![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — It all comes down to this. On Friday, September 23, and Saturday, September 24, Seekonk Speedway will crown nine champions in the finals of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. As Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday teams get ready to compete in the Final Four events, the championships are anyone’s game. Once you are in, you have a chance. And in the final race of the season, every lap will matter more and more down the stretch run. Nine champions will be crowned, beginning with five on Fast Friday and four on NASCAR Saturday. On Fast Friday, the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits will roll out for their final race of the season. Ryan Vanasse Jr., Sam Macedo, Collin Vanasse and Nick Uhrig Jr. will all race for the title. Whichever of the four of them finishes ahead of the others will earn the crown — with Vanasse Jr. entering the race as the favorite. As the highest remaining seed, he’s coming off a victory in round two of the playoffs, with tons of momentum on his side. Macedo and Collin Vanasse, along with Uhrig, have been rather quiet this season. But they made their way into the finals, and they have a shot at winning it all. In the Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4’s, Crystal Murray, Tyler Duhancik, Jarrod Freitas and Henry Lavallee will race for the championship. Murray won in the second round of the playoffs last week for the fourth time this season, and enters the race as the top seed. Duhancik survived some trouble in round one of the playoffs to make it to this point, and with multiple season wins to his credit, he’s a major threat. Lavallee has returned to victory lane twice this season for the first time in many years, while Freitas grabbed his first career win earlier in the year. Who will become Sport 4 champion after 30 laps of racing? The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw Final Four might run through Bradley Strickland. After winning the first two races in the playoffs, he’s showed that he is the clear favorite. But Andrew Gomes, Brent Robidoux and Joey LeMay aren’t going to let him run away with it. As one of the cleanest and most exiting Seekonk divisions, the Bandolero Outlaws will put on a show for the title again Friday night. Sam Lincoln, Danny Massa, Mike Henriques and Jeremy Lambert are the final four drivers in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks. Each of them has earned their chance to race for the title, and each deserves it in their own way. Lincoln’s first win late in the summer and multiple top-five finishes got him to this point. Massa has been the class of the field at times this year, and even when he wasn’t, he’s still up front. Mike Henriques has multiple wins for the first time in many years, while Lambert slid his way into the finals with consistency. Who will it be after 30 laps in the season-finale holding the trophy? Your Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars Final Four is a toss-up. Devin Deshaies enters the finale as the number one seed, and with multiple wins, certainly has the speed and the driving ability to become champion. But look out for Jake Silvia, who just picked up his first career win in the second round of the playoffs. Josh Parsons has been quiet all season, with only one win, but as the final seed to enter the playoffs, he made his way into the finals. Reese Bogue, who split his time this season between the Legends Cars and the Late Model (NASCAR Saturday), has a chance to end his Legends Cars career on top at Seekonk. Fast Friday racing will begin at 7 p.m. for the final round of 2022 action. On NASCAR Saturday, the Pro Stock field looks to be running through Mike Brightman and Tom Scully Jr. Both drivers advanced to the Final Four (Brightman by the skin of his teeth), but out of the four involved, they have the most success this season. With four wins, Brightman could be considered the favorite. And even though Scully only has one win, the emotional summer that included the passing of his dad, Tom Sr., might be just enough to boost him to the title. The two dark horses in the Pro Stock title chase? Radical Rick Martin and Mark Jenison. The Late Model Final Four battle might be one of the most wide open of all Seekonk Speedway divisions. Mark Jenison won in the second round of the playoffs last week to lock himself into the finals, and might be coming on right at the right time. Richie Murray was the next finisher in the lineup last week, and his consistency around the top-five all year got him to this point. Could he score his first Late Model title and second overall track championship? How about Gerry DeGasparre Jr.? Arguably the dominant driver in this division all year, Gerry has seven track titles, and would love to tie Dave Darling as the only driver with eight. Chase Belcher is the fourth driver in the mix, and with two wins this season, he can definitely get the job done. Chad Baxter might be the dominant force in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks, but he’s going to have to bust his way through three tough challengers in order to win a second track title in a row. Craig Pianka, Ed Perry and Colby Lambert will join him in the Final Four, and all three have shown speed this year. Pianka won the first three out of four races of the year, while Perry also was in the mix in Victory Lane. Lambert might have quietly raced his way to this point, but look out for him to pounce in the season-finale. Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck racing in the Final Four will certainly run through Radical Rick Martin. Chasing another title, Martin has victories in the first two races of the playoffs, adding to his total for the season, which now sits at seven. It’s going to be tough task for Barry Shaw (defending champion), Brittany Campbell and Mike Duarte to defeat the Radical one, but all three are worthy, and have a shot at it. Tickets for championship weekend are available online today at SeekonkSpeedway.com. The website will also allow fans to purchase tickets for the final two events remaining on the Seekonk Speedway 2022 calendar — the Pumpkin Smash Thrill Show on October 8 and the upcoming Haunted Hundred on October 22. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest information.
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![]() SEEKONK, Mass -- The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series divisions stepped foot on their first ever journey toward the Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuels this past Saturday, September 10. Let’s take a look at how the night of extra-distance racing shook out across all four divisions, as well as review who is in and who is out of the Drive For The Cup as we head for the final two rounds. CHAZ’S AUTO BODY SPORT TRUCKS The Sport Trucks squared off for 30 laps to start the program on Saturday evening, and it was Rick Martin who led the rest of the playoff drivers to the green flag, starting third overall. Within a couple laps, Martin was challenging Ethan Heilborn for the lead, and with an outside pass, seized it, and never looked back. Martin took down the win for Round One of the playoffs, followed by contenders Jake Vanada and Mike Duarte in second and third, all advancing to Round Two. Further in the field, Brittany Campbell and Daryl Church arm-wrestled over the final transfer spot into Round Two. Campbell faded backwards early after being stuck on the outside from the onset of the race. This allowed Church, Vanada, and Amy Arsenault to slide up into transfer spots. Meanwhile, Mike Cavallaro inherited a spot in the drop zone with a start towards the rear of the grid, and would unfortunately remain there until the conclusion of the feature, and be eliminated from playoff contention. Campbell shuffled to the bottom and began to regroup as she mounted a charge forward, working over Heilborn for position just before a caution re-racked the field. Campbell took advantage of her inside restarting spot, followed through Arsenault on the inside, and powered up to the sixth and final transfer spot, as Church held on in the high groove. Soon after, Church had his hands full with Danny Thibeault, which held him up enough to deny him advancement for the rest of the race, and cost him a spot in Round Two of the playoffs. Campbell and Arsenault continued to skirmish for fifth place overall, with Campbell prevailing, both tailing Barry Shaw Jr. who came home fourth - all three now heading into Round Two as well. Can anybody stop Radical Rick?? HELGER’S SOUTH COAST POWER EQUIPMENT SPORTSMAN The Sportsman division had 30 laps of their own to whittle down the playoff field from eight to six, and boy was it decided in heartbreaking fashion for one driver. The feature kicked off with a moshpit on Lap 2 between Turns 1 and 2, when a spinning Don Perry caused several cars to tangle, including playoff driver Adam Pettey. Pettey suffered a blown tire, causing him to go a lap down to the leaders, and snowballed into an early exit and a playoff eviction for the young driver. Craig Pianka found himself in the back of the pack after taking his No. 4 machine pit-side to get checked out following the Lap 2 incident. After that, he set out on a mission to grind back to a transfer spot. Doug Benoit found him in the middle of some unwanted excitement when Jim Silvia came sliding off of Turn 4 to complete Lap 12. Silvia spun down, tagged Chad Baxter in the right rear, and just about collected Benoit in the process, bringing out the caution. Benoit slowed up just enough to incur terminal damage, but enough to take the car to the pits and restart from the rear. Baxter escaped the minor contact and continued forward. As the race wore on, Pianka emerged from the rear distancing, himself from Doug Benoit, and overtaking Tyler Almeida for playoff insurance. Now it was Almeida with the target on his back as the last driver in! With five laps to go, Benoit scratched and clawed his way to the inside of Almeida, and claimed the sixth and final transfer spot! But it was all for just a moment, as two laps later, hard racing resulted in a spin off Turn 4 for Benoit, resetting him to the rear of the field with just three laps to try and catch Almeida again. Unfortunately, time ran out for Benoit, finishing two cars behind Almeida overall, and joining Pettey in the drop zone for Round One of the playoffs. Upon post race inspection, Scott Serydynski Jr. was found to be illegal after finishing second in the race. The findings cost Serydynski his second-place finish, as well as a trip to Round Two of the playoffs, allowing Benoit to slide up in his place, and continue to race for a championship after all. LATE MODELS The Late Models had 35 laps to settle the score Saturday evening. Paul Lallier took to the grid in sixth, and tried staving off playoff contenders including Mark Jenison, Vinnie Arrenegado, and Chase Belcher who all stormed through on the inside like a freight train. In no time, Lallier found himself on the chopping block along with Jeramee Lillie, who started there in 10th overall. Lallier and Lillie would spend the rest of the 35 laps trying to scrap their way back to transfer spots. Meanwhile fellow contenders Jacob Burns and Gerry DeGasparre Jr were busy battling with Josh Hedges for the race win. When the checkered waved, the field had nothing for “Rowdy” Burns, as he sailed on to his second feature win of the season, DeGasparre finishing just behind, both moving ahead to round two. Richie Murray hung around the top five all night, cruising on to a fourth-place finish and into Round Two. Jenison, Belcher and Arennegado put on a thrilling display of racing all the while, including a fantastic four-wide moment putting Chris Gomes a lap down coming off of Turn 2! These three drivers sure put on a show, and will all move on to the second act in Round Two. Lillie fought valiantly to catch Jenison as the laps ticked off. His efforts included an impressive two-for-one move on Luke Lebrun and Corey Fanning down the inside going into Turn 1 on Lap 22. Despite his hard-charging, a trip two the second round of the playoffs was not in the cards for Lillie, as both he and Lallier were both dropped from championship contention. PRO STOCKS The Pro Stocks were afforded 45 laps to cap off the night of thrilling playoff action, and little did everyone know what would be in store coming back to the checkered. Tom Scully Jr. spooled to life after firing off in the 12-hole, being dealt the heaviest workload out of the rest of his fellow playoff contenders. Rick Martin and Mark Jenison both each took a turn sitting on the outside looking in, and Colbey Fournier sat on the chopping block all night. Well, almost all night. Round Two of the playoffs was decided between Turn 4 and the flag stand in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. Kenny Spencer led every single inch of this race until the field dove into Turn 3 for the final time. Playoff driver Tommy Adams, nipping at the heels of Spencer for several laps now, made contact with Spencer, sending both cars spinning. Pandemonium followed. Mike Brightman got a good read on the wreckage ahead of him and soared to the outside and to the race win. Scully pulled a similar move, wielding cat-like reflexes and earning second place. Both Brightman and Scully were locked in. Dave Darling had no choice but to take the inside and avoid Spencer, which he did by the skin of his teeth. The door to a third-place finish seemed wide open for Darling, but in an instant, the lane disappeared. An out-of-control Adams appeared in front of Darling, and both cars skidded to the infield. The Adams machine managed to cross the timing loop, but Darling did not! Darling’s No. 52 happened to roll perfectly parallel to the timing loop, while Jenison, Bobby Pelland III, and Fournier sped across the line to transfer into Round Two. Darling could not have been a more unlucky victim of circumstance in the final seconds of Saturday’s feature, and as a result, the eight-time Pro Stock champion was denied his chance to make it a ninth. Joining Darling on the chopping block was Tommy Adams, following a post race review, after being sent to the rear for being deemed responsible for causing the leader to spin on the final lap. This decision meant that Adams would cede his transfer spot, falling all the way to the last playoff driver to cross the finish line ahead of Darling – which was Rick Martin. IN CONCLUSION Week One of the Seekonk Speedway Sunoco Race Fuels Drive for the Cup is in the books. Thrilling finishes and heated mid-pack racing were in no short order as each division battled to filter down their playoff field ro six drivers. NASCAR Saturday returns for Round Two of the Playoffs to decide the Final Four in each division, and you are not going to want to be anywhere else when the track goes green at 6:00 P.M., this Saturday, September 17. For tickets and more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit seekonkspeedway.com. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — One down, two left to go in the inaugural Seekonk Speedway Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel. This Friday and Saturday night, the playoffs heat up with round two, as the Final Four will be set in all nine of Seekonk’s divisions looking ahead to the finale weekend on September 23-24. On Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday, drivers will be racing as the fields will be lowered from six drivers down to four. The Bandolero divisions will drop from five down to the Final Four. NASCAR Saturday also includes a special appearance by the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags and the STAR Antique Racers to fill a full night of action, beginning with a special time of 5:30 p.m. Fast Friday’s playoff fields in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero divisions eliminated Chase Silvia (Outlaws) and Darren Krantz Jr. (Bandits) last week. Krantz didn’t show up to race, immediately knocking him out. Silvia, who entered the weekend with nine wins in 12 races, was eliminated after some early contact slowed his efforts. This week, the race for the Final Four is on. In the Bandits, Milania Shilosky won last week and leads Ryan Vanasse Jr., Sam Macedo, Collin Vanasse and Nick Uhrig Jr. into the final two. Which single driver will be eliminated out of the five of them this week? In the Outlaws, the field seems wide open with Silvia eliminated. Bradley Strickland is coming off yet another win last week and has become the new favorite, with Joey LeMay, Andrew Gomes, Brent Robidoux and Adam Harrison not far behind. If the stats are right, LeMay would be the one to get eliminated this week. But as we have learned after one week, anything can happen. Don’t forget — Krantz (if he shows up) and Silvia will still be looking to spoil the party and add to their win counts this week still. The Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4 division almost saw a major shake-up last week, with Tyler Duhancik wrecking in practice, and originally looking like he wasn’t going to make it out. He got some help from a friend with a backup car and advanced to the round of six. He joins points leader Crystal Murray, last week’s winner Henry Lavallee, Jarrod Freitas, Taylor Bowser and Stephanie Bruneau in this round, with two drivers set to be eliminated this week. Greg Perry and Sam Lincoln raced hard to the finish of last Friday’s 25-lap Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stock race, with Perry coming out on top, and Lincoln close behind in second. They both earned the right to advance to the next round and will join Danny Massa, Mike Henriques, Jeremy Lambert and Ethan Souza this week to see who will make the finals. The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars race last week ended with a similar surprise, as multiple-time season winner Mason Tessier and one of the top seeds, Nicholaus Bulkeley, were eliminated from contention for the title. That leaves Devin Deshaies, the points leader, along with Brendon Hammann, Reese Bogue, Isaiah Newcomb, Josh Parsons and Jake Silvia to battle for the final four spots. Silvia showed impressive speed last week with a top-five finish and could easily become a dark horse for the title by sliding his way into the final four spots. The NASCAR Saturday show will kick-off with the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags and the STAR Antique Racers. The Spectator Drags will give fans a look at a little bit of street car action, while the STAR Antique Racers go back in time with their own racing action. The Pro Stock field might not be able to top the excitement from the final lap of last week’s 45-lap playoff opener, but only time will tell. Contact in the final corner created complete chaos, with Tommy Adams and eight-time track champion Dave Darling now officially eliminated from the playoffs. Mike Brightman picked up his fourth win of the season in the process and catapulted his way to the favorite position, while Tom Scully Jr. isn’t far behind. Those two will have to hold off Colbey Fournier, Bobby Pelland III, Rick Martin and Mark Jenison if they want to win the title. Better yet, if they want to advance to the Final Four. Late Model racing continued to shine last week, with Jacob “Rowdy” Burns grabbing another season win, using the outside lane to do it. Burns now seems to be on his game at the right time, but he’s going to have his work cut out for him this week to make the final four. Vinnie Arrenegado, Gerry DeGasparre Jr., Richie Murray, Mark Jenison and Chase Belcher will join him this week in the playoffs round two action. After an early scare, Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman favorite Chad Baxter rebounded for a top-five last week, advancing to round two. He’s got Craig Pianka, Ed Perry, Colby Lambert, Doug Benoit and Tyler Almeida hot on his tail heading into this week, with Benoit, Lambert and Almeida seemingly dark horses to make the final four. But, they made it this far, and could certainly make it there. The Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks may have had the quietest first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, with Rick Martin rolling to a sixth win, advancing to the second round. Barry Shaw Jr., the defending champion of the division, joins Martin in the round of six and isn’t going to go out quietly. Mike Duarte, Brittany Campbell, Amy Arsenault and Jake Vanada are the remaining contenders. Who gets knocked out this week? Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m., and NASCAR Saturday will begin a tick early this week at 5:30 p.m., starting with the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags. Tickets for all remaining events during the 2022 season are available now at SeekonkSpeedway.com, including for the upcoming final two rounds of the playoffs, the Pumpkin Smash Thrill Show and the Haunted Hundred. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on Facebook for the latest updates. Best of luck to everyone who qualified for the 2022 Sunoco Drive for the Cup! The first round will be The Elite Eight on September 9th and 10th. Drivers will be lined up for the feature race based on their finish in qualifying heats. The first drivers in the lineup will be those who qualified through heat races but are not playoff cars. The playoff contenders will lineup in consecutive rows following the non playoff qualified cars. If the first playoff driver starts fifth, the rest will be sixth, seventh, eighth, etc. This will continue for all three rounds. Playoff driver lineups will be determined by a blind draw for each event. Drawing order will be based on playoff seedings. The highest seed drawing first , then next highest etc. This will remain constant for all three rounds. Nothing from previous rounds will matter when it comes to lineups. All remaining non qualified drivers in the race will line up behind the playoff contenders. This is still going to be a race inside a race. Drivers will still earn money, points, and value for every single race. Across all rounds of the playoffs, all of Seekonk’s General Rules and Divisional Rules will still be in effect, including technical inspection. If a driver advances through a round but does not pass inspection, the next driver in line will be added to the next round. In round one, the lap distances will be as follows and are subject to change. 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 In order to advance to round two, drivers must beat the other competitors that are in the playoffs during the round one race. For example, of the eight total Pro Stocks in round one, only six will move to round two. For all divisions except the Bandolero’s, the top-six finishers in the round one race will advance to round two. In the Bandolero divisions, out of the six eligible drivers, five will advance to round two. All points are STILL running …the Chase will determine the champion only as the weekly points will determine spots 2-10 for the awards banquet. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — This weekend, Seekonk Speedway will set the field for the inaugural Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel. In nine feature races across Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday, all of them will help determine the eight drivers that will race for the title (six in the Bandolero divisions) during the month of September. On Fast Friday, five divisions will hit the track for feature racing, while on NASCAR Saturday, it’s another full card of action at the third-mile, with four races on tap. Even though some of the playoff fields are set on Fast Friday, drivers are still chasing feature wins this week, and many are hoping to grab a boost of momentum heading into the playoffs. In the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits, the race for eighth is one of the tightest at the track — as Nick Uhrig Jr. leads Bryson Robidoux for the final spot by just six points. While they race for the final playoff spot, names like Krantz, Shilosky, Vanasse, Vanasse Jr., Macedo and others will be looking to get to Victory Lane. In the Bandolero Outlaw class, the race is also tight. Joey LeMay leads Mikey LeFort III by just 10 points for the final playoff spot. Over the last few weeks, although Chase Silvia has continued his dominance and now has nine feature wins, the competition has been tough. Keep an eye out for Andrew Gomes, Bradley Strickland, Brent Robidoux, Adam Harrison and others over their 15-lap feature this week. In the Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4’s, heading into the playoffs, it might be a race between points leader Crystal Murray and Tyler Duhancik. Henry Lavallee, Jarrod Freitas, Taylor Bowser, Stephanie Bruneau, Daniel Hayes and Justin Leduc are ready to contest for the championship as the the final of the eight drivers in this division. Their 25-lap feature on Friday could give someone that shot of momentum. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stock races have been rough the last few weeks, but their race for eighth is also close. Ethan Souza jumped into the eighth spot last week when Jared Cordeira won, then got disqualified. Cordeira needs to race his way back in if he wants to race for the title, as he now hits eight points out of the eighth spot. It appears those two drivers will race for the final position. Look out for Sam “Hot Rod” Lincoln to take a victory lap prior to the races starting, after scoring his first career win last week. Devin Deshaies rocketed to another win last week in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars, and he will be tough to beat again this week. Josh Parsons leads Brendan LaBelle by just two points for the final playoff spot, with Richie Helger Jr. also not far behind. Both Parsons and LaBelle missed a race earlier in the season and will be looking to beat the other to get into the playoffs this week. Jake Silvia is seventh, and with a strong run will make it in. But, a mistake by Silvia could allow the other two to slide by in the 25-lap feature. NASCAR Saturday’s playoff battles are a bit more clear. The Pro Stock race for eighth sees Rick Martin ahead of Kenny Spencer by 30 points, which is unlikely to change. Their 40-lap feature this week will be another classic battle between Dave Darling, Mike Brightman, Tom Scully Jr., last week’s winner Tommy Adams and others. Colbey Fournier finished second last week, one spot short of his first win of the season. Can he get there this week? In the Late Models, their field of eight drivers is set, barring a complete miracle. Paul Lallier holds the final spot by 51 points, meaning he would need to just start the race to make it into the playoffs, unless ninth-place Josh Hedges has a perfect night, and wins his heat and the feature. If you’re up for a bet, put your cards on Lallier making it. Vinnie Arrenegado won their 30-lap race last week, while names like Gerry DeGasparre Jr., Richie Murray, Mark Jenison, Chase Belcher and others will look to win again this week. Can Jeramee Lillie break into the winner’s circle after multiple consistent runs? Fresh off the Helger’s 50, the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman are back this week for 25 more laps. Chad Baxter is clearly the favorite in this division, winning most of the races in the last two months. Can someone knock him off this week? Tyler Almeida also leads Steve Axon by 40 points in the race for the final playoff spot, which means Axon, like Hedges in the Late Models, will just about need a miracle to make his way in. The Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks race for eighth has recent first-time winner Tom Scully III ahead of Jake Vanada by just eight points, which is four spots in the feature. Vanada nearly won his first race of the season last week, but came up just short. Can he win this week and pass Scully to move into the playoffs? Rick Martin picked up his fifth Truck win of the season last week and leads the standings heading for the playoffs with dominance on his side. Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m., while NASCAR Saturday action will hit the track with four divisions at 6 p.m. Seekonk Speedway’s 2022 season is beginning to wind down, so don’t miss all of the exciting racing action on the track. On Saturday, September 3, the night sky lights up with Fireworks on and off the track during the annual Labor Day Thrill Show. In September, on September 9-10, 17-18 and 23-24, the playoffs begin and the champion will be crowned in all nine Seekonk divisions. Tickets for all events are available at SeekonkSpeedway.com, where fans can purchase and skip the lines on race day. Fans are encouraged to purchase Thrill Show tickets soon, as the event could sellout. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates, including from the track on race day. PIT PARTY, FANS ON PARADE, MONSTER TRUCKS & MORE HEADLINE TRIPLEHEADER WEEKEND AT SEEKONK SPEEDWAY8/10/2022 ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — For the second time this year, it’s time for Seekonk Speedway to do the triple this weekend. Set for three straight days of racing beginning on Friday, August 12 with Fast Friday and ending on Sunday, August 14 with the second and final Monster Truck appearance of the year, NASCAR Saturday will be smashed in the middle to complete a full card of racing. On Fast Friday, the race for the inaugural Seekonk Speedway Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel continues with just three weeks remaining before the playoff field is set for the Bandolero divisions, Legends Cars, Pure Stocks and Sport 4’s. On NASCAR Saturday, the annual Pit Party will take place from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the pit area, where fans can enter and meet the cars and stars of the track up close and personal. The night also includes the annual Fans on Parade event, where the fans can take a walk around the track during intermission to show support for their favorite driver. On Sunday, the Monster Trucks invade Seekonk Speedway along with the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags and their one-on-one drags and the Summer Showdown race. Racing on Friday begins at 7 p.m., while Saturday rolls off at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets for all three events are available today online at SeekonkSpeedway.com, where you can purchase both pit passes and grandstand admission and skip the lines on race day. In Friday’s Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero divisions, Darren Krantz Jr. (Bandits) and Chase Silvia (Outlaws) look to continue their lead in the championship standings. In both of the Bandolero classes, only the top-six drivers at the end of August will advance into the playoffs. Right now, Bryson Robidoux leads Nick Uhrig Jr. by just eight points in the Bandit race for sixth, while Bradley Strickland and Adam Harrison are fifth and sixth in the Outlaws, leading Brent Robidoux by just six points. In the Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4 class, the race for the final playoff spot has quieted down, and the race for the feature win in Friday’s 25-lap feature could see a first-time winner. Is this the week Taylor Bowser breaks into prime form out front? Can someone like Daniel Hayes or Justin Leduc or Stephanie Bruneau grab their first checkered flag? The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks and Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars divisions have both been a toss-up lately when trying to pick a winner. Mike Henriques has three wins on the season in the Pure Stocks, including the last two events, but Sam Lincoln, the Triple Crown champion, and names like Jordan Threllfall, Mike Rotondo and Jared Cordeira haven’t been far behind. Right now, Cordeira leads Ethan Souza by 14 points for the final playoff spot. In the Legends Cars, Mason Tessier has been the hot driver lately, but names like Devin Deshaies, Brendon Hammann and others will look to get back to the top this week. Have you seen their race for eighth in the playoffs? Jake Silvia, Josh Parsons, Brendan LaBelle and Richie Helger Jr. are all separated by just about 20 points. NASCAR Saturday will be busy with the Pit Party from 4:30-5:30PM, while intermission will be packed with the Fans on Parade. On the track, Dave Darling looks to return to prime form again and capture the win in the Pro Stock 40-lap feature. He will be chased by names like Rick Martin, Mike Brightman, Tom Scully Jr., Tommy Adams and more in the main event. The Late Model division could see another driver add their name to the list of repeat winners in 2022. Chase Belcher and Gerry DeGasparre Jr. are some of the only drivers to visit Victory Lane more than once, with Gerry winning three times, and Chase twice. Names like Vinnie Arrenegado, points leader Richie Murray, Paul Lallier and others all will look to get back to the top. In the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman, Chad Baxter has been the dominant force for the last month, but will look to hold off names like Craig Pianka, Ed Perry, Doug Benoit and Scott Serydysnki Jr. in their 25-lap feature on Saturday night. Can a name like Colby Lambert or Adam Pettey get to Victory Lane? The Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck division currently has one of the tightest playoff battles in all nine of Seekonk’s divisions, with Tom Scully III leading Jake Vanada by just over 10 points. While all eyes will be on their race for the playoffs, the feature win is still up for battle this Saturday night in their 25-lap feature. Update to Sundays Monster Truck Show Due to some trucks having mechanical damage and not being able to get parts in time for this weekends event we have had to adjust a line up still featuring six great trucks. We apologize to anyone who was expecting to see a certain truck as these circumstances are out of our control. Sunday’s Monster Truck event includes six different Trucks and the Spectator Drags, wrapping a full weekend of Seekonk Speedway action. Check out the updated list of trucks that will be appearing… Stinger Unleased, Toxic, Virginia Giant, Crushstation, Lumberjack & Toxic Too For more information on Seekonk Speedway and the weekend full of events, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest events. Tickets for all of the remaining 2022 Seekonk Speedway events are available today at SeekonkSpeedway.com. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — On Saturday, August 6, Seekonk Speedway will go the extra distance with four Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series finale races. As part of each event, four drivers will be racing each other for the Triple Crown title, with the one that finishes the best capturing the crown. In the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks, Mike Cavallaro, Brittany Campbell, Rick Martin and Barry Shaw Jr will race for the Triple Crown title. All four of them have victories during the 2022 season, but Campbell and Martin have been especially strong of late. Campbell picked up her first win of the season a few weeks ago, and Martin has three wins of his own. Shaw may have won the first Triple Crown race to lock himself into the final four, and Cavallaro may have got in on points — but can they find their way to the top of the class in the 35-lap feature? The Pro Stock 60-lap finale might be the most anticipated since the inception of the Triple Crown Series. With four drivers racing for the crown, three of them come to light as recent success drivers in the division. Mike Brightman and Dave Darling battled down the final laps of the first Triple Crown race, with Brightman edging out for the victory. In the second round, Darling passed Brightman in the final laps to take the win. Will the two of them resume their battle in the finale and race for it between themselves? Tom Scully Jr. and Colbey Fournier join them in the final race, with Scully picking up an emotional win just a month ago, and Fournier becoming consistent of late inside the top-five. Can they steal it? The Late Models might be the biggest toss-up of all of the NASCAR Saturday divisions, with Vinnie Arrenegado, Gerry DeGasparre, Richie Murray and Chase Belcher set to battle it out. Arrenegado won early in the season but has struggled of late, while Belcher is coming off a victory last time on the track. Richie Murray won on opening day and has consistently been around the top-five, and DeGasparre is one of few drivers who has two victories this season. Who will come out on top in their 45-lap main event? Finally, Chad Baxter has to be the favorite in the final four of the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman, but Craig Pianka, Ed Perry and Doug Benoit are right there on his back. Baxter has three wins in the last four races, while Pianka and Perry have been consistent to run inside the top-10 lately. For both Pianka and Perry, who won early in the season, winning success hasn’t been tasted recently, but this could be a great return to the top. Benoit, a former Pure Stock champion on Fast Friday, has shown speed all year — but could really cement his season with a Triple Crown title on Saturday in the 35-lap feature. To purchase tickets to NASCAR Saturday on August 6 and all 2022 Seekonk Speedway events, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com, where you can purchase tickets and skip the lines on race day. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — For the second time in 2022, Chase Belcher was celebrating in Victory Lane on Saturday night at Seekonk Speedway. Belcher used a few smooth moves in the beginning of the 30-lap feature and held off Mark Jension to score the win. By the halfway point, Belcher was inside the top three and racing Jeramme Lillie for the lead. He passed for the top spot on lap 20 and would never look back en route to the win. Jenison crossed the line second, while Paul Lallier, a former season winner, finished the podium in third. Richie Murray used a late move to grab himself a fourth-place finish while Lillie rounded out the top-five. Vinnie Arrenegado was sixth, followed by Brendon Hammann, John Silva, Kevin Bowe and Bill Goodrow. The Late Models will return to the track on Saturday, August 6 for a 45-lap feature in the final round of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. ![]() Bay State Classic Practice We will have an open practice for those competing in the Bay State Classic. This practice will be open to Pro Stocks, PASS Mods and Legends ONLY. 🏁 When : Tuesday July 26th ….5 pm - 8 pm Pits open at 4 pm Cost $30 per person Haulers will NOT be able to be left in pits overnight. 🎟 PLEASE BUY YOUR PIT PASSES ONLINE HERE ⬇️ https://seekonkspeedway.showare.com/ordertickets.asp?p=56&src=eventperformances ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — As the Action Track of the East hits the middle of the summer, racing will heat up this weekend with two nights of action set for Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16. Fast Friday returns to the track for another round, while NASCAR Saturday is also back for the first time in nearly one month as the battle towards the inaugural Seekonk Speedway Drive For The Cup Playoff system continues to inch closer. Fast Friday will be headlined by the second round of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series for the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars, while Saturday includes the second round of the Everett’s Triple Crown for the Pro Stocks, set for 60 laps, and a special appearance by the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags. Fast Friday’s Legends Cars division has been competitive all year, and a special extra-distance race this week should be no different. Devin Deshaies has three wins, with Brendon Hammann close behind with two. Mason Tessier had a rough start to the year, but spun it back in his own direction last week, scoring his first win of the season. Additional drivers who haven’t won, but have been competitive, include Reese Bogue, Isaiah Newcomb, Brenden LaBelle and Josh Parsons. The second round of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series will help decide who makes the finale round for the Legends Cars, which is set for August 5. In the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks, Mike Henriques heads into the 25-lap feature this week fresh-off his first win of the season, with Greg Perry, a two-time feature winner, coming home in the runner-up spot last week. While those two have been strong, Danny Massa has a 10-point lead over Jeremy Lambert in the standings. Both of those drivers have been to Victory Lane — but the next two in the points battle — Sam Lincoln and Jordan Threllfall — would like to get there for the first time this Friday night. Both Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero divisions have been competitive all year, with the Outlaw division running through Chase Silvia in the first six weeks. Silvia has five wins behind the wheel of the No. 17, and has a comfortable lead over Andrew Gomes. However, with the new playoff system this year, all that matters is making the top six in the point standings in the Bandolero class. Currently, Mikey LeFort III leads Bobby Bettencourt III for the final playoff spot by four points, with Adam Harrison and Bradley Strickland just 8 points back. As the playoffs inch closer, will the Outlaw division be Seekonk’s closest battle to make it into the playoffs? The Bandit division has three different winners so far, with Darren Krantz Jr. winning the first three events, followed by two straight by Milania Shilosky and last weeks winner Ryan Vanasse Jr. Heading into their 15-lap feature this week, Sam Macedo, Collin Vanasse and Bryson Robidoux will all be looking for their first wins of the season, while RJ Murphy looks to repeat his podium last week and get even closer to the front. The Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4 division closed up last week when Crystal Murray had a tire failure, meaning she leads Jarrod Freitas and Tyler Duhancik by just six points. However, the battle for the top-8 spots is also competitive in this division. Stephanie Bruneau leads by six points over Justin Leduc, as the top-9 drivers seem to have separated themselves a bit from others. The Sport 4 division has multiple different winners so far, and names like Henry Lavallee and Duhancik could be adding their name this week. On NASCAR Saturday, the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman field has continued to impress fans this year, with Ed Perry, Craig Pianka and Chad Baxter all visiting Victory Lane so far. However — names like Doug Benoit, Tyler Almeida and Adam Pettey have been close to getting the job done. Baxter got his old faithful car back a few weeks ago and has multiple wins in a row under his belt leading into this weekend, but we will see if a two-week break changes things. The Pro Stocks will compete in the second round of their Everett’s Triple Crown, set for 60 laps, and it should be a close battle. In the first Triple Crown race, Mike Brightman barely held off Dave Darling, thrilling fans with a final 10 laps to remember. This time, will Darling get the edge? The eight-time track champion has yet to get to Victory Lane in 2022 as we hit the middle of July. Tommy Adams, Tom Scully Jr., Ryan Vanasse and others will look to make their own mark on this special event. The Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks are coming off their own two-week break, and as one of Seekonk’s most competitive divisions, their race for the playoffs is also close. Amy Arsenault leads Tom Scully III by just eight points for the final playoff spot, while the top-six drivers seem to have distanced themselves. Jake Vanada is seventh, just six points ahead of Arsenault. All three of them will look for their first wins of the season this week in the 25-lap feature on Saturday, trying to beat the likes of recent winner Brittany Campbell, Barry Shaw Jr., Mike Cavallaro, Rick Martin, Mike Duarte and others. In the Late Models, this division is coming off one of the more intense races in recent memory — a three-wide battle for the lead in the last round of the Triple Crown Series. Their 30-lap feature this week will be a battle between points leader Gerry DeGasparre Jr., Vinnie Arrenegado, Chase Belcher, Richie Murray and others. Saturday also includes another round of racing for the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags — their second straight weekend of action. Early in their season, Richie Johnson leads the points battle over Mike Vincent and Joe Defarias. Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m., while NASCAR Saturday takes the green flag at 6 p.m. Tickets for both nights are available in advance at SeekonkSpeedway.com and will also be available at the track on race day. Tickets for all of the 2022 Seekonk Speedway events are also available online. Seekonk Speedway has multiple major events coming up including the second annual Bay State Classic on Wednesday, July 27, worth $10,000 to win with the Pro All Star Series in town. The Midsummer Thrill Show is also scheduled for Saturday, July 30. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. |
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