Auto racing notebook: Josh St. Clair set to open 3 title defenses this year

WISCASSET — How does a single leading a heritage-building 2021? To listen to Josh St. Clair inform it, reduce your expectations for 2022.

“I have a indicating, “ stated St. Clair, of Liberty, who became the initial driver in Wiscasset Speedway to acquire a championship in a few different divisions throughout the exact year past summer season. “‘Expectations are premeditated resentment.’ It is superior to keep the bar reduced and just go out and have pleasurable and get pleasure from it.”

He’ll get that opportunity Saturday, when Wiscasset Speedway retains its first racing of the year. The motion receives beneath way at 2 p.m.

There was plenty to enjoy at the track his grandfather, Dave St. Clair, as soon as owned. The third-generation driver received nine capabilities a year ago — 4 in the Pro Stock division and a few in the Strictly Streets — en route to the championship in each. In profitable the Pro Stock title, St. Clair grew to become the very first in his family to assert a championship in the track’s premier weekly division.

He also received two Late Product gatherings en route to that title.

“To begin with, I’ve been performing this given that 2004 and it is the 1st time I’d gained a single championship. To get three at the moment, it is like … what???

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“The extra I see people through offseason, every person needs to know the exact thing — how are you heading to conquer that? I didn’t intend on that occurring. It all just shook out for me.”

When he remains in a bit of shock as to what he’s been ready to attain, there is nevertheless a person much more issue still left on St. Clair’s bucket listing.

“I’d really like to complete off the Manager Hogg,” he explained of the race named after Dave St. Clair, an annual 150-lap Pro Stock open occasion. “I’ve led it final two a long time and then some thing happened at the stop.

“That’s the one particular thats been at the leading of the record for fairly a long time.”

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It’s been a whirlwind thirty day period now for Hudson, New Hampshire’s Derek Griffith.

Griffith, who posted a podium complete in final August’s Oxford 250, designed his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut for Sam Hunt Racing at Richmond Raceway in Virginia on April 2 and then went to Martinsville Speedway in which he threatened the Top rated 10 all night in his 2nd career start out in the collection.

Then he joined the Professional All Stars Collection at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Easter Sunday and matters did not go rather as effortlessly.

Griffith was collected in an accident throughout his qualifying race that morning, one particular that despatched his auto upside down and careening into the 1st-change wall at the 1.058-mile observe. He said it was the toughest hit he’s ever taken in a race motor vehicle.

“We created it three laps in our warmth race and obtained entirely ruined,” Griffith stated. “It was a genuinely large heartbreaker. It’s a person detail if I could fault myself for producing a mistake or racing for the win. But I pulled up to permit fellas go and they wrecked each individual other.”

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If there was just one beneficial out of the accident, it was that Griffith was primarily unharmed.

“I’m entirely good,” explained Griffith, 25. “I have a single little bruise on my elbow. This gnarly head chilly I’ve experienced all week has bothered me additional than that did.

“We’ve normally felt like it is not really worth it to conserve money on on a made use of seat or for a thing that doesn’t fit really proper. We have in no way sacrificed on equipment when it will come to security. I have always built confident that I have the correct things that fits and is tightened up the way it ought to be.”

Griffith observed that he’s suffered concussions when racing in the earlier, ensuing from considerably a lot less significant impacts. Nevertheless his car — the only Move-legal Tremendous Late Model he has — was totaled and he’ll miss out on this weekend’s Pass race at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut, he wasn’t hurt.

“I acquired unlucky wrecking, and then I bought fortunate while I was being unfortunate,” Griffith mentioned.

Griffith stated he expects to be back on monitor with Move on May well 7 at Oxford Plains Speedway. His future scheduled Xfiniy Collection race is at NHMS on July 16.

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