Recap from June 21 at Claremont

By Gary Dutton
Eagle Times Correspondent
CLAREMONT – Max Dolliver earned his career-first Claremont Motorsports Park victory lap Friday, June 21. Sportsman Modified hot shoe Brian Robie won for the fourth week in a row and hometracker Jimmy Zullo ran the season’s second Red Neck Enduro event like Pac Man on steroids.

Pure Stock kingpin Kyle Templeton scored his third feature win of the summer Friday, while Six-Shooter ace Jeremy Blood saw his six-race winning streak halted but still went home atop the points parade.

Mike Smith led the opening lap of the Pepsi Sportsman Modified main, giving way to points leader Brian Robie the second time around. Two-time track champ Dana Smith then moved up to battle for the deuce but, coming quickly, rookie Kyle Welch was soon in the mix too.

Welch, in only his second open-wheeler outing, rocketed by first one Smith and then the other and, on lap eight, was glued to Robie’s bumper. The two would race under a blanket for most of the final 32 laps, with Robie winning the tire wear battle and the race, taking the checkers six lengths ahead of Welch.

As in his maiden Sportsman Modified voyage a week earlier, Welch was powerful in earning the runner-up hardware. Dana Smith, close behind, came home third.

Max Dolliver led all the way in the Casella Street Stock 30-lapper, becoming the division’s fifth different feature winner this season. The Londonderry, N.H. ace never had it easy though. Chris Riendeau got up for second on lap six and the two ran glued together the rest of the way, trading paint but keeping it clean.

And while the younger Riendeau and Dolliver may have put on the best battle of the young season, the action was just as good behind them, where Dave Greenslit and Larry Riendeau went to war over third. Greenslit earned the night’s bronze, allowing him to stay atop the points parade.

Kyle Templeton led early and often in the caution-free Pure Stock 25-lapper, taking the checkers ahead of rookie Bruce Adams to keep the points chase deadlocked. Chris Carver was third on the night, moving up one spot on the seasonal leader board.

Hometown pilot Jeremy Blood entered the seventh night of the season one of two drivers still undefeated in 2019 feature races. Friday night’s humble pie express appeared in the person of Seabrook’s Adam Knowles, who dominated the event to score his first-ever Thrasher Road victory ahead of fellow first-timers Shane Horvath and Katie Buxton.

Stew McCormack topped the visiting Northeast Classic Lites series main event. Derrick and Paul Marsan were second and third, while series kingpin Duane Skofield came home fourth.

With round two of the Red Neck Enduro Series taking the green three-across and eight rows deep, Jimmy Zullo wasted no time in getting to the front and leaving all comers far behind.

Round one victor Justin Harris dropped out early, and the event was red-flagged once and then later shortened to 40 laps because of the downpour. Those distractions mattered little though as, on this night, Zullo ran in a class of his own. Kyle Buck claimed the runner-up hardware, one spot ahead of JJ Hoyt. The Red Neckers will return for round three of the summer series on July 5.

Next Friday, June 28, all five weekly divisions will be in action at Claremont Motorsports Park. The event will also include special guests the NHMS Legends and Bandeleros.

JUNE 21 FEATURE FINISHES

STREET STOCKS: Max Dolliver, Chris Riendeau, Dave Greenslit, Larry Riendeau, Robbie Streeter, Briana Akusis, Raven Streeter, Nick Little, Cody Schoolcraft.

SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS: Brian Robie, Kyle Welch, Dana Smith, Mike Smith, Alyssa Rivera, Kenny Thompson.

PURE STOCKS: Kyle Templeton, Bruce Adams, Chris Carver, Milton Duran, Richard Streeter.

SIX-SHOOTERS: Adam Knowles, Shane Horvath, Katie Buxton, Jeremy Blood, Paul Colburn, Chris Colburn.

CLASSIC LITES: Stew McCormack, Derrick Marsan, Paul Marsan.

RED NECK ENDURO: Jimmy Zullo, Kyle Buck, JJ Hoyt, Leon Keniston, Andy Brousseau, Doug Nelson, Steve Gran, JR Carleton, Drake Nelson, Bree Nelson, Larry Seavey, Dustin Thibodeau, Patrick Kilburn, Milton Duran, Tyson Hayes, Brandon Gassett. Scoring Sheets Inadequate: Andrew Plumb, Justin Harris, Dylan Adams, Dakotah Lanou, James Mason, Ben Bosowski, Todd Smith, Hunter Durkee, Blake Shyver.