By Gary Dutton
CLAREMONT — Teen rocket man Gabe Brown earned his second huge payday of the season Sunday, Oct. 17, at Claremont Motorsports Park, dominating the $4,000-to-win Granite State Pro Stock Series 100-lap main event at the storied Thrasher Road oval.
Home track ace Dave Greenslit capped his own monster season Sunday, cruising to victory far ahead of the 23-car field to earn $1,000 by winning the 75-lap Street Stock feature.
Mini Stock hot shoe Matt Sonnhalter provided the best finish of the afternoon, overhauling Gordon Farnum on the last lap to win his second race of the season at Claremont Motorsports Park, and second-generation speedster Nolan McClay topped the Pure Stocks, scoring the first victory of his rookie campaign to join his father, Mark, on the 2021 winner’s list.
Both of Sunday’s scheduled Late Model Sportsman and Six Shooter features were canceled because of rain that started falling at the conclusion of the GSPSS feature.
Brown, the 19-year-old star, blistered a lap of 13,993 seconds in Pro Stock time trials, just two one-thousands off the track record, and then had things his way for much of the Key Chevrolet Buick GMC of Newport main event. The victory also clinched the 2021 GSPSS series championship for the Center Conway hot shoe.
Victorious here in a $10,000-to-win biggie back on July 31, he took the lead for the final time on lap 35 Sunday and never looked back. Hometown blaster Luke Hinkley was solid in second, with early leader Cody LeBlanc close behind in third.
Greenslit and Jimmy Renfrew Jr. started on row one of the R.E. Hinkley Oil Company Street Stock feature, setting up a potential battle royale between the rock stars of New England Street Stockers. Starting out exactly that, the duel ended abruptly when Renfrew cruised pitside on lap eight, almost mirroring his lap-14 departure from the lead the night before.
Staying far ahead throughout the seven-caution event, Greenslit – his potent Camaro’s nose sporting a Kenny Thompson 39 memorial decal – cruised to victory, one spot better than his runner-up finish Saturday. Max Dolliver, Saturday night’s winner, was second, with Cody Schoolcraft crossing the stripe in his shadow. Jeremy Zullo’s solid run brought him home in fourth, with Chris Lindquist completing the top five.
Monadnock Speedway superman Gordon Farnum, who’d smoked the field in his heat race, appeared to be on his way to doing the same in the Mini Stock feature. Starting up front, he quickly blasted to a huge lead. Matt Sonnhalter, firing from row three, had other plans.
Steadily chipping away at Farnum’s big advantage, he pulled to his rear bumper in heavy lapped traffic, taking the lead on the final lap to win a thriller. Greg Millette, victorious on both Friday and Saturday, settled for a strong third Sunday, following Farnum under the checkers.
Nolan McClay took the lead from fellow rookie Dylan Zullo on lap nine of Sunday’s 30-lapper and was in command when Zullo, the rookie 2021 Pure Stock champion, pulled up lame on a lap 17 restart, moving former track champ Kyle Templeton up to second, where he took the checkers just ahead of rookie Carlos Grenier, who trophied for the second time this season.
Claremont Motorsports Park will conclude its 2021 season when promoter Mike Parks rolls out a special event on Saturday, Nov. 27. Stay tuned for details on this one, and have your stuffing and cranberry sauce ready.
Top 10sStreet Stock: Dave Greenslit, Max Dolliver, Cody Schoolcraft, Jeremy Zullo, Chris Lindquist, Milton Duran, Hillary Renaud, Joe Tetreault, Robbie Streeter, Mike Williams.
Mini Stock: Matt Sonnhalter, Gordon Farnum, Greg Millette, Brayden Morrie, Haydon Grenier, Ryan Carman, Earl Maxham, Jake Puchalski, Sean Lantas, Dave Thibodeau.
Pure Stock: Nolan McClay, Kyle Templeton, Carlos Grenier, Travis Sykes, JD Stockwell, Amy Jaycox, Brandon Picknell, Chris Carver, Jim Rhodes, Justin Cousino.
Late Model Sportsman and Six Shooter features both canceled due to rain.
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