WELCH SCORES FIRST IN MODS, FELLOWS, RIENDEAU, ZULLO ROLL ON JULY 5 AT CLAREMONT

 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.