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By Jeff Brown, for Granite State Pro Stock Series/Souza Media
PHOTO: Rob Branning/Granite State Pro Stock Series
EPPING, N.H. – The Granite State Pro Stock Series schedule marched forth on Saturday night, with Bryan Kruczek taking a decisive win at his team’s home track. Kruczek led a seventy-lap caution-free run to the checkers to pick up his second career GSPSS victory in the Hedges Excavating 100 at Star Speedway.
The Newmarket, N.H. racer, who drives for track owner Bobby Webber, Jr., delivered the Webber family their first GSPSS win in last May’s Hedges Excavating 100. Not satisfied with a second-place run in the GSPSS’ fall visit to Star, Kruczek and Webber set out for a strong repeat performance this year.
And Kruczek delivered, winning everything but the afternoon’s “Star Derby” exhibition and the pre-race redraw.
Kruczek was fastest on the stopwatch in time trials, then bested Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. in their heat race. Renfrew drew the pole position in the redraw, with Kruczek lining up second. Renfrew led the opening circuits, but by lap nine, Kruczek had slipped past his young rival and into the lead.
On a lap-30 restart, though, Renfrew jumped the gun on Kruczek, drawing a penalty and earning a trip to the rear of the field. Luke Hinkley drew alongside Kruczek for the next attempt, with Kruczek making a clean break at the drop of the green.
Hinkley settled into second as Kruczek showed the way, hoping for a late caution flag on which to capitalize. But with clean racing through the field, no late yellow flag came out to threaten Kruczek’s advantage.
Instead, Kruczek cruised unchallenged to his second series win and his sixth Pro Stock/Late Model win since teaming up with Webber in 2019.
Hinkley held on for second, his third-straight GSPSS runner-up finish dating back to last fall. The veteran racer from Claremont, N.H. is knocking loudly on the door for his first touring win.
John Peters finished third in his first series start since 2018. The Maine native, who towed in from his home in North Carolina, has podium finishes in his last three GSPSS outings, all at Star Speedway.
Joey Doiron, the 2019 GSPSS champion, drove Jake Dore’s #05 to a fourth-place finish, edging out Connecticut’s Cory Casagrande, who finished fifth.
Renfrew, the championship hopeful, drove back to a sixth-place finish after his early penalty, unable to recreate the magic of his 2018 win at Star. Nick Cusack, Dylan Estrella, Casey Call and a visiting Derek Gluchacki rounded out the top ten.
With two of this year’s nine events in the books, Luke Hinkley sits atop the points standings. While the veteran has never chased a series championship, his results so far could have him considering the possibility.
The next race for the Granite State Pro Stock Series is the Live Free 100 at Lee USA Speedway on May 21st. “New Hampshire’s Center of Speed” will welcome the GSPSS twice this year, with this visit part of the track’s inaugural Granite State Derby featuring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS, Hedges Excavating 100, May 7, 2022:
1. (19) Bryan Kruczek
2. (31NH) Luke Hinkley
3. (09) John Peters
4. (05ME) Joey Doiron
5. (7CT) Cory Casagrande
6. (00) Jimmy Renfrew, Jr.
7. (2) Nick Cusack
8. (46) Dylan Estrella
9. (90NH) Casey Call
10. (48) Derek Gluchacki
11. (82) Bobby Baillargeon
12. (55MA) Randy Cole
13. (01) Sammy Gooden
14. (05F) Bobby Frappier
15. (77) Jeremy Sorel
