Claremont racing resumes on Friday

By Gary Dutton
CLAREMONT — Summer vacation is over and its back to the races this Friday, July 23, at Claremont Motorsports Park, as the three-mile speedplant kicks off the second half of its exciting 2021 season.

Returning to action after its annual summer break weekend, CMP’s Friday program is loaded with extras. The 602 Dirt Modifieds will be back in town, competing in their third event of the summer, with Tanner Siemons and Ryan Christian each gunning for his second CMP victory lap.

The always-exciting R.E. Hinkley Oil Company Street Stocks will square off in dual feature races Friday, and the Avery Insurance Six Shooters will be going extra laps in a $250-to-win main event.

The Late Model Sportsmen, Mini Stocks, and Pure Stocks will all be in action too on Friday, with valuable championship points up for grabs as the season enters its final half. Defending Street Stock champ Dave Greenslit sits atop his division’s crowded leader board. With two wins under his belt this summer, Greenslit has piled up 318 points, leading Joe Tetreault, 310, and two-time feature winner Cody Schoolcraft, 300.

Entering Friday’s extra-lapper, 2020 Six Shooter king Dustin Thibodeau leads all CMP competitors this season with eight wins. Robert Shaw, though, has stayed right on his heels, entering Friday’s biggie only ten markers back, 438-428, with one feature win. Fellow three-time winners Ricky Bly and Ben Poland are a dozen points apart in the LMS points chase, with Bly on top 342-330, and Ryan Bell still strongly in the hunt at 314.

Pure Stock rookie rocketman Dylan Zullo has three wins this summer, and carrys a big lead, 386-286 over Travis Sykes into Friday’s go-round, while veteran wheelsman Mark McClay will be gunning for two in a row. Mini Stock strongman Haydon Grenier, a seven-time winner already in 2021, leads Ray King 398-354, with still lots of racing ahead.

Post time Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park is 7 p.m.