RIENDEAU WINS FIRST OF SUMMER AT CLAREMONT, 100-LAPPER TO BELSITO
By Gary Dutton
CLAREMONT, N.H. – In one of the best back-and-forth races of the summer, Chris Riendeau won his first Street Stock feature of the summer Friday, July 23, at Claremont Motorsports Park, outdueling four-time winner Dave Greenslit who, none-the-less, stayed comfortably atop the points parade.
While Pro Stocker Angelo Belsito earned the night’s biggest pay check by topping the all-green GSPSS 100-lapper, it was Pure Stock king Kodi Sabins who, again, provided the night’s biggest excitement, earning his track-high sixth victory lap as he crossed the stripe inches ahead of Robert Shaw.
Aaron Fellows stayed undefeated, Matt Boucher won for the first time in the Mini Stocks, and Paul Colburn romped to his second Pure Stock win of the summer Friday, while, in a battle of New England racing family royalty, Brett Meservey topped Randy Cabral in the Pro-4 Mods.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series descended on the Claremont Motorsports Park for a final tune up for the Granite State nationals to be held Labor Day weekend. Ten teams opted to take advantage of the opportunity to work on setups and adjustments that might give them an advantage when they compete for $10,000. At the end of the day it was Auburn NH’s Angelo Belsito who made it two in a row with the GSPSS.
Ray Christian III came into the event looking to make it four in a row at the NH third mile oval and in practice it looked like he and his team were prepared to do so. The Uncasville CT driver laid down fast laps in both practice sessions and looked like the man to beat heading for The Crazy Horse Racing fast time challenge. Unfortunately a technical infraction just beforehand, caused his time to be disallowed, relegating him to the back of the heat race.
GSPSS heads to Claremont for final tune up before Granite State Nationals
The Granite State Pro Stock Series will offer competitors one more opportunity to dial in the perfect set up for the big $10,000 to win Granite State Nationals. Friday July 24th the series returns to Claremont Motorsports Park for a final tune up before the biggest event in series history.
“When the Beech Ridge race was postponed into August we felt like this would be a good opportunity to give teams a chance to prepare for the $10,000 to win Labor Day race”, said series promoter Mike Parks. “Claremont is a unique race track and this will give teams an extra opportunity to dial in their cars before the big weekend”.
ACT Returns to Thunder Road This Sunday for Community Bank N.A. 150
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) makes its first trip of the year the Barre, VT’s Thunder Road this Sunday, July 26. The Community Bank 150 is the start of a busy stretch in mid-to-late summer where the bulk of the ACT season will be decided.
The combination of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak and a weather postponement has meant a slow start to the 2020 ACT Late Model Tour season. As the calendar nears the end of July, just two ACT Tour events have been held, leaving many racers antsy to get going. The Community Bank N.A. 150 was originally scheduled for early May and was recently re-slotted on the schedule after a separate postponement at Seekonk Speedway.
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Aaron Fellows added another exclamation point to the history book he’s rewriting this season at Claremont Motorsports Park, winning the 52-lap Dean Smith Memorial Race as he did a year ago and, in so doing, earning his 20th consecutive victory lap at the storied third-mile oval.
Both Street Stock ace Dave Greenslit and Enduro whiz Matt Gauffin made easy work of their Friday wins too, while Kodi Sabins scored a thriller, and Paul Colburn lost a heartbreaker, as a huge crowd watched on Fan Appreciation Night, the speedway’s sixth event of the 2020 season.
Thunder Road Replaces Seekonk on Late-July ACT Schedule
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT — American-Canadian Tour (ACT) officials have announced the series will head to Barre, VT’s Thunder Road on Sunday, July 26 for the 22nd Community Bank N.A. 150. The event replaces the Bay State Classic at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway on the late-July ACT Late Model Tour schedule.
Earlier Monday, Seekonk officials announced the postponement of the Bay State Classic that was scheduled for Wednesday, July 29. With the track still working through the reopening process, and significant restrictions still in place for attendance and out-of-state visitors, it was determined the event could not happen at this time in a way that would be successful for the teams, fans, and sanctioning bodies. Officials are hoping to hold the event later in 2020 or in 2021.
