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PHOTO: Rob Branning
By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
WALPOLE, N.H. — At the beginning of the year, Gabe Brown was still looking for his first career Granite State Pro Stock Series win. It had eluded him for a while, and it was starting to become frustrating to continuously grab podium runs, but not hold the checkered flag.
Now — as the Granite State Pro Stock Series season winds down — Brown is a two-time winner, and champion. The rising star clinched the series championship one race early on Sunday at Lee USA Speedway, taking the lead just before halfway at Russ Conway’s Octoberfest and driving away to the victory in the final laps.
“It’s been unreal,” Brown said. “Each and every one of these guys that come here and help me, they have been with me all year and they haven’t backed out on me. I’m really thankful for all of them, and all of my sponsors. Since we got this car together, it’s been really, really fast.”
Brown bested Wyatt Alexander and Evan Beaulieu over a flurry of restarts in the final 30 laps to take down the win. Alexander and Beaulieu had a spirited battle for second, with Alexander edging out, and pulling away late. Behind them, Corey Bubar charged from the back into the top-five to finish in fourth, while Mike Mitchell rode consistently inside the top-10, and finished in fifth.
Devin O’Connell was sixth, followed by Josh King, Cody LeBlanc, Bobby Baillargeon and Joey Doiron. Qualifying — including time trials and heat races — were both scrapped on Sunday due to a light rain in the area that delayed the show two hours. The field had two different practice sessions, and the results of the second session determined the top-9 drivers, who re-draw for the feature lineup.
Casey Call scored the pole and led the first 46 laps until Brown passed him. Call ran inside the top-five for the first 70 laps until contact sent him spinning and to the tail of the field. Names like Sammy Gooden, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Wayne Helliwell and Tyler Tomassi did not finish in the 24-car field.
The final race of the Granite State Pro Stock Series season will take place as part of the Fall Challenge weekend at Claremont Motorsports Park on Sunday, October 17. The series will headline a three-day weekend of racing.
For more information on Lee USA Speedway, visit LeeUSASpeedway.com. For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit gspss.net and follow the series on social media.
