Fast Friday & Saturday Night Championship Events Includes New Four-Week Sunoco Drive For The Cup; |
2023 Seekonk Speedway Event Schedule | |
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SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway announced today that the Spectator Drags Series will return in 2023 with a 10-event schedule. The Spectator Drags will compete across both Saturday night racing and Thrill Show events to make-up the 10 races.
The series will begin on Saturday, May 20, and continue as part of the Memorial Day Thrill Show on Saturday, May 27. From there, the competition will continue during the first of two Monster Truck shows on Sunday, June 18, then Saturday night action on July 1.
Up next, cars will thrill fans at the Independence Day Thrill Show on Saturday, July 8. The series will have nearly a month off after that until the Midsummer Thrill Show on Saturday, August 5, then the final Monster Truck show of the season on Sunday, August 13. Two of the final three races to determine the championship will take place at the Labor Day Thrill Show on Saturday, September 2 and Saturday night action on September 16. The 2023 Spectator Drag champion will be crowned on Saturday, October 13 at the Pumpkin Smash Thrill Show.
“Our Spectator Drag Series continues to grow every year and 2023 should see the series hit a new level,” David Alburn, Director of Competition at Seekonk Speedway, said. “They are a major part of our Thrill Shows, and also give fans a great show to start select Saturday nights. We are looking forward to having another great series in 2023.”
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.
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.
The Classic Car Show gives you the perfect reason to start the season at Seekonk Speedway right from the first green flag! Headlining the day before Opening Day, this special show takes place in our front parking lot, showcasing cars from the past & present. While you do, Seekonk’s NASCAR racing divisions take to the track for practice before competitive action begins, with admission free into the grandstands. Fans can also check out a special burnout drags, including a selection of cars from the show, to kick off the afternoon! |
Barre, VT — The next leg of the Southern New England Swing Triple Crown for the American-Canadian Tour comes down to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway this Saturday, October 22nd with the Haunted Hundred. Once again alongside the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, the ACT Haunted Hundred is expected to be yet another legendary showdown between the Touring stars of Quebec and New England against a stout field of hometown favorites with the 2022 season quickly coming to a close.
Currently in the cat-bird seat, leading the American-Canadian Tour points, is a driver who has seen plenty of ups and downs at the Cement Palace. Center Conway, New Hampshire’s D.J. Shaw narrowly won the 2021 Haunted Hundred and the 2021 American-Canadian Tour before being edged in a final lap dogfight with fellow New England touring legend Ben Rowe. This time around, Shaw holds a strong lead but don’t look for the 04VT Ford Mustang playing it safe on Saturday, the A.H. Fence team will be there to win.
On another hot stream, the ‘Fireball’ rookie from Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Quebec is looking to take down his first American-Canadian Tour win this Saturday night. Alexendre Tardif may have the Rookie of the Year title all sewn up, but he’s still hungry for more. Currently second-in-points behind Shaw, it may take a miracle to get him to the top but the only trophy he’s missing on his mantle this season is the elusive first win. Look for Tardif out front on Saturday.
A pair of Massachusetts hot shoes will also be hard to keep your eyes off. Both Tom Carey III and Derek Gluchacki were in contention all day one year ago before late incidents stole away the chance to join the Haunted Hundred winner’s circle. Both are also looking to keep up their top spots in the Southern New England Swing Triple Crown after their 1,2 finish at Thompson Speedway two weeks ago. The three-race series will close out the final three events of the American-Canadian Tour season with a $3,000 purse to be spread amongst the top three who compete in all three Southern New England events. Looking for redemption, and eyeing their share of the Triple Crown bonus, both Gluchacki and Carey are coming into Seekonk with something to prove.
After a hard last-lap crash turned him into instant icon status at the third-mile oval just weeks ago, 2022 Seekonk Speedway champion Mark Jenison has filed his Haunted Hundred entry as has one of the top Thunder Road Speedbowl Late Model rookies with Stephen Martin ready to haul south from Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Officials expect several Seekonk Late Model regulars to join the fray, each looking to be the first regular to ever take the American-Canadian Tour win in the sanctioning bodies 17th visit to the Cement Palace.
The American-Canadian Tour returns to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 22nd for the Haunted Hundred alongside the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series and the INEX Legend Cars. The penultimate event for the American-Canadian Tour brings the championship down to the ‘Cement Palace,’ a wild card oval where anything can happen as drivers set themselves up for the championship Shoreline 150 at New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, October 29th.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
Story by Souza Media
SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway will roar to life for the final time in 2022 this weekend, as the Action Track of the East is set to host the championship event for the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series in the annual Haunted Hundred. On top of 100 laps for the ground-pounding Modifieds worth $6,000 to win, the American-Canadian Tour also returns to Seekonk for their penultimate race of the season, and the INEX Legends Cars join the card for a $2,000 to win, 30-lap race.
Set to chase his seventh career Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series championship, Matt Hirschman enters the race up by 27 points over Matt Swanson, with Chase Dowling third, 28 markers behind. Based on the Tri-Track points system, Hirschman has a good shot at locking up the crown, and a finish of 17th or better will cement it as his for another year.
Swanson and Dowling are the two mathematical contenders – not only to race him for the title – but also to compete for the win. Dowling is a former Seekonk winner (defending Haunted Hundred winner) and also has one victory in the 2022 season. Swanson hasn’t won on the Tri-Track circuit yet, but has top-10 finishes in four events this year.
Of the list of entered drivers – now jumping over 40 – multiple top names will be at the track on Saturday. Anthony Nocella, Ron Silk, Ronnie Williams, Woody Pitkat, Jake Johnson, Todd Szegedy, Matt Galko, Sam Rameau, Kyle Bonsignore, Les Hinckley, Chris Pasteryak, Austin Beers and Late Model standout Derek Gluchacki are among those entered.
The series traditional scuff session will be followed by heat races and necessary consi events to set the field for 100-laps in the season-finale. The total purse for the event will again rise over $40,000 – meaning the two Seekonk events combined this season will pay out over $85,000.
If the conclusion of the American-Canadian Tour race at the 2021 Haunted Hundred is any indication, fans will not want to miss their 100-lap race on Saturday. Last year, DJ Shaw and Ben Rowe battled down to the final corner to decide the win and the championship, with some beating and banging, and a thrilling finish. Even though this event won't decide their 2022 title, it will still be a battle between Seekonk weekly Late Model regulars and ACT stars. On the ACT front, names like Shaw, Alexandre Tardiff, Gluchacki, Erick Sands and Cody Leblanc are at the front of their standings and all expected to be top contenders.
On the Seekonk front, names like Vinnie Arrenegado, Richie Murray, Ryan Flood, Jacob Burns, Connor Souza, Reese Bogue and others are expected to try and defend the home turf.
The $2,000 to win, 30-lap INEX Legends Cars race is drawing attention from across New England, and also from Seekonk local contenders. Seekonk champion Devin Deshaies should be joined by names like Josh Parsons, Mason Tessier, Isaiah Newcomb, Jake Silvia, Richie Helger Jr., Nicholaus Bulkeley and others. Qualifying lineups will be set by a blind draw on race morning for their extra cash special.
Tickets for the Haunted Hundred are available in advance at SeekonkSpeedway.com, where fans can purchase today and skip the long lines on race day. Pit passes are also available in advance. Tickets are $30 for adults in general admission, with those from 6-12 just $10, and kids five and under free. Pit passes are $45 for just Saturday or $60 for a two-day pass.
Friday will be an optional practice session from 1-5 p.m., while pit gates open on Saturday at 8 a.m. and racing begins at 1:30 p.m.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media. For more information on the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, visit MonacoModifieds.com and follow the series on Facebook.
To the unknowing eye, Saturday’s Sportsman race might have looked like just another race. In reality, it was the championship round of the Sunoco Race Fuels Drive for the Cup for the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman division. But to one particular driver, the 35-lap feature was a game of chess.
Odds might have seemed steep for Craig Pianka, who sat as far back as 13th overall while he trailed other playoff drivers Chad Baxter, Ed Perry, and Colby Lambert.
Pianka took one lap at a time, getting to the bottom when he could, avoided Cody Tripp’s Lap 17 wreck, and took advantage of restarts on the inside. After working his way by Lambert at about half distance, Pianka passed Perry who was stuck on the outside. Before long Pianka had found himself on the tail of Adam Pettey and Baxter battling hard for third overall.
All Pianka needed to do was find some way to get his nose ahead of Baxters at the wave of the checkered.
Diving into Turn 3 for the final time, Pianka was presented with his one opportunity to make it happen. Using Pettey as a pick in the middle to stall out Baxter, Pianka sent his No. 4 car down the inside. Sandwiched together off of Turn 4, Pianka emerged with the most momentum, crossing the line ahead of Baxter, stealing the championship in absolute shocking fashion.
“Tonight, I played chess,” said Pianka in victory lane. “I knew when it was time to really push it, (it) was this race right here. And that’s what you get!’
After battling mid-pack with half way to go, Pianka had pulled off the improbable, passing Baxter, the hottest driver in the division of the last two years, in the final seconds of the race.
“This is the move, if I’m gonna do it, I gotta do it right now,” Pianka said when asked about his championship winning move. “I needed to make sure I was close enough to take advantage of my position and make the move… I put myself in the right positions all race to give myself that opportunity, and I had to make it work.”
Pianka started the year on a hot streak, winning three of four races to start the season, but as the summer heated up, Pianka cooled off, biding his time until the start of the playoffs.
“The bad crash in Week 5 changed everything,” Pianka reflected. “Right after that, Chad (Baxter) was just dominating.”
With the new playoff format, Pianka knew he had time to let the season come to him.
“Just be in the top four by the end, that’s all I gotta do,” Pianka said in reference to the lead up to the final round of the Drive for the Cup. “I really let the big picture of everything settle in, almost like a game of chess.”
An avid fan of chess, Pianka couldn’t help but draw parallels between the chessboard and the race track.
“In chess, you can make good moves and bad moves, mistakes and sacrifices, have wins, ties and losses. Like AK (Andrew Kun, Pianka’s long-time teammate) said to me before the race: no ties, no losses, just go and get checkmate!
Now a champion in the inaugural season of the playoff era at Seekonk Speedway, Pianka had some fond feedback on the new format. “Kudos to Ed St. Germain for talking Dave into going in the playoff direction. It made it alot more stressful as a driver, that’s for sure, but it was a lot of fun. This is going to work, no doubt about it.”
The title marks Pianka’s first ever Seekonk track championship. “Now that I won one, I feel like I won’t need to chase it for a bunch more years,” Pianka said on plans for future racing efforts. “It’s up to the powers at be if I’m gonna do this again next year. I would love to. It takes a lot, I have a great team… everyone surrounding me…it’s the perfect situation. None of this is possible without everyone I have surrounding me.”
Before any decisions are made on Pianka’s 2023 racing plans, he says for now, he’s “...just really enjoying this (championship), and I’m looking forward to the banquet and the speech in January.”
Summer 2023 is already heating up as Seekonk Speedway is excited to announce the return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour!
NASCAR’s Mighty Modifieds 🏁 make a return to the 1/3 mile Massachusetts oval on Saturday June 10 2023. Stay tuned for more info and special Pre Holiday Ticket release info!
The 2022 season might be just ending but 2023 is already heating up 🔥
For some drivers, coming to the track to compete in just one race isn’t enough to quench their thirst for speed. The way they solve that? Bring two race cars, run in two races.
Out of the teams that doubled down on racing efforts in 2022, two drivers in particular have managed to piece together championship-contending seasons in not one, but BOTH of their divisions.
Let’s learn about these double-duty drivers, the success they had in 2022, and what lies ahead for them on championship weekend.
“RADICAL” RICK MARTIN
Almost no other name is as synonymous with Seekonk Speedway as Rick Martin’s. In 2022, he is dominating the airwaves yet again. With championship weekend upon us, Rick Martin is gearing up to contend for his sixth and seventh career track titles. He’ll be looking to outrun the rest of the Final Four in the third round of the Sunoco Drive for the Cup in both the Chaz’s Auto Body Sport Truck division and the Pro Stock division. Here’s how he got here.
In the Sport Truck division, Martin has amassed seven wins, accounting for just under half of the races run this season. Two of his victories have come in the past two weeks, with Martin topping the field in both the first and second rounds in the Drive for the Cup. This playoff-time win streak reinforces Martin’s status as the odds-on favorite to be named champion on Saturday.
Claiming the title won’t be a walkover though, as challengers Barry Shaw, Mike Duarte, and Brittany Campbell could prove tough to beat. All three drivers have made it to victory lane at least once this season, showing they have what it takes to win while sharing the track with the seven-time winner. Martin is one win away from sweeping the Sunoco Drive for the Cup and adding yet another track title to his illustrious career, but the rest of the Final Four could have another thing coming for “The Radical One”.
In the Pro Stock Division, Martin’s journey to the playoffs has been far less smooth compared to the Sport Trucks. By the end of July, Martin was actually on the outside looking in from the playoff cutoff. In August however, Martin broke into the top eight, and managed a slim point margin over Kenny Spencer to clinch the eighth and final spot in the Drive for the Cup, yet still winless in his Pro Stock.
So far in the playoffs, Martin still has not shown the same dominant force as is customary with his Sport Truck. Being the beneficiary of some late race calamity in both rounds of the Pro Stock playoffs, Marin has managed to scrape through by running his race and staying out of harm's way. His reward: a shot to win the Pro Stock title in 2022. His challenge: Besting 2022 feature-winners Mike Brightman, Tom Scully Jr. and Mark Jenison.
MARK JENISON
Mark Jenison has been racing in the area long enough to establish his name as a familiar one in the scene. Despite spending more than twenty years at the wheel, he’s not yet been able to claim the elusive “champion” status on his resume. This season, he has two chances to change that, as he takes a shot at both the Late Model championship and the Pro Stock Championship this Saturday.
In the Late Model division, Jenision floated up and down the points standings above the cut line for the playoffs. Reaching as high as second and dipping as low as eighth, Jenison leveled out to claim the fourth seed when it was time to go playoff racing. The highlight of Jenison’s Late Model season came in mid-August, when he battled youngster Connor Souza lap after lap, edging out Souza by a stunning .009 seconds on the outside.
Jenison is fresh off another win, wielding some serious momentum rolling into Round Three of the Drive for the Cup. Once Jenison got around Josh Hedges for the lead last Saturday, he didn’t look back, displaying some serious speed. Playoff counterparts Gerry DeGasparre Jr., Richie Murray, and Chase Belcher will be needing to nail their setup to keep up if Jenison is to throw down the same pace on championship night as he did one week ago.
Jenison’s Pro Stock campaign played out in a similar fashion. His swings in the points standings were not as ranging, and ultimately settled into third place by the end of the regular season. The jewel in Jenison’s Pro Stock season came back on June 11 with a decisive win, gapping the next closest driver by nearly four seconds at the line.
Since then, Jenison has been solid, notching a few more top-five finishes, and a couple of second-place finishes to boot. Most notably, last week Jenison was the only driver able to give chase to leader and eventual race-winner Dave Darling. It shouldn’t be understated how quick you have to be to keep up with Darling on a clear track. Jenison’s second-place performance surely reminded the field that if he can get out front and stay ahead of the fray early in the running, he might just have what it takes to best the likes of Mike Brightman, Tom Scully Jr., and Rick Martin the second week in a row, and finally claim that long-awaited championship.
Chase that Checkerd Flag….
Seekonk Speedway has never seen a driver remain in the running for two separate championships until the final weekend. This year, we have TWO of them. If you’re a fan of history, there’s a chance for some to unfold on the high banks of the third-mile this weekend.
For that reason alone, be sure to experience this unprecedented scenario for yourself by joining us when we go green for the final time this season on September 24 at 6:00PM.
For tickets and more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit seekonkspeedway.com.
By Sam Tully
Those familiar with the sport of racing know all too well how common it is for entire families to gear up and commit to the lifestyle to find success on track. Their efforts culminate to give one driver - the chosen one out of the family - the opportunity to carry the torch as the wheelman or wheelwoman week in and week out.
In the Seekonk Speedway community, it’s not uncommon for multiple family members to take to the track over the course of a race weekend. What is uncommon is something that is unfolding right before our eyes as we head into Championship Weekend: three sets of family members all vying for championships in the first ever Sunoco Drive for the Cup Championship Weekend.
Let’s take a look at the drivers who clearly have speed running in the family tree, and are one step away from being crowned champion in 2022.
Colby and Jeremey Lambert take to the track every Friday and Saturday evening throughout the summer, supporting each other on their respective race days, and all the hard work has paid off.
Colby Lambert, the eldest of the two, has been racing for several years at Seekonk, and knows what it takes to win a championship, having scored a title in Friday’s Pure Stock division back in 2017. Colby has stepped up in recent seasons to Saturday’s Sportsman Division. This year, he currently sits fourth in the overall points, and will be laying it all on the line to be crowned champion this Saturday night.
Jeremey is taking a similar path as his brother, getting his feet wet in Friday night’s Pure Stock division. Proving that both brother’s have the speed gene, Jeremey has clinched a spot in the Third round, where he’ll attempt to get the Lambert family name back into the hall of Pure Stock champions yet again in 2022.
Should Colby and Jeremey both best their fellow championship challengers this weekend, it would be the first time in history that two brothers would be crowned champion in two separate divisions in the same season at Seekonk Speedway.
For Colby to have success, he needs to beat out reigning champion and seven-time feature winner Chad Baxter, as well as other multi-race winner Craig Pianka and Ed Perry. This matchup paints Colby as a bit of a dark horse in the final round, but look for him to break through and double his championship count when the Sportmans hit the track on Saturday.
For Jeremey to take the championship, he’ll need to top Danny Massa, Sam Lincoln and Mike Henriques - all of which have never won a championship before. The Pure Stock Championship is very much up for grabs this Friday, and look for Jeremey to join his brother in the ranks of Pure Stock greatness.
The Murray family name has been known for decades around the third-mile oval. In recent years, it’s been sister-brother duo Crystal and Richie Murray carrying the family torch.
Crystal has been a fixture in the last couple of seasons in Saturday’s Sport 4 division. In 2021, the season title was arguably hers for the taking, yet stepped aside prioritize her education once the school year started back up in September. This year, no school, no problem for Crystal. She leads her division in both points and wins (4).
Fresh off a win last week, Crystal is showing no sign of letting up, and will prove tough to
catch for challengers Tyler Duhancik, Jarrod Freitas and Henry LeVallee on Friday evening.
Richie has shown great speed and toughness over the course of his sophomore season in Saturday’s Late Model division. The year started off with a bang, taking down the win on opening day back on May 1. Since then, Richie has been biding his time until the playoffs, showcasing some incredible multi-wide racing numerous times, contributing significantly to what has been a truly dazzling season for the Late Models.
Richie will need to stay tough and quick if he’s to claim the season title Saturday night, as the competition he’s up against are no small potatoes. Standing in Richie’s way are six-time Late Model champ Gerry DeGasparre Jr., seasoned veteran and two-time 2022 feature winner, Mark Jenison, and 2015 Sport Truck champion Chase Belcher. Look for Richie to outperform the tsunami of success experience he’s up against as the 18-year old straps in on Saturday night.
Should Crystal and Richie both emerge victorious, they would mark the first sibling pair ever to win championship in the same season in the history of the speedway.
The Vanasse name is known to many speedway goers, perhaps in reference to current Pro Stock driver Ryan Vanasse, who won back-to-back Late Model championships in 2009 and 2010.
Now, Ryan and his brother Mike Vanasse are letting their sons get in on the Seekonk action.
Ryan Jr. and Collin Vanasse square off against each other on Friday nights in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits Division.
Ryan and Collin have been driving bandits for a couple years now, but this year is different. With the new Drive for the Cup format, the two have been competing with each other all season long for a playoff berth, and now battle against each other week after week in an ever-narrowing playoff field.
Ryan and Collin have both managed to stave off elimination through two rounds, and make up half of the playoff field going into championship weekend. Their competition: Sam Macedo and Nick Uhrig Jr.
Out of the four drivers, Ryan is the only one to claim a feature win, scoring three of them this summer, fresh off his most recent one last week. Collin will have to pull out all the stops this week if he wants to top the Final Four including his cousin. As for Ryan, he has the momentum on his side, and needs to hit his marks one more time to be named champion.
As far as odds go, it’s a coinflip that the 2022 Bandolero Bandit Champion will be a Vanasse.
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