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CLAREMONT, N.H. – Tim Slocum won the first race of the year Saturday at Claremont Motorsports Park, as the snow-covered third-mile oval ushered in its 78th consecutive season of racing with its fourth annual St. Valentine’s Day Massacre event.
Slocum made easy work of topping the Side-By-Side division Saturday, while veteran summertime Modified ace Ben Byrne bested the Four-By-Fours, and Doug Bandy scored his first-ever CMP victory in the swarming Four Cylinder division’s show-closing Enduro event.
Starting on a third-mile-long snow bank with the temperature hovering in the low 20s and the flag waving off toward left field, this one featured a little of everything. Nobody was more prepared for all the excitement than track owner Ben Bosowski, an all-day whirling dervish aboard his Bobcat, keeping competitors in motion and the track raceable throughout the afternoon.
After Slocum had run roughshod over the Side-By-Side field and the four-holers had found the snow an early impediment, the Four-By-Fours set sail, and nobody was more ready for the task ahead then Byrne. A veteran of many victories here on the summertime blacktop, the Bay State ace added yet another, this one atop the white stuff.
Drake Nelson, who’s piled up numerous CMP Enduro wins in recent years, was second – his first of two Saturday top threes – with Aaron Kenny third. Heather Sedani came home fourth, and Russ Hersey rounded out the top five.
In the Four Cylinder go-round, with lots of blacktop then peaking through but still plenty of slippery stuff and beckoning snow banks awaiting those who swung wide, Doug Bandy took no prisoners in charging to his first career win at CMP.
Claremont Motorsports Park ace Brandon Gray was in the hunt for victory until a mid-race cut tire sent him pitside, with Justin Harris, who’s put up many a strong run here in summers past, then moving up. Bandy, though, was unfazed.
With the show ending at a balmy 32 degrees, Harris was second, and Drake Nelson third in the nightcap, with Chevy Bandy fourth and Gray fifth.
Next up, Claremont Motorsports Park will welcome its competitors in for test-and-tune sessions on both April 12 and 18. Fans are welcome at the pre-season practice outings.
The storied Thrasher Road speedplant will kick off its 78th consecutive season of oval track racing on Saturday, April 19, with day one of its 2025 two-day Spring Fling event. Its summer-long NASCAR Friday night Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series will begin the following week, on Friday, April 25.
CMP 2025 SAINT VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE TOP PERFORMERS
Claremont Motorsports Park Saturday, February 22, event
FOUR-BY-FOUR ENDURO: Ben Byrne, Drake Nelson, Aaron Kenny, Heather Sedani, Russ Hersey.
FOUR CYLINDER ENDURO: Doug Bandy, Justin Harris, Drake Nelson, Chevy Bandy, Brandon Gray.
SIDE-BY-SIDE: Tim Slocum.
Miss Emm Photos
