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By Souza Media/Kyle Souza
Emily Miller photo
CLAREMONT, N.H. – One month after a successful start at Monadnock Speedway, the Whitcomb 5 Series will return to the track this Friday night for round two of the season. Ready to compete at Claremont Motorsports Park in Claremont, New Hampshire, the Weaver Brothers Construction 125 will showcase the top NHSTRA Modified drivers from across New England in this special event.
In the opening race of the season at Monadnock, multiple-time track champion Todd Patnode took the top spot and ran with it, capturing a $5,000 prize, besting Sammy Rameau to the finish. In race two, there is another $4,000 winning check on the line and those two drivers are among the favorites to contend for the flag.
After one race, Patnode leads Rameau by three points, with Brian Robie also tied for second, three points out. Robie will be opening a double-duty weekend for himself at Claremont – as the New Hampshire driver will also compete in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Duel at the Dog 200 on Saturday over at Monadnock. Patnode is no stranger to the front of the field in weekly or Tour-Type Modified racing, and Claremont is a proven ground where he has been to Victory Lane before. Rameau, who is also competing with the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this season, has been busy early in the year and would love to add a Whitcomb 5 Series win to his resume.
Names like Ben Bryne, Matt Kimball and Tyler Leary are also going to be ones to watch. All three are proven winners, and have been near the front of the field at Claremont in events this season. However, a few others who didn’t compete at Monadnock are also on fire to open the Claremont NHSTRA Modified season.
Trevor Bleau, Andrew Martell and Aaron Fellows are separated by just four points in the Claremont championship standings and should be watched closely on Friday night. Overall, the race is expected to draw a strong contingent of drivers.
Race procedures for the Whitcomb 5 Series Weaver Brothers Construction 125 include five tires per team, with four to start the race, and one to change for any reason during the feature. To set the field, time trials will begin the night, with the fastest time earning a bonus courtesy of Brattleboro Auto Mall and Fairfield’s Cadillac Buick GMC. From there, the green flag drops for 125 laps – spread into two different segments. The first 75-lap segment will be followed by a 50-lap sprint to the finish, with the finish of the second segment becoming the official finish of the race.
There will also be a non-competitive pit stop that will occur between the two segments. Once the green and white checkered flag is displayed, the field is frozen and must remain on the track behind the pace car. All cars that want to pit will be able to pit, and those who stay out will become the front of the field. Those who pit will restart the race in the order they entered pit road. There will be a five-minute maximum for work during the pit stop.
On top of the Weaver Brothers Construction 125 for the Whitcomb 5 Series, Friday’s events at Claremont include a full night of racing. The Avery Insurance Six Shooters, Lavalley Building Supply Pure Stocks, In City Sufar Shack Mini Stocks, R.E. Hinkley Street Stocks and Route 103 Late Model Sportsman divisions will also compete in regular qualifying and feature racing. Pit area gates will open at 4 p.m., followed by practice at 5 p.m., and the drop of the green flag on racing at 7 p.m.
All tickets will be available at the track. Tickets will be $20 for adults 13 and over, while seniors 65+ will be $15. Any children 6-12 will be $5 each and those ages 5 and under will be free. Pit passes for all ages will be $40 per person.
Following Claremont, the Whitcomb 5 Series will return to the track at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire, on Friday, July 15. The night will include the 125-lap Whitcomb 5 Series event – but also the headlining Granite State Pro Stock Series – who will compete in a $10,000 to win race with NASCAR Cup Series stars Corey LaJoie and Tyler Reddick set to compete in the event.
For more information on Claremont Motorsports Park, visit ClaremontMotorsportsPark.com. For more information on GW Promotional Group and the Whitcomb 5 Series, visit GWPromotional.com.
