This Saturday night, July 2 the Granite State Pro Stock Series moves into Speedway 51 in Groveton, NH

Speedway 51, a quarter-mile asphalt oval in Groveton, New Hampshire, will place host to the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) this coming Saturday night, July 2. It will be the fifth of 11 races on the 2016 schedule for the GSPSS.

The 100 lap special, which has $2,000 up for grabs to the winner, is expected to be a hotly contested battle between those at the top of the points standings as they close in on the halfway point of the season. The race will also be part of the Speedway 51 Independence Day celebration, with fireworks capping off the evening racing card.

Coming into the 100 lap event, Belchertown, Massachusetts driver Barry Gray leads the point standings behind the wheel of his No. 29 Meadows Motor Car Chevrolet. Gray, who finished sixth at Speedway 51 in 2015, is hoping he will unload off the truck with a setup that just takes a few tweaks to make perfect, since he has the experience at the track before.

“I like consistent finishes, but I’m going to Speedway 51 to win it,” Gray said. “It’s a great place to run a race, they are doing a great job with the facility with all the changes they have made. We are going to the different places with the GSPSS all the time and that’s what makes it so exciting for both the drivers and the fans.”

The defending winner of the event is Jeremy Davis. He outdueled the best of the GSPSS in 2015, beating out Wayne Helliwell Jr. from the outside lane to take the lead. He held off Brad Babb and multi-time Speedway 51 track champion Derek Ming in the final laps.

This season, new drivers hope to carry the checkered flag at the end of the 100 lap distance. Series Rookie of the Year contenders Mike Mitchell and Glenn Martel have been off to fast starts and hope to continue them this weekend. Veteran Mike Parks has quietly kept himself at the front of the pack in the point standings and hopes to break out and grab a victory.

Other entries for the feature include names like Cory Casagrande, Mike O’Sullivan, John Salemi and many other competitors, all in search of victory. Drivers will have some time off following this event — since the next race is scheduled for Riverhead Raceway. The series inaugural trip to the oval in Long Island is slated for July 30.

Admission to the front gate Saturday is $20 for adults and just $5 for those between the ages of 13-16. Children 12 and under will enter the front gate at no charge. The paddock fee for the night will be $40 for those who are not licensed at Speedway 51.

For more information on the GSPSS, visit www.gspss.net, or email series president Mike Parks at mparks@gspss.net.

QUICK FACTS: GSPSS 100 at Speedway 51

Track Facts:

1   1/4 mile facility located in Groveton, New Hampshire

2   Runs weekly racing on Saturday nights

Race Facts:

1   Blind draw for heat starting spots

2   12 lap heat races

3   100 lap feature

4   $2,000 to the winner

Event Schedule:

1   Pits open at 2 p.m.

2  Heat racing begins at 5:30 p.m.