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By Jeff Brown, for Granite State Pro Stock Series
PHOTO: GSPSS
WALPOLE, N.H. — After a welcome respite following its season-opening tilt in Connecticut, the Granite State Pro Stock Series season resumes this Friday evening in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley.
Claremont Motorsports Park, the track that hosted the first-ever round of GSPSS competition, welcomes the series home for a 150-lap showdown under the lights to open Memorial Day weekend.
The tricky New Hampshire third-mile has hosted 22 races under the GSPSS banner, from 2011’s series debut to the first race under the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to that autumn’s $10,000-to-win major. Claremont will host three rounds of this year’s championship battle, including the October season finale to decide the titleholder.
Friday night’s race is only the second of this year’s eleven-race trot through the Northeast, though. With April’s bout at Stafford Motor Speedway long in the rear-view, the sky is the limit for the GSPSS faithful as they return to a very familiar battleground.
No driver may be as enthused as Jeremy Sorel. The longtime series supporter from Westfield, Mass., broke through at Stafford, leading all but one lap to earn his first GSPSS victory. Claremont is one of the closer venues on Sorel’s schedule, and the home of a nail-biting second-place finish to all-time series win leader D.J. Shaw in 2024. With extra confidence in his step, Sorel looks to go back-to-back in the winner’s circle to open the season.
One of Sorel’s strongest challengers in April was 2020 GSPSS champ Joey Polewarczyk, who could tie Shaw for the most series wins with a victory at Claremont. The perennial contender’s last visit to the track ended in a grinding wreck that left the veteran and his team reeling for part of the summer. “Joey Pole” has never won at Claremont, a zero in the stats column he hopes to turn around.
Late Model ace Tom Carey III was stout at Stafford despite an early spin. The Bay Stater carries that momentum to an all-new venue as he prepares for only his fourth GSPSS start. Alex Quarterley and Joe Kendall will also fly the flag of the neighboring commonwealth as they trek north.
Championship challengers Casey Call and Evan Beaulieu weathered lukewarm starts to their seasons in Stafford, but both will be looking to reverse that trend early on more familiar turf. Claremont has stymied the 2024 GSPSS champ in his last few visits, but Beaulieu picked up a podium finish at the track last July.
Cory Casagrande’s home-track adventure did not pan out as planned in April, so Claremont represents an opportunity for redemption. The Nutmeg State native’s best finish at the speedway is a runner-up performance two years ago.
Connor McDougal is slated to make his season debut at Claremont after a testing wreck sidelined him for the season opener, while fellow New Hampshire native Dan Winter will shake off his own Stafford misfortune.
Defending Granite State Pro Stock Series champion Cole Robie will also throw his name into the fight, looking to find victory lane. Robie has been up and down the East Coast early in 2026, and continues to gain crucial experience as he adds to his resume.
Mainers Matt Beers and Jamie Wright round out a stout entry list for the GSPSS’ 23rd visit to Claremont.
With 150 laps on the scoreboard and $5,000 to the race winner, Friday night’s under-the-lights showdown is the perfect kickoff to the gateway weekend to New England’s summer!
The Granite State Pro Stock Series presented by Hudson International Speedway headlines Friday night’s action-packed program at Claremont Motorsports Park. Claremont’s Late Models, Six Shooters, Pure Stocks, Ridge Runners and Cadet Champ Red Slides karts join the GSPSS for their 150-lap, $5,000-to-win main event. Grandstand gates open at 5:00pm with racing slated to start at 7pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and military, and just $5 for kids ages 6 to 12.
For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net or find us on Facebook.
