First Annual New England Short Track Showdown at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Headlines 11-Race Schedule for Granite State Pro Stock Series in 2017

By admin December 24, 2016 Claremont Motorsports Park, Granite State Pro Stock Series, Lee USA, Monadnock, New London-Waterford, NHMS, Riverhead, Seekonk, Star, Thompson, White Mountain Motorsports Park

WALPOLE, N.H. — The Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) announced an exciting 11-race schedule for the 2017 season on Saturday. The schedule includes events in four different states across a total of 10 different race tracks, giving plenty of variety for both drivers and fans.

Headlining the schedule will be the first annual New England Short Track Showdown at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.

The season will begin with a stop at Lee USA Speedway on Sunday, April 30, a three-eighths mile flat track in Lee, N.H. In 2016, championship runner-up D.J. Shaw scored the victory at Lee, holding off Derek Griffith and Bryan Kruzcek in the final stages to take the checkered flag.

The GSPSS will attempt the inaugural event at the quarter-mile Riverhead Raceway for a second time in 2017, this time on Saturday night May 20. In 2016, drivers practiced for the event but rain forced the cancellation and there was no reschedule date.

Claremont Speedway’s first stop is slated for Friday, June 2, followed by the inaugural event at the third-mile Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, June 24. The Seekonk event will see a combination of the regulars of the GSPSS going up against some of the top weekly Pro Stock talent in a thrilling battle.

On Saturday, July 1, the Granite State Pro Stock Series will invade “The Magic Mile”, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, for the first time in history. The one-mile oval will see the drivers compete in a 50 lap feature race. There will be a practice session on Friday for drivers to begin tuning in their cars for action and there will also be a practice session sometime in May, to be announced at a later date.

“The NHMS event just came together this week, so to say I am thrilled is an understatement,” series president Mike Parks said. “NHMS is kind of a dream for all of the Saturday night racers in New England and this will give a bunch of guys the race to race at the Magic Mile that more than likely would have never had that chance.”

Lee USA Speedway will have a second series race on Friday, July 7, before a race at White Mt. Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 22. Last year, White Mt. kicked-off the season for the GSPSS and Jacob Dore took down the victory.

The annual JBH 100 will take place at Monadnock Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 12, a race won by Mike Parks in 2016. The JBH 100 is in honor of former series co-founder John Hoyt, who passed away suddenly back in 2011.

The month of September will include one race, the annual stop at the Star Classic at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. The main event will be contested on Sept. 8-9.

GSPSS will return to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park for the annual Sunoco World Series weekend in 2017 — with all of the qualifying and feature racing taking place on Friday, Oct. 13. The GSPSS will compete in a 60 lap feature event on Friday night.

The campaign will once again conclude at the three-eighths mile New London-Waterford Speedbowl as part of the Bemer’s Big Show weekend on Saturday, Oct. 21, where the 2017 series champion will be crowned.

“We are excited for the schedule we have put together for 2017. Our goal has always been a 10 to 14 event schedule,” Parks said. “We worked very hard to try not to have multiple back to back weekends, and in 2017 we were able to make that happen. The 11 event schedule we have released is what we have at this point but there still could be one or two additions.”

For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net, or contact series president Mike Parks.

2017 Granite State Pro Stock Series Schedule
April 30 — Lee USA Speedway — 100 laps
May 20 — Riverhead Raceway — 100 laps
June 2 —    Claremont Speedway — 100 laps
June 24 — Seekonk Speedway — 100 laps
July 1 –     New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 50 laps
July 7 —   Lee USA Speedway — 100 laps
July 22 — White Mt. Motorsports Park — 100 laps
Aug. 12 — Monadnock Speedway — 100 laps
Sept. 8-9 — Star Speedway — 100 laps
Oct. 13 — Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park — 100 laps
Oct. 21 —   New London-Waterford Speedbowl — 100 laps

Sources: Mike Parks/GSPSS PR