By Gary Dutton
Eagle Times Correspondent
CLAREMONT, NH — Four frequent flyers roared into victory lane on Friday, Oct. 13, at Claremont Motorsports Park (CMP), as the storied third-mile oval hosted the first of three 2023 Fall Challenge events.
Friday night’s event was billed as a non-winners format competition, but that billing only applied to 2023 feature event winners. Street Stock superstar Dave Greenslit and three other victory lane regulars from seasons past blasted to victory, with only Six Shooter winner Garrett Barry earning his first career CMP victory lap.
Ryan Bell rocked the Outlaws, Nolan McClay (a long-time Puce Stock winner in recent years) topped the Mini Stocks and Green Mountain Boy Josh Rondeau dominated in the Pure Stock 25-lapper.
Cody Schoolcraft and Matt Sonnhalter led the RE Hinkley Fuels Super Streets to the green, with Sonnhalter leading lap one before Schoolcraft then took over and topped the next 13 go-rounds. Greenslit, the reigning track king despite a rare no-victory summer at CMP, was on the charge from row three and pulled up to third on lap four.
A lap later, he’d taken second from Sonnhalter and set his sights on Schoolcraft, taking the lead on a lap-15 restart and never looking back. Schoolcraft, a former CMP weekly regular who’d campaigned at Vermont’s Thunder Road this summer, held strong to finish second, with Sonnhalter, Robbie Streeter and Trevor Rocke completing the top five.
Ryan Bell went from snooze to cruise in the Brodie Ladue State Farm Outlaw feature, starting in row four and running out of the limelight over the first 14 laps. But then, on a restart, Bell came to life.
Taking the point from Travis Cass on lap 15, Bell then pulled away to win for the first time this season. Almost a straightaway behind, Cass was second under the checkers, with Cam Curtis, 16-year-old Tom Smithers and Kyle Goodnow completing the top five.
McClay started up front in the Mini Stock 25-lapper and never looked back. He had 15-year-old hot shoe Colton Martin glued to his bumper early on but never budged on route to victory in the caution-free event.
Martin, as he’d done many times this summer in Pure Stock competition, showed his deep talents in coming home second, just ahead of Erin Aiken. Tim LeBlanc and Colton Hull completed the top five.
Firing from the pole, Rondeau wired the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stock main, opening a large lead early and then holding off Zach Richardson to score the win.
Richardson, strong all night, came home second, with Amy Jaycox finishing her impressive night’s work in third. Nick Shepard was fourth on the night, and Sean Lantas rounded out the top five.
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