CLAREMONT — The Claremont Speedway on Thrasher Road, which started as a dirt track more than 70 years ago, was sold on Friday to two New Hampshire businessmen who are also racers.
Jim Ambrose, who bought the one-third-of-a- mile paved oval in 2014 with other investors, said he sold the track to Norman Wrenn and Ben Bosowski. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Ambrose said Wrenn and Bosowski own other New Hampshire tracks in Hudson, Epping, Lee and Winchester.
“I wanted to sell it as soon as we got it turned around, which we did,” said Ambrose, who purchased the track from Dennis Fluery. “We bought it so we could keep the racing going.”
Phil Hayes, of Unity, one of the owners with Ambrose, will remain as the manager of the track. He said this weekend it will be renamed Claremont Motorsports Park with most of the staff remaining.
“Both are racing guys and have been racing all their life,” Hayes said about Wrenn and Bosowski. “They are pretty excited about this venture.”
Among the changes that Hayes said they are planning to implement at the track this year are an increase from three to five divisions. A new division called Six Shooters will join Sportsmen Modified, Late Model Sportsmen, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks.
Another effort will include membership of the Claremont track in the New Hampshire Short Track Racing Association. Hayes said that means there will be universal rules for all cars, so racers at Claremont can also race at the other four tracks and not have to worry about changing tires or other aspects of the vehicle.
Though Hayes could not say for sure, they may try to get Claremont re-designated as a NASCAR track.
“That could be a huge opportunity for racers from here to get national recognition,” Hayes said, adding that Peter Daniels, who raced in Claremont, was a national short track champion in 2002 when Claremont was a NASCAR track.
As for the decision to sell, Ambrose said, at 72, he and his wife are looking to “slow down,” a little bit. He and Hayes said they did well during their four-year ownership and now is a good time to let others take over.
Racing is scheduled to begin May 3.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com
