HUDSON, NH – Angelo Belsito finally sealed the deal in the Gate City Classic at Hudson International Speedway Sunday afternoon. The Auburn MA driver had lead many laps and contended for the win in both of the first two Granite State Pro Stock Series races of 2020, only to watch victory slip away.
Belsito was good in practice, good in his heat race and dominant over the last two thirds of the feature event but victory was not easy. The Crazy Horse Racing fast time challange was removed from the schedule as time was tight due to local regulations so Cory Casagrande’s track record survives for another year. As a result heat races would be lined up based on each drivers fast lap in the second practice session.
Belsito would start second in his heat race and finish in the same position after a spirited battle with defending series champion Joey Doiron. Doiron would end up victorious and the top three from each heat would go to the redraw. For the second race in a row the redraw would be where Belsito would struggle as he pulled the worst number possible, nine.
Winner of the last three series events, Ray Christian III, and local hot shoe Wayne Helliwell Jr would join Doiron as heat race winners. Christian’s crew chief Mickey Green would pull starting position number one while Helliwell would do just one spot better than Belsito starting in eighth and Doiron would pull five.
Early in the going Chrisian III and Joey “Pole” seemed to be the drivers to beat as they battled through several restarts and traded the lead back and forth until Belsito arrived on the scene. He would take the lead on a restart and never truly be challenged.
“The team gave me a great car,” Said Belsito in victory lane. “I was really just pacing myself once I got the lead and trying to save the car”. He went on to say, “We’ve had a couple of things cost us the win in the first two races but today we were able to put it all together.”
Christian III would wind up in second, his worst finish of the year,. “Its a good day when we can be disappointed in second” said Christian III. “The car was really good we just didn’t have quite enough for Angelo.”
Polewarczyk would hold on to finish third tying his best series finish of the season. “Thats sort of the story of our season”, said the Hudson NH native. “It was a good day we just didn’t have what we needed for the front two”.
Wayne Helliwell Jr would finish the day in the fourth spot while 2018 champion Devin O’Connell would round out the top five.
Gabe Brown would race on the tight quarter mile track for the first time and finish a solid sixth right in front of another youngster, Jake Matheson and Nick Lascuola would come home eighth in his return to the series. Another local driver, Jimmy Renfrew Jr would end the day in ninth with Casagrande finishing out the top ten.
The next event has the series returning to the Claremont Motorsports Park for a final tune up before the $10,000 dollar to win event, labor day weekend. Teams who want to be prepared for the biggest event in the history of the series are encouraged to enter this event on July 24th and try to figure out the tricky NH oval.
To follow the series go to www.gspss.net or follow the series on facebook, twitter and instagram.
Contingency Awards
Sunoco Race Fuels heat race winners – 5gallons of race fuel – 73 Joey Doiron, 93ct Ray Christain III, 27nh Wayne Helliwell Jr.
AR Bodies hard luck award – $100 product certificate – 55 Cody LeBlanc
Crazy Horse Fast Time Challenge – fastest times in second Practice 1st $125 -73 Joey Doiron – 2nd $75 – 93ct Ray Christian III – 3rd $50 – 27nh Wayne Helliwell Jr
Magnus Performance Parts – 7th place finisher $100 product certificate – 52nh Jake Matheson
Matco Tools : product certificates – winner $75 – 8b Angelo Belsito – Random Draw $75 – to be drawn at the next event
Granite State Pro Stock Series – Gate City Classic
Hudson International Speedway
Feature Results – 100 Laps
1) 8B Angelo Belsito
2) 93CT Ray Christian III
3) 97 Joey Polewarczyk
4) 27NH Wayne Helliwell
5) 43 Devin O’Connell
6) 47 Gabe Brown
7) 52NH Jake Matheson
8) 39 Nick Lascola
9) 00 Jimmy Renfrew Jr.
10) 7CT Cory Casagrande
11) 12P Bobby Pelland
12) 48 Ryan Lineham
13) 87 Alexander Pearl
14) 40 Mike Mitchell
15) 17 Kevin Folan
16) 21 Josh King
17) 90NH Casey Call
18) 60 DJ Shaw
19) 29 Adam Gray
20) 88 Kevin Casper
21) 73 Joey Doiron
22) 08 Mike O’Sullivan
23) 55 Cody LeBlanc
Heat Three Results
1) 27N Wayne Helliwell
2) 7CT Cory Casagrande
3) 40 Mike Mitchell
4) 39 Nick Lascola
5) 48 Ryan Lineham
6) 43 Devin O’Connell
7) 29 Adam Gray
Heat Two Results
1) 93C Ray Christian III
2) 97 Joey Polewarczyk
3) 08 Mike O’Sullivan
4) 00 Jimmy Renfrew Jr.
5) 90N Casey Call
6) 88 Kevin Casper
7) 17 Kevin Folan
8) 87 Alexander Pearl
Heat One Results
1) 73 Joey Doiron
2) 8B Angelo Belsito
3) 52N Jake Matheson
4) 47 Gabe Brown
5) 21 Josh King
6) 60 DJ Shaw
7) 55 Cody LeBlanc
8) 12P Bobby Pelland
For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series visit gspss.net
