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By Jeff Brown, for Granite State Pro Stock Series
PHOTO: Rob Branning
WALPOLE, N.H. — The Granite State Pro Stock Series presented by Hudson International Speedway heads home Friday night to co-headline the second of three races in conjunction with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Friday’s bout under the lights at Claremont Motorsports Park is the fifth event of the 2026 schedule, the second stop this year at GSPSS’ home track, and the second leg of the MDP Motorsports Promotions Triple Crown, with big money to be doled out among the top five overall challengers as the miniseries concludes at Monadnock Speedway in two weeks.
The GSPSS’ first-ever race was staged at Claremont in 2011. The historic track in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley remains a cornerstone of the series’ history today. Four former champions have found their way to victory lane at Claremont, with a dozen different drivers visiting victory lane in 23 events through this May.
D.J. Shaw, the series’ all-time win leader, owns five Claremont checkered flags with his last coming a year ago. The Center Conway, N.H. ace has made two GSPSS starts already this year, finishing second in both. Shaw was a last-minute entry last July, but this year he has Friday’s race circled on the calendar as he looks to build on his series record.
Second on the series’ win list is Joey Polewarczyk, who inched closer to Shaw with his win last week with his win at Seekonk Speedway. The 2020 GSPSS champion’s tenth victory leaves him two shy of tying Shaw’s record, though to close the gap even further, he needs to pick up a win at a track where he remains winless in ten starts.
Last week’s win does, however, make “Joey Pole” the provisional leader in the MDP Motorsports Promotions Triple Crown.
Jeremy Sorel leads Polewarczyk in the GSPSS points standings overall on the back of his season-opening win at Stafford Motor Speedway and avoiding the pitfalls that have caught his closest competition. The Bay Stater counts Claremont among his favorite tracks, coming within inches of his first career win at the tricky oval in 2024.
Rookie Matt Beers sits third in points, with a sixth-place finish at Claremont in May being his best result of the year so far. Beers hopes to shake off the bad luck from Seekonk this week and return to his early-season form.
Trailing Beers in the standings is 2024 champion Casey Call, who sits amid a tight battle with Jamie Wright and Evan Beaulieu for fourth. Early-season misfortune has Call and Beaulieu mired deep in points, but with plenty of time to claw their way back atop the standings.
Dan Winter and Joe Kendall have also made every start this season so far. Winter and his family team are working the kinks out of a new chassis this year, while Kendall’s best outing of the year was at Claremont back in May.
Cory Casagrande heads to Claremont with top-five finishes in four of his last seven trips to the track. After a 12th-place showing at Seekonk, the Connecticut veteran is ready to right the course on a tough season so far. Connor McDougal and Tom Carey III have had mixed results in their seasons so far, but their finishes at Seekonk put them in position to capitalize on Triple Crown points, with many of the Seekonk regulars ahead of them not in the lineup this week.
Rounding out the early entries is local favorite Chris Riendeau, a standout at Claremont and nearby Monadnock Speedway. “The Weasel” makes his long-awaited GSPSS debut after breaking out a new Pro Stock in an affiliated race a few seasons ago.
With moving and shaking in the MDP Motorsports Promotions Triple Crown standings, an intriguing battle shaping up in the season-long points race, and an evening schedule accented by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and 350 SMAC Tour Energized by USNEPower, Friday night’s home turf show is one of the can’t-miss events of 2026.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series presented by Hudson International Speedway returns to Claremont Motorsports Park this Friday for a thrilling night of racing in cooperation with JDV Productions. The GSPSS will go for 100 laps to settle the second leg of the MDP Motorsports Promotions Triple Crown, while the 350 SMAC Tour Energized by USNEPower and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour bring open-wheel excitement to New Hampshire’s Upper Valley. Qualifying begins at 6:05pm for all three featured divisions. Tickets are available online or at the gate for $40.00, with children 7-14 only $15.00 and kids 6 and under admitted free.
For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series presented by Hudson International Speedway, visit www.gspss.net or find us on Facebook.
