Reid Lanpher: Granite State Pro Stock Series
Star Speedway Race Preview
Reid Lanpher of Manchester, Maine, will have a busy night ahead of him at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H., on Saturday, August 18, with a pair of 25-lap Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour feature races followed by a 100-lap Granite State Pro Stock Series event. The 14-year-old Lanpher will drive the No. 59 EJP/Mission Trailers Chevrolet in the third GSPSS event of the season, after finishing sixth last time out at Hudson Speedway for his best career series finish. Lanpher will also have double-duty on the NELCAR side of things, having already qualified for a feature event that was rained out on Aug. 4 in addition to a regularly scheduled event.
THE FACTS
WHO: Reid Lanpher, Manchester, Maine
TEAM: Ricci Race Cars No. 59 EJP/Mission Trailers Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Tony Ricci, Westbrook, Maine
BEST CAREER STAR SPEEDWAY FINISH: N/A
LAST RACE AT STAR SPEEDWAY: N/A
WHAT: Granite State Pro Stock Series 100
WHERE: Star Speedway, Epping, N.H. (.25-mile oval)
WHEN: 6 p.m., Saturday, August 18
Granite State Pro Stock Series
LAST RACE: July 9, Gate City Classic 100, Hudson Speedway, Hudson, N.H. (6th)
NEXT RACE: August 26, Hudson Hugger 100, Hudson Speedway, Hudson, N.H. (.25-mile oval)
CURRENT POINTS POSITION: 13th
DID YOU KNOW?
Reid Lanpher became the youngest event winner in both New Hampshire Motor Speedway and NELCAR Legends Tour history when he won a road course event at the track in May.
Reid Lanpher sits 11th in the overall NELCAR standings, despite missing 10 events due to a minimum age requirement at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
In qualifying for the rained-out Star Speedway NELCAR feature, Reid Lanpher drove from eighth to second in his heat race after setting fast time in afternoon practice.
Reid Lanpher is fifth in the current NELCAR standings for New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2012.
Reid Lanpher has two career NELCAR victories, including one at Unity Raceway this summer.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
REID LANPHER, Driver of the Ricci Race Cars No. 59 EJP/Mission Trailers Chevrolet, On making his Star Speedway debut this weekend in a Pro Stock: “It’s really two completely opposite cars for me – all the rubber, all the weight of a Pro Stock versus no rubber and no weight with the Legend. Hopefully we’ll be able to adjust to the track quickly.
“After the race at Hudson (in July), I was running well there and pretty fast, so I really think I have just as good a shot at a Top-3 in the Pro Stock as I do winning in a Legend this weekend.”
On why he likes Star Speedway: “I really like it. I had only driven it a couple of times in the mini-Modifieds last year. This will be my first race at Star in a Legend or a Pro Stock.
“It’s not very banked, and I think of it as a ‘real’ race track. To me, it’s kind of like an in-between of a little tight track like the NHMS oval and a place like Beech Ridge.”
On how he approaches two NELCAR features on the same night at Star: “I went from eighth to second in 10 laps in our heat race there, and the car was just very fast. I tried to keep the car on the inside, and it was good the whole time. Hopefully, we can pick up right where we left off.
“I’m not going to go out and burn out all my equipment in the first feature. You have to keep in mind that there’s another race after – if I can win it, I’m going to do everything I can to win, but I’m not going to stave up equipment and have to bring out a backup car for the second race, either.”
UP NEXT
The Amsoil NELCAR Legends Tour returns to action with a stop on the oval at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 1… Reid Lanpher was leading at NHMS last weekend when he was collected in an incident involving a lapped car that ended his race early.