Schedule Announced For Granite State Pro Stock Series
Story By: KYLE SOUZA / GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES – WALPOLE, NH – Returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Hudson International Speedway headline a tentative 13-race schedule for the Granite State Pro Stock Series in 2018.
The season will begin with a test and tune session on April 28, before drivers take the first green flag at Claremont Speedway on May 4, with a 100-lap main event. The season will conclude and the champion will once again be crowned at New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, Oct. 20.
“The goal of the series has always been a 14-race schedule,” GSPSS president Mike Parks said. “That seems to be the number that works. We are still working on one more addition that would bring it to 14 races and we should know if that is going to happen just after the holidays.”
On Saturday May 26, the series will visit New London-Waterford Speedbowl for the first of two events in 2018. A new twist to the schedule will include a race format of time trials instead of heats, followed by three, 35 lap features in the same night.
Teams will have just about a month off following the Speedbowl to prepare for the Second Annual New England Short Track Showdown at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 23 & 24. In 2017, Eddie MacDonald dominated the second half of the 50-lap feature en route to the victory on the ‘Magic Mile’.
“Last year it was really unexpected and it went very well for everyone,” Parks said. “Other than some mechanical issues which caused a wreck in turn one, the race was clean and the teams seemed to have been able to race the track. We fully expect some additional entries and another amazing event.”
After the first of two stops at Lee USA Speedway on July 6, the series will return to Hudson International Speedway after a year hiatus on Sunday, July 15 with the running of the Gate City Classic 100.
“What can we say about Hudson, it’s like going back in time,” Parks said. “It’s an old race track, it’s rough, worn-out and just such a racer’s race track. Our teams asked about Hudson all last year and we just want to thank the Webber family for making it happen once again. We will have some other announcements about that event going forward.”
On July 28, a stop at White Mt. Motorsports Park will close out the month of July before the series returns to Monadnock Speedway on August 11. The annual JBH 100 will take place on the high-banks of the New Hampshire bullring.
“Monadnock Speedway has been a staple of the series since we started, and to be able to bring the JBH 100 back in 2018 is awesome,” Parks said. “The race is starting to build a tradition and will only get better moving forward.”
As of now, Sept. 2 and 15 are both dates with a track to be announced. On Saturday Sept. 8, the series will return to Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. with the annual Star Classic.
The final three races of the season will cover three different tracks and two different states. A second stop at Lee USA will be part of the annual Octoberfest weekend on Oct. 7 before the series visits the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing at Thompson on Friday, Oct. 12.
The champion will be crowned on Saturday night Oct. 20 with the second stop at the Speedbowl, with 100 laps scheduled.
As of now, the schedule for the 2018 season is tentative and subject to change. Additional dates could be added going forward following the holiday season.
For the latest information, fans are encouraged to visit www.gspss.net and follow the series on social media.
2018 Granite State Pro Stock Series Schedule:
Date Track City/State Lap Distance
| April 28 | Claremont Speedway | Claremont, N.H. | TEST & TUNE |
| May 4 | Claremont Speedway | Claremont, N.H. | 100 laps |
| May 26 | New London-Waterford Speedbowl | Waterford, Conn. | Triple 35 lap features |
| June 23 & 24 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Loudon, N.H. | 50 laps |
| July 6 | Lee USA Speedway | Lee, N.H. | 100 laps |
| July 15 | Hudson International Speedway | Hudson, N.H. | 100 laps |
| July 28 | White Mt. Motorsports Park | North Woodstock, N.H. | 100 laps |
| August 11 | Monadnock Speedway | Winchester, N.H. | 100 laps |
| Sept. 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Sept. 8 | Star Speedway | Epping, N.H. | 100 laps |
| Sept. 15 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Oct. 7 | Lee USA Speedway | Lee, N.H. | 100 laps |
| Oct. 12 | Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park | Thompson, Conn. | 50 laps |
| Oct. 20 | New London Waterford Speedbowl | Waterford, Conn. | 100 laps |
