Jack McClay Doubles Up; Three First-Time Winners July 7 at Claremont Speedway
CLAREMONT, N.H.- Jackpot Jack McClay rocketed to victory Friday, July 7, at Claremont Speedway, becoming the first two-time winner this summer in the third-mile oval’s Super Street division. He was the night’s only repeat winner.
Russ Hersey, no stranger to the speedway’s victory lane, scored his first career series win in the visiting Valenti Modified Racing Series 100-lap main event, while young guns Chris Colburn and Zach Lynn each earned his career-first victory lap at the Thrasher Road speedplant.
With a huge crowd on hand to take in both the nightcap fireworks display and the Modified 100-lapper, McClay – the speedway’s 2015 track champion – showed both spectators and his fellow competitors alike that he’d brought some fireworks of his own.
Mark Blair and Andrew Martell led the 20-car field to the green, with Blair immediately taking charge, bringing row two starter Jeff Morse with him. Judge Joe Brown quickly powered to the two-spot and, farther back, Dylan Bodreau, from row five, and McClay, firing from 13th on the grid, were slicing through traffic at breakneck speed.
Bodreau grabbed the point on lap 14 and a subsequent restart brought rookie Craig Smith and McClay to the two- and three-spots. Close behind, the original Craig Smith, bidding to duplicate his June 9 feature win, was sailing forward from his scratch starting position.
McClay took the lead with a backchute pass on lap 27 and quickly opened a six-length lead as the battle for the deuce was contested behind him. Smith claimed second a lap-29 restart but, on this night, McClay had the field covered, taking the checkers ten lengths ahead of Newport’s Smith. Bodreau finished his strong night’s work in third, with Ricky Bly and Hayden Scott rounding out the top five.
Mike Willis Jr. led the first six laps of the VMRS 100-lap main event, with Dylan Rock then diving low in turn three to take command. The Enfield, N.H. pilot would hold the point until lap 39, when he would be spun from the lead.
Russ Hersey, starting at the rear of the field after struggling with electrical problems earlier in the night, was already up to third when Rock’s misfortune occurred. Wasting no time, Hersey blasted to the lead on the ensuing restart, then never looked back en route to his first VMRS win.
On this night, there was no one in Hersey’s league. At the checkers, he was almost a full straightaway ahead of runner-up Dana Smith, a two-time winner already this summer in the speedway’s Casella Modified division. Anthony Nocella, the series’ points leader, capped his strong run in third.
Zach Lynn came from row five in the Wild Cat feature to snatch the lead from Sam Giveen on lap ten and then dart off to his first-ever speedway win.
Veteran wheelsman Matt Gauffin followed Lynn to the front and was still glued to his bumper when the pair took the checkers 15 laps later. Dale Squires Jr. came home third on the night, Giveen was fourth, and Samantha Stoddard earned the five-spot. Lynn’s victory moved him atop the leaderboard, passing Greg Millette – who did not compete Friday – for the top spot.
Like Lynn, second-generation Limited Sportsman hot shoe Chris Colburn earned his first career victory lap Friday. Dave Greenslit made his first speedway outing in many a moon a successful one, following Colburn under the checkers to earn the runner-up hardware.
Kenny Thompson was third on the night, Chris Gilbert came home fourth, and points leader Tyler Janovsky earned the five spot to hit the speedway’s summer break a single point ahead of Thompson in the points parade.
Claremont Speedway will be closed this week, as the third-mile speed plant observes its annual summer break to allow fans and competitors alike to attend New Hampshire Motor Speedway. There will be no Wednesday practice July 12 or weekly racing event July 14. Action will resume Friday, July 21.
For more information, visit www.claremontspeedway.net.
Newport Chevrolet Weekly Racing Series Top Tens:
SUPER STREET: Jack McClay, Craig Smith, Dylan Bodreau, Ricky Bly, Hayden Scott, Russ Davis, Craig Smith, Ryan Currier, Tyler Lescord, Andrew Martell.
Note: There are two drivers named Craig Smith. The R.E. Hinkley rookie finished seventh.
WILD CATS: Zach Lynn, Matt Gauffin, Dale Squires Jr., Sam Giveen, Samantha Stoddard, Kyle Currier, Nick Little, Jim Carley, Seth Melcher, Chris Carver.
LIMITED SPORTSMEN: Chris Colburn, Dave Greenslit, Kenny Thompson, Chris Gilbert, Tyler Janovsky, Cote Swenson, Matt Lashua, Briana Akusis, Scott Vien, Travis Cass.
Sources: Gary Dutton/Claremont Speedway PR