Five Champions Feted During Claremont Banquet

Claremont Speedway's five track champions were honored Saturday during the track's annual awards banquet. (Emily Miller photo)

LEBANON, N.H. – Claremont Motorsports Park honored its top achievers of the 2023 season Saturday, as the track’s 76th annual awards banquet was held.

Three of the Thrasher Road speed plant’s track champions last year were first-time titlists, while Outlaw king Ben Poland picked up his second CMP crown and Dave Greenslit, who raced through a quiet season by regular standards, still earned his fifth track championship.

Nate Wenzel, a former Monadnock Street Stock champion, set the NHSTRA Modified class on fire this past summer, winning numerous titles that included the top spot in CMP’s Asetex Tire and Auto Modified division, his first crown at the track.

Former track champ Brian Robie finished the campaign right on Wenzel’s heels, and fellow veteran Joey Jarvis was third.

Poland topped the Brodie Ladue State Farm Outlaws on the strength of a four-win season, edging fellow four-time feature winner Guy Caron for the top spot. Veteran wheelsman Steve Bly was solid in third.

Greenslit, who was winless for most of the season, continued his domination of the R.E. Hinkley Fuels Late Model division. Chris Riendeau, who peaked late, finished second, while Joe Tetreault was third on the year.

Teen phenom Colton Martin earned his first CMP crown atop the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stock division. Finishing in his shadow was Andrea St. Amour, and Chris Conroy was third on the summer.

Steve Miller Jr. raced tooth-and-nail all summer with his dad before earning the crown worn by the elder Miller a season ago in the Avery Insurance Six Shooter division. Upstart Trevyr Young was third.

Honored Saturday as CMP divisional Rookies of The Year were Brian Morway in the Asetex Tire & Auto Modifieds, Thomas Smithers in the Brodie Ladue State Farm Outlaws, JD Stockwell in the R.E. Hinkley Fuels Late Models, Keegan Tabor in the LaValley Building Supply Pure Stocks, and Young in the Avery Insurance Six Shooters.

After a season away, former speedway promoter Mike Parks will return to the helm for this year.

The former Pro Stocker has set an ambitious schedule, telling the crowd on hand at Saturday’s banquet that “we have something really good here in our hometown.”

Parks was loudly applauded when proclaiming the speedway’s “future is bright.”

Track Manager Bryan Martin, who worked tirelessly throughout the season, was honored by speedway owner Ben Bosowski. Track photographer Emily Miller was also feted at Saturday’s banquet.

A collection was taken at Saturday’s banquet to help 13-time track champion Aaron Fellows, who raced a modified last year, but lost his home, race shop, and three race cars to fire earlier in the week.

Parks, through his MDP promotional group, and Bosowski each added in $1,000 to help Fellows and his family.

Claremont’s first event of the new year will be the third annual Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre on Feb. 24, when, regardless of snow cover, multiple Enduro classes with battle on the third-mile paved oval.

The track’s first weekly event of the season is set for April 27-28, when the two-day Spring Fling begins the championship points battles in all classes.