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CLAREMONT, N.H. – A huge crowd, 95 competitors on hand to race, and a racing facility put back together by staff and racers alike after a mid-week weather disaster. What a night to remember Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park,
A force of weather had blasted in Tuesday night, a force so strong that nothing like it had been seen here since Dick Skillen and the Hodgdon Brothers team thundered onto the old dirt track 63 years ago.
This time, though, rather than dazzling wins, it was uprooted trees, peeled away roofs, and major washouts. Sleeves rolled up, a dedicated crew went to work, and on Friday night, it was business as usual at the Thrasher Road speedplant; business as usual, only much better.
Matt Sonnhalter’s Super Street victory Friday moved him to the top of the points parade. Brian Caswell, in his first career outing here, won his feature event. And seven other hot shoes each took victory laps Friday, as J&S Automotive’s Fan Appreciation Night rocked through no fewer than nine rapid-fire feature events.
Bidding for his second win of the season, Trevor Rocke led the first 18 laps of the RE Hinkley Fuels Super Street main event. But when the event’s first caution waved the next time around, things suddenly changed. Rocke’s ride wobbled on the restart, the storming pack behind him wiggled, and Matt Sonnhalter was off to the races.
Super Street strongman Brandon Gray got sideways as the pack fired through turn four, was then tapped from behind, and ended his night atop JD Stsckwell’s hood along the frontchute wall. Sonnhalter, who’d fired way back from row five, then took charge and blasted off to his biggest win of the summer.
Coupled with Gray’s misfortune, Sonnhalter’s victory moved him to the top of the points chart. All-world Dave Greenslit, who’d struggled through a nightmare first half of the season, was strong in second Friday, and second-generation sizzler Dylan Zullo came home third. Gray, doing double duty on the night, was credited with 15th in this one as he fell from the points lead. Chris Lindquist was strong in fourth, and Robert Hagar charged from scratch on the start to finish fifth.
Tyler Leary lost a huge lead when the caution waved on lap 27 of the Asetex Tire and Auto Modified main event. A lap later, he lost the lead too, as defending track champ Nate Wenzel inched ahead, then holding strong to top the three-caution 35-lapper.
Leary stayed strong to finish second on the night, with number two pointman Brad Zahensky strong in third. Jeremy Zullo charged back from a mid-race looper to score the number four finish.
King of the Outlaws? It was Guy Caron again Friday. Blasting off from row four, the second-generation star took charge on lap 19 and rocketed off to win ahead of Ben Poland and Steve Bly, who impressed in his strongest run of the summer, dedicating that finish to the memory of his former car owner Todd Martell.
The LaValley Building Supply Pure Stock 17-car main was stacked! And nobody was faster on this Friday night then Carlos Grenier. Taking the lead from Jake Snide on lap six of the caution-free event, he never looked back, romping to victory for the second time this summer.
Gage Dillingham followed Grenier to the front on lap six but, on this night, could advance no further. Potent Keegan Tabor filled the final podium spot, just ahead of Kyle Kenny, while Andrea St. Amour stayed atop the points parade in fifth.
Radical Ricky Bly made easy work of rocking to the Tour-Type Late Model win. Taking the lead from Ryan Currier on lap two, he soared off to win by a country mile in Friday’s main event. Nick Sweet, third a week ago, improved to second Friday, and Aaron Fellows came home third.
Kyle Templeton blasted to victory in the night’s Mini Stock feature, adding to his slim points lead by charging past Nolan McClay on lap 14 and then outrunning him to win by seven lengths in the two-caution Race Day TV event. CMP newcomer Kevin Boucher was third.
Hometown hot shoe Erin Aiken scored one of the night’s most popular victories, taking the lead from top points man Steve Miller Sr. on lap eight of the Race Day TV Six Shooter feature and then outrunning last week’s winner, Steve Miller Jr., to the checkers. Miller Sr. finished close behind in third.
Brian Caswell took the lead from Richie Marrocco on lap nine of the Ridge Runner feature and then sped off to victory on his first run ever at the fast third-mile. Marrocco held strong in second, while previous winner Seth Drown came home third. Points leader Aiden White was fourth on the night.
Taking the lead from the low line on lap 12, 13-year-old Jaxson Byrne won the 206 Junior Karting Series 20-lapper. Carson Hussey was a close second, and Asher Stoddard third.
Claremont Motorsports Park will return to action this Wednesday, July 24, with a special Wicked Wednesday event featuring a full card of NASCAR Weekly Racing Series races.
CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK JULY 19 TOP PERFORMERS:
SUPER STREET: Matt Sonnhalter, David Greenslit, Dylan Zullo, Chris Lindquist, Robert Hagar, Travis Sykes, Raymond King, Robbie Streeter, Jason Laffin.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIED: Nate Wenzel, Tyler Leary, Brad Zahensky, Jeremy Zullo, Haydon Grenier, Andrew Brousseau, Trevyr Young, Cody Schoolcraft, Andrew Martell.
OUTLAW LATE MODEL: Guy Caron, Ben Poland, Steve Bly, Jeff Murray, Tyler Lescord, Cam Curtis, Aaron Fellows Jr, Travis Cass, Hayden Scott, Josh Ruel.
NEW ENGLAND TOUR-TYPE LATE MODEL: Ricky Bly, Nick Sweet, Aaron Fellows, Brandon Gray, Ryan Currier, Craig Smith, Cole Littlewood, Allen Fellows.
MINI STOCK: Kyle Templeton, Nolan McClay, Kevin Boucher, Cameron Sontag, Colton Hull, Josh Dunn, Chris Moulton, David Pratt II, Nick Houle, Tim O’Shea.
PURE STOCK: Carlos Grenier, Gage Dillingham, Keegan Tabor, Kyle Kenny, Andrea St. Amour, Kodi Sabins, Chris Chambers, David Smith, Adrian Smith, Carter Conroy.
SIX SHOOTER: Erin Aiken, Steve Miller Jr., Steve Miller Sr., Paul Colburn, Garrett Barry, David Bell, Charles Cloud, Rozwell Mason Jr.
