Story By: MIKE PARKS / GRANITE STATE PRO STOCK SERIES – WATERFORD, CT – Hudson NH’s Joey “Pole” Polewarczyk finished off his championship 2020 with a win on Saturday night. The driver of car 97 dueled with Angelo Belsito over the final 17 laps winning by just .103 seconds and clinching the 2020 Granite State Pro Stock Series Championship.
Cloudy skies greeted the teams of the Granite State Pro Stock series as they arrived for the second time in a month. On tap was a 100 lap affair and the crowning of the 2020 champion. Unfortunately mother nature would make the teams wait a bit longer than expected to get this done.
Angelo Belsito couldn’t best his track record but still set fast time in The Crazy Horse Racing Fast Time Challenge. Time trials were run with heavy moisture in the air slowing the pace and jumbling the order a bit. Behind Belsito, Gabe Brown and “Pole”would complete the top three in time trials.
Due to a rain delay after time trials, heat races would be scrapped and the top nine drivers would redraw for starting position. Mike Mitchell and “Pole” would lead the field to green as the main event got under way once the track was dry.
Through a rash of early cautions, Belsito was able to work his way from his row four starting spot to the lead. The Auburn MA driver would lead the middle part of the race but never truly shake his pursuers as he chased win number three in 2020.
Gabe Brown looked, at times, to have the fastest car on the track but contact between the youngster and Belsito would relegate him to the rear of the field and take him out of contention.
The race would come down to a side by side duel between Belsito and eventual winner and champion Polewarczyk. The duo would push, shove, lean and stage all out war for the lead over the last seventeen laps. “Pole” would lead the majority of them working the high side of the race track and hanging on at the finish.
Winner of the race at The Speedbowl a month ago, Dave Darling, would wind in up third after running an extremely patient race after starting in eleventh. 2020 GSPSS rookie of the year Casey Call would come home in forth just ahead of former champion Mike O’Sullivan.
Brown would battle back from his early race incident to finish sixth just ahead of second place point getter Ray Christain III who would battle back from a mid race flat right front tire.
Seekonk Speedway veteran Fred Astle finished in eighth with another pair of Seekenk racers, Dylan Estrella and Tom Scully Jr completing the top ten.
In the final GSPSS point standings it was Joey “Pole” winning his first series championship over Ray Christain III and Angelo Belsito with Jake Matheson and Rookie of the year Casey Call completing the top five.
Be sure to stay tuned for some big announcements including a big event for the series, early dates on the 2021 schedule and the possibility of a season ending banquet.
Results:
1 – 97 Joey Polewarczyk
2 – 8b Angelo Belsito
3 – 52 Dave Darling
4 – 90nh Casey Call
5 – 08 Mike O”Sullivan
6 – 47 Gabe Brown
7 – 93ct Ray Christian III
8 – 30 Fred Astle
9 – 46 Dylan Estrella
10 – 2 Tom Scully Jr
11 – 17 Kevin Folan
12 – 12 Bobby Pelland
13 – 87 Alexander Pearl
14 – 76 Tyler Tomassi
15 – 22 Mike Jennison
16 – 18 Mike Scorzelli
17 – 40 Mike Mitchell
18 – 75 Gary Smith
19 – 43 Devin O’Connell
20 – 16 Kyle Harvell
21 – 10 Ryan Lineham
22 – 90 Craig Weinstein
Contingency Awards :
Sunoco Race Fuels heat race winners – 5gallons of race fuel – Not run due to rain
AR Bodies hard luck award – $100 product certificate – 18 Mike Scorzelli
Crazy Horse Fast Time Challenge – 1st $125 – 8b Angelo Belsito – 2nd $75 – 47 Gabe Brown – 3rd $50 – 97 Joey Polewarczyk
Magnus Performance Parts – 7th place finisher $100 product certificate – 93ct Ray Christain III
Matco Tools : product certificates – winner $75 – 97 Dave Darling – Random Draw $75 – to be drawn at the next event
American Racer Hard Charger – one free tire – 87 Alexander Pear
