LYN CLINCHES, RIENDEAU WINS TENTH, FIRST EVER FOR SCHOOLCRAFT

By Gary Dutton
 
CLAREMONT, N.H. – High schooler Cody Schoolcraft scored his first career feature win Friday, September 21, night at Claremont Speedway.

Super Street star Ben Poland took his second victory lap this year, and it was business as usual for Chris Riendeau, who rocketed to his track-high tenth win to close to within six points of title-points-leading Bryan Town entering the season finale.

Friday’s event at the Thrasher Road speedplant was the third-mile oval’s 20th consecutive race meet without rain stoppage this summer. When it was concluded, one divisional championship had been decided but two were left very much up for grabs entering its Championship Night event.

T-Bird Mini Mart Wild Cat ace Zach Lyn had a forgettable night, struggling to a tenth-place finish, but all wasn’t bad for the Claremont star, whose night’s work netted him his second consecutive championship in the four-cylinder division.

R.E. Hinkley Super Streeter Dylan Bodreau’s runner-up finish brought him to within 11 points of Ricky Bly in their championship battle, and Riendeau’s Pepsi Street Stock victory brought him to within a half dozen markers of points leader Bryan Town, who earned runner-up honors in Friday’s 25-lap feature.

Pole sitter Tyler Lescord set a fast pace the first eight go-rounds of the Super Street main event, giving way to Ben Poland on a restart caused when points leader Ricky Bly looped in turn four, compliments of a friend, to bring out the race’s first caution.

Dylan Bodreau followed Poland forward, then racing under a blanket with him most of the way to earn the runner-up finish. Magic Mark McClay, strong all night, claimed the three spot, just ahead of his brother Jack, while Bly rocketed back through the field to claim fifth, losing six points to Bodreau but still going home atop the leader board in quest of his second speedway crown.

Riendeau inched past Briana Akusis to grab the lap one lead in the Street Stock main, then left the field in his dust as he made his tenth stop of the season in Daddy’s Pizza victory lane. His gains were minimal, though, as top points man Bryan Town held the deuce the final 24 go-rounds.

While Riendeau’s victory came easily, Town’s runner-up finish was anything but. Fellow hometown hot shoe Lenny Silver was glued to Town’s bumper most of way, with Town earning the valuable two extra championship points as Silver took the checkers in his shadow.
Dave Greenslit, victorious a week earlier, came home fourth in Friday’s Street Stock main event, and Canaan’s Robbie Streeter was fifth under the checkers.

Rookie Cody Schoolcraft, who started this season in the grandstands, completed his fast learning curve Friday, leading all the way and winning by a country mile to become the eighth different Wild Cat winner this summer, the fourth rookie pilot to turn the trick.

Points king Zach Lyn rode in second the first five laps but abruptly slowed on lap six, staying trackside another five go-rounds before dropping out, his second championship already assured. Rookie Hayden Grenier got up for second on lap 17 but on this night would have needed binoculars to see the speedy Schoolcraft’s back bumper.

Kyle Templeton ran third the last six laps and will finish his impressive rookie campaign second to Lyn in points. With the all-rookie trio of Schoolcraft, Grenier and Templeton making up the top three, Seth Melcher was fourth, and Kyle Currier came home fifth.
           
Next Friday, September 28, Claremont Speedway will close out its very successful 2018 racing season when it hosts its 21st and final event of the summer, Championship Night. That event will be rain-dated until Saturday if necessary.
 
CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY SEPT. 21 TOP TENS:
SUPER STOCK: Ben Poland, Dylan Bodreau, Mark McClay, Jack McClay, Ricky Bly, Alex Poisson, Allen Fellows, Tyler Searles, Ken Fowler, Tyler Lescord.
STREET STOCK: Chris Riendeau, Bryan Town, Lenny Silver, Dave Greenslit, Robbie Streeter, Briana Akusis, Lucas Wheeler, Travis Cass.
WILD CAT: Cody Schoolcraft, Haydon Grenier, Kyle Templeton, Seth Melcher, Kyle Currier, Raven Streeter, Steve Morris, Jim Carley, Chris Carver, Zach Lyn.