Griffith, Parks Look for Wins in 2015
Improvement in Sight Following 2014 Season
Walpole, NH — The 2015 season is fast approaching, as the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) begins their fourth full season at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 10-12, and two drivers are itching to capture the first wins of their GSPSS careers.
Hudson, New Hampshire young gun Derek Griffith had a respectable season, finishing fourth on the season, with six (6) top-five and ten (10) top-ten finishes in eleven (11) races, but the elusive “W” has evaded the LCM Racing Engines team. Griffith is trying to change that in 2015.
Griffith states “The 2014 season was definitely an improvement, but not even close to the full potential of the LCM crew. Our goals this season are wins, and, possibly, a championship. We will try to keep our consistency.”
Griffith isn’t just a rising star on the track, but the 18 year-old has a heart way beyond his years. Griffith has become a fixture at benefit go-kart races, as well as remembrance of someone special.
“My sister’s friend, Nicole Jacques, was with me on the side of the car untouched almost all season,” Griffith states. Jacques passed away after an illness early in 2014. Griffith handed out stickers to all GSPSS competitors at his home track, Hudson International Speedway, in remembrance of his family friend.
Griffith also entered the Race to End Vanishing White Matter Disease go-kart event, a benefit to boost awareness and research of Vanishing White Matter Disease, and earned his way into the DT100, a go-kart event which raises money for the NH Make-A-Wish Foundation. Griffith was challenged to raise $1000 to race in the closed event, in less than a week. The youngster picked up the final portion of the donation at the event, and earned a spot in the charity event.
“I’m so glad stuff like these events exist,” said Griffith. “If I was in their shoes, and a bunch of racecar drivers were supporting me, I would be astonished! These benefits are amazing, and I hope to bring more to the table next year for them.”
For Mike Parks, his eighth place finish in the final standings in 2014 was not indicative of the team’s effort. Parks said “We had terrible luck. We had a fast car most of the time, and the finishes just didn’t show it. We were just never able to shake the monkey off our back.”
Parks has purchased a new Distance chassis in the off-season, and is looking to pick up a win in the new ride. With the changes to the 2015 schedule, Parks is looking to capitalize at the return of his home track.
“We are looking forward to all of the tracks, but especially to the return of Claremont Speedway, as that is where I got my start in racing,” comments Parks. “I always look forward to my favorite track on the schedule, Monadnock Speedway, but going back to Star Speedway is up there as well. We finally figured it out at Star with a good setup.”
The Granite State Pro Stock Series will begin the eleven (11)-race schedule on April 10-12 at the Icebreaker, at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. For more information on the schedule, or news about the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net.
Sources: Granite State Pro Stock Series PR