returns to action with a five-division card of racing beginning at 7 p.m.
 
TRI-TRACK MOD TOP TEN: Matt Hirschman, Les Hinkley, Ronnie Williams, Andy Jankowiak, Russ Hersey, Matt Swanson, Anthony Sesely, Tommy Barrett, Calvin Carroll, Brian Robie.
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN: Aaron Fellows, Ben Poland, Ricky Bly, Robert Hagar, Tyler Lescord.
STREET STOCK: Alby Ovitt, Jimmy Renfrew, Max Doliver, Dave Greenslit, Lenny Silver.
PURE STOCK: Kyle Templeton, Bruce Adams, Jon Baker, Chris Carver, Jim Carley.
SIX-SHOOTER: Jeremy Blood, Paul Colburn, Eric Lanou.
 

By Gary Dutton
Photos by Miss Em's Photography Adventures
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Aaron Fellows topped the 52-lap Dean Smith Memorial Late Model Sportsman main event Friday, May 17, at Claremont Motorsport Park, winning for the second time in as many 2019 events at the third-mile speedplant.
           
The Croydon Comet was one of four hot shoes staying perfect on the young season, as Todd Patnode made it two straight in the Sportsman Modifieds, Jimmy Renfrew Jr. ran away and hid to earn his second victory lap in the Street Stocks, and hometown pilot Jeremy Blood stayed undefeated in Six Shooter action.
           
Newport’s Jim Carley was a first time winner in the Pure Stocks, while Justin Harris won the 50-lap Red Neck Enduro nightcap event.
          
Ben Poland led the R.E. Hinkley Late Model Sportsman field to the green, holding the point for the first 15 go-rounds, with two-time defending track champ Ricky Bly running in his shadow. Fellows, charging from row four, reeled the lead pair in quickly, dropping Bly to third on lap 14 and then blasting low out of turn two to take command a lap later.
           
Bly grabbed the deuce on lap 18, running a distance second to Fellows until coasting to a stop atop turn four on lap 35. Not done yet, the Sunapee speedster put together some fast pit work and a fortuitous caution flag on lap 33 to knife back through the field and earn the runner-up hardware behind Fellows. Bob Hagar’s solid outing netted him the three-spot, Solomon Brow came home fourth, and Poland was fifth under the checkers.
           
Joel Monahan and Dana Smith race glued together for the first 17 circuits of the Pepsi Sportsman Modified main, with Smith – a two-time speedway champ – beginning to find some breathing room until the caution waved for a routine looper on lap 23. The ensuing restart brought Monahan back to his door, and Patnode into the mix.
           
Patnode would claim the deuce two laps later, keeping Smith in his sights until a lap-34 caution gave him one last chance at the point, with the Swanzey hot shoe jumping all over his newfound fortune to speed off to his second victory of the summer. Unity’s Mark Hayward, strong all night, charged ahead for second, Scott MacMichael came home third, with Smith and Matt Kimball rounding out the top five.
           
Casella Street Stock strongman Dave Greenslit led the first nine circuits of his 30-lapper, with Jimmy Renfrew Jr. draped all over him but, once Renfrew had rocketed low through turn three to take command, he simply drove away to earn the Friday night victory by a country mile. Chris Riendeau – he of the 11 feature wins a summer ago – got up for second, with Greenslit, Max Doliver, and Joe Tetreault completing the top five.
           
Seth Melcher won the first of two Pure Stock features, a 20-lap completion of an event halted by rain two weeks earlier. Erin Aiken was second, Chris Conroy third, with Tim St. John and Jim Carley completing the top five.
           
In the nightcap, when the tech line shuffle had been danced, Carley won his first of the year. Unity’s Bruce Adams was second, followed by Kyle Templeton, Chris Carver, and Sammy Silver.
           
Jeremy Blood topped the Six Shooters, with Paul Colburn the runner-up and Eric Lanou third, a duplication of their heat race finish.
           
In the Red Neck Enduro 50-lapper, Justin Harris – firing from row two, led all the way to score a dominating victory. Leon Keniston was the deuce man, with Tyson Hayes coming home third in the green-only event.
           
Next Sunday, May 26, Claremont Motorsport Park will host one of northern New England’s biggest racing events of the season, as the storied Tri-Track Modified Series invades the Thrasher Road speedplant for 100 ground-pounding laps of excitement. More than 30 of the region’s top open-wheel teams will be on hand to vie for the $7,000 winner’s purse.
           
Because of the preparation necessary to host this spectacular Memorial Day weekend event, there will be no racing Friday, May 24 at the CMP oval.  The Mod Squad will be supported by a full card of  Motorsport Park weekly racing series events. Post time Sunday is 5 p.m.