Story By: CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK – CLAREMONT, NH – Cam Curtis caught the break of the night Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park. It was a good one. For Robbie Curtis, same event, same turn, not so much.
Curtis won the Outlaw Late Model main event on day one of the historic oval’s three-day 2024 Fall Challenge event, Streeter had led all the way in the 30-lapper until two blundering backmarkers swept him up in the final turn, as both Curtis and Kyle Goodbout sped by.
With both the Super Streets and Pure Stocks contesting non-winners formatted events, Cody Schoolcraft and Josh Rondeau were each victorious Friday. Newly crowned track Mini Stock king Kyle Templeton won Friday too, as did 2023 Six Shooter champ Steve Miller Jr. and Ridge Runner ace Brian Caswell, whose Friday win was his first at CMP.
Kendall Whitehill had a big night in the visiting 603 Mini Cup Series division, winning his night’s main event and, with it, earning his series’ prestigious 2024 championship belt. Jason Faulkner was second on the night, and Jason Raby third.
David Thibodeau and Solomon Brow led the RE Hinkley Fuels Super Streets to the green Friday, with Thibodeau leading the first go-round. Hometown hot shoe Cody Schoolcraft – from row two – was quickly up to first and never looked back. Schoolcraft, who started the summer aboard a Modified, showed his affinity for full fenders Friday, winning by almost a straightaway.
Joe Tetreault got up for second on lap three but had nothing for the speedy Schoolcraft. Tim Churchill, wheeling the former Robbie Streeter ride, came home third, with Brow and Chip Laquire rounding out the top five.
Streeter, making his first career Late Model run, led almost all the way in Friday night’s Outlaw Late Model 30-lapper. After a violent first lap crash scrambled four entrants, Streeter immediately took command and quickly opened huge leads.
Cam Curtis, who’d cut his oval track racing teeth in the speedway’s infield karting track, took second from Kyle Goodbout on lap ten but over the next ten laps was but a speck in Streeter’s rearview mirror. But with five to go, the Baltimore, VT pilot was closing fast.
This one was going to be close, but still it was Streeter’s to lose. And that he did, as two lappers, with no business blocking the leader, brought him to almost a halt in turn four, as both Curtis and Goodbout stormed past him.
Kyle Templeton rocked the Mini Stocks Friday, much as he’d done many times this summer en route to his first Mini Stock championship. It took two cautions to complete Friday night’s 25-lap feature, with the second waving on lap 21 as then-runner-up Sean Lantas was punted out of second.
Lantas’ demise moved Kodi Sabins up to second, where he’d finish, four lengths behind the speedy Templeton. Bay State teen Owen Zilinski was third, with Tim Paquette and Pat Houle rounding out the first five.
Monadnock regular Billie Graham was the man at the front in the early laps of the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stock main event. Green Mountain Boy Josh Rondeau, firing from tow three, was quick on the charge.
Edging ahead from the top of the track on lap six, Rondeau took control and sped off into another time zone to win with ease on non-winner’s night. Graham was punted out of second on lap 15, with Zach Zilinski, aboard kid brother Owen’s ride, moving into the deuce spot and never looking back. Third-generation hot shoe Addison Brooks, like Graham and Zilinski, a Monadnock regular, impressed in third.
As it has been frequently in recent years, Friday’s Six Shooter feature was again Miller Time at CMP. Steve Jr. – the 2023 track champ – took the lead from dad Steve Sr. the reigning and two-time track king – on lap two and held him off the rest of the way to score the win. Bradey “Peaches” LaMotte – aboard yet another Miller family car – came home third.
Brian Caswell, as he’d done earlier in qualifying, dominated the RaceDay TV Ridge Runner feature. Newly crowned track champ Aiden White was second, and Gage Osborne third.
Day one of the Fall Challenge concluded, the Thrasher Road speedplant moved ahead to the final two shows of its three-day, 27-diviision 2024 season finale.
CLAREMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK OCTOBER 18 TOP PERFORMERS:
SUPER STREET: Cody Schoolcraft, Joe Tetreault, Tim Churchill, Solomon Brow, Chip Laquire, Dennis Greenwood, David Thibodeau, Leighton Lutz, Jim Carley.
OUTLAW LATE MODEL: Cam Curtis, Kyle Goodbout, Robbie Streeter, Steve Bly, Tyler Lescord, Aaron Fellows Jr., John Meany, Matt Winter, Aaron Fellows, Josh Ruel.
MINI STOCK: Kyle Templeton, Kodi Sabins, Owen Zilinski, Tim Paquette, Pat Houle, David Pratt II, Tim O’Shea, Sean Lantas.
PURE STOCK: Josh Rondeau, Zach Zilinski, Addison Brooks, Jordan Gonyea, Chloe Zullo, Ethan Meyette, Ron Burgess Jr., Nathan Waterman, Colton Hull, Billie Graham.
SIX SHOOTER: Steve Miller Jr., Steve Miller Sr., Bradey Lamotte, Trystin Bodwell, Lincoln Herschel.
RIDGE RUNNER: Brian Caswell, Aiden White, Gage Osborne, Callie Osborne.