It was no surprise when 2015 Granite State Pro Stock Series champion Derek Griffith pulled his car into Victory Lane at Oxford on July 30.
The rising star from Hudson, New Hampshire, is becoming a legitimate threat to win just about any time the Super Late Models roll out onto the speedway.
Griffith made another clear statement over the weekend, wheeling his No. 12 entry to victory in a 150-lap Pro All Stars Series (PASS) battle Friday evening at Red MacDonald’s Lee Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire.
This was the final PASS points race before the famed Oxford 250 on August 28.
Griffith, 19, chased Massachusetts native Derek Ramstrom for the first 50 circuits. The two swapped the lead on several occasions before Griffith pulled away to take command in the closing laps.
Ramstrom settled for runner-up honors after an exciting late-race battle with six-time PASS champion Johnny Clark, of Farmingdale. Clark started the race in tenth position and crossed the stripe in third, keeping his hopes of claiming a seventh series championship alive.
Morrill’s Travis Benjamin finished fourth after starting 16th. Granite State powerhouse Jeremy Davis, of Tamworth, rounded out the top five. Joey Polewarczyk Jr. and former series champion Ben Rowe won their respective qualifying rounds.
Windham native and New Gloucester resident Ben Tinker prevailed in the 30-lap support feature for the PASS Modifieds. It was the class rookie’s second win of the season after his triumph earlier this season at Beech Ridge. Tinker also has a pair of Supermodifieds wins at Lee on his resume.
Geoff Rollins of Groton, Massachusetts, another racer with extensive experience at Lee, led the early laps and chased Tinker across the start-finish line. Dana Reed of Shapleigh, came home third.
Reigning PASS Modified champion and current point leader Andy Shaw, of Center Conway, New Hampshire, powered his way to fourth, while Dixfield’s Ryan Robbins rounded out the top five.
Hinkley earns Pro Stock win at Wiscasset
Hometown favorite Nick Hinkley held off fellow Wiscasset native James Osmond to claim the 50-lap Pro Stock Trophy Dash Saturday night at Wiscasset Speedway.
The mid-coast oval went ahead with a full card of racing and successfully dodged the raindrops, while Oxford and Beech Ridge sat silent in the rain.
Ajay Picard filled out the podium with a fine third-place finish, while point leader and reigning track champion Andy Saunders crossed the stripe in fourth. Richmond’s Nate Tribbet completed the top five.
Jason Curtis drove to victory in a competitive 35-lap tilt for Super Street teams. The veteran from Hollis outgunned Wiscasset’s Josh Bailey for top honors, while Jason Oakes of Boothbay finished third. North Waterboro’s Chad Munro and Zac Poland of Woolwich finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
In Thunder 4 Mini action, Pownal native Michael Golding prevailed in a 30-lap tussle. Golding held off second-generation driver Logan Melcher of Fayette for the win, while Durham’s Michael Harrison drove to a solid third-place finish.
Joe Katula of Lisbon followed Harrison across the stripe in fourth, while Richmond’s Curtis Anderson rounded out the top five.
Kamren Knowles outgunned Lisbon veteran Jeff Prindall to win Saturday’s feature for the New England 4-Cylinder Pro Stocks, with Jamie Wright of Woolwich finishing third.
Austin Teras (Windham) and Kevin Girard Jr. (Old Orchard Beach) split a pair of 20-lap features for the high-revving NELCAR Legends, with one being a make-up from a rain-shortened show in July.
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