Walpole, NH- Just weeks away from the start of the 2015 season, the title hunt is beginning to take shape for the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS).
A mix of veteran and young drivers have made the commitment to become the fourth champion in series history. Former Oxford 250 winner (1996), “Lightning” Larry Gelinas has announced his intentions of being crowned champion. The Buxton, ME driver set a torrid pace in the first half of the 2014 season, including five (5) top-5 finishes in the first five races, including a win at Hudson International Speedway, but back-to-back finishes outside the top-15 put a damper on Gelinas’ bid on the championship, ending the season with a third-place overall finish in the standings.
Another driver throwing his name in the hat, Barry Gray is a legend at Monadnock Speedway, where he owns three (3) GSPSS wins at the Winchester, NH track. Gray also has racked up many wins at Claremont Speedway, which returns to the tour schedule since the first race of the series in 2011. After an up-and-down season, Gray finished out the year 6th in the point standings, including a win at Monadnock Speedway.
After finishing 4th in the championship standings just one year ago, Derek Griffith is looking to capitalize on his consistency, in which he led the tour in top-10 finishes in 2014. Griffith is searching for his first GSPSS win, finishing runner-up three times in his career with the series.
Also looking for their first GSPSS victories, Mike Parks and Cory Robert have filed full-season entries.
Beech Ridge regular Reid Lanpher will bring his team back to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park for the series opener at the IceBreaker, April 10-12. Lanpher was among the cars to beat at the season-ending World Series in 2014, before retiring early from the race. The youngster is, once again, tabbed as an early favorite heading into the 5/8-mile oval. Veterans Zig Geno and Greg Nanigian, along with John Salemi and Cory Casagrande have also filed entries to the first 2015 event.