WINCHESTER, N.H. – Although the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Duel at the Dog 200 will headline the night at Monadnock Speedway this Saturday, June 18, plenty of support classes will keep fans engaged throughout a busy night at the track.
Headlined by the Granite State Pro Stock Series 75-lap feature, the night will also include Monadnock’s NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series divisions – the Pure Stocks, Late Model Sportsman, Mini Stocks and a Street Stock special.
The entry list for the Granite State Pro Stock Series race includes one driver who will be set to compete in double-duty action. Jimmy Blewett, who will drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, will also wheel a car for Jacob Dore in the Granite State Pro Stock Series event.
The New Jersey native has laps in just about everything in his career – both on asphalt and dirt – and is a proven winner. But the high-banks of Monadnock will prove to be a difficult test for Blewett, especially with limited practice time. With the car that the Dore team will produce, he is sure to be a favorite in their main event once he gets some laps under his belt.
Outside of Blewett, the title battle for the Pro Stock touring series continues at Monadnock, with Joey Doiron fresh off a win at Lee USA Speedway last time out and leading the point standings. He has a 12-point edge over Luke Hinkley, with Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Nick Cusak and Dylan Estrella not far behind. All five of those drivers – plus names like Angelo Belsito in Rollie Lindblad’s No. 48 special, Casey Call, Cory Casagrande, Josh King and others are all expected to compete.
With 75 laps, it’s going to be one of the shorter GSPSS races of the season, meaning drivers will be pedal to the metal right from the first lap.
In the Street Stocks, their 50-lap main event will continue to impress fans who have already seen quite the exciting action in 2022 at Monadnock. Timothy Wenzel has six top-five finishes in the first six races of the Monadnock season, and leads Hillary Renaud by just eight points entering the race. Two-time feature winners Keith Johnson and Kenny Thompson are also a few drivers fans should watch.
Cole Littlewood is off to a hot start in the Late Model Sportsman, as the Alstead, New Hampshire, native has opened the year with three wins on the high-banks. However, Ryan Currier, who only has one victory, has been the master of consistency so far and leads the early season standings. Names like Justin Littlewood, Kevin Vaudrien and Daniel Comeau are also going to be tough to beat in their feature on Saturday.
Gordon Farnum, who won the inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation feature for the NHSTRA Mini Stocks, heads to Monadnock looking to go two-for-two in JDV Productions events. Farnum is no stranger to Monadnock – as the New Hampshire native holds a 28-point lead on the heels of two victories early in their season. Jeff Asselin, Kevin Clayton and Kevin McKnight aren’t far behind.
Kyle Robinson-Newell, Chris Davis and JD Stockwell are off to strong starts in the Pure Stocks. Newell has three wins, while Stockwell has one, and the top-three are separated by just 20 points in the standings.
Above all, the house divisions set to join the Whelen Modified Tour will give fans the chance to see multiple different types of cars compete on the same day.
The Whelen Modified Tour event marks the second of three in the Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup. With the first race in the books at Lee USA Speedway on May 21, and one more to follow Monadnock at Claremont Motorsports Park on July 29, there are over $15,000 in bonus awards on the line courtesy of Whelen Engineering.
Saturday action at Monadnock Speedway will begin with NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour practice from 2-3 p.m., followed by practice for the Granite State Pro Stock Series and the Monadnock house divisions. Qualifying begins at 4:45 p.m. for the Granite State Pro Stock Series, followed by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour time trials. Heat racing and feature action for all divisions will follow – concluding with the Duel at the Dog 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at 8:30 p.m. For those who can’t make it to the track, the race will air live on FloRacing.TV.
All tickets are available in advance today at JDVProductions.com and will also be available at the track on race day. Advance tickets are $40 per person. All pit passes will be sold at the track. Fans can also purchase a special pass to the JDV Experience – which will provide preferred seating in turns three and four for the entire night, along with a special view on the Beer Garden deck in turn one for the Duel at the Dog 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The JDV Experience will also include a private autograph session with select Tour drivers, two beer vouchers, a concessions voucher and more. To purchase the JDV Experience today, visit JDVProductions.com.
For more information on Monadnock Speedway, visit MonadnockSpeedway.com. For more information on JDV Productions, visit JDVProductions.com and follow on social media, including from the track on race day.
-Story by: Souza Media/Kyle Souza
-Photo credit: Robert Branning