2019 Just Around the Corner
As racing season approaches, last-minute preparations are what’s happening in the shops of the Granite State Pro Stock Series teams. With the first race less than a month away at Claremont Motorsports Park in NH, cars are being finished, trailers are being organized and haul trucks are being checked.
In Vernon VT Josh Kings pair of race cars are almost ready to hit the race track. “One more good day in the shop and we’ll be ready to go,” said king while attending the Ice breaker at Thompson Speedway. “We’ll be ready to go for Claremont” he added. When asked about his 2019 plans he responded: “we’ll see how the early part of the season goes and figure it out from there”. “If we’re running well we’ll run the full schedule.”
Further south just outside of Springfield Mass, two-time series champion Mike O’Sullivan prepares to head into his second season with his Hamke Chassis race car. Last year at this time, O’Sullivan and his team were making the mad thrash to complete a brand new race car for competition. “This offseason has been much more relaxed,” said O’Sullivan during a recent pause in preparations. “We started just before Christmas and went through every piece of the race car trying to lighten and improve anywhere we could”. “We fired the motor last Saturday and the body is done” he added. “We are just about ready and looking forward to the Claremont test”.
In Belchertown Mass, it’s several new parts for former champion Barry Gray. A lightly used Howe Chassis was purchased from fellow competitor Todd Stone and a new trailer will get it to the track. Gray is looking to rebound from an extremely frustrating 2018 season and is hoping an offseason retooling of his equipment will lead to better results. While displaying his new ride at the Big E car show, Gray thought back on his 2018 season. “Last year was the most frustrating season of racing I can remember”. “We just couldn’t seem to get it right no matter what we tried” he continued, “We threw everything we could at the car and none of it worked.”
At Davis Chassis Works Jeremy Davis is preparing two cars for battle at Claremont Motorsports Park. He will be driving his familiar 09 and has tabbed late model sportsman veteran Craig Smith to drive a second car. When asked about this opportunity Smith said: “it’s been a dream of mine to be able to run a pro stock”. “My goal is to finish the race with all the body panels still on”. Smith will definitely be at the open test session scheduled for April 27 at the Claremont NH speed plant, and Davis hopes to have his car there as well.
In Hampstead NH Matt Frahm, his father Dave and their team are just about ready to hit the track. In 2018 they competed in just two events with little to show for it. His plan for 2019 is to race as much as time allows. “We are going to run the first few and see where we stand,” said Frahm during a brief break from his busy work schedule. “If we are happy with how we are running and business obligations don’t pop up, we would like to run the full schedule.” Frahm is a former winner with the series but it’s been a couple of years since he visited victory lane. “I just needed a break from the grind of racing” stated Frahm “but now I’ve got the itch back and a great group of guys so hopefully we can have some success”.
The race in Claremont will not only kick off the Granite State Pro Stock Series season but the all-new Claremont Motorsports Park season as well. For 2019 there is new ownership at the NH speed plant and the teams and officials of the GSPSS are looking forward to being a part of their first event. “The Granite State Pro Stock Series is proud and excited to be a part of the first-ever event at the new Claremont Motorsports Park” stated series president Mike Parks. “We are looking forward to helping to kick off a new era at the track that held the first ever GSPSS event”.
For more information, you can follow the series at www.gspss.net as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
Sources: Mike Parks/GSPSS PR
Chip Cormie Photo’s