Claremont Motorsports Park Friday, May 22, event story
CLAREMONT, NH – Teen phenom Cole Robie soared to victory Friday under the lights at Claremont Motorsports Park, winning with ease as he pocketed the $5,000 winner’s purse for topping the Granite State Pro Stock Series 150-lap main event at the Thrasher Road third mile.
In the night’s Late Model feature, Green Mountain Boy Stephen Donahue improved on a handful of early season near misses by blasting to his first 2026 CMP victory. Chris Chambers, also from the west side of the Connecticut River, continued his domination of the Pure Stock division, outrunning a stout 18-car field to score his track-best fourth win of the season.
Meghan Bell, victorious a week earlier, made it two in a row in the Six Shooters, topping a colorful 25-lapper, and Lane Lantas, who won here back in April, scored his second win of the summer in the Ridge Runners. In the Karts, Abel Connolly won for the second time.
Jeremy Sorel and Casey Call sat up front as the night’s 150-lap Granite State Pro Stock Series main event went green. Call was quick to take charge, with Sorel – fresh off his series opening win at Stafford, glued to his bumper. They rode that way at breakneck speed, with DJ Shaw in close too, the first 64 laps.
Trying repeatedly for a fast way to the front along the low line, Sorel finally made the pass stick, taking the lead along the backchute. Back and forth they went, inches apart, while Shaw held strong close behind and teen star Cole Robie – the series’ reigning champion at only 17, applied the pressure.
Contact in turn two on the 92nd circuit, sent Sorel spinning and Call to the rear, moving Shaw to the point, with Robie just a handshake away, Robie was quickly sitting in the top spot, with furious action close behind him.
With Robie sailing home a full 15 lengths ahead of his closest foe, Sorel, who’d charged back through the field to claim third on lap 116, finished at Shaw’s bumper in third, with steady Alex Quarterley strong in fourth, and Jamie Wright fifth. Call set fast time in qualifying, blistering the third mile in 14.050 seconds.
Stephen Donahue, who missed the title last year by the slimmest of margins, hadn’t won here this season entering Friday’s Tour Type Late Model 40-lap feature. But on this night, he put that drought behind him, leading all the way to power his One Credit Union ride to victory lane.
Donahue started up front in this one and never looked back. Hometown hot shoe Aiden White kept him in his sights, impressing in second as he took the checkers seven lengths shy of the speedy Vermonter. Allen Fellows trophied in third, Seth Drown had his best Late Model division finish in fourth, and Craig Smith was fifth on the night.
Donahue’s win, coupled with previous winner Brandon Gray’s absence, moved Donahue to the top of the points parade.
Chris Chambers continued his domination of the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stocks, Friday. Firing from row eight at the green, Chambers marched through the 18-car field to score his track-high fourth win of the season.
Tim Taft was the early leader, setting a fast pace, with Ben Bushey and Parker Fowler close behind. But Chambers was coming fast, pulling up to fourth on lap 11 and then entering the top three the next time around.
He still had plenty of space to make up but a lap 13 caution brought him to the leader’s bumper. Chambers then took the lead on lap 16, with Taft still in his shadow until the next caution waved as Taft, with help, found the backstretch wall, ending another strong run for the Springfield, VT hot shoe.
From there, it was all Chambers. Carter Conroy – victorious a week earlier – powered into second on lap 17 but had to settle for an impressive runner-up finish. Fowler was strong in third, Adrian Smith was fourth, Bushey came home fifth.
Independence Day may still be a ways off, but there were already plenty of fireworks in Friday night’s Six Shooter feature. Michael Casey, from row two, took the early lead, with Meghan Bell – victorious seven days earlier, taking second from Josh Beliveau a lap later.
Michael Yeaton rocketed into second on lap six, grinding past Bell for the number two spot. Casey was his next target. Low lining into turn one on lap 15, Yeaton traded paint with Yeaton as he made his way to the front. His stay there, though, would be very brief.
At the east end of the track, Casey tried the bottom groove himself, then riding Yeaton violently into the turn four wall. With Yeaton’s night ending in a pile of twisted metal behind the wrecker, and Casey thumbed to join him there, Bell moved to the front and sped off to her second win in as many weeks.
Garrett Barry finished second, his best run of the young season, with Steve Miller Jr. third, Heath Laware fourth, and David Bell fifth.
Opening night winner Lane Lantas had the hot hand in Friday’s JP’s Trucking Ridge Runner main event. But James Rhodes had a strong run of his own, and three-time winner Trevyr Young too.
Rhodes, in his best outing of the young season, led the first dozen laps, before giving way to Lantas, who brought Young with him to the top two. Lantas would never look back, dashing off to score his second 2026 win, four lengths ahead of Young. Rhodes was strong in third, Ethan Meyette finished fourth, and Nick Nahodi came home fifth.
In Friday’s show-opening 603 Karting Series 8-10 year-old Cadet Champ event, Abel Connolly earned his second Friday night victory of the season. Raelin Deschenes was second in the 10-kart field, and Ryder Kapps was third.
In a pre-feature moment of silence, CMP fans and competitors honored the memories of recently deceased former track champ Lenny “HiHo: SIlver and NASCAR Cup Series icon Kyle Busch.
Claremont Motorsports Park returns to action next Friday, May 29, when the winged warriors of the SMAC Super Modified series invade the Thrasher Road speedplant, along with a full card of NASCAR Local Racing Series presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts competition. Post time at CMP is 7 p.m. every Friday.