Wyatt Alexander wins first GSPSS event at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
For the first time in Granite State Pro Stock Series history, the traveling pro stockers visited the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and Wyatt Alexander came out on top of stellar field of cars.
Although the day started out under cloudy skies with a touch of drizzle, it turned out to be a picture perfect day for racing with a varied field of series regulars, track regulars and teams who fit neither of those categories.
Series Point leader Ray Christain III would pace an incident free first practice which was interrupted briefly by drizzle, while it would be Derek Ramstrom posting the fastest time in practice two.
Beech Ridge regular David Oliver would post top ten times in both practices but turn up the wick in The Crazy Horse Racing Fast Time Challenge. His GSPSS track record time of 15.018 seconds would land him at the top of the heap followed closely by Derek Ramstrom and Christian III.
Oliver would lead the field to green for heat race number one and take home the victory with relative ease, beating Garrett Hall and Angelo Belsito.
Heat race number two would be the most exciting of the three by far. Derek Ramstrom would run away with the win but behind him Corey Bubar, Trevor Sanborn and Ben Rowe would race within inches of each other, sometimes leaning on each other, for the entire twelve laps. Bubar would win the battle finishing second just in front of Sanborn and Rowe.
Heat race number three would be comparatively calm with Wyatt Alexander beating out Christian III and Gary Smith.
The GSPSS redraw would help some and hurt others. Gary Smith would draw pill number one moving him from third in heat three to the pole. Corey Bubar, second in heat two, would draw pill two, putting him on the outside of row one. At the other end of the spectrum would be fast timer Oliver, winning heat two and drawing pill seven, putting him on the inside of row four for the start.
At the drop of the green Smith, Bubar and Alexander would separate themselves from the rest of the field and sort the lead out among themselves. Bubar would take control, pacing the field for the first two thirds of the event. The first caution of the event wouldn’t fall until nearly lap 100, causing numerous drivers to find themselves a lap down.
Back under green it was Bubar and Alexander driving away from the field and quickly approaching lapped traffic. Bubar would catch a group of four cars battling for position, which would slow him down and and allow Alexander to run him down from half a dozen car lengths back.
Alexander would pull off a daring move, getting by Bubar and splitting the lapped cars to take over the top spot. Bubar would hound him the rest of the way but didn’t have quite enough car to get by.
Alexander would pull away in the closing laps and take the win over a very disappointed Bubar. Derek Ramstrom would mount a late race charge to finish third running out of laps before he could catch the front two.
David Oliver would run consistently just outside the top five all day and finish in fourth while one of the prerace favorites, Trevor Sanborn would round out the top five.
Pole sitter Gary Smith would run in the top three for the first two thirds of the event but fade late, finishing in sixth ahead of two of the top three in series points Joey Polewarczyk and Christian III.
2019 series champion Joey Doiron would soldier to a ninth place finish just in front of Kevin Casper who would have possibly the drive of the race, starting 27th, going down a lap early and battling back to finish tenth.
The 150 lap race was run in just 51 minutes with only two cautions and by all accounts was a huge success for all involved.
The series will now have a three week break giving the teams the opportunity to get there equipment in top shape for the biggest event on the 2020 schedule. The Granite State Nationals presented by Newport Chevrolet will be a 150 lap event at The Claremont Motorsports Park with the winners share of the purse paying $10,000!
Also, follow the series for some exciting scheduling announcements coming in the near future. Due to the covid-19 pandemic the schedule has been very fluid and that continues to be true through September and October.
For more information go to www.gspss.net or follow the series on facebook, twitter and instagram. You can also go to www.claremontmotorsportspark.com as well as the tracks social media pages for more information on the Granite State Nationals.
Results:
1 – 96 Wyatt Alexander
2 – 12b Corey Bubar
3 – 35 Derek Ramstrom
4 – 21me David Oliver
5 – 29s Trevor Sanborn
6 – 75 Gary Smith
7 – 97 Joey Polewarczyk
8 – 93ct Ray Christian III
9 – 73 Joey Doiron
10 – 88 Kevin Casper
11 – 93g Ryan Green
12 – 56 Evan Beaulieu
13 – 18 John Lowinski-Loh
14 – 52nh Jake Matheson
15 – 21 Josh King
16 – 25 Barry Poulin
17 – 44p Rusty Poland
18 – 94 Garrett Hall
19 – 3 Travis Buzzell
20 – 12p Bobby Pelland
21 – 31nh Luke Hinkley
22 – n40 Dan Mckeage
23 – 48 Larry Gelinas
24 – 8B Angelo Belsito
25 – 90nh Casey Call
26 – 4me Ben Rowe
27 – 24 Joe Pastore DNS