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Matt Frahm goes back to back in
the Carmody Ford 100:
Matt Frahm of North Salem, NH picked up his second
consecutive Granite State Pro Stock Series win in the
Carmody Ford 100 Friday night. It was the first visit to
the Green Mountain State half mile oval for the GSPSS,
and the first time many of the competitors have competed
there.
Frahm jumped out to the lead on the opening lap and
never looked back in the 100 lap feature. Frahm started
on the outside pole after the redraw, after finishing
second in his qualifier. Frahm was fresh off his second
career GSPSS win in the David’s House 106.
Dave Pembroke was the polesitter, but Frahm got the
better restart, and set the tone for the night on the
opening lap. Pembroke settled into the runner up
position for the first dozen plus laps before the first
caution came out on lap 15 when Fran Colson and Mike
Parks got together, ending the night for Colson. It was
only a couple of laps later before the second caution
unfurled for Mike Rivard, Jake Vanada and Chris Wilk got
together. Lap 19 saw the third yellow for Barry Gray and
Jeremy Davis.
During this brief flurry of amber, the runner up
position changed hands a couple of times, with Mike
O’Sullivan and Pembroke trading the spot before George
Bessette, making his return to the series, settled onto
the back bumper of the leader. Bessette’s run in second
didn’t last too long, and O’Sullivan moved back into
second by lap 40. When the fourth caution came out on
lap 44 for Barry Gray, O’Sullivan had fallen back to
fifth, with Jay Sands and Zig Gino third and fourth.
Things started to settle down a little after the halfway
point, with just a couple of cautions. The Met-RX Impala
never wavered through the second half, and kept up his
pace in the lead. The top five did not change position
until lap 81, when O’Sullivan found himself off the
speedway in turn three.
As the Sunoco checkered flag flew, Frahm had opened up a
five car length advantage, and put the Frahm
Motorsportscar back into victory lane. This is Matt’s
third overall win with the Granite State Pro Stocks.
Bessette held on for second, with ZigGeno third, Barry
Gray fourth and Jeremy Davis fifth.
The next event on the 2013 schedule for the Granite
State Pro Stocks is on Sunday, July 7, at Hudson
Speedway in Hudson, NH for the Gate City Classic 100.
Bobby Cabral is the defending race winner.
1. Matt Frahm North Salem, NH
2. GeorgeBessette Danbury,CT
3. ZigGeno Canterbury,NH
4. BarryGray Belchertown,MA
5. JeremyDavis Tamworth,NH
6. JoshKing Vernon,VT
7. MikeO’Sullivan Springfield,MA
8. MikeParks Walpole,NH
9. JakeVanada Somerset,MA
10. GlennTyler HamptonBays,NY
11. LarryGelinas Buxton,ME
12. JaySands Hampton,NH
13. ChrisWilk Mendon,VT
14. AustinBrehio Hopkinton,NH
15. MikeRivard NorthScituate,RI
16. PhilMeany Gardner,MA
17. John-MichaelShenetteGrosvenordale,CT
18. DavePembroke Middlesex,VT
19. FranColson Baldwinville,MA
20. ErickSands NorthSalem, NH
DNS: Tommy O’Sullivan
CONTINGENCY AWARDS:
SUNOCO QUALIFYING RACE AWARD WINNERS: Mike O’Sullivan
and Dave Pembroke
ARbodies HARD LUCK AWARD: Jay Sands
RICKY’S REAL RACER AWARD: ZigGeno
BOND AUTO PARTS LAST CAR ON THE LEAD LAP: Glenn Tyler
PERFORMANCE UNLIMITED OF NH ½‐WAY AWARD: Matt Frahm
SHERWOOD WHEELS 5TH PLACE FINISHER AWARD: Jeremy Davis
For more information, check out our website at gspss.net,
or find us on Facebook under Granite State Pro Stock
Series. |
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GSPSS set to make history at Devil’s Bowl Speedway /
Slate Valley 100:
On
Friday night. June 14, the Granite State Pro Stock
Series will make history at the historic Devil’s Bowl
Speedway, when they invade Vermont’s Fastest ½ mile
speedway. For the first time since the historic ½
speedway was repaved, the Pro Stocks will take center
stage in the First Annual Carmody Ford “Slate Valley
100”.
Returning to GSPSS action will be Rutland’s Chris Wilk,
who was the Granite State Pro Stocks first ever winner
in August of 2011 at the Twin State Speedway. Chris will
lead the Green Mountain State entrants, which include
defending Milk Bowl Champion Dave Pembroke, who hails
from Middlesex, and Josh King of Vernon. This event is
slated to include entrants from all 6 New England
states.
The
Slate Valley 100 is the fourth event on the schedule for
the Granite State Pro Stocks, and have seen a different
winner in each of the events. Matt Frahm is the most
recent winner, picking up the David’s House 106 at
Monadnock Speedway. With that victory, he became the
first repeat winner in GSPSS’s short history. George
Bessette was the winner at Thompson Speedway in the
season opener, with Jeremy Davis taking down his first
win at the Canaan 100.
Mike
O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA leads the championship
standings coming into this event, with a four point
advantage over Jeremy Davis of Tamworth, NH. Larry
Gelinas of Buxton, ME, Jake Vanada of Berkley MA, and
Matt Frahm out of N. Salem NH round out the top five.
Pembroke and Mike Parks were on hand a couple of weeks
ago to get a feel for the high speed oval, and were
impressed on how well the cars handled on the compound
banking. Pembroke has experience with the Late Models
there, and will try to use his knowledge to become the
tenth different winner for the Granite State Pro Stock
Series.
For more
information, you can find us on Facebook under Granite
State Pro Stock Series. You can also find out
information on Devils Bowl Speedway at
DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com. |
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Matt Frahm Picks Up David's House 106 Victory:
North
Salem, NH's Matt Frahm will go down as the first repeat
winner with the Granite State Pro Stock Series, as he
picked up the win in the second annual David's House
106. The high banks of Monadnock Speedway were the
setting for the GSPSS, with 22 cars on hand to compete.
Before the leaders could even make it into the first
corner, the caution came out, when several cars got
together at the starting line. Austin Brehio and Dan
Stolte were eliminated from competition at this point.
Frahm jumped out to the early lead from his pole
position and held on for the first fourteen laps until
Barry Gray slid by and took over the top spot. The
second caution came out on lap 18, when Jesse Smith and
Mike Parks got together, with Parks hitting the tires in
the first corner, ending his night.
Gray continued to set the pace after the restart, but
the driver on the move was defending David's House 106
winner Mike O'Sullivan. The points leader started
eighth, and worked his way through traffic, moving into
the top five by lap 23. The next caution came out on lap
30, when Jeremy Davis, who just moved into third past
Phil Meany, spun. Meany was sent to the back for the
assist. O'Sullivan slid under Frahm for second on the
restart, and set his sights on the Belchertown, MA
native. Just prior to the halfway point, O'Sullivan used
a timely caution, and moved past Gray for the lead.
Larry Gelinas used the outside lane to follow into
third. Frahm moved past Gelinas on lap 62, and the top
four ran that way until the next caution came out on lap
81, when Mike Rivard, Babe Branscombe, Phil Meany and
Josh King all got together. The ensuing restart was
called back when Barry Gray jumped the start, and when
the field slowed, contact was made, tearing loose the
rear bumper cover of Gray, forcing the former Monadnock
champion into the pits.
Frahm was back into second by this point, and after a
couple of additional cautions, Frahm settled behind
O'Sullivan, with Davis back up to third. As they hit the
100 lap mark, Gelinas and Gray rounded out the top five.
With three laps remaining, Frahm got a run on the
inside, and slid his Met-RX Chevy underneath O'Sullivan,
and the pair raced side by side for the next couple of
laps. As they raced under the ivory silk, O'Sullivan
held a slight edge, but on the final lap, Frahm took
over and picked up his second career Granite State Pro
Stock Series win. Jeremy Davis tried to follow Frahm
under O'Sullivan, and squeezed past for second by .008
at the stripe. O'Sullivan, Gelinas and Gray rounded out
the top five. |
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GSPSS
ready to invade Monadnock Speedway for the David’s House
106:
When
the Granite State Pro Stocks kicked off their inaugural
season in 2012, it was at the high banks of Monadnock
Speedway that hosted the first ever event, the David’s
House 106. On Saturday, May 25, Monadnock will hose the
second annual David’s House 106.
With
two events completed, Mike O’Sullivan leads the charge
into the Winchester, NH speed plant. In the two events
contested, the Springfield, MA native is coming off
second and third place finishes, and comes in as the
defending winner of the David’s House 106.
In the
nine events in the series history, there has not yet
been a repeat winner. While O’Sullivan looks to be a
heavy favorite, Barry Gray comes back to Monadnock as
the most recent winner on the ¼ mile oval, winning the
Vampire 100 in October, 2012, and is looking to go back
to back there. Returning to Pro Stock action will be
former champion Fran “JR” Colson, who finished second in
that October event. Mike Parks returns to the track he
had so much success at in the past, and is looking for
his first series win, and comes into this event second
in the championship chase.
Other
favorites to become first time GSPSS winners include
Louie Mechalidas, who is the only driver to lead both
events this season. He is also coming off a second place
finish at Canaan Fair Speedway in the most recent event.
Matt Frahm has been plagues with mechanical gremlins,
but has vowed to have put those behind him going into
the David’s House 106. Jake Vanada led much of the
Vampire 100 before getting involved in a late race
incident, and will be looking for the success he left
behind in October.
Just a
handful of laps are still available to purchase in
support of this event. Proceeds from this race will be
donated to David’s House.The David’s House 106 is held
to help benefit David’s House in Lebanon, NH.
David’s
House is a home-away-from-home for families who have
children (newborn up to age 18) who are receiving care
at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center in Lebanon, NH.
Since the doors of David's House opened on January 20th,
1986, over 12,000 families have called David's House
their home-away-from-home.
For
more information about David’s House, you can visit them
www.davids-house.org.
For
more information, find us on Facebook under Granite
State Pro Stock Series. |
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Jeremy Davis claims GSPSS win at Canaan Fair Speedway:
“This is MY HOUSE” exclaimed a victorious Jeremy Davis
after winning the Granite State Pro Stock 100 lap main
event at Canaan Fair Speedway. The defending track
champion used a late race restart to motor past Louie
Mechalidas and work his way back to the top of the
leader board.
Davis and Mike Parks brought the 22 car field down to
the green, with Parks jumping out to the early lead.
Davis settled into second, with Mechalidas behind in
third. Using the outside lane, Davis worked past Parks
and put the Dynasty machine to the top of the
leaderboard. Mechalidas followed suit and settled into
second just before the ¼ mark.
The
duo pulled away from the rest of the pack opening a
straightaway lead before the first caution came out on
lap 40, when Jimmy Renfrew of Hookset, NH broke, and hit
the front stretch wall. Once the field was bunched up,
Lightning Lou jumped out front of Davis on the restart,
and the pair continued to battle each other for the
lead. As they crossed the half-way point, Mechalidas and
Davis had started to put some distance between Parks,
Babe Branscombe and Mike O’Sullivan.
The
next caution came on the following lap when Larry
Gelinas spin in turn four. Bobby Baillargeon was
penalized for the assist. After a false start, Jake
Vanada brought out the caution on lap 53, when he
suffered a flat tire, and came to a stop. Lap 57 saw
Barry Gray get crossed up, and as he straightened out,
Donnie Lashua went over the turn one embankment, ending
the day for the Canaan race winner.
Several cautions dropped over the next 15 laps, ending
the day for a few teams, including Vanada, Barry Gray,
Austin Brehio. Through each restart, the reigning Canaan
Fair Pro Stock Champion continued to hound Mechalidas,
trying to find a weakness in the Tyngsboro native. On
lap 71, Davis got his wish when Mechalidas missed a
shift and allowed Davis to lead the charge. Over the
next 29 laps, Jeremy Davis proved his comfort on the 1/3
mile oval and held on for his first Granite State Pro
Stock victory. Mechalidas settled for second, while
O’Sullvan sat on the podium for third. Babe Branscombe
and Jay Sands finished fourth and fifth.
Rob
Richardi Jr picked up his first win at Canaan Fair
Speedway in a dominating performance. The defending Pro4
Champion jumped out front early, and held on through
several restarts. Robin Berghman was second, with Dave
Richardi third. Mark Charette was the winner in the Pro4
Limited class.
Josh
Dunn led from the drop of the green to the checkered
flag, picking up the win in the Bandit’s 25 lap feature.
Jeremy Carter and David Aiken were second and third.
This
was the second of eleven races for the Granite State Pro
Stock Series. The next event will be at the Monadnock
Speedway on Saturday, May 25th.
For
more information find us on Facebook under Granite State
Pro Stock Series. |
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Canaan Fair Speedway up next for the Granite State Pro
Stock Series:
With the season opener for the 2013 season firmly
behind, the Granite State Pro Stock Series heads north
on Saturday, May 4th, back to the Granite State for
their first appearance of the season at the Canaan Fair
Speedway. This will be the second appearance at the Mid
NH speed plant for the series
While 23 cars were on hand at Thompson, and many of them
have noted their intention on being a part of this
Canaan 100, there are still several drivers that will be
making their season debut on May 4th. Fran "Jr" Colson
will be making his seasonal debut, after waiting for his
power plant to arrive, forcing him to miss the season
opener.
Scott "Zig" Geno has recovered from his recent off
season surgery, and is ready to rock his home track once
again. Babe Branscombe, Zach Jewett, Jimmy Renfrew,
John-Michael Shenette and possibly a few others will be
ready to tackle the 1/3 mile oval. They will go head to
head with reigning Canaan Fair Pro Stock Champion Jeremy
Davis, and other GSPSS standouts such as the Icebreaker
runner-up Mike O'Sullivan, Jake Vanada, Barry Gray, Mike
Parks and Josh King, all who had top ten finishes at
Thompson.
Louie Mechalidas is ready to redeem himself, after
blowing an engine while dominating the season opener,
and has vowed to be a force to be reckoned with at CFS.
Will they be battling last years Canaan Fair 100 winner
Donnie Lashua? No word yet if he will be on hand to
defend his victory.
Also on hand on May 4th, will be the season opening
event for the Pro4 Modifieds. Rob Richardi Jr will kick
off the defense of his first ever title at the quick 1/3
mile, hoping to start off with a trip to Victory Lane.
With over 25 cars that competed last year with the Pro4
Mods, Rob will have his hands full. Topping the list of
contenders is his brother Dave, who finished second in
the championship chase last season. Phil Lausier is
ready to push aside the brothers and take over the title
chase. Dan Meservey Sr is still competing strong after
40 years of competing with the Pro4s, and should be on
hand, as will Robin Berghman, who has one career Pro4
victory.
The Vintage Modifieds will be making their season debut
as well. The Vintage Modifieds are a group of nostalgic
modified owners who want to go out and compete,
showcasing the cars of yesteryear. These Pinto's,
Coupe's and other cars from yesteryear will compete in a
25 lap race, giving the fans a chance to enjoy some
great nostalgia.
The 4 cylinder Bandits will round out the card for this
show at the fast 1/3 mile. These are the same cars that
compete as Wildcats at Twin State Speedway and the
Lightning Stocks at Monadnock Speedway.
They too will compete in a 25 lap main.
The pit gates open at 1, with qualifying starting at
6pm. Join us for the 2013 season opener at Canaan Fair
Speedway on Saturday, May 4th.
For more information find us on Facebook under Granite
State Pro Stock Series. |
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Photo By VLF Photos |
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George Bessette Opens GSPSS Season With Icebreaker
Victory:
George Bessette of
Danbury, CT added his name to the growing list of
winners on the Granite State Pro Stock Series. The
second year touring group opened the season at a new
venue, but it was a familiar face for the Thompson
Speedway fans waving the checkered flag. “This is for
them,” George beamed from Victory Lane, pointing to the
LaMountain Bros. team. “The fans have watched me run
like a bag of you know what for the past couple of
years, and to win today, feels great!”
The 50 lap main
event started with Billy Brady of Marston Mills, MA and
Glenn Tyler of Hampton Bays, NY bringing the 21 car
field down to the green. Tyler jumped out to the lead,
and set a fast pace around the 5/8 mile oval. Brady ran
second, but started to slide back just a little, as Mike
O’Sullivan moved into the runner up position. O’Sullivan
put pressure on Tyler, but could not squeeze by the
Katie’s of Smithstown machine.
Former Thompson Pro
Stock Champion Larry Gelinas of Buxton ME ran fourth for
several laps before being overtaken by Tyngsboro’s Louis
Mechalidas, who was working his way up from his tenth
starting position. By the time he moved into fourth, he
had some ground to make up, and in ten laps, was up to
third. As he closed in on the leaders, he made quick
work finding himself in a battle for the lead.
Lightning Lou moved
to the inside of Tyler as they came off turn four, and
moved to the top of the leader board as they completed
lap 21. From there, the MacLellan Metal Finishing Chevy
checked out from the rest of the field.
At the lap 25 mark,
Mechalidas had already opened up a second advantage on
Tyler, O’Sullivan, Brady, and Bessette, who had just
moved into the top five. Gelinas, Jake Vanada, Carl
Eriksson, Jim Banfield and Mike Parks were sixth through
tenth.
At the 30 lap mark,
the Flamingo Motorsports Chevy of O’Sullivan started to
pressure Tyler once again, and on lap 35, took over the
second position. By that time, the lead was several
seconds from first to second. The lapped traffic didn’t
slow down the leader at all, but on lap 41, Mechalidas
slowed down the back stretch, and with that slight puff
of smoke, the whole complexion of the race changed.
On the restart, the
new leader, Mike O’Sullivan chose the outside lane over
Bessette, who had just moved into third past Tyler.
Bessette raced wheel to wheel with O’Sullivan, something
these two drivers have done many times over the years,
and as they came off turn two, the Danbury, CT native
found himself at the top of the leader board. Jake
Vanada moved into third just before the second caution
came out for Carl Eriksson, who spun off the second
corner and hit the backstretch wall. Bessette had the
lane choice, and gave O’Sullivan the same option, the
inside lane, but once again, the MadDog showed the way
as the duo raced off the second turn for the third and
final restart.
With a fist up in
the air, Bessette crossed under the Sunoco Checkered
Flag, becoming the eighth different winner in series
history, extending the streak of different winners for
the second year series. O’Sullivan crossed the line in
second, with Tyler moving back into third over the final
few laps. Jake Vanada and Jim Banfield rounded out the
top five.
Louie Mechalidas
picked up the Performance Unlimited Performance of NH ½
way leader bonus, along with the AR Bodies Hard Luck
Award. The Bond Auto Parts award goes to Jay Sands, as
the last driver on the lead lap. Jim Banfield received
the Sherwood Wheel $50.00 gift certificate for his 5th
place finish. Matt Frahm picked up the most positions,
earning him the Ricky’s Real Racer award.
George Bessette,
Larry Gelinas and Glenn Tyler received the Sunoco
Qualifying Race Winner awards on Saturday.
The Granite State
Pro Stocks return to action on Saturday, May 4th,
at the Canaan Fair Speedway for a 100 lap main event,
along with the Pro4 Modifieds, Vintage Outlaws and
Bandits. Qualifying starts at 5pm for all 4 classes.
For more information
find us on Facebook under Granite State Pro Stock
Series. |
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Granite State Pro Stock Series Set To Kick Off 2013
Season:
The
Granite State Pro Stock Series is set to kick off its
second season of competition at the historic Thompson
Speedway as part of their Icebreaker weekend. Thompson
marks the series’ first event outside the state of New
Hampshire, and shows how much the group has grown since
the inception in 2011.
Qualifying for the 50 lap main event will be on
Saturday, with 10 lap qualifiers, and a consolation race
to round out the 24 car field. On Sunday, the
competitors of the GSPSS will gather on the midway at
11:30 for a meet and greet autograph session. Their 50
lap feature will roll out onto the 5/8 mile oval at
approximately 2:15pm.
As the
green flag unfurls on Saturday, it will officially kick
off the championship chase on the new season. Reigning
champion Bobby Cabral will sit along the sidelines this
season, opening up the title for all who are up for the
challenge.
Cabral’s closest challenger from 2012 was Bobby
Baillargeon of Kingston, NH, who won at Hudson Speedway
on his way to the runner up position in the championship
standings. Barry Gray was third in the standings, and is
coming off the season finale victory from the Monadnock
Vampire 100.
The
roster for the 13 season of the GSPSS continues to grow,
and several teams have added their name to the
championship chase, including former Monadnock Speedway
Pro Stock champion Russ Hersey, Thompson Speedway
standouts Mike and Tommy O’Sullivan, Valenti Modified
Racing Series top runner Louie Mechalidas, along with
Pro Stock veterans Fran Colson, Rich Eaton, Mike Parks
and others, and the championship chase takes on a lot of
twists and turns.
Even
with Cabral out from the cockpit, Matt Frahm will slide
into the championship Frahm #14. Matt ran a couple of
times in 2012 in a second Frahm entry, and picked up a
win in the Star 100, at Star Speedway. Add is several
part time efforts from competitors like Larry Gelinas,
Dave Pembroke, George Bissette, Jake Vanada, Jeremy
Davis and more, and the formula for success is anything
but clear.
The
2012 season for the Granite State Pro Stocks saw six
events at 4 facilities. The 2013 season has almost
doubled to eleven events at 7 ovals. The first of the
new venues will be the season opener and finale at
Thompson Speedway. Add in a June 14th event
at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT., and
Saturday, September 7th at Riverside Speedway
in Groveton, NH. and the potential for a break-out
season is eminent.
The
series returns to Canaan Fair Speedway for their second
event, and the season opening show for the Canaan, NH
speed plant on Saturday, May 4th. This is the
first of 2 shows at the 1/3 mile plant.
A
return to the track that held the inaugural event in
2011, Monadnock Speedway is next on the schedule.
Saturday, May 25th is the annual David’s
House 106, a charity event that will benefit David’s
House in Lebanon, NH. Mike O’Sullivan is the defending
champion of this event.
A jaunt
northwest is the next direction, as they head to Devil’s
Bowl Speedway in VT for their first visit to the ½ mile
speed plant. Friday night. June 14 will have the Granit
State Pro’s join their Modifieds and Mini Stocks on the
schedule.
The
group rolls into the Hudson Int’l Speedway next for the
prestigious Gate City Classic on Sunday, June 23, as the
series kicks off the New Hampshire leg of the schedule.
Monadnock Speedway on Saturday, August 3 for the JBH
Memorial, the Star 100 at Star Speedway on August 17,
and back to Hudson on the 25th for the Hudson
Hugger makes August the busiest month on the docket.
September kicks off at Riverside Speedway on Saturday,
9/7, and Canaan on 9/14 close out a busy stretch, and
gives the competitors a chance to breath before closing
out the season back where it all began, Thompson
Speedway on Saturday, October 19.
It is a
little early to be looking at October right now, but the
season will be speeding by before you know it. Keep up
to date with all of the happenings at gspss.net, the
official website for The Granite State Pro Stock Series,
or find us on Facebook. |
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14 Bobby Cabral, 82 Bobby Baillargeon, Thompson
Speedway, Photo By VLF Photos |
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Granite State Pro Stock Teams Getting Ready For 2013
Season Opener:
With only a few
weeks remaining before the 2013 Granite State Pro Stock
Series season opener, the teams are putting the final
touches on their new mounts. The first hurdle will be
acclimating themselves to the biggest speedway they will
be facing this year, as Thompson Speedway holds their
first practice session on Saturday, March 30.
This first open
practice is the first time many of the competitors will
be traveling the high banks of The Big T. Some of the
younger competitors will be looking at some of the
veterans of the series for advice. Fran Colson, who will
be competing in his second season of Granite State
competition is a veteran of many New England short
tracks,and has a handful of wins at the Northeast CT.
oval.
Former Thompson
Speedway Pro Stock Champion Larry Gelinas has put his
entry in in the Linblad #48. Dennis Maxfield is also a
Thompson veteran who is looking for victory in the
season opener. Both Tommy and Mike O’Sullivan, both who
have filed entries for the 2013 season, have many laps
at Thompson as well.Add in Thomspon veterans George “Mad
Dog” Bessette and Jim Banfield, and the GSPSS regulars
will have their hands full once the green flag drops on
the 14th of April.
They will have to
show the fast way around The Indy of the East to the
younger drivers such as defending A.R. Bodies Rookie of
the Year Derek Griffith, as he will be making his first
laps at Thompson in a Pro Stock. Among those that have
limited laps at Thompson are defending GSPSS Champion
Bobby Cabral, Bobby Baillargeon, Barry Gray, Mike Parks,
Zig Geno and others who traveled with the Granite State
Pro Stocks.
When the field
assembles on the 5/8 mile oval on 4/13, there will be
two goals for the competitors. Victory lane on Sunday,
and a championship trophy in the same location when the
season breaks on October. With defending champion Bobby
Cabral scaling back to a part time schedule, the title
is up for grabs. One driver people will be looking at is
Matt Frahm, who climbs behind the wheel of the
championship #14. Matt ran part time in 2013, gaining
valuable seat time in the family mount. But there will
be several teams knocking on the door to take over the
championship crown. Bobby Baillargeon, the 2012 runner
up will keep up his pressure to move one spot up the
standings ladder. Add in Barry Gray, who is coming off a
win in the season finale, and is hoping that momentum
carries over the winter. Rich Eaton and Fran Colson were
also top runners over the course of the season. Add in
newcomers Russ Hersey, a multi time Monadnock Speedway
Pro Stock Champion, Louie Mechalidas, another NH Pro
Stock and Modified standout and you have a full title
bout on your hands every week. Babe Branscombe has added
his name to the series for 2013, and will bring a wealth
of knowledge and experience that the younger competitors
can learn from.
Jeremy Davis, the
2012 Canaan Fair Speedway champion has sent in his
entry, no doubt looking at the series second event on
the schedule, the season opener at the central NH oval
on May 4th.
Two time and
defending Milk Bowl Champion Dave Pembroke has filed an
entry with the series, focusing on a part time schedule
with the group, including the Canaan opener, Devil’s
Bowl Speedway race on June 14, and the September 7th
race at Riverside Speedway.
The season opens for
the Granite State Pro Stock Series on Saturday and
Sunday, April 13 & 14 as part of the Icebreaker at
Thompson Speedway. The schedule for this event has been
posted on the Granite State Pro Stock Facebook page. The
complete 2013 schedule is available at gspss.net.
For more information
find us on Facebook under Granite State Pro Stock
Series.
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Bond
Auto Parts, Sunoco Race Fuels & Sherwood Racing Wheels
continue to support the Granite State Pro Stock Series:
With the first open practice rapidly approaching, the
Granite State Pro Stock Series staff continues to put
together additional contingencies for the upcoming
season. Mike Parks announced this week that Bond Auto
Parts, Sunoco Race Fuels and Sherwood Racing Wheels will
continue to support the second year group of Pro Stock
competitors. “These companies staying with us are
paramount to the success of this series.” Parks stated.
Bond Auto Parts
operates over 40 auto parts stores in Vermont, New
Hampshire and Massachusetts, and will provide a $200.00
gift certificate for their stores to the competitors who
finish as the last car on the lead lap. Said Mark Mast,
who is the Marketing Director for Bond Auto Parts, “The
Granite State Pro Stock Series reaches all of our
marketing area so it’s a natural fit”. Heading into
Vermont for the first time on Friday, June 14 when the
series visits Devil’s Bowl Speedway for the first time
and crossing the border south to the Thompson
International Speedway for the season opener Icebreaker
on April 13 and 14, and season ending World Series on
Saturday October 19 certainly puts them through the Bond
Auto Parts territory, not to mention the eight visits
throughout the state of New Hampshire. You can find more
information on Bond Auto Parts at
www.bondauto.com.
Sunoco Race Fuels
will continue as the Official Fuel of the Granite State
Pro Stock Series, and will also provide 5 gallons of
fuel for the winner of each qualifying event. This makes
winning not only the feature important to each
competitor. With costs going up, 5 gallons of fuel will
definitely go a long way in helping offset some of the
costs associated with fuel. It also puts an extra
emphasis on winning a heat or consolation. More
information on Sunoco Race Fuels can be found at
neracingfuel.com.
Sherwood Racing
Wheels will continue on at the Official Wheel of the
Granite State Pro Stock Series in 2013 as well. They
will provide a $50.00 certificate to the third place
finisher in each feature throughout the season. Sherwood
Racing Wheels when Allen and Lee Sherwood stepped up
from wheel repairs to manufacturing, and have grown
their business through word of mouth and through
promotions. In addition to manufacturing and repairing
their own wheels, they will also repair wheels from
other manufacturers, repainting them and leak checking
them before returning them back to the customer. Find
out more information at
racingwheels.us.
While the staff has
been busy putting these contingencies together, the
teams are preparing for the first open practice of the
season, which is rapidly approaching. The series heads
to Thompson Speedway for the annual Icebreaker as the
speedways, and the series, season opener. This will be a
return visit for many of the competitors, but others
have never competed on the high banks, which makes the
two pre-season open test sessions important for the
drivers and teams. Thompson Speedway opens up on
Saturday March 30 and April 6 for competitors from any
series or speedway to shake down their new mounts in
anticipation for their first laps of competition on
April 13 and 14.
For more information
find us on Facebook under Granite State Pro Stock
Series.
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The GSPSS
would like to thank Barry Gray & Matt Zenisky for
talking their time to promote our series at the Frank
Maratta Auto & Race show! Thanks guys it was a FANTASTIC
SHOW! |
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Granite State Pro Stock Series announces “Ricky’s Real
Racer” and “Performance Unlimited Half-Way Leader”
awards for 2013 season:
Coming off a successful inaugural season, the Granite
State Pro Stock Series continues to grow into their
second season, announcing two awards that will be given
out at each event.
The
first award will be the Ricky’s Real Racer Award, which
will award the driver that improves his position the
most from the start to finish $150. This award is in
memory of Ricky Miller, who passed in October of 2004.
Ricky was best known as a “Racers Racer”.
“We
wanted to do something in Ricky’s memory,” his dad,
Donnie Miller said. “Ricky was never a points racer. He
was a driver that did everything he could to get to the
front.” While not a points racer, Ricky will be forever
known as the final track champion at the now defunct
Riverside Park Speedway.
In
addition to the $150 per race, the driver with the most
cars passed over the course of the season will earn
$1,500.00, with a chance to double that to $3,000.
Also
coming on board for the upcoming season is Performance
Unlimited of NH in Seabrook, who will present the
Performance Unlimited Halfway Leader Bonus, offering a
$100.00 gift certificate to the leader at the halfway of
each race on the 2013 schedule.
Performance Unlimited is your southern NH hot spot
specializing in race car parts, on and off road truck
parts and street and strip upgrades.
The
2013 schedule for the Granite State Pro Stock series
begins on Saturday and Sunday April 13th& 14th
as part of the historic Ice Breaker at the Thompson
International Speedway. This is the first of eleven
events at seven speedways, three which are new to the
fledgling series.
You can
get more information at some of the upcoming appearances
for the GSPSS, which include the Racer’s Expo on
February 8th& 9th at the Royal
Plaza Hotel in Marlboro, MA.
Then
there is the Motorsports Show in Portland, ME on
February 22nd& 23rd. Matt Frahm’s
championship #14 will be on display.
We will also be at Frank Maratta’s Auto Show and
Race~A~Rama on March 2nd& 3rd at
the Eastern States Expo in Springfield. Mike O’Sullivan
and Matt Zenisky will have their 2013 mounts on display
for the fans.
For
more information find us on Facebook under Granite State
Pro Stock Series. |
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Cabral Crowned Granite State Pro
Stock Series Champion:
Inaugural series champion claims awards at banquet;
Frahm car owner champion |
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 MANCHESTER,
NH -- Veteran stock car racing driver Bobby Cabral was
officially crowned Granite State Pro Stock Series
champion during the series’ inaugural banquet held at
The Yard Restaurant in Manchester, NH on Friday, January
18.
Cabral, of Kingston, NH, claimed the series’ first
championship with one win and five top-five place
finishes, while never finishing lower than seventh
during the season. The series championship battle went
into the final race of the season, where Cabral’s third
place finish netted him the series championship.
Cabral and car owner Dave Frahm were celebrated as the
driver’s champion and series’ champion, respectively.
Cabral received a championship trophy and a championship
jacket from American Racer racing tires. Frahm received
the championship earnings.
Bobby Baillargeon of East Kingston, NH was celebrated as
the championship runner-up. Barry Gray of Belchertown,
MA claimed third place prizes, with Rich Eaton and Fran
Colson taking home fourth and fifth place prizes,
respectively. Carl Eriksson, Mike Parks, Derek Griffith,
Keith Caruso, and Phil Meany also claimed driver’s
trophies, as well. Eriksson, Parks, John Griffith and
Louie Mechalides, Steve Litwin, Mike Notargiacomo, and
Josh King claimed additional car owner prizes.
Derek Griffith of Hudson, NH claimed Rookie of the Year
honors for his first season in Pro Stock competition.
Griffth, racing against a well veteran core of drivers,
earned a runner-up finish in the first Granite State Pro
Stock Series event, and ended the season an additional
two top-ten finishes. Griffith earned a $1,000 gift
certificate to ARBodies and a $300 award from Jack’s
Competition Engines.
Distance Racing Products of Fairfield, ME awarded a
brand new Distance Racing chassis to Bobby Baillargeon
after his name was selected during a random draw.
ARBodies awarded $500 gift certificates to Josh King and
Mike Parks via a random draw. Drivers eligible for both
drawing competed in every Granite State Pro Stock Series
event in 2012.
Series President Mike Parks and Managing Event Director
Josh Vanada thanked the drivers, car owners, officials,
fans, media members, and track owners for their
involvement in the inaugural season. Both Parks and
Vanada gave special thanks to Larry and Dee Cirillo,
owners of Monadnock Speedway, and the Webber family,
owners of Star Speedway and Hudson Speedway, for their
involvement in hosting the Granite State Pro Stock
Series during its inaugural season.
The banquet officially brought an end to the 2012
Granite State Pro Stock Series Season. An 11-race season
has been scheduled for the second season, with the
opener set for the famed Icebreaker weekend at Thompson
Speedway in Thompson, CT on Saturday and Sunday, April
13 and 14. |
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Granite
State Pro Stock Series to Race Thompson Speedway
in 2013:
New England’s
largest short track to welcome Pro Stocks twice
THOMPSON, CT -- The Granite State Pro Stock Series will
make its inaugural appearance in the Constitution State
in 2013 as the series will make two appearances at
Thompson Speedway in Thompson, CT.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series will be part of the
two premier weekends at the five-eighths mile oval, the
IceBreaker, currently scheduled for Saturday and
Sunday,
April 13 and 14, and the World Series of Speedway
Racing, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 19
and 20. Exact race dates and distances are expected to
be finalized at a later date.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be part of two of New
England’s premier racing events,” Granite State Pro
Stock Series president Mike Parks said. “We are proud to
show how much our series has grown in just one short
year!”
The Granite State Pro Stock Series’ second season will
now see 11 races in three New England States. Devil’s
Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT, and Riverside Speedway
in Groveton, NH will also host the Granite State Pro
Stock Series for the first time in 2013.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series season opener is now
set for IceBreaker weekend at Thompson; the season will
also conclude at Thompson.
For more information about
Thompson
Speedway, visit their website at
www.thompsonspeedway.com. |
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ARbodies Launches Support for
Granite
State Pro Stock Series:
Leader in
short track stock car racing bodies to present Rookie of
the Year, Hard Luck Awards
CANAAN, NH -- ARbodies, a leader in short track stock
car racing bodies, will sponsor the Granite State Pro
Stock Series Rookie of the Year award in 2013. ARbodies
will celebrate the rookie of the year by presenting the
ARbodies Rookie of the Year Challenge winner with a
$1,000 gift certificate.
“We are happy to have ARbodies on board with us for the
2013 season,” said Granite State Pro Stock Series
president Mike Parks. “ARbodies is one of the leading
manufacturers of ABC bodies in the country. We are proud
to have them as our rookie of the year sponsor.”
ARbodies will also present a weekly $100 gift
certificate for the hard luck award in 2013 to a Granite
State Pro Stock Series driver. ARbodies will also
present two random Granite State Pro Stock Series
drivers that attempted every race a $500 gift
certificate at the series annual banquet.
ARbodies and the Granite State Pro Stock Series will
also honor the 2012 Rookie of the Year with a $1,000
gift certificate at the series banquet on Friday,
January 18. ARbodies will also present $500 gift
certificates to two random drivers who competed in every
event in 2012 during the awards banquet.
The 2013 Granite State Pro Stock Series season will
begin on Saturday, May 5 at Canaan Fair Speedway in
Canaan, NH with a 100-lap kickoff event. The remainder
of the schedule will be announced during the series
banquet on Friday, January 18, at The Yard Restaurant in
Manchester, NH.
For more information on ARbodies, visit their website at
ARbodies.com. |
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Cabral to be Honored at
Granite State Pro Stock Series Banquet:
Six winners in six races
highlight Inaugural Season
CANAAN, NH -- Inaugural Granite State Pro Stock Series
champion Bobby Cabral will be honored during the awards
banquet, which is set for Friday night, January 18th at
The Yard Restaurant in Manchester, NH. The awards
banquet will also celebrate the first season of the
Granite State Pro Stock Series that saw six different
winners in the six events held in 2012.
The veteran Cabral, of East Kingston, NH, captured the
title in the final race of the season, a season that saw
him visit victory lane in July at Hudson Speedway, and
finish inside the top-five in five of the six races.
Cabral’s worst finish of the season was a seventh place
finish.
Bobby Baillargeon chased Cabral down to the wire and
will be honored for his runner-up season finish.
Baillargeon, of Kingston, NH, grabbed a win at Hudson
Speedway in August and had three finishes in the
top-five.
Veteran stock car racer Barry Gray of Belchertown, MA
won the season finale at Monadnock Speedway in October,
which help vault him to a third place season finish.
Gray captured four top-five place finishes during the
2012 season.
Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH secured a fourth place season
finish with two top-five place finishes and four top-ten
place finishes. Fran Colson of Gardner, MA claimed the
fifth place season point finish.
Mike O’Sullivan won the season opening race at Monadnock
Speedway in May. Part-time NASCAR Nationwide Series
driver Matt Frahm of New Salem, NH earned the win at
Star Speedway in August, while hometown racer Donnie
Lashua picked up the win at Canaan Fair Speedway in his
only start with the Granite State Pro Stock Series.
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Gray Scores Monadnock GSPSS Win as
Cabral Crowned Champ:
Gray captures first series win; Cabral grabs inaugural
series championship
WINCHESTER, NH -- Multi-time Monadnock Speedway champion
Barry Gray made sure he put a one in the win column as
he captured his first career Granite State Pro Stock
Series win at Monadnock in the Halloween Vampire 100,
which also saw veteran racer Bobby Cabral capture the
inaugural Granite State Pro Stock Series championship.
Gray, of Belchertown, MA, captured the lead on lap 29
from polesitter Jake Vanada with a move to the inside of
Vanada’s car. Gray then had to hold off Fran Colson late
in the 100-lap event when Gray had trouble maneuvering
his way around lap traffic
“Not to put the pressure on my boys tonight, but I told
them we had won at least one race for the last 20 years
in-a-row and we didn’t get it tonight, we were going to
miss one,” Gray stated in victory lane. “They worked
extra hard. My hats off to Monadnock, this (race) was
postponed and a lot of fans came out tonight, and Bobby
on his championship.”
Colson of Gardner, MA scored the runner-up position.
Cabral, of Kingston, NH, was crowed the Granite State
Pro Stock Series champion with a third place finish.
Cabral struggled during the first half of the 100-lap
event, but fought back during the second-half of the
race.
“We got the toe knocked in quite a bit right off the bat
and I had move around quite a bit,” Cabral stated. “I
changed my line and my guys kept me calm on the radio.
If it wasn’t for Roger (Dion), and Fred (Skaff) keeping
me calm, we probably wouldn’t be here right now. It was
a pretty tough night.
“I want to thank Dave Frahm and his family for letting
me drive this car. Without these guys, I wouldn’t be
here. And here we are. We’re the champions.
Phil Meany of Gardner, MA crossed under the checkered
flag in the fourth position. Zig Geno of Canterbury, NH
scored his first career Granite State Pro Stock Series
top-five finish with a fifth place finish. Erick Sands,
Bobby Baillargeon, Keith Caruso, Larry Gelinas, and Carl
Eriksson completed the unofficial top-ten finishers.
Unofficially, Cabral, Baillargeon, Gray, Rich Eaton, and
Colson finished first through fifth, respectively, in
the championship standings.
The inaugural Granite State Pro Stock Series season has
now concluded. Stay up-to-date in the offseason with the
Granite State Pro Stock Series on the official website,
www.gspss.net,
as well as on Facebook.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Halloween Vampire 100
Granite State Pro Stock Series -- Monadnock Speedway,
Winchester, NH
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (3) Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA
2. (11) Fran Colson, Gardner, MA
3. (9) Bobby Cabral, East Kingston, NH
4. (8) Phil Meany,
Gardner, MA
5. (13) Zig Geno, Canterbury, NH
6. (2) Erick Sands,
Farmington, NH
7. (7) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, NH
8. (12) Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA
9. (16) Larry
Gelinas, Buxton, ME
10. (10) Carl Eriksson, Deep River, CT
11. (18) Adam Lapoint, Winchester, NH
12. (1) Jake Vanada,
Berkley, MA
13. (14) Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH
14. (5) Rich Eaton,
Seabrook, NH
15. (6) Jeremy Davis, Tamworth, NH
16. (4) Jay Sands, Seabrook, NH
17. (15) Mike Parks, Walpole, NH
18. (17) Josh King, Vernon, VT
Did Not Start: Pete Fiandaca, Fitchburg, MA
Lap Leaders: Jake Vanada (1-28), Barry Gray (29-100)
Cautions: 7 (7, 13, 15, 21, 53, 53, 75)
Heat Winners: Barry
Gray, Bobby Baillargeon |
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GSPSS Set for Vampire 100 at
Monadnock Speedway:
Cabral, Baillargeon to
settle championship in season finale
WINCHESTER, NH -- Veteran stock car racers Bobby Cabral
and Bobby Baillargeon will settle the Granite State Pro
Stock Series championship battle this Saturday, October
27, at Monadnock Speedway in the Vampire 100.
Point leader Cabral carries a 14-point margin over his
closest competitor headed into the final race of the
Granite State Pro Stock Series season. Cabral, of East
Kingston, NH, scored a win earlier in the season at
Hudson Speedway in July and has finished inside the
top-five in four of the five series race this season.
Baillargeon of Kingston, NH picked up a win in the
series’ second appearance at Hudson Speedway in August
and has continually narrowed the gap to Cabral. The
second place point man was able to cut 16 points out of
Cabral’s lead over the past two races.
Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH sits third in the point
standings and has a mathematical chance to claim the
inaugural Granite State Pro Stock Series championship.
Eaton sits 28 points behind Cabral and scored a fourth
place finish in the season opener at Monadnock in May.
Multi-time Monandock Speedway champion Barry Gray will
look to steal the championship with a win in the season
finale. Gray, of Belchertown, MA, sits two points behind
Eaton in fourth, 30 behind Cabral, and will look to use
his advantage at Monadnock to snag the championship.
Mike Parks of Walpole, NH, Derek Griffith of Hudson, NH,
Carl Eriksson of Deep River, CT, Fran Colson of Gardner
MA, Keith Caruso of Millbury, MA, and Josh King of
Vernon, VT will look to finish the season in the top-ten
in points and will look to claim their first wins of the
season at Monadnock Speedway.
Monadnock Speedway’s Monster Dash will be held on
Saturday, October 27 at 2:00pm and feature a 40-lap
Sportsman Modified event, a 35-lap Super Stock event, a
35-lap Mini Stock event, and feature events for the
Lightning & Thunder Stocks and the Young Guns.
Pit Gates open at 9:00am with practice set to begin at
11:00am. Main Grandstands will open at 12:00pm. General
Admission Adults will be $15, with Seniors (65+) $10,
Students $5, and children 12 and under free.
For more information, visit the Monadnock Speedway
website at
www.monadnockspeedway.com. |
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Granite State Pro Stock Series
JBH 100 Postponed Again:
Championship showdown now set for Saturday, October
27
WINCHESTER, NH -- Seventeen Granite State Pro Stock
Series cars were prepared to determine the first JBH 100
winner before unfavorable conditions forced Monadnock
Speedway management to postpone the event until
Saturday, October 27.
The JBH 100, which has been unfortunately postponed four
times since its original August 4th date, is held in
memory of late Granite State Pro Stock Series co-founder
John Hoyt, who unexpectedly passed away last year. The
JBH 100 will be the final race in the 2012 Granite State
Pro Stock Series season.
Bobby Cabral of East Kingston, NH carries a 14 point
lead over Bobby Baillargeon of Kingston, NH into the
championship event. Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH sits
third in the standings 28 points back of Cabral. Barry
Gray of Belchertown, MA sits fourth, 30 points back of
Cabral. Mike Parks of Walpole, NH sits fifth, 44 points
behind the point leader.
More information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series
can be found on the Granite State Pro Stock Series
Facebook page. Information on Monadnock Speedway can be
found at
www.monadnockspeedway.com. |
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Granite State Pro Stock Series JBH 100 Postponed:
Season Finale now set for Saturday, October 6
WINCHESTER, NH -- Rain prevailed for the third straight
time in the JBH 100 as an unfavorable weather forecast
forced officials to postponed the Granite State Pro
Stock Series season finale until next Saturday, October
6.
Bobby
Cabral of East Kingston, NH carries a 14 point lead over
Bobby Baillargeon of Kingston, NH into the championship
event. Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH sits third in the
standings 28 points back of Cabral. Barry Gray of
Belchertown, MA sits fourth, 30 points back of Cabral.
Mike Parks of Walpole, NH sits fifth, 44 points behind
the point leader.
The
Granite State Pro Stock Series season finale will be
held on The Super Saturday Megafest of Motorsports on
October 6 at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH. Also
on the card will be Mudbogs at 11:00am.
The
JBH 100, which was originally scheduled for August 4th,
will be in memory of late Granite State Pro Stock Series
co-founder John Hoyt, who unexpectedly passed away last
year.
Super Saturday’s pit gates open at 10:00am, with stock
car practice beginning at noon. Monadnock Speedway’s
main ticket booth opens at 1:00pm, with school bus rides
for kids beginning at 2:30pm. Heat race qualifying will
begin at 3:00pm. Admission is $20 for Adults, $10 for
Seniors, $5 for Students (13-18), and Children 12 and
under are free. |
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Granite State Pro Stock Series
Championship Showdown Set for Monadnock
Cabral Leads Baillargeon by
14 points entering season finale
WINCHESTER, NH -- Granite State Pro Stock Series point
leader Bobby Cabral will take a 14-point lead into the
season finale JBH 100 on Saturday, September 29 at
Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH.
Cabral, of East Kingston, NH, has had an
impressive season thus far, as he had picked up top-five
finishes in every event until the series last race at
Canaan Fair Speedway. The veteran racer won the Gate
City Classic 100 at Hudson Speedway in July and has been
steady in the inaugural season of the Granite State Pro
Stock Series. His worst finish on the season is a
seventh place finish.
Bobby Baillargeon sits second in the Granite
State Pro Stock Series standings. The Kingston, NH racer
season has surged after his win in the Hudson Hugger 100
at Hudson Speedway in August. He finished third at
Canaan one week ago and cut eight points off of Cabral’s
lead.
Cabral was able to finish third in May at
Monadnock, while Baillargeon was relegated to a 14th
place finish after an incident. Cabral can be crowned
the 2012 Granite State Pro Stock Series champion by
finishing ahead of Baillargeon at the conclusion of the
JBH 100, or by finishing within six positions of him if
Baillargeon does not win the event. Baillargeon can be
crowned Granite State Pro Stock Series champion if he
wins and Cabral does not finish better than seventh, or
if he finishes seven positions ahead of Cabral on the
track.
Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH, multi-time
Monadnock Speedway champion Barry Gray of Belchertown,
MA, and Mike Parks of Walpole, NH all have a
mathematical chance at claiming the Granite State Pro
Stock Series championship. Eaton currently sits
28-points back from Cabral with Gray nipping at Eaton’s
heels just two points shy of Eaton. Parks sits 44-points
back of Cabral.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series season finale will be
held on Super Saturday, September 29 at Monadnock
Speedway in Winchester, NH. The JBH 100, which was
originally scheduled for August 4th, will be in memory
of late Granite State Pro Stock Series co-founder John
Hoyt, who unexpectedly passed away last year.
Super Saturday’s pit gates open at 10:00am, with
practice beginning at noon. Monadnock Speedway’s main
ticket booth opens at 1:00pm, with school bus rides for
kids beginning at 2:30pm. Heat race qualifying will
begin at 3:00pm. Admission is $20 for Adults, $10 for
Seniors, $5 for Students (13-18), and Children 12 and
under are free. |
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Lashua Defends Turf, Wins Granite State Pro Stock Series
Canaan 100:
Hometown racing
veteran takes win at Canaan Fair Speedway
 CANAAN,
NH -- Hometown stock car racer Donnie Lashua took the
lead from polesitter Cory Roberts on lap 39 to score his
first career Granite State Pro Stock Series win Sunday
in the 100-lap event at Canaan Fair Speedway.
Lashua started third in the 18-car field and patiently
rode behind Roberts for the first third of the race. The
veteran Lashua was able to work inside of Roberts and
snag the lead for the remainder of the race, but had to
hold him off on three late race restarts.
Roberts, of Canaan, NH, crossed underneath the checkered
flag in second. Recent Granite State Pro Stock Series
winner Bobby Baillargeon, of Kingston, NH, finished
third and was able to chip away at his deficit to the
series point leader. Webster, NH’s Matt Pepin, driving a
team car to Lashua, finished fourth ahead of Barry Gray,
of Belchertown, MA.
Jeremy Davis, who was crowned the Canaan Fair Speedway
Pro Stock champion Friday night, finished sixth. Granite
State Pro Stock Series point leader Bobby Cabral
finished outside the top five for the first time this
season with his seventh place finish. Rich Eaton, Zig
Geno, and Carl Eriksson completed the unofficial top
ten.
Lashua’s win makes him the fifth different Granite State
Pro Stock Series winner this year, and sixth in Series
history. There has yet to be a repeat winner this
season.
Unofficially, Baillargeon was able to cut eight points
off of his deficit to Cabral with his third place
finish. Cabral now holds a 14-point lead back to
Baillargeon with just one event remaining. Eaton holds
the third point position, 28 points behind. Gray sits
two points back of Eaton, with Mike Parks fifth, 44
points behind Cabral.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series season finale will be
held on Super Saturday, September 29 at Monadock
Speedway in Winchester, NH. The JBH 100, which was
originally scheduled for August 4th, will be in memory
of late Granite State Pro Stock Series co-founder John
Hoyt, who unexpectedly passed away last year.
Super Saturday’s pit gates open at 10:00am, with
practice beginning at noon. Monadock Speedway’s main
ticket booth opens at 1:00pm, with school bus rides for
kids beginning at 2:30pm. Heat race qualifying will
begin at 3:00pm. Admission is $20 for Adults, $10 for
Seniors, $5 for Students (13-18), and Children 12 and
under are free.
More information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series
can be found online at
www.gspss.net and on the Granite State Pro
Stock Series Facebook page.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Granite State Pro
Stock Series Canaan 100
Granite State Pro Stock Series
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, NH
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Laps
1. (3) Donnie Lashua, Canaan, NH, 100 laps
2. (1) Cory Roberts, Canaan, NH, 100 laps
3. (8) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, NH, 100 laps
4. (7) Matt Pepin, Webster, NH, 100 laps
5. (18) Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA, 100 laps
6. (6) Jeremy Davis, Tamworth, NH, 100 laps
7. (2) Bobby Cabral, East Kingston, NH, 100 laps
8. (5) Rich Eaton, Seabrook, NH, 100 laps
9. (14) Zig Geno, Canterbury, NH, 100 laps
10. (4) Carl Eriksson, Deep River, CT, 99 laps
11. (15) Phil Meany, Gardner, MA, 99 laps
12. (17) Jay Sands, Seabrook, NH, 99 laps
13. (12) Matt Frahm, New Salem, NH, 91 laps
14. (9) Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH, 83 laps
15. (11) Mike Parks, Walpole, NH, 83 laps
16. (16) Fran Colson, Gardner, MA, 62 laps
17. (13) Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA, 29 laps
18. (10) Josh King, Vernon, VT, 24 laps
Lap Leaders: Cory Robert (1-38), Donnie Lashua (39-100)
Time of Race: 42:58.149
Margin of Victory: 0.810 seconds
Cautions: 3 (83, 83, 89)
Heat Winners: Cory Roberts, Donnie Lashua |
|
Granite State Pro Stock Series JBH 100 Postponed:
Race to honor
co-founder John Hoyt rescheduled to Saturday, September
29
WINCHESTER, NH -- The Granite State Pro Stock Series JBH
100 at
Monadnock Speedway, scheduled for Saturday,
September 8, has been postponed due to a severe weather
forecast. The event to honor the late series co-founder
John Hoyt has been rescheduled for Saturday, September
29.
The event,
first attempted on August 4 and postponed due to rain,
will now become the season finale for the Granite State
Pro Stock Series.
Bobby Cabral, of East Kingston, NH, currently leads the
Granite State Pro Stock Series point standings, holding
a 22-point margin to nearest competitor Bobby
Baillargeon, of Kingston, NH, with just two races
remaining. Rich Eaton, of Seabrook, NH sits third in the
point standings, 26 points shy of Cabral. Mike Parks, of
Walpole, NH, sits in fourth, just 28 points back. Former
Monadnock Speedway champion Barry Gray sits fifth in the
series point standings, 34 points away.
The
Granite State Pro Stock Series will travel to Canaan
Fair Speedway in Canaan, NH, on Sunday, September 16 for
a 100-lap event. The North East Mini Stock Tour will
join the Pro Stocks on the racing card for their own
50-lap championship counting event. A $300-to-win Pure
Stock/Limited/Thunder Stock 35-lap race will also be
held, as well as a $200-to-win SK Bean Enfield Garage
Bandit/Wildcat/Lightning Stock challenge race.
Canaan Fair Speedway is located just off Route 118 on
Orange Road in Canaan, NH. The largest track the Granite
State Pro Stock Series visit will also feature Canaan
Fair Speedway regulars as they look to defend their home
track against the invading series drivers.
Admission for the Granite State Pro Stock Series season
finale is set for Adults $20, Seniors and Juniors $15,
Kids ages 7 to 12 $5, and children 6 and under free. Pit
fee will be $35 and the gates will open at 9:00am.
Grandstand gates will open at 11:30am, with practice
beginning at noon. Heat race qualifying will begin at
2:00pm.
More information on the
JBH 100, which will be run on Super Saturday at
Monadnock Speedway, will be available shortly on the
Granite State Pro Stock Series website,
www.gspss.net,
on the Granite State Pro Stock Series Facebook page, and
on Monadnock Speedway’s website,
www.monadnockspeedway.com. More information
on the Canaan Fair Speedway can be found at
www.canaanspeedways.com |
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Canaan Fair Speedway to Host GSPSS
Season Finale:
Championship race moved
from Lee USA Speedway; Championship to be decided Sept.
16
CANAAN,
N.H. -- Canaan Fair Speedway will host the Granite State
Pro Stock Series season finale on Sunday, September 16.
The previously scheduled championship event at Lee USA
Speedway has been canceled.
“We made this decision based on the best interest of our
competitors,” Granite State Pro Stock Series President
Mike Parks said. “Lee USA Speedway wanted to make this
an open competition event, as they have had in years
past for Oktoberfest. We have canceled our sanction of
the event to honor their wishes, but we definitely look
forward to working with Lee USA Speedway in the future.”
The Granite State Pro Stock Series 100 lap event on the
“Awesome Asphalt” will be joined by a 50-lap North East
Mini Stock Tour event, a 35-lap $300-to-win Pure
Stock/Limited/ Thunder Stock event, and a $200-to-win SK
Bean Enfield Garage Bandit/Wildcat/Lightning Stock
challenge event.
Current Granite State Pro Stock Series point leader
Bobby Cabral will have two races to hang on to his point
lead and snag the inaugural series championship. Cabral,
of East Kingston, NH, has claimed one feature win and
has yet to finish outside the top-five.
Bobby Baillargeon, of Kingston, NH, rides the wave of
momentum after his win at Hudson Speedway into the final
two events of the season. Baillargeon currently sits
just 22 points shy of Cabral. Rich Eaton, of Seabrook,
NH, currently sits third in the standings, 28 points
behind Cabral.
Canaan Fair Speedway is located just off Route 118 on
Orange Road in Canaan, NH. The largest track the Granite
State Pro Stock Series visit will also feature Canaan
Fair Speedway regulars as they look to defend their home
track against the invading series drivers.
Admission for the Granite State Pro Stock Series season
finale is set for Adults $20, Seniors and Juniors $15,
Kids ages 7 to 12 $5, and children 6 and under free. Pit
fee will be $35 and the gates will open at 9:00am.
Grandstand gates will open at 11:30am, with practice
beginning at noon. Heat race qualifying will begin at
2:00pm.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series continues this
weekend, Saturday, September 8 at Monadnock Speedway in
Winchester, NH, with the running of the JBH 100.
Information on Canaan Fair Speedway can be seen at
www.canaanspeedways.com. |
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Granite State Pro Stocks Enter
Monadnock Speedway for JBH 100:
Series to honor the late series co-founder John Hoyt
WINCHESTER, NH -- The Granite State Pro Stock Series
will make their second attempt to run the John Hoyt
Memorial JBH 100 on Saturday, September 8 at Monadnock
Speedway in Winchester, NH. The event was rained out
after practice on August 4.
Hoyt was in the midst of forging the series with Mike
Parks when he unexpectedly passed away in July of 2011.
Bobby Cabral leads the Granite State Pro Stock Series
into the JBH 100 as the series point leader. The East
Kingston, NH veteran has scored one win and top-five
finishes in each of the series four events in 2012 and
holds a 22 point margin over Bobby Baillargeon.
Baillargeon, of Kingston, NH, scored his first career
Granite State Pro Stock Series win in the most recent
race, held at Hudson Speedway. The win allowed
Baillargeon to shave nearly ten points off of his
deficit to Cabral.
Fifteen-year-old Derek Griffith earned a second place
finish in his first career Pro Stock start in the series
first race at Monadnock Speedway. Griffith, of Hudson,
NH, currently sits six points out of the fifth spot in
the championship battle.
Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH has earned two top-five
finishes, including a runner-up finish one race ago at
Hudson Speedway, and sits 26 points behind Cabral.
Parks, of Walople, NH, sits fourth in the series
standings after he rebounded from engine issues at Star
Speedway to finish fifth at Hudson.
Former NASCAR New Hampshire State Champion and
multi-time Monadnock Speedway champion Barry Gray, of
Belchertown, MA, sits fifth in the series standings and
will look to garner his first Granite State Pro Stock
Series win at his home track.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series JBH 100 at Monadnock
Speedway will be held on Saturday, September 8. Practice
begins at 3:30pm with the front gates opening at 4:00pm.
Heat race qualifying will start at 6:00pm. Adult
admission is $20, Seniors (65+) is $10, Students (13-18)
is $5, and Children 12 & under are free.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series can be found on the
world wide web at www.gspss.net, as well on Facebook at
facebook.com/Granite-State-Pro-Stock-Series. Information
on Monadnock Speedway can be found at
www.monadnockspeedway.com. |
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Baillargeon Rules in Granite
State Pro Stock Series Hudson Hugger 100:
Veteran racer scores first career Granite State Pro
Stock Series win
 HUDSON,
NH -- Bobby Baillargeon was virtually untouchable as the
veteran stock car racer led all 100 laps and claimed his
first career Granite State Pro Stock Series win at
Hudson Speedway in Hudson, NH in the Hudson Hugger 100.
The Kingston, NH driver drew the pole position in the
top-eight redraw and set up his winning effort.
Baillargeon was able to pull out to sizeable leads, but
a late race restart on lap 94 put Granite State Pro
Stock Series point leader Bobby Cabral to his outside.
Baillargeon prevailed on the final restart at Cabral got
shuffled back on the outside and cruised to his first
career Granite State Pro Stock Series win.
Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH glued himself to the back
bumper of Baillargeon and followed him into the
runner-up position. Jay Sands, also of Seabrook, NH,
restarted fifth and was able to follow the path of
Baillargeon and Eaton into the third position. Sands
earned the hard charger award as he worked his way from
his 13th place starting position to finish third.
Cabral, of East Kingston, NH, settled for fourth. Mike
Parks, of Walpole, NH, restarted behind Cabral on the
final restart and finished fifth. Barry Gary, Keith
Caruso, Carl Eriksson, Geoff Rollins, and Josh King
completed the top ten finishers.
Eight cautions slowed the event and took about one hour
to complete. Cabral and 15-year-old Derek Griffith
scored the heat race wins. Baillargeon became the fourth
different winner for the Granite State Pro Stock Series
this season, which has yet to feature a repeat winner.
Baillargeon moved into second place in the Granite State
Pro Stock Series point standings, 22 markers behind
Cabral. Eaton moved into third place, 26 points behind
Cabral. Parks slid back to fourth, 28 points back, and
Barry Gray moved into fifth, 34 points behind.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series will head back to
Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH on Saturday,
September 8 for the JBH 100, which was postponed from
August 4. Post time is set for 6:00pm.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series can be found on the
internet at www.gspss.net, as well as Facebook.
Information on Monadnock Speedway can be found at
www.monadnockspeedway.com. Hudson Speedway can be seen
at www.hudsonspeedway.info.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Hudson Hugger 100
Granite State Pro Stock Series -- Hudson Speedway,
Hudson, NH
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Laps
1. (1) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, NH, 100 laps
2. (4) Rich Eaton, Seabrook, NH, 100 laps
3. (13) Jay Sands, Seabrook, NH, 100 laps
4. (2) Bobby Cabral, East Kingston, NH, 100 laps
5. (6) Mike Parks, Walpole, NH, 100 laps
6. (7) Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA, 100 laps
7. (11) Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA, 100 laps
8. (8) Carl Eriksson, Deep River, CT, 100 laps
9. (10) Geoff Rollins, Groton, MA, 94 laps
10. (3) Josh King, Vernon, VT, 93 laps
11. (5) Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH, 83 laps
12. (14) Fran Colson, Gardner, MA, 58 laps
13. (12) Jay Maki, Fitchburg, MA, 24 laps
14. (9) Phil Meany, Gardner, MA, 23 laps
Did Not Start: Matt Frahm, New Salem, NH
Lap Leaders: Bobby Baillargeon (1-100)
Cautions: 8 (24, 40, 56, 56, 60, 80, 83, 94)
Heat Winners: Derek Griffith, Bobby Cabral |
|
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Frahm Dominates Granite State Pro
Stock Series Star 100:
Part-time NASCAR racer
leads all 100 laps in first series start
 EPPING,
NH -- NASCAR Nationwide Series part-time competitor Matt
Frahm dominated the Granite State Pro Stock Series
100-lap race at Star Speedway in Epping, NH to score his
first series win in his first series start.
The 22-year-old Frahm, of New Salem, NH,
used his pole position start to lead 99 of the 100 laps
at the track where he began his racing career eight
years ago. Three restarts put challengers to the outside
of Frahm, but the young racer was able to retain his
lead and pick up the win.
Mike O’Sullivan, of Springfield, MA, worked
from his eighth starting position and was able to
pressure Frahm late in the 100-lap race, but drifted
back over the final 20 laps of the race and finished
second. Barry Gray, of Belchertown, MA, claimed his
first series podium finish with a third place finish.
Seekonk Speedway regular Phil Meany, of Gardner, MA,
finished fourth.
Granite State Pro Stock Series point leader
Bobby Cabral, of Kingston, NH, retained his series point
lead with a fifth place finish. Cabral, who is Frahm’s
teammate, denied Frahm of the clean sweep and led only
one lap, which came on lap 46. Bobby Baillargeon, Rich
Eaton, 14-year-old Reid Lanpher, Fran Colson, and
15-year-old Derek Griffith completed the unofficial top
ten finishers.
The race was slowed by three caution flags
on laps 33, 43, and 80, respectively. The 100-lap event
was completed in 35 minutes. The heat races were won by
Cabral and Eaton.
Unofficially, Cabral extended his point lead
to 26 points. Mike Parks and Griffith are tied for
second. Three drivers, Eaton, Baillargeon, and Gray, are
tied for the fourth place point position, 30 points off
of Cabral.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series is back
in action in one week on Sunday, August 26, at Hudson
Speedway in Hudson, NH, for the Hudson Hugger 100-lap
event. Post time for the event is at 6:00pm.
Hudson
Speedway is located just off of Route 102 on Old Derry
Road in Hudson, NH, and is conveniently located within a
half hour of New Hampshire’s five largest cities.
More information can be found on the Granite
State Pro Stock Series website, found at
www.gspss.net, or on the Granite State Pro
Stock Series Facebook page. Hudson Speedway can be found
online at
www.hudsonspeedway.info.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Granite State Pro
Stock Series Star 100
Granite State Pro Stock Series -- Star Speedway, Epping,
N.H.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Laps
1. (1) Matt Frahm, New Salem, NH, 100 laps
2. (8) Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA, 100 laps
3. (6) Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA, 100 laps
4. (9) Phil Meany, Gardner, MA, 100 laps
5. (4) Bobby Cabral, East Kingston, NH, 100 laps
6. (7) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, NH, 100 laps
7. (5) Rich Eaton, Seabrook, NH, 100 laps
8. (2) Reid Lanpher, Manchester, ME, 100 laps
9. (11) Fran Colson, Gardner, MA, 100 laps
10. (13) Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH, 100 laps
11. (14) Babe Branscombe, Nottingham, NH, 100 laps
12. (15) Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA, 99 laps
13. (10) Carl Eriksson, Deep River, CT, 97 laps
14. (3) Mike Parks, Walpole, NH, 71 laps
15. (17) Zig Geno, Canterbury, NH, 43 laps
16. (16) Geoff Rollins, Groton, MA, 33 laps
17. (12) Josh King, Vernon, VT, 19 laps
Did Not Start: Jay Sands, Seabrook, NH
Lap Leaders: Matt Frahm (1-45), Bobby Cabral
(46), Frahm (47-100)
Time of Race: 35 minutes
Cautions: 3 (33, 43, 80)
Heat Winners: Bobby Cabral, Rich Eaton |
|
Granite State Pro
Stock Series Prepare To Go Back-to-Back:
Star
Speedway hosts Pro Stocks August 18; GSPSS
return to Hudson on August 26
 CANAAN,
NH -- The Granite State Pro Stock Series
kick off their busiest stretch of stock car
auto racing with back-to-back weekends in
the southeastern part of New Hampshire. Star
Speedway, located in Epping, NH, will
welcome the Granite State Pro Stock Series
on Saturday night, August 18. One week
later, Hudson (NH) Speedway will host the
Granite State Pro Stock Series for a second
time in the 2012 season on Sunday evening,
August 26, in the Hudson Hugger 100.
Current Granite State Pro Stock Series point
leader Bobby Cabral leads the series into
the back-to-back weekend events with a slim
eight point lead over Walpole, NH veteran
Mike Parks. Cabral, of East Kingston, NH, is
a long time competitor at Star Speedway and
claimed the Gate City Classic 100 win
earlier in the season at Hudson Speedway.
Parks finished second in the Gate City
Classic 100.
Fifteen-year-old Derek Griffith sits third
in the series standings and will look to
claim his first series triumph at the two
tracks close to home. Griffith, of Hudson,
NH, finished an impressive second place in
the series opening event at Monadnock
Speedway, then claimed a ninth place finish
in the Gate City Classic 100.
Carl Eriksson, of Deep River, CT, and Rich
Eaton, of Seabrook, NH, sit fourth and fifth
in the Granite State Pro Stock Series
standings and will look to jump into the
title fight in the duo of races. Bobby
Baillargeon, of Kingston, NH, Fran Colson,
of Gardner, MA, Barry Gray, of Belchertown,
MA, and Geoff Rollins, of Groton, MA, are
also expected to attend the series
back-to-back performances. Baillargeon
finished third in the Gate City Classic 100.
NASCAR Nationwide Series competitor Matt
Frahm, of New Salem, NH, will be among the
entrants at both Star Speedway and Hudson
Speedway. Multi-time Star Speedway champion
Babe Branscombe, of Nottingham, NH, will
also take part
Star Speedway is located on Route 27 in
Epping, NH, just 30 minutes east of New
Hampshire’s largest city, Manchester. There
will be an on-track meet and greet with the
stars and cars of the Granite State Pro
Stock Series just before their 100-lap
event. Post time is scheduled for 6:00pm on
Saturday, August 18. The Granite State Pro
Stock Series will be joined by the Amsoil
NELCAR Legends Tour, Outlaws, Strictly
Stocks, Roadrunners, and Star 4 Modifieds.
Hudson Speedway is located just off of Route
102 on Old Derry Road in Hudson, NH, and is
conveniently located within a half hour of
New Hampshire’s five largest cities. Post
time is scheduled for 6:00pm on Sunday,
August 26. Also on the card is the Road
Runners, Thunder Lights, and the “Mighty
Mike” Lewis Memorial for the Rookie Stock
racers.
Information on Star Speedway can be found at
www.star-speedway.com, while
information on Hudson Speedway can be seen
at
www.hudsonspeedway.info.
|
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Rain Postpones
Granite State Pro Stock Series JBH 100:
John Hoyt
Memorial Event rescheduled for September 8th
WINCHESTER, NH -- Rain showers moved over the Monadnock
Speedway just after practice sessions had concluded for
the Granite State Pro Stock Series JBH 100 and forced
the 100-lap event to be postponed. The memorial event,
held in honor of late Granite State Pro Stock Series
Co-Founder John Hoyt, has been rescheduled for Saturday,
September 8.
NASCAR Nationwide Series part-time competitor Matt Frahm,
of New Salem, NH, was among the 18 Granite State Pro
Stock Series competitors who had entered the JBH 100.
Series point leader Bobby Cabral, David’s House 106
winner Mike O’Sullivan, and 15-year-old Derek Griffith
were series notables also entered.
The Granite State
Pro Stock Series will travel to Star Speedway in Epping,
NH, on Saturday, August 18. The 100-lap event will mark
the third race in the 2012 Granite State Pro Stock
Series season.
Information about Monadnock Speedway can be found at
www.monadnockspeedway.com, and Star Speedway
can be found online at
www.star-speedway.com. |
|
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Granite State Pro Stock Series Honor Co-Founder
with Memorial Race:
Cabral Leads Pro Stocks
into JBH 100 after Recent Win
WINCHESTER, NH -- The Granite State Pro Stock Series
will make their second appearance at
Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH on Saturday,
August 4 for the JBH 100. The race will be in memory of
late series president John Hoyt, who unexpectedly passed
away last year. Hoyt and Mike Parks founded the series
in 2011.
“John (Hoyt) was a driving force in this series to help
get it off the ground," Granite State Pro Stock Series
president Mike Parks said. "We decided to do a memorial
race as our little tribute for him.”
Bobby Cabral leads the Granite State Pro Stock Series
into Monadnock Speedway fresh off his Gate City Classic
100 win at Hudson Speedway. Cabral, of East Kingston,
NH, also rebounded from a late race spin and claimed the
third position at the season opener at Monadnock.
Fifteen-year-old Derek Griffith scored an impressive
runner-up finish at Monadnock Speedway in May. Griffith,
of Hudson, NH, sits third in the Granite State Pro Stock
Series point standings and will be among the competitors
expected to vie for the race win. Second place point man
Mike Parks, of Walpole, NH, will be there and will look
to close the gap to Cabral and pick up his first series
win. Carl Eriksson, of Deep River, CT, and Rich Eaton,
of Seabrook, NH, will also look to close the gap to
Cabral and claim their first series wins.
Multi-time Monadnock Speedway champion Barry Gray, of
Belchertown, MA, will look to climb the point standings
with a win in the JBH 100. Bobby Baillargeon, of
Kingston, NH, rides a third place finish at Hudson
Speedway into Monadnock Speedway. Former Monadnock
Speedway competitor Fran “Jr” Colson, of Gardner, MA,
will be in contention for his first series win.
The
Granite State Pro Stock Series JBH 100 post time is
scheduled for 6:00pm. Pit gates will open at 1:00pm with
practice scheduled for 3:00pm. Admission is $20.00 for
adults, $10.00 for Seniors, $5.00 for Students ages
13-18, and Kids 12 and under are free.
Information about Monadnock Speedway can be found at
www.monadnockspeedway.com. |
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Hudson
Speedway and the Granite State Pro Stock Series present
the Hudson Hugger! 100 Laps for the GSPSS!. Sunday
August 26th 6pm! Details to follow! |
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Photo By: Eric
LaFleche/VLFPhotos.com
 |
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Cabral Claims Granite State Pro
Stock Series Gate City Classic 100:
Veteran racer rebounds from
midrace penalty to score another Classic win
HUDSON, NH ̶̶
Veteran stock car driver Bobby Cabral was able to add
another Gate City Classic win to his already illustrious
racing career by winning the Granite State Pro Stock
Series Gate City Classic 100 at Hudson Speedway in
Hudson, NH on Sunday night, July 8.
The East Kingston, NH racer Cabral took the Gate City
Classic 100 lead on lap 28 but was penalized to the rear
of the field by officials for his involvement in a lap
28 caution. Cabral then began his charge back through
the field, and secured the lead on lap 80. Cabral then
held off in spite of a series of late race caution flags
to put another Gate City Classic trophy on the mantle.
“I wasn’t going to be denied tonight,” Cabral said in
victory lane. “We lost one at Monadnock [Speedway] and
my guys worked hard on this car. I wanted to put this
car in victory lane. I picked and chose [lanes] and
tried not to wear my stuff out. And here we are.”
Cabral led 22 laps en route to his Gate City Classic 100
win.
Veteran Mike Parks of Walpole, NH rallied from a lap one
incident to take the second position. Parks’ car slid
through the infield and struck a light pole, which cut
the right front tire. Parks moved into the second
position late in the race and challenged Cabral for the
top spot, but settled for second. Bobby Baillargeon of
Kingston, NH rebounded from a mechanical failure in his
heat race to finish third in the Gate City Classic 100.
The transmission in Baillargeon’s car tore to pieces and
the crew borrowed a transmission from a fellow
competitor to return to the track. Geoff Rollins of
Groton, MA battled all race and was rewarded with a
fourth place finish. Barry Gray of Belchertown, MA led
the Gate City Classic 100 late but settled for fifth.
Reid Lanpher, Jay Sands, Cark Eriksson, hometown racer
Derek Griffith, and Keith Caruso completed the top ten
finishers, unofficially.
A near capacity crowd packed the Hudson Speedway to see
the return of Pro Stock-type stock cars for the first
time since the 1990s.
“I haven’t raced here since 1997 or 98,” Cabral said.
“This is a great little place. To see so many people in
the stands and all the cars up and down the road, it’s
just a great feeling. I’m happy for the [track owner]
Webbers and for the series. It was a great night for
everybody. I think we put on a show and I think the fans
loved it.”
The Granite State Pro Stock Series will make its second
appearance at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH on
Saturday, August 4 for the JBH 100.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Gate City Classic 100
Granite State Pro Stock Series -- Hudson Speedway,
Hudson, NH
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Laps
1.
(5) Bobby Cabral, East Kingston, NH
2. (12) Mike Parks, Walpole, NH
3. (15) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, NH
4. (9) Geoff Rollins, Groton, MA
5. (13) Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA
6. (8) Reid Lanpher, Manchester, ME
7. (7) Jay Sands, Seabrook, NH
8. (4) Carl Eriksson, Deep River, CT
9. (14) Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH
10. (10) Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA
11. (3) Fran Colson, Gardner, MA
12. (1) Rich Eaton, Seabrook, NH
13. (2) Josh King, Vernon, VT
14. (6) Dennis Maxfield, Fitchburg, MA
15. (11) Zig Geno, Canterbury, NH
16. (16) Babe Brandscombe, Nottingham, NH
17. (17) Pete Fiandaca, Fitchburg, MA
18. (18) Jason Maki, Fitchburg, MA
Lap Leaders: Rich Eaton
(1), Fran Colson (2), Eaton (3-27), Bobby Cabral (28),
Colson (29-54), Barry Gray (55-79), Cabral (80-100)
Time
of Race: 1:07:58
Margin of Victory: 1 car length
Cautions: 9 (1, 27, 28, 68, 73, 82, 93, 93, 97)
Heat Winners: Fran Colson, Rich Eaton |
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Pro Stocks Return to
Hudson
Speedway with
Gate City
Classic:
Granite State Pro Stock
Series to run historic 100-lap race
HUDSON, NH -- The Granite
State Pro Stock Series will mark the return of Pro Stock
racing to the tight, high banked quarter-mile asphalt
oval of Hudson Speedway in Hudson, NH on Sunday, July 8
for one of the most storied races, the Gate City
Classic.
The Gate City Classic began as a Pro Stock race in 1978
and attracted some of the bigger names in New England,
including Hudson’s own Dave Dion. Current Granite State
Pro Stock Series competitors Babe Branscombe, of
Nottingham, NH, and New England Auto Racers Hall-of-Fame
member Pete Finadaca, of Fitchburg, MA, are former Gate
City Classic winners. Fiandaca is seven-time Hudson
Speedway champion. Both
drivers are expected to contend for the Gate City
Classic, again.
Hometown racer Derek Griffith will
challenge to become a Gate City Classic winner, as
well. Griffith scored an impressive runner-up finish in
the season opener at Monadnock Speedway and heads to his
hometown track, which he has scored multiple victories.
Point leader Mike O’Sullivan is expected to attempt to
add his name to the Gate City Classic winner’s list. O’Sullivan,
of Springfield, MA, won the season opening event at
Monadnock Speedway. Also
expected to attempt to become a Gate City Classic winner
are veteran racers Barry Gray of Belchertown, MA, Bobby
Cabral of East Kingston, NH, Geoff Rollins of Groton,
MA, Jay Sands of Seabrook, NH, Dennis Maxfield of
Fitchburg, MA, Bobby Baillargeon of Kingston, NH, and
Rich Eaton of Seabrook, NH.
New Hampshire’s Mike Parks and Zig Geno, Massachusetts’
Fran Colson, Keith Caruso, and Carl Erikson, Vermont’s
Josh King, Maine’s Reid Lanpher, and Connecticut’s Les
Hinckley are also expected for the Gate City Classic.
The Gate City Classic 100 will be the second race for
the 2012 Granite State Pro Stock Series season. Heat
racing starts at 6:03pm.
The tight quarter-mile Hudson Speedway is located just
off New Hampshire Route 102 on Old Derry Road in Hudson,
NH, a short drive from US Route 3 and Interstate 93 and
New Hampshire’s second largest city, Nashua, NH.
For more information on Hudson Speedway, visit
www.hudsonspeedway.info. |
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Granite State Pro Stock Series 112
at Unity Raceway Cancelled
No makeup
date announced; Gate City Classic up next
CANAAN, NH -- The Granite State Pro Stock Series 112 lap
event scheduled for this Saturday, June 23 at Unity
Raceway in Unity, ME has been cancelled due to
circumstances beyond control. No makeup date has been
announced at this time.
The Granite State
Pro Stock Series will mark the return of pro stock
racing to Hudson International Speedway in Hudson, NH on
Sunday, July 8, with the return of the “Gate City
Classic”. The 100-lap main event will now be the second
event on the 2012 Granite State Pro Stock Series
season. Mike O’Sullivan of Springfield, MA scored the
win in the season opening event at Monadnock Speedway.
The tight
quarter-mile Hudson Speedway is located just off New
Hampshire Route 102 on Old Derry Road in Hudson, NH, a
short drive from US Route 3 and Interstate 93 and New
Hampshire’s second largest city, Nashua, NH.
For more
information on Hudson International Speedway, visit
www.hudsonspeedway.info |
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O’Sullivan Takes Granite State
Pro Stock Series David’s House 106 Win:
Pocket’s $3,000 in Series’ Season Opening Event
 WINCHESTER,
NH -- Mike O’Sullivan etched his name into the Granite
State Pro Stock Series record book by winning the
David’s House 106 presented by Fenton Family
Dealerships, the first race in the series inaugural
season. O’Sullivan took home a $3,000 check for his
effort.
O’Sullivan led a race high 33 laps from his tenth place
starting position, seeing the lead for a two lap stint
on lap 43 before he took the lead for good on lap 76.
O’Sullivan benefited from a rare mistake by veteran
racer Bobby Cabral on a lap 75 restart, when Cabral spun
his tires and lost control of his automobile.
“I know I was going through [turn three] with one hand
on the wheel and shifting, and it was like driving on
ice,” O’Sullivan, of Springfield, MA, said about his lap
75 restart with Cabral. “And I knew he had to be doing
the same. I figured if I put a little bit of pressure on
him for him to get a good restart, he maybe would make a
mistake. And he did. Bobby’s a good race car driver.
He’s a champion and a chassis builder; he’s no dummy.
But I was trying to get a little bit of pressure on him
so he’d make a mistake. If he got the lead [on the
restart], I don’t think I was going to be able to get
him. He was pretty good out front.”
Fifteen-year-old Derek Griffith, of Hudson, NH, scored a
runner-up finish in his first Pro Stock race ever.
Griffith was able to the grab the second position from
then second place runner Rich Eaton late in the race.
Cabral, of East Kingston, NH, rebounded from his spin to
finish third. Seabrook, NH driver Eaton settled for
fourth, while Walpole, NH’s Mike Parks completed the top
five finishers.
Fran Colson, Carl Eriksson, Matt Zenisky, polesitter
Austin Brehio, and Adam LaPoint completed the top ten
finishing drivers.
Race winner O’Sullivan was pleased with the way the
first race went for everyone involved.
“You can see this is a well-oiled machine even though
this is the first race,” O’Sullivan said. “I thought it
went really well. I was happy with the people and I am
happy with everything.”
The Granite State Pro Stock Series’ next event is
scheduled for June 23 at Unity Raceway in Unity, Maine,
for a 112 lap race.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- David’s House 106 presented by
Fenton Family Dealerships
Granite State Pro Stock Series -- Monadnock Speedway,
Winchester, NH
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Laps
1. (10) Mike O’Sullivan, Springfield, MA, 106 laps
2. (6) Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH, 106 laps
3. (12) Bobby Cabral, East Kingston, NH, 106 laps
4. (11) Rich Eaton, Seabrook, NH, 106 laps
5. (8) Mike Parks, Walpole, NH, 106 laps
6. (4) Fran Colson, Gardner, MA, 106 laps
7. (13) Carl Eriksson, Deep River, CT, 106 laps
8. (5) Matt Zenisky, West Springfield, MA, 106 laps
9. (1) Austin Brehio, Hopkinton, NH, 105 laps
10. (14) Adam LaPoint, Winchester, NH, 104 laps
11. (9) Dennis Maxfield, Fitchburg, MA, 91 laps
12. (16) Josh King, Vernon, VT, 76 laps
13. (19) Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT, 74 laps
14. (15) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, NH, 33 laps
15. (3) Barry Gray, Belchertown, MA, 31 laps
16. (18) Pete Fiandaca, Fitchburg, MA, 27 laps
17. (17) Zig Geno, Canterbury, NH, 25 laps
18. (2) Geoff Rollins, Groton, MA, 20 laps
19. (7) Keith Caruso, Millbury, MA, 19 laps
20. (20) Reid Lanpher, Manchester, ME, 14 laps
Lap Leaders: Austin Brehio (1-21), Mike Parks (22-42),
Mike O’Sullivan (43-44), Parks (45-57), Bobby Cabral
(58-75), O’Sullivan (76-106)
Time of Race: 1:07:54.258
Margin of Victory: .629 seconds
Cautions: 9 (4, 19, 20, 22, 39, 75, 76, 86, 91)
Heat Winners: Dennis Maxfield, Fran Colson |
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