For the second race in a row, the Granite State Pro Stock Series’ dominant chassis builder made a guest appearance to ensure one of his own cars came away with the checkered.
DJ Shaw prevailed in a battle of inches over points leader Joey Doiron to win Saturday, July 2nd Milton CAT 100 at Riverside Speedway in New Hampshire’s Great North Woods.
Shaw, the GSPSS’ all-time win leader, held off his longtime associate’s late-race charge by a mere .040 seconds to claim his tenth career GSPSS win and his first series triumph at the Groveton, N.H. quarter-mile.
Doiron paced practice and topped the charts in time trials, but it was Shaw who made the most of the 100-lap feature. Fresh off his triumph two weeks before at Monadnock Speedway, Shaw put his veteran sensibilities to work at Riverside, at the wheel of the same car he wheeled to the win at “Mad Dog.”
Shaw appeared to have the win sealed up, but Doiron made a play for victory in the closing laps, hopping up on the outside to challenge Shaw. The Center Conway, N.H. veteran held tough, crossing the line ahead of Doiron by a couple feet.
Doiron’s charge came up just short, but the 2019 GSPSS champ’s fourth podium finish this year extended his points lead as he seeks a second series title.
Nick Cusack started on the pole and finished third. While not improving on last week’s performance, the Maine native has rapidly cemented his status as one of the series’ frontrunners after a long career at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
Gabe Brown, the reigning GSPSS champion, was unable to extend his series win streak, but picked up a fourth-place finish in a last-minute appearance at “Grovetona.” Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. came home fifth, completing a top-five sweep for cars built at the Dale Shaw Race Cars stable.
Connecticut’s Cory Casagrande was sixth in a race he had looked forward to since his last GSPSS appearance there in 2016. Jeremy Sorel finished seventh, with rookie Dylan Estrella, Kentuckian Isaac Bevin and Maine veteran Trevor Sanborn rounding out the top ten.
Brenna Humphrey made history as the first woman to start a GSPSS feature, finishing twelfth in her home-track debut.
Shaw’s series-leading tenth win is his fifth on a quarter-mile oval, with his first series win coming at Star Speedway in 2013. His winning mount was one that his father drove to victory several years ago, making it the first chassis both DJ and father Dale have driven to victory.
The GSPSS teams will have one week off before returning to action at Lee USA Speedway for the Keen Parts 150 on July 15. The $10,000-to-win marquee event will usher in New Hampshire’s biggest weekend of professional motorsports.
For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net.
Milton CAT 100 (July 2, 2022)
1. (60) DJ Shaw
2. (73) Joey Doiron
3. (2) Nick Cusack
4. (61) Gabe Brown
5. (00) Jimmy Renfrew, Jr.
6. (7CT) Cory Casagrande
7. (77) Jeremy Sorel
8. (46) Dylan Estrella
9. (7B) Isaac Bevin
10. (29) Trevor Sanborn
11. (N40) Dan McKeage, Jr.
