First Ever for Zahensky; Third for Gray Friday at Claremont
Claremont Motorsports Park Friday, May 24, event story
CLAREMONT, N.H. – Brad Zahensky scored the first Modified win of his career Friday, May 24, night at Claremont Motorsports Park, blending a cool head and heavy throttle foot to top the night’s 30-lap main event.
Super Street ace Brandon Gray stayed red hot on the young season, blasting to his third win of the summer on the first night of the third-mile speed plant’s two-day Memorial Day weekend extravaganza, and fellow Green Mountain Boy Keegan Tabor – he of three runner-up finishes already in the young campaign – rocked the Pure Stocks for his first 2024 victory lap.
Outlaw Late Model star Guy Caron was Friday night’s winner, overtaking 2023 champ Ben Poland on the last lap, just before Poland’s ride grenaded, and two-division blaster Erin Aiken continued her torrid spring output, topping the night’s Six Shooter feature. Aiden White scored his third victory in the fledgling Ridge Runner division.
Trevor Rocke and Chris Lindquist led the R.E. Hinkley Fuels Super Streets to the green in Friday’s nightcap 30-lap main event. Lindquist jumped all over the opening lead.
Lindquist, Rocke, and Dave Greenslit battled fast and furious over the first six go-rounds, but a turn two jingle saw Greenslit, Robbie Streeter, Matt Sonnhalter and others lose valuable track space on the restart. It also brought Brandon Gray to fifth, quickly there from his row-five starting slot.
By lap 13, Gray was second. On lap 17, he inched ahead and then quickly drove away. Sonnhalter, charging all the way back from his early troubles, took second with two laps to go, but Gray, by then, was far, far ahead. Lindquist finished his impressive night’s work in third.
The night’s Asetex Tire and Auto Modified feature had plenty of high adventure Brad Zahensky, though, wasn’t buying into the wildness. Charging from row four, he was up to second by lap four, then holding strong in the top three until inheriting the lead after a lap-25 top-two dust-up.
Once in front Zahensky held defending track king Nate Wenzell in his shadow to earn his first career Modified feature win. With Wenzell strong in second, Andrew Martell had a season-best in third.
Newport’s Chris Conroy had struggled mightily in early season LaValley Building Supply Pure Stock racing. Friday, he found his magic but so did Green Mountain State young gun Keegan Tabor.
Conroy, firing from row three, took control on lap three and soon had a comfortable lead. Tabor, though, charging from ninth on the grid, was on a rail. Blasting into second on lap five, he reeled the leader in and took the lead low through turn two on the 16th circuit.
Once in front, the Randolph, VT speedster pulled away to improve on his three earlier runner-up races with his first win of the summer. Two-time winner and Pure Stock points leader Andrea St. Amour got up for third on lap 21, but Conroy held strong for his season’s best second-place finish. Zach Richardson and previous winner David Smith completed the top five.
Ben Poland almost won the Outlaw Late Model feature Friday. He had only two things keeping him from victory lane; dominator Guy Caron and a very expensive motor about to go south.
Poland took the lead on lap two from Tyler Lescord and then raced inches ahead of Caron until the checkers were in sight. With Caron scoring the Friday night win, Poland held on for second, and George Helliwell completed his strong night’s work in third.
Erin Aiken continued her early season dominance Friday, winning her second Avery Insurance Six Shooter feature in a row and third on the year at the Thrasher Road speedplant.
Finding a narrow track ahead of her both high and low over the first 11 laps, the hometown ace dropped reigning champ Steve Miller Jr. to second on lap 12 and then drove away. Miller was second, with his dad, former division champ Steve Miller Sr., third on the night.
It’s been a good early season for hometown hot shoe Aiden White in the fledgling Ridge Runner division, three tries, three wins. Friday’s victory, though, didn’t come easily.
Bay State pilot Richie Morrocco led the first 11 laps, then watching White glide by on the backstretch and following him the rest of the way for second in his first CMP outing. Callie Osborne came home third in the 20-lapper.
CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK FRIDAY, MAY 24, TOP FIVES
SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS Brad Zahensky, Nate Wenzel, Andrew Martell, Trevyr Young, Cody Schoolcraft.
SUPER STREETS: Brandon Gray, Matt Sonnhalter, Chris Lindquist, Trevor Rocke, Joe Tetreault.
PURE STOCKS: Keegan Tabor, Chris Conroy, Andrea St. Amour, Zach Richardson, David Smith.
OUTLAW LATE MODELS: Guy Caron, Ben Poland, George Helliwell, Tyler Lescord, Josh Ruel.
SIX SHOOTERS: Erin Aiken, Steve Miller Jr., Steve Miller Sr. Paul Colburn, Rozwell Mason Jr.
RIDGE RUNNERS: Aiden White, Richie Morrocco, Callie Osborne, Jessica Coulter, Jim Rhodes.
Sources: Mike Parks/Claremont Motorsports Park PR