0
0
By Jeff Brown, for Granite State Pro Stock Series
WALPOLE, N.H. — Familiar faces and familiar places reunite this Saturday as the Granite State Pro Stock Series opens its 15th season of competition in the Nutmeg State.
For the first time since 2021, the New Hampshire-based touring organization returns to Stafford Motor Speedway as part of the legendary Connecticut venue’s 54th NAPA Spring Sizzler, the “Greatest Race in the History of Spring.”
While Modifieds are the main attraction of Sunday’s traditional throwdown, the GSPSS headlines Saturday’s opening day with the Casagrande Builders 75, a reprise of the 2021 season opener and the series’ first-ever
venture to Stafford. Joey Polewarczyk, the freshly-minted 2020 GSPSS champion, wheeled his family-owned car to victory in the 2021 edition of the Casagrande Builders 75, topping hometown racer Cory Casagrande for the memorable win.
The GSPSS comes off a thrilling season in which rookie Cole Robie clinched his first stock car championship on the back of a win at Monadnock Speedway and season-long consistency, finishing no worse than tenth all year. Evan Beaulieu broke out with his first two series wins, but settled for second in points for the second year in a row.
While Robie has moved onto greater goals in 2026, Saturday’s entry list has plenty of star power worthy of Stafford’s victory lane. Polewarczyk, a series winner last year at Hudson Speedway, returns to Stafford to defend his win from five years ago. “Joey Pole” is tied for second on the series’ all-time win list, and the decorated Hudson, N.H. driver could break that tie with a win on Saturday.
Casagrande excels on the large Connecticut tracks, though, and the 2021 runner-up wants to do one better in front of a hometown crowd. With his family’s business sponsoring the race, Casagrande is rolling out a second car on Saturday for Stafford scion David Arute, a Modified regular who will make his Pro Stock debut at the family track.
Four-time GSPSS feature winner Eddie MacDonald finished fourth; he returns to Stafford for the first time since 2022 in search of his third Stafford checkered flag in three different series.
The standouts from 2021 remain clear favorites today, but there is plenty of potential in the racers who expect to challenge for the season-long championship. Beaulieu, who swept last year’s stops at Speedway presented by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust en route to second in the standings, is ready to find the consistency he needs at the bigger tracks to contend for a title. Casey Call, who found that title consistency in 2024, is ready to rebound from a challenging season and battle for a second GSPSS crown.
Granite Stater Dan Winter has plenty of GSPSS laps, running the bulk of last year’s schedule, but he and his small team are still looking to step up to contend for victory. Maine racers Jamie Wright and Matt Beers have had a greater presence on the schedule in the last two years, but the long trip to Stafford represents a new challenge.
Adam Gray, the son of 2016 GSPSS champ Barry Gray, brings along his home track experience as a former track champion. Jeremy Sorel is another former Stafford champ who looks to parlay that prowess into a top finish alongside Pioneer Valley teammate Alex Quarterley. Also hailing from western Massachusetts is Tom Carey III; the Late Model veteran is making his first Pro Stock start at the speedway where his father won a NASCAR Busch North Series race in 2003.
Angelo Belsito has not won a GSPSS feature since 2021, but Saturday is a great opportunity for the series veteran to get back into the winner’s circle. Joe Kendall is on the entry list for his first start since last summer. Bobby Pelland III from Rhode Island and Massachusetts’ Kevin Folan are back in the saddle at Stafford as well.
Vermont Late Model champion Jimmy Hebert has been transitioning to Pro Stock competition, and plans to make his GSPSS debut this Saturday. Returning to the series, meanwhile, is Michael Scorzelli; the New Yorker is on a GSPSS entry list for the first time since the 2021 Casagrande Builders 75. With a wide range of talent and experience throughout the field, Saturday’s season opener promises to be a fitting launch to this year’s 11-race, seven-speedway itinerary.
Stafford Motor Speedway welcomes the Granite State Pro Stock Series back for Saturday’s Casagrande Builders 75, part of Opening Day for the 54th NAPA Spring Sizzler. The Pro Stocks’ 75-lap feature headlines a program that also features Stafford’s Late Models, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, and 20-lap Duels for the SK Light Modifieds.
Qualifying begins at 2:30pm. Tickets are $30.00 online or at the gate. Fans are also welcome to tune into FloRacing for streaming coverage. For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net or find us on Faceboo
