![]() NUMBER 2: Seekonk Speedway faithful rallies behind Rich Helger; Amy Arsenault donates kidney to save his life The Seekonk Speedway family came together in a big way this year. Before 2021 took the first green flag, Seekonk track sponsor Rich Helger (Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment) came to us looking for help. His kidney was failing, and he needed some help with a transplant to make sure he was able to take his next laps into the future and capture his own trophy of life. Someone needed to Donate Life. In the end, the community came together like never before. It was on the local NBC 10 Providence news station, just days after on the track Facebook page, Rich poured out his story in an Open Letter we will never forget. We spent most of the summer watching Rich and his son, Richie Helger Jr., race for the championship in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero division. On the final night, they celebrated together with their family and friends in championship glory. Then, just two short months after the season ended, it happened. Rich found a kidney donor, and no one could have ever imagined who it was: Seekonk Speedway Sport Truck driver Amy Arsenault. The two went in for surgery, completed it successfully, and now are well on their way to recovery. In this moment, we are reminded how the community is truly a family. We may argue, we may disagree, and drivers may tangle on the track. But when it mattered most — to save a life — one of our own came forward with a checkered flag. Do you want to donate life? Want to learn more about how you can help others and save their lives with a donation? Learn more at DonateLife.net & get the information you need to make a difference: https://www.donatelife.net.
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NUMBER 3: Seekonk Speedway reopens with fans, full capacity one year after being shut down due to COVID-19 pandemic
It’s number three in our top-10 countdown, but it would likely be number one for some of the Seekonk Speedway faithful. After dealing with limited races with no fans in 2020, Seekonk swung the gates open on a full capacity season in 2021, starting with a 100% capacity show to celebrate Memorial Day. This one is short, and sweet in our countdown. Welcome back, race fans. We missed you. A lot. We missed the smell of burning rubber and fuel, the taste of chicken fingers and fries, and the screaming of fans when their favorite driver took the lead, or even the boo’s when the driver that won a race wasn’t your favorite. The re-opening of the Speedway was a historic moment none of us will ever forget. It was like Christmas morning, just in May. NUMBER 4: Dave Darling clinches 8th Seekonk Speedway championship
Dave Darling made history in 2021. Don’t let anyone sugarcoat it for you. Darling was the dominant force again in the NASCAR Division I Pro Stocks, capturing the most wins in the division and rolling to another track title. But, this one was a historic mark in his career, and in the history of the track. For the first time in 75 years of racing, someone clinched a championship for the eighth time at Seekonk. It had never been done before, and we can only predict if it will ever happen again. Talk about history. With all of the greats in the history of the track, only Darling was able to get to eight titles so far. It’s impressive. This season was another one to remember for Darling. Winning historic races, continuing his streak of top-five success, and celebrating with Jeff Belyea, Ronnie Pond and his entire team is nothing new. On the final night, after being collected in an early wreck, Darling finished eighth in the 40-lap feature, rolling to his eighth title. It was the lucky number this year: 8. Seekonk Speedway congratulates Dave Darling and his team on their historic mark this season & we look forward to seeing if he can continue to rewrite the record books again in 2022! NUMBER 5: Seekonk Speedway celebrates increased attendance, record car counts during return from COVID
It was a year we will never forget, for a ton of different reasons. After shutting down the entire 2020 season due to COVID-19, Seekonk Speedway swung open the gates in a big way in 2021. It may have started with a limited capacity of fans due to the guidelines in place by the state, but by the end of the first month, the track was rocking with excitement and an unlimited number of fans slammed into the track at the end of May. The first event truly “back" from COVID was the Memorial Day Thrill Show. Who will ever forget the amount of people and the energy that packed into the stadium that day for the big return? Even after the Thrill Show, our fans, teams, staff and everyone involved went to work for an incredible summer. We had weekly racing on Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday, Thrill Shows, special events and more. The car counts were up. The grandstand counts were at incredible levels. The sun was shining more often than not. And the racing on the track — for all events — was something special to watch. We can’t thank everyone enough for an incredible 2021. But, this is only number five in our top 10 countdown. That should show you something in itself. Some exciting moments still to come! We are halfway through the top-10. Do you have any guesses for the top four? NUMBER 6: Chad Baxter demolishes Sportsman field, rolls to track title & NASCAR Division III National Championship
It will go down as one of the most dominating seasons in Seekonk Speedway track history. In 2021, Chad Baxter was the man in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman, and his championship run at the track also meant a lot more at a higher-level. With more than a handful of wins, Baxter drove away from a competitive field to capture his first track title driving for Richard Sprague. Winning a track championship in the 75th season of Seekonk action, and adding himself to the historic list of track champions, was an important moment for Baxter, and one he will never forget. What he might not have realized until the final month is that he was racing for a high NASCAR honor. With the title and his impressive season stats, Baxter celebrated the NASCAR Division III National Championship this season. He bested hundreds of drivers across the country to capture the honor, and put Seekonk in the spotlight as one of many NASCAR tracks around the country. NASCAR compiled points for all divisions of local-short track racing under the NASCAR sanction, and Baxter had more than anyone else in Division three. For Baxter, the 2021 season will be one to remember. For the track, it will be one we never forget — and it continues to show why Seekonk Speedway drivers are some of the best in the country. 2021 moment NUMBER 7: Barstool Sports picks Seekonk Speedway to be part of the Barstool Fund12/25/2021 NUMBER 7: Barstool Sports picks Seekonk Speedway to be part of the Barstool Fund
With the beginning of the 2021 season closing in, Seekonk Speedway took a chance, reaching out to Barstool Sports to see if they would be willing to have the track be part of their “Barstool Fund”. The fund, spread across the country, gave back to small businesses who had been suffering due to closure from COVID precautions. In the end, Seekonk Speedway seemed to be the perfect fit. As a family fun, local short-track and entertainment venue that ran 10 races with no fans during 2020, and zero races with fans in the grandstands that season, Barstool Sports came up big for the track. A provided check to the track helped us get through the beginning of the 2021 season and get racing off the ground running with limited fans in the grandstands. Just a few weeks later, the stands were opened up at full capacity, and fans flocked back to Seekonk for the first time in over a year. The Barstool Fund provided millions of dollars to local, small businesses across the country, and Seekonk Speedway is so thankful to their team for the help to get the Action Track of the East into its next laps. NUMBER 8: Haunted Hundred Ends Season in Style; More Than 100 Cars Show For One of Seekonk’s Top Events in Last Decade
The 2021 edition of the Haunted Hundred is one for the record books for many reasons. Seekonk Speedway played host to the championship races for the Pro All Star Series, Tri Track Open Modified Series and American-Canadian Tour, which is a remarkable statement in itself. However, on this special but chilly October afternoon, the track saw one of the largest car counts in the pit area we have seen in many years. In fact, we even had to open the pit area into the parking lot to fill all of the race cars. It was a good problem to have. The Pro All Star Series gave fans an incredible race, with former track champions Dylan Estrella and Angelo Belsito doing their best to defend the home turf. At the checkered, however, it was Johnny Clark taking the win with a late pass and winning the division championship in the process. In similar style, the ACT Tour feature was a battle between Seekonk stars and invading Late Model competitors. After 100 laps, it was a thrilling finish with Ben Rowe and DJ Shaw slamming off each other on the final lap, and Rowe winning the race and the ACT title by just a few feet. The Tri Track Modified feature was also no disappointment. Chase Dowling may have dominated the final race of the season, but former Seekonk champion Jake Johnson, making his Tour-Type Modified debut, finished inside the top-five with some dazzling moves. The Haunted Hundred showcased the best of the invading stars and the best of Seekonk’s weekly NASCAR divisions, and we can’t wait to see it all happen again in 2022. n honor of the end of the 2021 season, and as we look on the horizon to 2022, Seekonk Speedway will look back at the top-10 moments of the year, as voted on by the fans!
NUMBER 9: Darling and Spencer Tangle For the Lead; Martin Rolls By To Score Career Win 98 It was a night to remember for a few different reasons on June 26, 2021. It was a historic night, as Seekonk Speedway completed “double” feature races for the Sportsman division for the first time in many years. After rain a week earlier in the middle of their race, the Sportsman finished their Phil’s Propane Triple Crown Series event to start the night, then ran their normal feature to close the night. After the opener, the Pro Stocks hit the track for a rained-out race from the week before — and it was in the running for the top race of the season by the time it ended. Former champion Kenny Spencer led the field to the green for the 40-lap race in the sunshine, and he would be in contention right down to the wire. Near halfway, Tom Scully Jr. gave him a run for his money for the lead, but wasn’t able to get around. Before long, it was down to the final five laps, and Dave Darling was up inside the top-five. Darling looked to the outside of Spencer, allowing Scully to sneak a peak underneath. However, as the field came to the white flag, Darling slid from the top to the bottom, behind Spencer. But, as they exited turn four, contact between Darling and Spencer sent both dramatically spinning down the frontstretch, and Scully was caught up in it. That left Martin to inherit the lead, and the veteran took advantage — scoring what was his 98th career Seekonk Speedway win at the time. It was a hectic night on Wall of Fame night for 2021, but it was one of the top Pro Stock races of the year, and had social media buzzing for the following week. The contact between Darling and Spencer while racing for the lead will itself go down as one of the most memorable moments of the 75th year of racing at Seekonk Speedway, but the win helped Martin catapult to his 100th win later in the year. ![]() Helger & Robidoux Both Celebrate On Final Night of Seekonk Bandolero Action For 2021 The final night of the Fast Friday season on Friday, September 24, 2021 was one to remember for a variety of reasons. Five drivers were officially crowned track champions, as names like Luke LeBrun, Greg Perry and Mikey LeFort added to their Seekonk championship totals, and Darren Krantz Jr. and Richie Helger Jr. grabbed their first career track titles. But, the moment in Victory Lane after the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw race was one of those we will remember for years to come. While Richie Helger Jr. finally captured championship glory after two years of hard work, and countless wins, Brent Robidoux climbed from the car at the start-finish line in celebration following his second career Seekonk Speedway win. It was a moment that truly showcased the emotion, excitement and energy that is involved with the Youth Racing at Seekonk Speedway. For many years, Seekonk Speedway’s youth program has showcased the rising talent at the track, with many of those drivers becoming winners in our NASCAR Saturday divisions. On this night, while Richie Helger and his entire family were drawn to tears after etching his name in track history as champion, Helger was just as excited to go over to Robidoux at the end of the race and share a hug and a photo to celebrate the victory by Robidoux. It was a truly memorable moment. One that showed us that the racing family is truly formed as one, especially in youth racing — where above all else, the young rising stars are friends with each other, on and off the track. Seekonk Speedway announced on Friday a portion of the 2022 schedule for the 76th season of racing action at the third-mile oval. Seekonk Speedway has announced 18 NASCAR Saturday Showdowns, beginning on May 1 and Opening Day, along with 16 Fast Friday weekly series races, beginning on May 27. This announcement also includes three Wednesday night specials, the return of Thrill Shows and the roar of Monster Trucks twice in 2022. We know there are many fans who look forward to these events and they make the perfect gift for the race fan on your list! These tickets are available online only at this time. We plan on having the walk up Box office operational by February 1st. As part of the announcement, Seekonk Speedway has launched a brand new ticketing platform where race fans can visit and purchase tickets for their favorite events. Tickets are now available for the above events. Seekonk Speedway continues to work on fine tuning the remaining pieces of the 2022 schedule, including specific details surrounding each event. Seekonk Speedway wishes to thank the dedicated sponsors who have committed for the 2022 season and fans can expect special event nights to be announced over the next few months with tickets to those nights on sale at that time. The Fast Friday weekly series begins on Friday, May 27 and concludes on September 23, while the Saturday showdowns begin on May 1 and conclude on September 24. The Pro Stocks, Late Models, Sportsman and Sport Trucks will continue to headline NASCAR Saturday action, while the Legends Cars, Pure Stocks, Sport 4’s and Bandolero divisions return on Fast Friday. Division sponsorships will be announced at a later date. Fast Friday and NASCAR championship races will take place as part of D. Anthony Venditti Fall Classic weekend on September 23 and 24, where all nine champions will be crowned. Headlining the special event category are three Wednesday races – including the return of the $10,000 to win Open Wheel Wednesday on June 29, the second annual $10,000 to win Bay State Summer Classic for the Pro All Series Series on July 27 and the return of the Boston Louie Classic on Wednesday, August 24. The Open Wheel Wednesday spectacular will once again be headlined by the Tri Track Open Modified Series, and will also include the 350 SMAC Supermodifieds and the NEMA Lites. In July, the top Pro Stock drivers from Seekonk will compete against the top in the region for the big prize in the 150-lap event, while the PASS Modifieds and Legends Cars help to complete the card. In August, the newly formed New England Big-Block Super Modified Series, led by the team at PASS, will debut at Seekonk, joined by the special events for the NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites, honoring the late Boston Louie.
Thrill Show fans will once again be able to enjoy the spills of exciting action with five total special events in 2022. The Thrill Show season begins with a bang on Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 28, with Spectator Drags, Car and Truck Enduros, Figure 8 Races, a Power Puff Race and Crazy Train Race. Additional Thrill Shows will take place around special dates during the season. On Saturday, July 2, the Independence Day Thrill Show is back with one of the top fireworks displays in the area, while on Saturday, July 30, action continues with the MidSummer Thrill Show. On Saturday, September 3, Seekonk celebrates Labor Day weekend with more fireworks, while the final Thrill Show of the year – the annual Pumpkin Smash – is set for October 8. The roar of Monster Trucks returns to Seekonk Speedway for two shows in 2022 – with the first set for Sunday, June 19 and the second on Sunday, August 14…both of these specials Sunday events will feature Spectator Drag Showdowns! . Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to Seekonkspeedway.com and track social media channels for full event information on special event nights and additional ticket sale opportunities leading into Opening Day. |
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