3/1/2026
Claremont Motorsports Park
Harmon takes St Valentine's Day Massacre Checkers!
CLAREMONT, NH - Claremont Motorsports Park, New England’s fastest third-mile oval, roared to life for its 79th season Saturday with snow flying high into the air as the historic speedplant hosted its fifth annual St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Enduro event just 49 days shy of its two-day Spring Fling asphalt season opener.
With the racing surface covered with snow, chief starter Chris Horton sent the field off for 79 laps of battle on the final afternoon of February. And battle they did, first on the white stuff and then, as the turmoil heated their pathway, on mostly wet asphalt.
The early leaders threatened to run away and hide, often doing their best Barefoot Bob McCreadie impersonations, and then going for a touch of Bentley Warren. But when the two stars of the opening laps had each been gobbled up by the white stuff at the bottom of turn two, Andrew Harmon was ready to pounce on the top spot.
Harmon, a star of the summertime New England Dwarf Car series, took charge mid-race and never looked back. Opening a comfortable lead, the Rochester, NH speedster appeared to have the win in hand, but a sea of lapped cars allowed fellow Dwarf ace Justin Harris to pull up to his bumper with two laps to go.
As in the story of Moses, that sea suddenly parted and Harmon was able to dash away to victory a dozen lengths ahead of his Dwarf series foe. Bay State asphalt Late Model strongman Adam Gray was third under Horton’s checkers at the end of the 79-lap tussle.
In an earlier side-by-side event atop the white stuff, Julian Badger was victorious.
.
BIG EVENTS JUST AHEAD - With CMP’s annual February Enduro event now concluded, the Thrasher Road speedplant is less than two months away from opening its doors on another blockbuster season at the exciting third-mile oval.
The Spring Fling 2026 two-day, dozen-division spectacular kicks off a huge summer of racing on April 18 and 19, setting the stage for a full schedule of NASCAR Local Racing Series presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts action.
The sizzling Granite State Pro Stock Series will make three big stops over the summer at CMP and, on July 10, the northeast’s premier racing series, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series comes to town, when it will be joined by the GSPSS Pro Stocks and the SMAC 350 Super Modifieds for a night for the ages.
The SMAC Super Modifieds will return to Claremont this summer, and open-wheel fans will again be treated to the thrilling action of the Modified Racing Series. Speedway promoter Mike Parks has again put together a stellar season filled with numerous extra distance, big purse specials that will keep CMP atop the industry, It all begins with Spring Fling 2026.
Submitted By: Mike Parks
