SEEKONK, Mass. – Picking a champion in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks for 2023 is going to be a tough task. In fact, even picking a race winner for this division is going to be difficult. As of the season preview, over 30 drivers have filed their registration to compete in this exciting class, which runs at least 25 laps weekly, sometimes 30.
The defending Pure Stock champion is Jeremy Lambert, but he isn’t planning on defending the crown. Instead, he’s tabbed a veteran and champion of the division from many years ago – Scott Cestodio – to drive the No. 15 with a shot at the title in 2023. Cestodio may not have run in the division for years, but he’s expected to be fast right out of the gate and contend for wins weekly. He’s joined as title contenders with names like Greg Perry, Mike Henriques, Ethan Souza, Sam Lincoln, Danny Massa and others. Perry is a former division champion and wins at least one or two races a year, while Henriques had arguably his best season in 2022 and will look to build on that in 2023. Souza and Lincoln are some of the youngest, but fastest drivers in the division. Souza is a former winner with a new body and paint scheme for this season, while Lincoln is the defending champion of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series and looks to add the overall track title to his resume this year. Danny Massa was the clear favorite for much of last year, and even though it didn’t work out his way in the playoffs, look out for Massa to be on a revenge tour during the 2023 campaign and win often. Additional names to watch in this division include Nick Brightman, Ed Gould, Billy Chouinard, Jared Cordeia, Matthew Talbot, Rob Hendrickson, Emily Brightman, Timmy Ouellette and more. Each of them have their own unique story behind them. Nick Brightman picked up his first career win last season and ran strong, while Gould and Chouinard are division regulars for years. Cordeira had what was definitely his best season in 2022, while Talbot, Hendrickson and Emily Brightman enter the new season looking for their first career victories. Ouellette, a graduate of Seekonk’s Youth Racing Association, looks to make a name for himself in a big way in the Pure Stocks this year after a few years of getting some experience. Fans can also look out for Justin Rioux, Michael Marcou, Bobby Bettencourt III, Donald Courtemanche and many others during the season. Additional registrations continued to pour in for this growing division, now running on race tires. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks will hit the track for the first time in 2023 on Friday, May 26 for opening night and will roll through Friday, September 29 for championship night in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. The only Fast Friday off will be June 30. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, fans are encouraged to visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates, including from the track on race day.
0 Comments
SEEKONK, Mass. – As the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits roll into 2023, this class will continue to see the evolution of drivers who are going to be the next major contenders at Seekonk Speedway well into the future. Drivers who graduate from the Seekonk Youth Racing Association often end up in the NASCAR Saturday classes, but they start right here on Fast Friday.
For 2023, the Bandolero Bandit field looks to be another one of drivers looking to get their feet wet and make their marks – but also includes a few polished “veterans” in Bandoleros compared to their challengers. Drivers registered with experience include Luka Dib, Nick Uhrig Jr., Parker Davis, Sam Macedo and Mike Hanafin. Experience levels are different between them – only Macedo has feature wins. He picked up countless in a row two years ago and the “Green Hornet” is the defending champion of the Bandit division as well. If it’s up to him, winning the title will go through the green No. 16 again in 2023. Uhrig is definitely going to win this year – you can nearly count on it. He picked up his first career podium in 2022 and has the speed under the hood to get the job done. With a little bit of lady luck and continued experience, Uhrig will park in Victory Lane before long this season. Parker Davis, Dib and Hanafin enter the season all looking for their first career wins as drivers with at least some experience under their belts. And as always, the division will also have some Rookie talent making their first laps at Seekonk. As of the preview, Jase Chaber, Ryder Aguiar, Carl Satterlund Jr. and Mason Silva will be on that list, potentially with more competitors. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits will hit the track for the first time in 2023 on Friday, May 26 for opening night and will roll through Friday, September 29 for championship night in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. The only Fast Friday off will be June 30. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, fans are encouraged to visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates, including from the track on race day. SEEKONK, Mass. – It’s no secret as the 2023 season begins for the Sport 4 division on Fast Friday that Crystal Murray will be one of the many cars to contend with for wins. Murray won a handful of races last year including on the final night of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, adding her name to the list of Murray champions in Seekonk Speedway history. As she enters 2023, the driver of the No. 38 is listed as the favorite to repeat for the crown – but will have a strong group of drivers trying to make sure it doesn’t happen.
First up on the list of drivers to watch is Tyler Duhancik. Registered to again compete in the No. 48, Tyler, working out of the Phil’s Propane stable, has a new car for himself for 2023. He picked up victories the last few years and seems to have the speed to contend to get the job done. Will this be his year to compete at a high-level and potentially run for the title? Fresh off his best season in over a decade, Henry Lavallee returns to Seekonk Speedway this year looking to pounce on the championship. He won more than once last season and had speed to run consistently inside the top-five. If Lavallee can show up with that speed and make it to the Final Four again in the playoffs, he could be looking at sealing a championship. Don’t forget about Jarrod Freitas, who scored his first victory in 2022, and will be looking to get more and contend for the title this season. Names like Sam Mattera, Taylor Bowser, Daniel Hayes, Matt Pion and DJ Thibeault are also some returning drivers with experience. Mattera is a former winner, while Bowser will continue to seek her first checkered flag in 2023, after grabbing a podium last year. DJ Thibeault continues to gain experience, along with Hayes, and will both be trying for their first victories. Pion has run in the division on and off for a few years. Additional names to watch in this division include Jacob Budzyna, Justin Leduc, James Sullivan, Richie Johnson, Andrew Rittman-McLaughlin, Joseph Mello Sr. and Jr., Christine Cavallaro and more. All of the drivers will hope to visit Victory lane during the busy summer season, along with others. The Sport 4’s will hit the track for the first time in 2023 on Friday, May 26 for opening night and will roll through Friday, September 29 for championship night in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. The only Fast Friday off will be June 30. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, fans are encouraged to visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates, including from the track on race day. SEEKONK, Mass. – If you’re planning on picking a favorite in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw division in 2023 at Seekonk Speedway, goodluck. This division includes some of the top youth racing talent Seekonk has ever seen all in the same class, and may have up to 16 or more cars on some weeks racing for feature wins.
Ryan Vanasse Jr., Andrew Gomes, Mikey LeFort III, Brent Robidoux and Collin Vanasse appear to be some of the favorites you could consider. Gomes went to Victory lane multiple times in 2022 and came up just short of winning the track championship. He’s clearly the most winning experienced in the division, along with Brent Robidoux. Speaking of Robidoux, this rising star looks to burst into championship form in 2023. After a few years of winning races, he seems primed and ready to contend for a crown. After making the Final Four in the Bandolero Bandits last year, Ryan Vanasse Jr. moves up and should be a contender right from lap one. His cousin, Collin Vanasse, will look for his first career track win, as he moves up from the Bandits as well. LeFort III, inside the Helger’s Racing stable, is surely going to have the speed to contend for his own first victory as he moves up to the next level. Additional names to watch include Jordan Duquette, Brody Wakefield, Nathan Rioux and RJ Murphy. All of these drivers have at least one year of experience in Bandolero racing under their belts and should be contenders up near the front. They are joined by names like Abbie Badejo, Brady Connors, Zacarias Kelley, Nicholas Saman, Colin Floyd, Zachary Keith and Dylan Calabro. This is going to be one division that will see continued growth throughout the season and likely multiple different winners, and maybe even some new names jumping in during the year. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaws will hit the track for the first time in 2023 on Friday, May 26 for opening night and will roll through Friday, September 29 for championship night in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. The only Fast Friday off will be June 30. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, fans are encouraged to visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates, including from the track on race day. Tire sales will begin on Wednesday, April 19 from 5:30-7:30 PM and will also take place on April 22 at practice from 10 am till 2 pm. Tire sales will also be on Wednesday April 26th from 5:30pm - 7:30 pm and again at practice on May 6th from 10 am till 2 pm. You MUST have a car registered for 2023 with BOTH an owner AND driver in order to purchase tires. NO exceptions will be made. Check out the Rules page on the website for updated 2023 Tire Rules https://www.seekonkspeedway.com/rules-and-registrations.html RALEIGH, N.C. — Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider and the official auto parts retailer of NASCAR, announced that voting is live for its third-annual Advance My Track Challenge. The program encourages race fans to vote for their local NASCAR-sanctioned short track, with the track receiving the most votes winning a $50,000 grand prize.
Beginning today, fans can visit AdvanceMyTrack.com to vote for one of 25 NASCAR Home Tracks located in the U.S. or Canada. Tracks that are part of the program showcase a variety of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS) racing disciplines, including late model stock cars, open wheel modified cars and street stock race cars. The first round of voting concludes Friday, May 5. One track per region (West, Midwest, Southeast, Northeast) plus the track with the next-highest total of votes will move to a final round of voting on May 9-15. Each of the five finalist tracks will win $5,000, with the track receiving the most votes in the final round winning $50,000. Teams at winning tracks are encouraged to use prize money for track facility upgrades or to establish programming with schools or nonprofits that benefit their local community. “We are passionate about offering race fans a platform to advance local grassroots racing,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and eCommerce. “The Advance My Track Challenge spotlights the importance of local racing and how NASCAR Home Tracks have been enjoyed by fans for generations. Short track racing is part of NASCAR’s past, present and future, and this program ensures that local venues will continue to provide entertainment for fans and a chance for racers to live out their dreams.” “Advance Auto Parts’ commitment to improving facility infrastructure and fan experience through the Advance My Track Challenge continues to enhance grassroots racing across the country,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president, racing development & strategy. “As NASCAR celebrates our 75th Anniversary season this year, it is more important than ever to put a focus on racing at the local level, which is the foundation of our sport.” Advance will activate the program alongside its partners at Team Penske. Advance My Track Challenge “Vote Now” branding will be featured on Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, April 16 (3 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1). “It’s important for grassroots racing to be accessible for fans and drivers,” said Blaney, a third-generation race car driver and 7-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner. “I’m proud to work with a partner like Advance who is focused on supporting NASCAR’s Home Tracks and local race fans through programs like Advance My Track Challenge. We couldn’t pick a better place to kick off the program than Martinsville, one of NASCAR’s most fun and old-school style race tracks. We’re looking forward to a great ride in our No. 12 Ford Mustang this weekend.” The Advance My Track Challenge first launched in 2021. In its two years, Advance and NASCAR celebrated Berlin Raceway (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Jennerstown Speedway (Jennerstown, Pa.) as its two winners of the $50,000 grand prize. Advance’s support of the NAAPWS includes its “Home Track Highlights” program. The retailer is using its season-long sponsorship of Blaney’s No. 12 Ford to spotlight various local NASCAR track champions across the U.S. and Canada. Each week, different Weekly Series drivers are featured on Blaney’s car. For every Blaney Cup Series victory, the winning driver(s) featured on his car each receive a $1,200 Advance gift card. Becomes New Tow Company of Third-Mile; Sponsoring East Coast Towing Spectator Drags, Presenting Mid Summer Thrill Show & Much More SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway is happy to announce today the addition of East Coast Towing to the track family for the 2023 season. East Coast Towing will become the official tow company of Seekonk Speedway and also will sponsor multiple special events and marquee nights during the new year. East Coast Towing, based in Taunton, Massachusetts, offers fast and friendly 24 hour emergency towing and roadside assistance. They tow all vehicles – from small cars to heavy tractor trailers and more. At East Coast Towing, they offer quality towing equipment and staff that are highly experienced professionals in their field. Their goal is to provide the best and safest service in the area. Their drivers are trained, certified, and ready to help you in any situation! For assistance on the road, give them a call today at 774-565-8459 or visit them online at eastcoasttowma.com. “Joining the Seekonk Speedway family is exciting for all of us at East Coast Towing,” Rob Martin, President of East Coast Towing said. “Short-track racing in this area at Seekonk continues to grow every year and we are excited to jump right into the middle of it. The Speedway community seems to be a true family of racers, teams, staff and fans all together and we can’t wait to feel it for ourselves. Sponsoring some of the major events including the Thrill Show and Great American Trailer Race, and the intriguing idea of the East Coast Towing Spectator Drags, was something we couldn’t pass up. You don’t find someone able to drive their street car on the race track very often. Adding the First Responders Night and recognizing those who help us get through everyday life… all of this is a great opportunity and we can’t wait to get started at Seekonk Speedway in 2023.” The tow company will become the official towing provider of the Action Track of the East – supplying trucks and assistance for all race events. On top of that, East Coast Towing becomes the official sponsor of the Spectator Drag Series, which will race 10 times in 2023 – combined between Thrill Shows and NASCAR Saturday events. East Coast Towing will also proudly present the Mid Summer Thrill Show and the East Coast Towing Great American Trailer Race on August 5, and will serve as the presenting sponsor of First Responders Night at Seekonk Speedway on September 9, which also serves as the first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. Fans will also be able to see a company billboard at the track for 2023. “We are really excited to welcome Rob and his team from East Coast Towing to the track family for 2023,” Ed St. Germain, Director of Business Development at Seekonk Speedway, said. “They are coming into the Speedway in a big way, sponsoring some of our biggest events and most marquee nights. We look forward to having them connect with our competitors and showcase their business to our dedicated fans during the 2023 racing season.” Seekonk Speedway’s 2023 race season begins on Sunday, May 7 with opening day for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series divisions – the Pro Stocks, Late Models, Sportsman and Sport Trucks. Tickets for all events for the new season are available now at SeekonkSpeedway.com. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. Playoffs Extended To Four Weeks; Champions To Be Crowned September 29-30 SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway announced today an updated format for the Sunoco Drive For The Cup at the third-mile oval for the 2023 season. After a successful first season, the Cup championship format will return with a few tweaks to further enhance the system. All nine Seekonk divisions will use the format and the champions will be crowned September 29-30 on Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday. Prior to the playoffs, seeding will be determined at the end of August when the regular season ends on August 26-27. Beginning for the new year, the playoffs will move to a four-week format, all throughout the month of September. The first two rounds will move to a points format in the Elite Eight on September 8-9 and 15-16. The first two weeks of the playoffs will include a points format to determine who will move to the round of six. The number of cars in the playoffs in each division will remain the same with eight in all divisions other than the Bandoleros, who will have six. The Elite Eight will include playoff drivers racing for playoff points inside those two events. The highest six amounts of playoff points after those two weeks will advance (five in Bandolero divisions). Heat race points will be given at 5-4-3-2-1 values for those who finish inside the top-five and feature points will be given to playoff finishers 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3 (three is lowest finisher in the race) in the order in which they finish. If a race is rained out, only points that are counted for features and heats will count, as there is no rain date in this round. In the event of a tie, Seekonk Speedway will fall back on the points at the end of the regular season with the highest finishing of the drivers advancing to the next round. For all events in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, Seekonk Speedway’s General Rules and Technical Inspection rules are in effect. For all playoff rounds, the qualifying and feature lineups will follow the same format as they did in 2022. The first in the lineup will be those who qualified through heat races but are not playoff cars. The qualified playoff cars will line up next based on a blind draw. The highest of the points drivers going into the race will draw first for the starting spot, followed by second, etc. Nothing from previous rounds/races in the playoffs matters when it comes to lineups. Similar to last year, the lap distances for the first round of the playoffs will be as follows: Pro Stocks: 40 laps Late Models: 30 laps Sportsman: 25 laps Sport Trucks: 25 laps Legends Cars: 25 laps Pure Stocks: 25 laps Sport 4: 25 laps Bandolero divisions: 15 laps The second round of the playoffs, September 22-23, will be the Super Six. In this weekend of racing, all divisions expect Bandoleros (five) will have six cars. The highest finishing four in each division in this feature race will advance to the Championship 4. Points in previous rounds or the regular season will not determine who advances. At the end of this round, Seekonk Speedway will have nine divisions with four drivers in each to race for the title. Lap distances in round two are as follows. PRO STOCKS: 45 laps LATE MODELS: 35 laps SPORTSMAN: 30 laps SPORT TRUCKS: 30 laps LEGENDS CARS: 25 laps PURE STOCKS: 25 laps SPORT 4: 25 laps BANDOLERO DIVISIONS: 15 laps D. Anthony Venditti Championship Weekend will take place on Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30. The highest finishing of the championship drivers will be crowned the track champion for their respective division, just like 2022. The lap distances for the finale will be as follows: PRO STOCKS: 50 laps LATE MODELS: 40 laps SPORTSMAN: 35 laps SPORT TRUCKS: 35 laps LEGENDS CARS: 30 laps PURE STOCKS: 30 laps SPORT 4: 30 laps BANDOLERO DIVISIONS: 15 laps NASCAR and track points will run from opening day right through to the end of the season. This means a driver could still run for NASCAR National, Regional and State points and their weekly point totals will still be accumulated with no changes. In the event the final race cannot be completed due to unforeseen circumstances on scheduled date and rain dates, the champion will be decided by highest points total of remaining championship cars. Seekonk Speedway will honor the winner of the Drive For The Cup as the 2023 track champion in their respective division. Seekonk Speedway will continue a points grid, recognizing drivers from both Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday all year. The points grid will start opening day and end on September 29-30, just like the playoffs will. The playoff system will not impact Seekonk NASCAR state points or the INEX National points. Those are separate from the playoff system and will be determined using the regular points format throughout the season. Points through the entire regular season and playoffs will be honored in the same manner as 50-48- 46-44-42 & through the field. At the end of the final race of the playoffs, there will be a final points grid that includes the point totals from the entire season. The winner of the Drive For The Cup will be the Seekonk Speedway Track Champion and be awarded first place, while positions second on back will be determined based off overall season totals. For example, if car 17 finishes second in the last race of the season and they were in the playoffs, car 25 may end up second in points, because they earned the most points during the season of the others in the division who were not champion. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. Fast Friday & Saturday Night Championship Events Includes New Four-Week Sunoco Drive For The Cup; |
2023 Seekonk Speedway Event Schedule | |
File Size: | 4910 kb |
File Type: |
SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway announced today that Sunoco Race Fuels will return as the sponsor of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup in 2023. The Drive For The Cup, ready to move to a four-race series in the new season, will help to crown all nine of Seekonk Speedway’s 2023 champions, spanning across both Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday.
The Drive For The Cup produced some of the most thrilling moments in recent Seekonk history during the 2022 season – including Mark Jenison winning both the Late Model and Pro Stock titles – including a wild final corner that saw Jenison on his side up against the wall coming across the finish line. It also produced polished champions on both nights for all nine of Seekonk’s divisions. All drivers who made it to become champion lived up to the pressure of the moment – something the fans loved, and the new year will be even more exciting.
Additional changes surrounding the 2023 Sunoco Drive For The Cup will be announced at a later date.
“Last year was the ground floor for the playoff series at Seekonk and the inaugural year was awesome,” John Holland from Sunoco Race Fuels said. “The enhancements that are being made to the playoff system are only going to make it even more exciting. It’s great to see the first year in the books and we are looking forward to another exciting Sunoco Drive For The Cup in 2023.”
Sunoco Race Fuels have been associated with racing excellence for decades. Since the mid 1960s, when Sunoco and Roger Penske Racing forged what would be a long and successful alliance, the company has grown into an industry powerhouse. Today, Suncoo has expanded their reach of racing fuels around the world to include all types of professional motorsports and more. For more information on Sunoco, visit SunocoRaceFuels.com.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.
Author
Seekonk Speedway Features stories on the Stars and Cars that race at Seekonk Speedway
Categories
All
Fast Fridays
General Speedway
NASCAR Saturdays
Rules Updates
Special Events
Weekly Racing
Archives
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
April 2021