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Photo By Jeff Brown
EPPING, N.H. – Travis Benjamin won two of last year’s Granite State Pro Stock Series stops at Star Speedway. With only one visit to the popular bullring on the schedule in 2024, the reigning GSPSS champion made it count.
The Belfast, Maine, veteran withstood challenges from Ryan Green and Casey Call to win Saturday night’s Spring 100, opening his title defense the same way he started off last year’s title chase.
“I’ve got a wicked good car here,” Benjamin told series announcer Marco Thomas in Star’s winner’s circle. “I can’t thank my crew enough.”
Benjamin and Green flexed their muscle early, winning their respective heats to lead the field to the first green flag of the new season. Green, sporting new colors and with former GSPSS champion Joey Doiron in his pit stall, worked the outside line to take the early lead, with Benjamin haunting in second.
In a mad scramble for the lead after a lap-34 restart, Benjamin got the better of Call and Green, retaking the top spot as the field slowed for a competitor’s tire trouble. Call settled into second on a long green-flag run, with Green threatening for second.
Jamie Wright’s spin on lap 82 erased Benjamin’s advantage, with Green and Call poised to make it exciting in the final laps. But Benjamin cleared himself of Green, driving away from the pack to post his fourth career GSPSS win and his third Star win in the last four series races held at “The Place to Race.”
Call, last July’s GSPSS winner at Star, settled for second, with Green matching his best career GSPSS finish in third. Dan Winter was fourth in his first series start since 2017, while Speedway 95 winner and Wiscasset Speedway veteran Josh St. Clair managed a fifth-place run despite spinning twice early.
Title hopeful Evan Beaulieu was 11th at the finish, leaving the Durham, Maine, driver at a deficit, as Benjamin sits atop the points standings with eight races to go.
The next race on the GSPSS calendar is at Claremont Motorsports Park, as the series returns to its long-time home venue after a year’s absence. On Sunday, May 26, Key Auto Group presents the GSPSS 100 with a $5,000 share going to the race winner of the Memorial Day showdown.
For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
