GSPS2GROVETON, NH – The Granite State Pro Stock Series will see new blood joining the ranks, as Derek Ming returns to his home track to compete in the Twisted Tea Firecracker 151, at Speedway 51 (NH), July 4.

 

Ming, of West Burke, VT, has plenty of laps under his belt at the ¼ mile facility, including three championships in two different divisions.  While winning a title in the former Outlaw division in 2009, Ming went undefeated, winning every race he entered.  Ming has multiple wins in the Late Model division at the track, and picked up a sixth-place finish in the Generation Next 151 under the ACT banner, after starting tenth.

Ming says “We’d like to win, but our team goal is to have fun.  I’ve heard so many good things about the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS), and Mike [Parks] and the tech staff have been great to us, so far.”

 

Derek will be piloting the former Steven Legendre ride, which has seen ownership from Joey Laquerre, and, most recently, Jason Allen.  What makes this homecoming even more story-like, is the last person to sit behind the wheel of Ming’s ride was the late Joey M. Laquerre, whose grandfather purchased the speedway shortly after the young driver’s passing.

 

“It’s cool driving this car after him,” comments Ming.  “Especially coming back to Speedway 51.  I’m excited to run these types of cars.”

 

Ming will have a chance to try and slow point leader Derek Griffith’s breakout season.  The Hudson, NH native has picked up three wins this year, and has lead an unbelievable 324 out of 325 laps in those events.  Griffith has won the last two races (Hudson, Star), and adding his first career win in the GSPSS at Claremont Speedway earlier in the year, makes the youngster the only driver to pick up three victories on the tour in one season.

 

The duo will have another driver to contend with.  On Monday night, Wayne Helliwell, Jr. and the Bruce Bernhardt-owned team announced they would be making the trek north to try and pick up the $2000 paycheck for visiting Victory Lane.  Helliwell has two wins on the tour, including a win at the inaugural event at Speedway 51 (then called Riverside Speedway), in 2013.

 

Ming, Griffith, Helliwell, Jr., and the Granite State Pro Stock Series will travel to Speedway 51, July 4, for the Twisted Tea Firecracker 151.  After the night’s on-track action, the fireworks will take to the sky, for Speedway 51’s fireworks show.  For more information on the Granite State Pro Stock Series, visit www.gspss.net.