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CLAREMONT, N.H. – Matt Kimball scored a decisive victory Friday, dominating the Modified Racing Series 75-lap main event at Claremont Motorsports Park. It was the second-generation hot shoe’s third series win at the storied third-mile oval.
In the Super Streets, Robert Hagar, robbed of victory a week earlier, led early and often to win Friday night’s 25-lap feature event. Jimmy Zellman added to his growing feature win list to move to the top of the Pure Stock point’s parade, and Dick Lamotte won his first of the summer in the Mini Stocks.
And, when the Friday the 13th night of racing had concluded, only Carlos Grenier is still undefeated on the year, continuing his domination Friday of the Ridge Runner division.
In a pair of Senior Tour Auto Racers support events, Gomer Taylor topped the STAR Modifieds, while Curt Snow was victorious in the vintage Sportsman class.
Sammy Rameau and Joey Jarvis led the MRS open-wheelers to the green Friday, but it was Kimball – from row three – who would dominate the night’s main event. The Bennington, N.H. ace, who cut his racing teeth in Monadnock Speedway’s youth division, led the final 67 laps to score the big win.
Rameau set fast time the first seven laps, then giving way to defending speedway Asetex Auto & Tire Modified champion Nate Wenzel. Kimball, though, was on a rail, taking charge on lap eight and never looking back.
Wenzel held the deuce spot until lap 22, then giving way to Jacob Perry, who moved forward with Brian Robie glued to his shadow. Robie, who has often dominated at the Thrasher Road speedplant over the last decade, took second on lap 28 but could come no closer than five lengths to the sizzling Kimball. Perry held strong for third, with Andy Jankowiak and Joey Jarvis rounding out the top five.
It was Tim Churchill and Robert Hagar up front as the RE Hinkley Fuels Super Streets took the green. Hagar, a man on a mission after last week’s disappointment, led all the way in this one.
Charging from row four, Brandon Gray got up for second on lap 12, and Charlie Baldwin pulled into third two go-rounds later. Gray probably had the fastest car Friday night but with no cautions, the best he could do was close the huge gap Hagar held early to finish at his bumper. Baldwin was strong in third, Churchill impressed in fourth, and top points man Cody Schoolcraft’s quiet night brought him home fifth.
Bay State blaster Jimmy Zellman has made many of the boldest moves of the young season in the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stocks in 2025 and Friday, he did it again. Exploding into the lead on a lap-seven restart, Zellman then held fellow four-holer star Colton Hull off to score the win and, with that, move to the top of the points parade.
Hull soared into second on lap 11 but could never find the fast path around Zellman. Tyler Wheatley, from deep in the 18-car field, was strong in third, while Green Mountain Boy Kyle Kenny, who entered Friday’s event atop the points chart, struggled to eleventh on the night.
Kyle Templeton has owned the RaceDay TV Mini Stock division this summer at CMP, winning easily each time out and keeping that streak intact by dominating Friday’s heat race. His involvement in three feature race cautions, though, brought his bid for a perfect season to a thud Friday, and Dick LaMotte stepped up to carry the checkers.
LaMotte led all the way in Friday’s 20-lapper, scoring the win ahead of Canaan veteran Wally Brown and Sean Lantas.
Ford pilot Seth Drown led the first 15 laps of the JP’a Trucking Ridge Runner feature, but Carlos Grenier then sped past him on the backstretch and drove away to stay perfect on the season. Drown held strong to come home second, and Trevyr Young finished glued to his bumper in third.
Charlestown’s Gomer Taylor, aboard his 1979 Chevette entry, topped the STAR Modifieds. Canadian Jocelyn Laliberte was second, and Dennis Desautels third. Curt Snow was top dog in the STAR Sportsmen, with ageless Charlie Lima second and Michael Kugler, from Hope Valley, R.I. third.
Friday’s MRS event was the first of three visits the touring Modified series will make at CMP this summer, slated to return on August 31 and October 19. The popular third-mile oval returns to action next Friday, June 30, when the SMAC Super Modified tour comes to town, along with a full card of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series action. Post time is 7 p.m.
CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK FRIDAY, JUNE 13, TOP PERFORMERS
MODIFIED RACING SERIES 75 LAPS: Matt Kimball, Brian Robie, Jacob Perry, Andy Jankowiak, Joey Jarvis, Nate Wenzel, Sammy Rameau, Jeremy Zullo, Brad Zahensky, Donny Lashua.
SUPER STREET: Robert Hagar, Brandon Gray, Charlie Baldwin, Tim Churchill, Cody Schoolcraft, Robbie Streeter, Aiden White, Joe Tetreault, Ryan Farewell, Travis Sykes.
PURE STOCK: Jimmy Zellman, Colton Hull, Tyler Wheatley, David Smith, Gage Dillingham, Carter Conroy, Tim Taft, Ethan Meyette, Nathan Waterman, Maya Bell.
MINI STOCK: Dick Lamotte, Wally Brown, Sean Lantas, David Pratt II, Lane Lantas, Pat Houle, Bradey LaMotte, Kyle Templeton.
RIDGE RUNNER: Carlos Grenier, Seth Drown, Trevyr Young, Ron Burgess Jr., Jake Snide, Brianna Buck.
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