Granite State Pro Stock Series at Lee USA Speedway: A Closer Look at the Numbers

By admin July 23, 2015 Granite State Pro Stock Series, Lee USA

LEE, NH – The Granite State Pro Stock Series will travel to Lee USA Speedway, on July 24, for the Seacoast 100. The Seacoast 100 will be the seventh event of the 12-race season, and will be the second time the Granite State Pro Stock Series has visited the facility since the series’ inception. The following is a closer look at the numbers of the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS), and Lee USA Speedway.

LEE USA SPEEDWAY NOTES:

– Bob Bonser first opened Lee Raceway in 1964. The track was a 1/3-mile dirt tri-oval, and had two different elevation changes, uphill and downhill.

– In 1965, Bonser paved the dirt track, in hopes of bringing the NESMRA (New England Super Modified Racing Association) to the facility. The NESMRA made their debut in 1965, making Lee Raceway their “home track”. That season also featured the only winter snow race in the history of the facility.

– Due to financial concerns, Lee Raceway was closed in 1979. It reopened in 1984, under a trio of owners (Kenny Smith, Russ Conway, and Charlie Elliott), who had owned Star Speedway, and Hudson International Speedway, as well. The trio renamed the oval “Lee USA Speedway”, running the first oval race on July 4, 1984.

– The first ever Oktoberfest, the track’s marquee event, was held in October of 1984, with Paul Richardson winning the first-ever Super Modified feature during the inaugural event. The event was one of the largest in New England short track racing history, with over 300 entrants, and well over 7,000 fans in attendance.

– Running special events only, the track was sold to the MacDonald family in December of 1986. The MacDonald era began in 1987, as weekly racing at Lee USA Speedway became a staple, and the track has hosted weekly action since.

– Lee has hosted some NASCAR drivers at the facility. A 19-year-old Jeff Gordon, who tested one of Red MacDonald’s Super Modifieds at the track, had an interesting visit to the track, crashing into the front stretch wall. Others were part of the “Budweiser Shootout”, which came to Lee USA Speedway in 1985 and 1986, featuring the stars of the top series in NASCAR at the time, including Terry Labonte, Buddy Baker, Tim Richmond, and Dale Earnhardt Sr.

SEACOAST 100 RACE INFO:

SEACOAST 100: Race 7 of 12 on 2015 season

TRACK LENGTH: 3/8-mile oval

RACE LENGTH: 100 laps

GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES DRIVER STATISTICS:

– The Granite State Pro Stock Series has only raced at the facility once, in which Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. beat out Larry Gelinas and Derek Griffith to take the top honors.

– There were 29 cars in attendance in 2014.

SEACOAST 100 RESULTS

LEE USA SPEEDWAY

7/25/14

POS (Start) Driver Hometown

(7) Joey Polewarczyk, JR. Hudson, NH
(6) Larry Gelinas Buxton, ME
(13) Derek Griffith Hudson, NH
(21) Matt Frahm Hampstead, NH
(5) Dillon Moltz Waterford, CT
(22) Barry Gray Belchertown, MA
(9) Mike O’Sullivan West Springfield, MA
(14) Joey Squeglia, JR. Derry, NH
(17) Tyler Fiscus Pembroke, NH
(8) Keith Caruso Millbury, MA
(20) Bobby Cabral Kingston, NH
(24) Zig Geno Canterbury, NH
(4) Brad Babb Windham, ME
(15) Todd Stone Middlebury, VT
(11) John Salemi Nashua, NH
(87) Adam Norton Ludlow, MA
(07) George Helliwell Derry, NH
(12) Tommy O’Sullivan Wilbraham, MA
(3) Steven Dickey Londonderry, NH
(21) Mike Parks Walpole, NH
(19) Babe Branscombe Nottingham, NH
(1) Bobby Nadeau Buxton, ME
(2) Billy Brady Marston Mills, MA
(10) Russ Hersey Swanzey, NH

DRIVER NOTES

#12 Derek Griffith

– Has three wins, eleven top 3s, and nineteen top 10 finishes in twenty-seven total races with the GSPSS.

– Finished outside the top five for the first time this year at Speedway 51, suffering engine troubles, and retiring from the race early.

– Has an average feature finish of 3.5 in six races, and is the point leader entering the Seacoast 100.

– Finished third at Lee USA Speedway in 2014.

#66 Mike Parks

– Has earned four top 3s, and nineteen top 10 finishes in thirty-four career GSPSS events.

– Finished a career-best 2nd twice (Hudson 2012, Monadnock 2013).

– Has two top 3s and four top 10s in six races this year, and sits fourth in points entering the Seacoast 100.

– Finished 20th at Lee USA Speedway in 2014, after being involved in an incident during qualifying, affecting the handling of the car for the feature.

#29 Barry Gray

– Is the co-leader with four wins on the tour, adding eight top 3s, and twenty-six top 10 finishes in thirty-three career GSPSS events.

– His four wins have come in each GSPSS season (2012-15), and all at Monadnock Speedway.

– Has a 4.17 average feature finish this season, putting him second in points, just 12 points behind Derek Griffith.

– Finished sixth at Lee USA Speedway in 2014.

#37ME Larry Gelinas

– “Lightning” Larry has tallied two wins, eleven top 3s, and twenty-two top 10 finishes in twenty-seven races with the GSPSS.

– His two victories were at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (2013) and Hudson International Speedway (2014).

– Former Oxford 250 champion (1996)

– Finished second at Lee USA Speedway in 2014.

#14M Matt Frahm

– Is the co-leader on the tour with four wins, adding twelve top 3s, and eighteen top 10 finishes in twenty-six career GSPSS starts.

– Has been plagued with mechanical failures this year, but earned a season-best third place finish at Monadnock Speedway in May.

– Finished fourth in the inaugural Seacoast 100 event in 2014.

#08 Mike O’Sullivan

– 2013 Champion of the GSPSS.

– Has three wins on the tour, along with eight top 3s, and seventeen top 10s in twenty-four races.

– Finished seventh at Lee USA Speedway in 2014.

#4ME Brad Babb

– Has been running with the GSPSS in a part-time role in 2014.

– Was running in the top five last year at Lee USA Speedway, but clipped the wall with two laps to go, ending up thirteenth.

– Has two wins, six top 3s, and eleven top 10s in fourteen career GSPSS starts.

– Owns a 6.28 average feature finish in the GSPSS in fourteen total races.

#21 Josh King

– Has not finished outside the top 10 this year, in six starts, and is third in points entering the event.

– Has twelve top 10s in twenty-seven starts on the tour.

For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net.

Track facts collected at www.leeusaspeedway.com

Sources: Mike Parks/GSPSS PR