News and Notes from the Granite State Pro Stock Series – Gray Leads Points, Salemi Off To Impressive Start

Barry Gray sits atop the point chase after 4 events. (Lin Mat Photo)

Barry Gray sits atop the point chase after 4 events. (Lin Mat Photo)

WALPOLE, N.H. __ Through four races of the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) slate in 2016, four different winners have carried the checkered flag and there has been some top-notch racing in each event.

 

It was Jacob Dore winning a thrilling battle to open the season at White Mt. Motorsports Park and he was followed by Mike O’Sullvain, who took the checkers at Monadnock Speedway.

O’Sullivan picked up a crucial win in a guaranteed qualifier event for the Seekonk Speedway Pro Stock 200 coming up on July 13. He will be just one of the names representing the GSPSS at Seekonk that Wednesday night.

 

Veteran Pro All Star Series driver DJ Shaw scored the victory at Lee USA and most recently, Jeremy Davis outdueled Derek Griffith and Shaw in the final laps to win the feature event at Claremont Speedway.

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First PASS Super Late Model triumph for Joe ‘The Show’ Squeglia at Lee USA Speedway

photo by Norm Marx

photo by Norm Marx

Lee, NH – Joe Squeglia, Jr. of Derry, New Hampshire showed the Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model touring stars the fast way around Lee USA Speedway Friday night, claiming his first-ever touring series victory over a stellar field of New England’s premiere full-bodied stock car racers.

 

Squeglia outgunned fellow front row starter Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, Massachusetts for the early lead, battled series regular Bryan Kruczek through the middle stages of the 150-lapper, then outran former series champion Travis Benjamin of Morrill, Maine to the checkered flag.  It was clearly the biggest career win for one of the happiest winners to claim top honors in recent PASS North Series history.

 

Benjamin was closing as the laps ran out, finishing 1.67-seconds behind the winner after starting the race from 15th position.  Hermon, Maine’s Mike Hopkins drove from his 12th starting position to a third-place finish in his first-ever visit to New Hampshire’s Center of Speed.

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White Takes Win On North County Federal CU Night

Matt White celebrates in Victory Lane after claiming Late Model feature victory at Barre's Thunder Road. (Alan Ward photo)

Matt White celebrates in Victory Lane after claiming Late Model feature victory at Barre’s Thunder Road. (Alan Ward photo)

Barre, VT – Matt White of Northfield grabbed the lead halfway through the race, then held off a late-race challenge from Eric Badore of Milton to claim the 50-lap Late Model feature on North Country Federal Union Night at Thunder Road.

 

White overhauled pole-sitter Jason Allen of Barre on lap 25. Allen started on the outside of the front row beside White after the only caution of the event on lap 29, but couldn’t reclaim the lead. Badore, last week’s feature winner, pulled into second place in the closing stages, but couldn’t find the speed or the line to get around White. Trampas Demers of South Burlington caught up to the leaders in the final 10 laps, but had to settle for third place

 

Allen finished in fourth position in the Late Model main event. Nick Sweet of Barre, Eric Chase of Milton, Cody Blake of Barre, Phil Scott of Middlesex, Scott Dragon of Milton, and John Donahue of Graniteville rounded out the top ten.

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Eddie MacDonald Will Race Pass All Star Series Event at Lee USA Speedway on Friday

photo by RPM 360

photo by RPM 360

Eddie MacDonald will team up again with Super Late Model owner Dave Lemieux in the PASS 150 at Lee USA Speedway on Friday night, June 24. The pair joined forces to win the first ever SLM race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last year and hope to repeat that performance at the very familiar surroundings of Lee.

 

“I am very excited to race Dave’s car at my family’s track,” said Eddie Mac. “A win would be extra special since it would help celebrate my parent’s thirtieth year of operation at Lee. I have raced there since I was a kid in high school and my parents have been my greatest supporters in my racing career. We have been working hard in the shop so hopefully we will be very competitive even though this will be our first race in this car this season. Bobby Cabral built the car and will be our crew chief for the race and I am looking forward to working with him.”

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Another First Time Winner In NEMST Competition

NEMST01Saturday June 18 marked the first leg of the Temp Setters Mechanical Contractors Triple Crown which will also run at Speedway 51 on August 6th and back at Oxford Plains on August 28 for the HP Hood 250 weekend. The Texas Roadhouse mini stocks flocked through the gates at oxford alongside the Valenti Modified Racing Series and PASS Modifieds for a night of adrenaline filled racing action. Many new and part time competitors joined the NEMST presented by Twisted Tea for the 2nd Maine event of the 2016 racing season.
 
Two fields of 10 cars each rolled out to their heats with multi time heat race winner Haywood Herriott leading the way in his respective heat and Matt Sonnhalter holding on over a hard charging Emerson Cayer to win the second heat race. Haywood would draw an invert of 1 row placing the fast cars at the front while leaving himself in the 11th starting position according to series rules regarding current season feature winners.

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PASS North Back On Track This Weekend At Lee USA Speedway

photo by Norm Marx

photo by Norm Marx

NAPLES, ME (June 21) – After a few weeks off due to rain, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Models will be back on track Friday night at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire. Coming in to this weekend’s action, nine drivers are in striking distance for the championship, including Tamworth, NH’s Jeremy Davis. While Davis sits ninth in points, the Granite State favorite is not happy with his results, scoring only one top 10 finish so far this season.

“My season so far has had ups-and-downs,” says Davis. “We’ve had some bad luck with mechanical issues taking us out of a bunch of races this season. Lots of big races we were in contention for the win, just bad luck has taken us out. Like our last race at Lee, we lost the motor fighting for the lead late in the race.”

Last year, Davis finished third to DJ Shaw and Derek Ramstrom for his third straight top five finish. Coming back to Lee USA Speedway this weekend with PASS North, Davis believes all the ingredients are there to challenge for a win, if luck is on his side. And it is special, since Davis began attending races there when he was just a week old.
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