CLAREMONT, N.H.- Haydon Grenier scored his first career Asetex Tire & Auto Sportsman Modified victory Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park. Gage Dillingham won his first ever at the fast third-mile, and rapid Green Mountain Man Matt Sonnhalter topped a torrid field of Super Streets Friday at the Thrasher Road speedplant.Guy Caron led all the way to top Friday’s Outlaw Late Model main, while defending Six Shooter champ Steve Miller Jr. held his dad Steve Sr. at bay to win that division’s first feature of the summer. Jim Rhodes was the fast man in the Ridge Runners.
Cody Schoolcraft and Haydon Grenier, two young stars who’ve battled wheel-to-wheel in other CMP divisions, led Friday’s Asetex Tire and Auto Modifieds to the green, with Grenier jumping all over the lap one lead. Thirty laps later he was still there, leading a furious top five under the checkers for his first career Modified victory.
Schoolcraft’s night didn’t go as well. Strong in second on lap 17, he tangled heavily with 2023 track champ Nate Wenzel in turn two, with Brad Zahensky then moving up to challenge Grenier when racing resumed.
Zahensky, Wenzel, Tyler Leary and Jeremy Zullo were all just the blink of an eye away from victory, but Grenier held his perfect line to score the big win. Zahesnky was impressive in second, with Wenzel marching back through the field to claim third.
Matt Sonnhalter started up front in the RE Hinkley Oil Company Super Street main and never looked back. If he had, he’d have seen an all-out battle for second, third and fourth. Dave Greenslit held the deuce spot the first eight go-rounds, then giving way to Chris Lindquist.
Further back, Spring Fling winner Brandon Gray, firing from the twelve hole Friday, was on the charge. Gray got up for third on lap 15, then reeling in Lindquist to claim second on lap 23. Sonnhalter, though, was then far ahead and cruised to his first victory of the season. With Gray and Lindquist joining him on the podium, potent Robbie Streeter was fourth, and Dylan Zullo impressed in fifth.
Like the Mods and the Streets, Friday’s LaValley’s Building Supply Pure Stocks had the crowd on the edge of its collective seat from start to finish. Amy Jaycox was the early leader, with Gage Dillingham right behind. Carlos Grenier, on a mission from his row four starting slot, was flying.
Grenier took charge on lap seven and immediately opened a huge lead. It wasn’t his night, though, as he dropped out while leading on lap 14, with Dillingham then taking over, with opening weekend’s potent pair, Keegan Tabor and two-time winner Andrea St. Amour right on his heels.
A lap 23 caution set up a final blast to the finish line, with Dillingham holding strong to score his first win, just a wheel faster than Tabor, who settled for his third runner-up finish in as many races. St. Amour rode in his shadow.
Grantham’s Marvelous Millers have dominated the Avery Insurance Six Shooters in recent summers, and Friday’s first-of-the-season feature was no different. Defending division champ Steve Jr. started up front and led all the way to score the victory just a whisker ahead of his dad, Steve Sr., the track’s 2022 champion.
Hometown hot shoe Erin Aiken, victorious in her Mini Stock on opening night, was third in Friday’s Six Shooter feature.
There was no stopping Guy Caron in Friday’s Outlaw Late Model main. The second-generation star led all the way to win his first feature of the season. Defending track champ Ben Poland was strong in second, with fan favorite Tyler Lescord coming home third. Veteran Steve Bly was able to walk away from a horrific lap-ten crash.
Claremont Motorsports Park will return to action next Friday, with a full card of Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series action, along with the first outing this summer of the fan-favorite Spectator Drags. Post time at CMP is 7 p.m.
CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK MAY 3 TOP TENS
SUPER STREETS: Matt Sonnhalter, Brandon Gray, Chris Lindquist, Robbie Streeter, Dylan Zullo, Trevor Rocke, Dave Greenslit, Jimmy Zullo, Joe Tetreault, Mike Williams,
PURE STOCKS: Gage Dillingham, Keegan Tabor, Andrea St. Amour, Amy Jaycox, Kyle Kenny, Zach Richardson, Chris Carver, Jake Snide, Ethan Meyette, Carter Conroy.
SPORTSMAN MODIFIEDS: Haydon Grenier, Brad Zahensky, Nate Wenzel, Tyler Leary, Jeremy Zullo, Andrew Martell, Andrew Brousseau, Trevor Young, Cody Schoolcraft.
SIX SHOOTERS: Steve Miller Jr., Steve Miller Sr., Erin Aiken, Tyler Scott, Jacob Scott, Andrew Scott, Paul Colburn, Tyler Debuck-Earl, Rozwell Mason Jr.
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