Story By: CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK – CLAREMONT, NH – Bay State hot shoe Nate Wenzel was crowned the 2024 Sportsman Modified champion Friday night at Claremont Motorsports Park, earning his second open-wheel title in a row while, on the same event card, two drivers earned their first career victory at the Thrasher Road speedplant.
Both first-timers Kyle Kenny and Bradey Lamotte topped their Friday night feature event. Tyler Leary won the night’s Sportsman Modified feature, Super Street ace Chris Riendeau romped to an easy $1,000 win on Frazer’s Place Night, and Seth Drown won a thriller in the Ridge Runners.
And in the Tour Type Late Model main event, senior statesman Allen Fellows led all the way to score his first win in more than a few summers, leading a family reunion gathering into victory lane ahead of both his son and his nephew.
Trevyr Young and Brad Zahesnky led the Asetex Tire and Auto Sportsman Modifieds to the green, with Zahensky quickly taking charge and leading the first eight laps of the night’s 2024 championship event.
Tyler Leary then rocketed into the lead and never looked back, leading the rest of the way to win for the second week in a row. Zahensky held strong in second, with Wenzel content to cruise in third en route to the 2024 championship.
In ten events this summer, the Sportsman Modified division produced five unique winners. Both Leary and Wenzel were three-time winners. Zahensky won a pair, and both Brian Robie and Haydon Grenier won once. Wenzel, in winning his second consecutive CMP title, posted top-three finishes in all ten events.
Ryan Farewell and Joe Tetreault led a stacked 15-car lineup of R.E. Hinkley Fuels Super Streets to the green as the master blasters went to war in the night’s 50-lap, $1,000-to-win main event.
Tetreault led the first 19 laps, but Chris Riendeau, who’s dominated at Monadnock Speedway this summer, was charging fast from his row five starting spot. Up to fourth on lap 11, Riendeau blasted into third on lap 15, second on 17, and quickly closed on Tetreault to take charge out of turn two on the 19th circuit.
Once in front, Riendeau rocketed off into another time zone to top the caution-free 50-lapper by a landslide margin. Cody Schoolcraft took second from Robbie Streeter on lap 36 and then held strong to earn the runner-hardware just ahead of Streeter and Brandon Gray, aboard the second Team Streeter ride, who’d started scratch on the field.
Chris Lindquist, the winner a week earlier, came home fifth in Friday’s main event, and Super Street top points man Matt Sonnhalter struggled to tenth. Sonnhalter will take a 15-point advantage over Streeter into next Friday’s double-points season finale.
Allen Fellows led all the way to win the Tour Type Late Model 25-lapper. Son Aaron, who’ll glide to his 16th CMP championship next Friday, got up for second on lap seven but then stayed in his dad’s shadow the rest of the way.
With the Batman earning his first victory lap in decades – he attributed his big showing to shrewd tire management – he and son Aaron were joined in victory lane by Allen’s nephew Craig Smith. Decades ago, the elder Fellows and Smith’s late dad, Dean, shared driving duties on a team car here at CMP.
David Smith took the lead from Jordan Gonyea on lap four of the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stock feature and appeared headed for his third win of the summer. Friday the 13th struck on lap 16 though, as Smith abruptly slowed and young talent Kyle Kenny, from row four, blasted into the lead, bringing Andrea St. Amour with him as Smith took the long ride up pit hill.
Once in front, the popular Green Mountain driver survived a last-lap restart to score his first win ever at the historic third-mile oval. St. Amour was second, and Kodi Sabins, from way back in row seven, came home third. Keegan Tabor, fourth on the night, and St. Amour, now take their championship points battle into Friday’s season finale.
Seth Drown, aboard the division’s only Ford entry, won a thriller in the Ridge Runners. Jim Rhodes led the first 19 go-rounds, only to see Drown inch ahead with the white flag in sight to snatch the win. Richie Marrocco finished third, just behind the potent pair.
Bradey “Peaches” Lamotte took the lead from Steve Miller Sr. on lap three of the Avery Insurance Six Shooter feature and then held Steve Miller Jr. in his shadow the rest of the way to score his first career CMP victory. Miller Jr. finished at his bumper for second, while Miller Sr. continued his march to a second track title by finishing third Friday.
Hunter Capps topped an eight-kart field to win the Claremont Karting Series Sportsman B 15-lapper.
Claremont Motorsports Park will conclude its 2024 Weekly Racing Series season next Friday, September 20, when the Modified Racing Series comes to town along with seven divisional championships decided when Key Auto Group and O’Reilly Auto Parts present 2024 Championship Night at CMP.
CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK SEPTEMBER 13 TOP PERFORMERS
SPORTSMAN MODIFIED: Tyler Leary, Brad Zahensky, Nate Wenzel, Haydon Grenier, Jeremy Zullo.
SUPER Chris Riendeau, Cody Schoolcraft, Robbie Streeter, Brandon Gray, Chris Lindquist.
TOUR TYPE LATE MODELS: Allen Fellows, Aaron Fellows, Craig Smith, Ryan Currier, Cameron Houle.
PURE STOCK: Kyle Kenny, Andrea St. Amour, Kodi Sabins, Keegan Tabor, Amy Jaycox.
RIDGE RUNNER: Seth Drown, James Rhodes, Richie Marrocco, Jake Snide, Aiden White.
SIX SHOOTER: Bradey Lamotte, Steve Miller Jr., Steve Miller Sr., Martin Karnacewicz.