Hot Streak Continues for Derek Griffith in GSPSS

Posted by Wayne G. Barber   Track Report from Jim Snape and photos by simply the Best, Crystal Snape

Star Speedway, Epping, New Hampshire.

6/27/2015

For the third time in five GSPSS starts, Hudson NH hot shoe Derek Griffith took his LCM sponsored Pro Stock to victory lane in the Star Speedway 100.

What looked to be an easy run for the 18-year-old, Griffith, who sometimes led by a straightaway over second place Mike Parks of Walpole NH saw that big lead evaporate when the first of only two caution flags flew on lap 93. The restart tightened the field for one of the most exciting finishes to date.

Griffith sped away on the restart but behind him fourth place Joe Squeglia of Derry NH applied pressure on Dillon Moltz of Waterford CT, as Moltz pressured Parks for second.

Squeglia would squeeze by Moltz for third, but had to give that spot back because of a lap 98 yellow flag for a spin by Cory Casagrande of Stafford Springs CT.

With the checkered flag insight Parks and Moltz made their last attempt to take the win from Griffith. The three ran three wide on the last lap with Griffith gaining a slight advantage and inching ahead for the victory, while Moltz and Parks crossed the line in a photo finish. Moltz would be credited with the runner up spot and Parks was third.

Babe Branscombe of Nottingham NH finished fourth and Squeglia would round out the top five.

Matt Frahm of Hampstead NH was awarded the ARB hard luck award after dropping out of second place on lap 45.

Heat winners were Mike Parks and Derek Griffith.

In victory lane, Griffith said, "We had a pretty good racer tonight. At the end with Mike Parks on one side of me and Dillon Moltz on the other side, we all went in pretty deep and we all came out in one piece, it was just good hard racing. This car never missed a beat, it just stayed the same from lap one to lap 100. Louie gave me a great car, there's no one better than him, he's the best. I could get back to the gas as easily as I ever could hear and I've run here a lot and tonight I've never been this fast. This is just awesome for me and my crew. Now we can go on to Speedway, 51 in Groveton (NH). I absolutely love that place. Last time we were there I had some bad luck with a cut tire on lap 99 and hit the wall so I hope to redeem myself."

Second place Moltz said, "It was good running with Mike (Parks) that was good hard racing, I don't know what the 03 (Squeglia) was trying to do there at the end, but I'm good with a second place, I just want to thank all my crew, my father, my spotter."

Mike Parks commented, "we had a really good car all day, Derek was definitely the class of the field, I had nothing for him. I had one shot on that last restart and we bumped a little bit, but it was a hell of a finish."
 P.S. We had Derek Griffith on our award winning "Race Chatter" radio program for a second time in the 2015 racing season on Monday 6-29-15 and he did a outstanding interview and answered all his E-Mail guestions. He is always Welcome, Wayne

Feature Results

1-12 – Derek Griffith

2 –5 – Dillon Moltz

3 – 66 – Mike Parks

4 – 38 – Babe Branscombe

5 – 03 – Joe Squeglia

6 – 37me – Larry Gelinas

7 – 21 – Josh King

8 – 21nh – Jeremy Davis

9 – 29 – Barry Gray

10 – 51nh – Jeremy Harclerode

11 –1 – Cory Casagrande

12 – 11ma – Nick Boivin

13 – 63 – John Salemi

14 – 99 – Billy Joerres

15 – 14nh – Matt Frahm

photos by Crystal Snape