Story By: JEFF BROWN / GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES – LEE, NH – Corey Bubar was probably not the favorite to win Sunday evening’s Bosowski Properties 150. But in the season finale for the Granite State Pro Stock Series, Bubar stole the show.
The Windham, Maine, racer held off Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. to claim the $8,500 victory at Lee USA Speedway, closing out Lee USA Speedway’s year-ending Russ Conway’s Oktoberfest spectacular.
And well back in Bubar’s mirror, fellow Pine Tree State native Travis Benjamin drove a patient race to earn the GSPSS championship.
Sunday’s season finale earned intrigue before the drop of the green, with a $2,000 bonus offered to any top-five starter who would forfeit their position on the grid if they could come back to win. Derek Griffith, the 2015 GSPSS champion, answered the call, lining up shotgun on the 28-car field to chase the bounty.
Bubar, starting outside of Ryan Green, jumped into the lead early, building an advantage over Green in the opening stint as Griffith picked his way through traffic. When a yellow flag flew on lap 35, Griffith had already clawed his way to 12th with plenty of laps left.
On the restart, Renfrew surged to second, pursuing Bubar until a wreck in the back of the field brought out another caution on lap 47. Reigning champion Joey Doiron pitted from fifth, while Griffith cycled through to eighth for the restart. Benjamin, well ahead of challenger Brandon Barker in the title race, was tenth.
Bubar held off Renfrew’s advances on the restart, but the Candia, N.H., youngster prevailed, making his way to the front and leading at halfway. A long green-flag run allowed Renfrew to stretch the gap between himself and Bubar, but Bubar reeled Renfrew in as they diced through lapped traffic. A slow car ahead of Renfrew at just the right time gave Bubar an opening, and Bubar charged back through to take the lead.
Griffith’s bid for the bounty went up in smoke with 31 laps to go, as he shredded a right-front tire running fourth. Griffith rejoined the field after a tow, but his shot at the win was all but over and he would rebound to finish eighth.
Bubar brought the field to green, and while Renfrew hassled him for a couple laps, he was able to pull away down the stretch. In his first series start of the season, Bubar raced to his second GSPSS win and his first since winning at his home track, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, in 2021.
Renfrew followed Bubar home in second, with Green, Dave Farrington and Angelo Belsito rounding out the top five.
And with an eleventh-place finish, Travis Benjamin completed his championship season, becoming the tenth different driver to fly the GSPSS champion’s banner. The Belfast, Maine, veteran, a former NASCAR racer and multi-time regional champion, won the first two outings of the season and committed to a full-time schedule that saw him finish out of the top-five only once all year.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series and president Mike Parks extend their gratitude to the tracks, teams and sponsors that made this 2023 season possible, and hope to release details on next year’s schedule soon.
Results, GSPSS Bosowski Properties 150:
1. (12X) Corey Bubar
2. (00NH) Jimmy Renfrew, Jr.
3. (93) Ryan Green
4. (23) Dave Farrington, Jr.
5. (8) Angelo Belsito
6. (73D) Joey Doiron
7. (7CT) Cory Casagrande
8. (12G) Derek Griffith
9. (56) Evan Beaulieu
10. (72MA) Ryan Kuhn
11. (7) Travis Benjamin
12. (32) Brandon Barker
13. (40) Mike Mitchell
14. (14) Josh St. Clair
15. (17MA) Eddie MacDonald
16. (77MA) Jeremy Sorel
17. (17RI) Vinnie Arrenegado, Jr.
18. (71) Skeeter Bearce
19. (95) Morgan Call
20. (28) Dave Cameron
21. (27NH) Wayne Helliwell, Jr.
22. (09) Frankie Eldredge
23. (47MA) Dick Benoit
24. (29) Adam Gray
25. (90NH) Casey Call
26. (19) Rusty Poland
27. (17) Kevin Folan
28. (99B) Charlie Buxton