From the Notebook: North East Street Stock Tour at Speedway 51
GROVETON, NH – The North East Street Stock Tour will travel to Speedway 51 (formerly Riverside Speedway) for the Caron Fabrication 51, presented by L & L Riverside Inn, June 13. The second event for the North East Street Stock Tour visits a track that is 51 years old, and is in the first year of new ownership. The following is a closer look at notes and numbers of the new North East Street Stock Tour (NESST) at Speedway 51.
SPEEDWAY 51 NOTES:
Commonly known as “Grovetona”, or “Lil Darlington”, Speedway 51 was built in 1964. This ¼ mile, high-banked raceway has been a vital part of the town of Groveton, NH for 51 years, and often yields exciting, side-by-side racing. Mike and Sally Beattie sold the track to Curtis Robinson in the late 1980’s, and was purchased at a foreclosure auction by veteran racer Joey Laquerre, in October 2014. Laquerre has made extensive upgrades to the facility, and will run the second race of the year when the NESST comes to town. The track’s name is dedicated to Joey Laquerre’s grandson, Joey M. Laquerre, who passed away weeks before the purchase of the track. The younger Laquerre’s racing number was 51.
RACE NOTES:
TRACK LENGTH: 1/4 mile
RACE LENGTH: 51 laps
EVENT HASHTAG: #CaronFab51
PURSE NOTES
TOTAL PURSE (including halfway bonus): $3465 for 23 positions
WINNER’S TAKE: $500
24th PLACE: $60
HALFWAY LEADER BONUS (presented by Dur-A-Flex): $100
DRIVER NOTES
#33 Geoff Rollins
– Third place at Seekonk Speedway.
– Second-generation driver, can be easily recognized as having orange on his race car.
– Raced at Lee, Monadnock Speedway, Hudson International Speedway, and Star Speedway in 2014, in everything from a Hobby Stock to a Pro Stock.
#79 Patrick Tanguay
– Fourth place at Seekonk Speedway.
– Champion at Lee USA Speedway in the Hobby Stocks in 2014.
– Finished with two wins, eleven top 5’s, and fourteen top 10’s in fourteen starts, with an average feature finish of 3.69.
– Finished fifth in the non-championship points exhibition at Lee USA Speedway.
#39 Chris Douton
– Winner at Seekonk Speedway, point leader entering the event at Speedway 51.
– Won the non-championship point event at Lee USA Speedway, May 17.
– Former Strictly Stock champion at New London-Waterford Speedbowl (1997, 1999).
– Former Strictly Stock champion at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (2011).
– Has one win, and two top 3’s in two starts at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2015.
#51 Bryan Town
– Finished ninth at Seekonk Speedway.
– Earned nine victories between Twin State Speedway and Monadnock Speedway, combined, in 2014.
– Former Street Stock champion at Twin State Speedway (2007).
– Rookie of the Year in the Late Model division at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, finishing third in points in 2012.
#2 Jim Boyle
– Finished eighth at Seekonk Speedway.
– 2012 Super X Car champion at New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
– Finished fourth in the non-championship points event at Lee USA Speedway, May 17.
– Involved in charity off the track, supporting the fight against autism, and participating in a Walk for Autism at Rentschler Field (CT).
#74 Joe Arena
– Finished second at Seekonk Speedway.
– Finished third in the non-championship points event at Lee USA Speedway, May 17.
– Finished second in the championship standings in 2009 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, to Larry Barnett.
#38 Steve Kenneway
– Finished tenth at Seekonk Speedway.
– Ran full-time at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in 2014, finishing second in the standings, with three top 5’s, and nine top 10’s.
#9 Matt Morrill
– Finished seventh at Seekonk Speedway.
– Track champion at Canaan Fair Speedway in 2013.
– Has raced on asphalt, dirt, and ice.
For more information on the North East Street Stock Tour, visit www.nestreetstocktour.com.
Numerical stats gathered via www.neracestats.com.
Sources: Shawn Sicard/NESST PR