![]() 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.
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![]() 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. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — The final corner of Saturday’s Pro Stock feature in round one of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup was all that mattered in the 45-lap race. Kenny Spencer had dominated the main event, leading all of the 44 laps prior and looking like he might finally shake the monkey off his back and get his first win of the season. However, in the final corner, it all fell apart. Tommy Adams and Spencer made contact, and Spencer went spinning in front of the field. While Spencer spun, so did Adams across the line, and he collected eight-time champion Dave Darling in the process. At the end of the final results, Adams was placed to the rear for the contact, and Darling finished in the rear of the finishing cars. This meant Darling and Adams were both eliminated from the Drive For The Cup playoff contention. The official finish showed Brightman winning followed by Tom Scully Jr., Mark Jenison, Bobby Pelland, Colbey Fournier, Ryan Vanasse, Dick Benoit, Rick Martin, Danny Thibeault and Billy Joeress. The Pro Stocks will return to the track for round two of the Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel on Saturday, September 16. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — For the second time in 2022, Jacob “Rowdy” Burns found his way to the front to carry the checkered flag in the Late Models on Saturday night. Burns used the outside lane to work from the bottom of the top-five to the front, rocketing past Josh Hedges for the top spot just before halfway, then driving away from the pack in the final laps to score the feature win. Hedges led the opening laps — one week of his wedding — but Burns was able to slide around, leaving the race for second between DeGasparre and Hedges. Gerry was able to get around and finish in the runner-up spot, while Hedges finished in third. Richie Murray continued a consistent season with a top-five finish in fourth, while Vinnie Arrenegado finished out the top-five. Chase Belcher was sixth, followed by Mark Jenison, Ryan Floor, Jerammee Lillie and Luke Lebrun. Out of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup drivers in round one, Lillie and Paul Lallier were eliminated from playoff contention. The Late Models will return to the track for round two of the Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel on Saturday, September 16. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — Ryan Lineham returned to prime form in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman on Saturday night. Lineham used the inside lane, and the outside lane, to work his way up through the field in the 30-lap race in round one of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, and became the first non-playoff driver to win a race on the night. While Lineham won for the first time in a few years in the Sportsman, the race for second was close at the end, with playoff drivers Scott Serydynski Jr. and Colby Lambert crossing second and third on the podium. Chad Baxter, the division domination driver again in 2022, had a flat tire early, but was able to race his way back up to a fourth-place finish, surviving to round two. Sparky Arsenault, a multiple-time former champion, returned to action and rounded out the top-five. Chris Rioux finished in sixth, followed by Ed Perry, Joe Kohler, Crystal Serydysnki and Ed Flanagan Jr. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman will return to the track for round two of the Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel on Saturday, September 16. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — Rick Martin’s sixth victory of the season in the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks came at the perfect time. Martin put together nearly a perfect performance in the 30-lap opener of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup and rocketed to Victory Lane, besting Jake Vanada and Mike Duarte on the podium to return to the top of the division once again. Martin has been the top contender in the Trucks all year — now closing in on winning half of the races run so far in 2022. He drove to the front, and drove away into glory. Duarte was running second until a late caution, but Vanada was able to slide around and grab the runner-up spot by the finish. Duarte would settle for third, followed by Barry Shaw Jr and Brittany Campbell. All five of the top-five contenders at the finish, also including sixth-place Amy Arsenault, all advanced to round two of the playoffs. Danny Thibeault finished in seventh, followed by Darryl Church, Marissa Morgan and Tyler Tomassi. The Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks will return to the track for round two of the Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel on Saturday, September 16. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. ![]() NASCAR Saturday Goes Into Playoff Mode As Drive For The Cup Begins By Sam Tully SEEKONK, Mass. – It feels like about five minutes ago that we were rounding the corner to summer, and with that, the days getting longer and warmer, race cars rolling out from hibernation, and our friendly neighborhood third-mile asphalt oval roaring back to life for another season. Thirteen race weekends, two rainouts (three… sorry, Pro Stocks), a visit from the Pro All Star Series and a few Thrill Show breaks later, and we are staring down the barrel of the final three race weekends of the year. But this year, these next three weekends won’t be your average September sprint to crown four champions. Instead, the next three Saturdays will see a battle to survive in the first ever Seekonk Speedway Drive for the Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuels. Eight drivers sit atop the points standings in each of our four Saturday divisions, battle-worn after a season-long campaign, proving to their on-track counterparts that they deserve a championship bid. With the passing of the regular-season finale on August 27, the door has been sealed, the gate has been shut, the plane is rolling down the runway and preparing for departure. Eight drivers will enter, then there will be six, then four, until at last, one driver is crowned track champion. Buckle up, and please secure all baggage in the overhead compartment. Let’s take a look at our championship contenders. CHAZ’S AUTO BODY SPORT TRUCKS The top eight were all but settled when the Chaz’s Auto Body Sport Truck division rolled out for their regular-season finale. Tom Scully III had just an eight point advantage over Jake Vanada for the final playoff spot going into the weekend, and after qualifying efforts, the odds were ever in Vanada’s favor. Vanada started second and Scully 10th in a 25-lapper that went green-to-checkered, and at the conclusion, Vanada crossed the line third, eight places ahead of Scully in 11th, earning himself more than enough points needed to lock in a championship berth. With bags in hand and the final call to board being made, Vanada sprinted through the gate just in time to take his seat for the drive (flight?) to the cup. Scully will have to wait on standby for another season. Departing from air travel analogies entirely now, it’s time to get serious about who has what it takes to make it through to championship weekend and race for the cup. The fact of the matter is: they all do. So, let’s draw from some stats to help paint a picture of which drivers might have momentum on their side and who might need to get hot when it matters most. Points leader Rick Martin is also the leader in the wins column among the Sport Trucks, notching five of them so far this season. In fact, three of them have come in the last six weeks, taking down the win every other week since July 16. Should this trend hold up, that would mean “The Radical One” is due for his sixth win to start the playoffs. Barry Shaw shares a couple of stats with Martin: they are both tied for most top-five finishes, at 10 a piece this season. Shaw is also the only other driver in the division to celebrate a win more than once this year, claiming two of his own. Let’s not forget, Shaw is your defending Sport Truck champion from 2021, and could well make it back-to-back championships here in a couple of weeks. Mike Duarte and Brittany Campbell both joined the win column with one win a piece, yet both made trips to the podium with top-three finishes several times: Duarte with three thirds and two seconds, and Campbell with four seconds and one third. What’s interesting comparing these two, is that although Duarte has three more points on the season than Campbell, Campbell has a stronger average finish - her 4.8 compared to Duarte’s 5.6. Then you have Mike Cavallaro - the multiple-time division champion who is going to be faced with a whole different animal in the new format to make it another. Speaking of a different animal, Cavallaro has been forced to drive a different-than-planned set of wheels for the back half of this season, following a wreck which nearly totaled his primary ride. Despite the adversity, Cavallaro has dialed in his truck and notched back-to-back fourths in recent weeks, putting himself right back at the top of the pile in time for playoffs. Darryl Church made it into the win column during the regular season finale, capping a bit of a journey of a regular season on a high note - and what a time to do it. In a format where winning is clearly going to be the best strategy to survive and advance, gearing up to start a little win streak right before playoffs begin is not a bad strategy at all. Amy Arsenault was the unfortunate victim of an entirely different kind of streak to start this season, dealing with race-ending mechanical failures and incidents for a handful of weeks early on. Since then, it’s been a totally different tale, highlighted by a race win on July 23, and complemented with another top five to boot. Look for Arsenault to continue running clean and green, and adding to those stat totals when it really matters most these next three weeks. Jake Vanada’s road to the playoffs was surely more eventful than he would have liked. Overcoming both an absence and a disqualification, Vanada’s late season points race drama undermines how strong he and the No. 29 really were at times this season. Though he has not yet won a race, he scored seven top-fives. When you look at his average finish across his twelve races, had he not been stripped of his second place on July 16, his average finish would have been about a 5.2 - fourth best out of the division. HELGER’S SOUTH COAST POWER EQUIPMENT SPORTSMAN The Helger’s South Coast power Equipment Sportsmans’ final playoff driver was essentially locked in as soon Tyler Almeida took the green last week, and Steve Axon was absent for a third-straight week. Now, out of our eight playoff contenders, one of them is unlike the others. That would be Chad Baxter, who has won seven out of the last eight races. The reigning champion has been on absolute cruise control the last two months. It is hard to imagine Baxter running into any sort of fall off as we approach the business end of the season, but racing is a crazy sport, and anything can happen with this new playoff format. The next two drivers who can at least hold a candle to Baxter as far as success in the win column are Craig Pianka and Ed Perry. Pianka was the man to beat in May, winning three of four to start the season. Perry was right there going toe-to-toe, sprinkling in two of his own wins in May and June before the Baxter storm came. Pianka has remained a consistent presence toward the front of the pack since his early hot streak. Perry has been in the mix as well, but has been mired by a bit more adversity and middle-back finishes then surely he would have liked. Look for these two multi race-winners to get hot again as we go down the stretch. Scotty Serydynski Jr. leads a contingent of youth going into the playoffs, both in points and wins, as he was the only other driver to be named a feature winner. His four top-threes suggest he’s perhaps a couple adjustments and maybe a Chad Baxter away from adding to that win total this September and stamping the family name into the history books as champion one more time. Adam Pettey was hot on Serydynski’s heels this season as far as strong showings from the group of young drivers. Though he did not win, he came close, scoring a whopping nine top-five finishes (tied second-most with Pianka), among them three seconds and three thirds. While Pettey sure leaves it all out on the track week in and week out, it could be quite a thing for him to save that first win for championship weekend. Colby Lambert and Tyler Almedia are the other two young drivers who punched their ticket to the playoff dance. Both Lambert and Almeida pieced together solid campaigns, earning three and two top fives, respectively. Lambert’s average finish is about an 8.4, and Almeida’s a 10.8. Save Lambert’s fifth place on August 13, the top five has eluded these two drivers this half of the summer. Look for Lambert and Almeida to conjure some dark horse energy and make a strong showing these next three weeks. Last but not least, Doug Benoit piloted a strong yet arguably quiet 2022 season to date. Mustering just three top-five finishes and an average finish of 8.4, Benoit managed to sit no lower than fourth in points since at least June 11. Look for Benoit to draw from his championship-winning experience of recent years in Friday’s Pure Stock Division as he looks to make some playoff waves here in his sophomore season in the Sportsman division. LATE MODELS The Late Model Division is truly wide open for the taking. The regular season rounded out with the reigning champion, Vinnie Arrenegado Jr., sitting high atop the points standings after coming off his second win of the season. Yet, for much of the season, it was seven-time division champion Gerry DeGasparre Jr. who sat on top of the points heap, scoring three wins of his own. Almost every week we saw a new winner this season. In fact, it took until week eight to see our first repeat winner, with DeGasparre breaking that trend. Chase Belcher was the second driver to do so, notching his second win of the season the following week. Belcher’s strong season was complemented by two more top-five finishes, allowing him to sit fifth in points comfortably since early June. Count on Belcher to keep beating the consistency drum all the way through to championship weekend. Richie Murray was the first to chip in with a win on opening day, and would go on to score nine total top-five finishes, leading the rest of his competitors in the metric so far this season. This young gun is sure handed at the helm of his late model to say the least, especially on the edge during three-wide racing, which fans were treated to on multiple occasions this season. Look for Murray to strike as early and often in the playoffs as he did to start the season. Mark Jenison, Jacob Burns, and Paul Lallier all filed in to pick up wins of their own. Jenison and Lallier both scored their wins at the hands of split-second margains, reminding all how tenacious they can be around the third-mile, and that they are going to be tough to top right down to the checkered flag. Jenison and Lallier combined likely have more years of racing experience than Burns has celebrated birthdays, but look for Burns to show everyone that age is just a number this September. Jeramee Lillie is the odd man out as far as wins go, as he remains the only winless driver among his playoff counterparts for now. Certainly didn’t happen due to no lack of effort, as the No. 3 finished second best a crushing three times, second most only to Jenison. Watch out for Lillie to break through the winless streak and cash in when it matters most during a drive to the cup. PRO STOCKS Seekonk Speedway’s heavyweight division features a storyline that anyone who has been to a race within the last 15 years is well aware of: Dave Darling’s dominant reign over the Pro Stocks. By now, we’ve all seen the “Anyone but Dave Darling 2022” t-shirts, and for the first few weeks, it looked like the field of Pro Stock challengers were gearing up to manifest a new king of the division for the first time in five seasons. Mike Brightman was the first to step forward, winning two of three features right off the bat, and eventually grabbing a third on July 23. Division rookie Tommy Adams chimed in with a week-two win, catapulting himself forward on a playoff-worthy season on just his first go, later doubling down with another win on August 20. Look for both of these drivers to keep pace in the win column and make a deep playoff run in September. Mark Jenison and Tom Scully Jr. jumped into the fray early on with feature wins of their own, coming in May and June respectively. Both Jenison and Scully enjoyed nearly more trips to the top five than anyone this season, with Jenison going six times (T-4th most with Bobby Pelland III) and Scully going eight times, second only to Darling. In fact, since June began, Scully has not finished outside of the top five. This level of consistency will surely pay dividends for these drivers in the form of a drive for the cup on championship weekend. Bobby Pelland and Colbey Fournier made plenty of waves in the deep end of the Pro Stocks this season. Both drivers scored multiple top fives: Pelland with six, and Fournier with five. Pelland and Fournier finished the regular season in near lock step, with Pelland ahead by six points, but both sharing an average finish of 5.9. So, who has the edge here? Fournier did notch a second-place finish this season, which Pelland did not. What Pelland has done though, is win a championship here at Seekonk. Sure, it was in a different hot rod some eight years ago, but if it can happen once, surely it can happen again. A driver that knows a thing or two about making championships happen again and again (five times) in this division is Rick Martin. However, while he may be top dog in the Sport Trucks, he is last in on points here. Martin did miss a week of racing in the Pro Stocks, and out of the 10 races he made, he came home in the top five in just four of them. It’s been 12 years since Martin’s last track title, but a revised playoff format may just do the trick to help etch his name into the record books one more time. By the time the calendar had flipped over to July, Dave Darling still remained winless on the season - an unusual metric by Darling’s standards. Then the hammer dropped, and Darling went on to win three of four beginning July 16, and racked up his fourth feature during the regular season finale. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine that the reigning champion four years running would be left without a seat at the playoff table come championship weekend. All that said, with this brand new format, combined with the drama and chippiness that has unfolded this season in this division, going just a little too far over the edge could dash championship hopes in an instant, and no driver is immune to that reality. Can he win number nine? IN CONCLUSION The Action Track of the East is about to see championship racing that it has never seen before. This elimination-style system will surely push drivers to their limits, and there’s no telling what drivers will do to stay out of the drop zone as soon as the green flag waves.. If you’ve hung on this long, then congratulations and gratitude is in order. The best way to celebrate may well be to come on down to the biggest party in Southern New England when the Sunoco Race Fuels Drive For the Cup kicks off this Saturday, September 10 at 6:00 PM. For tickets and more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit seekonkspeedway.com. 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. SEEKONK, Mass. — The winged warriors are heading for the Action Track of the East this Wednesday night. Seekonk Speedway will light up the racing world with a mid-week event on Wednesday, August 24, as the annual Boston Louie Seymour Memorial hits the third-mile with both the NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites. Joining the card in their inaugural season, the Northeast Supermodified Series, presented by PASS, will also be on the track for 75 laps of exciting racing.
Former NASCAR Cup Series regular Ken Schrader is one of many drivers planning to compete at Seekonk this week. Schrader will be racing in both the NEMA Lites and the Supermodified Series, looking for a double-dip in Victory Lane at the end of the night. In the NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites, their championship races will heat up as the season winds down. In the current NEMA Midget points, Avery Stoehr leads multiple-time champion Randy Cabral, who is also a multiple-time Seekonk winner. John Zych, Alan Chambers and Jim Chambers are close behind, and all expected to be major contenders in the 29-lap feature. In the NEMA Lites, Jake Trainor leads the standings over Avery Stoehr, Paul Scally and Joey Bailey. Trainor is not only the defending NEMA Lite Boston Louie Seymour champion and the points leader, but he also scored a victory at Seekonk earlier this year on Open Wheel Wednesday. On that night, Cabral finished second, with rising star Mike Pernesiglio third, and Schrader in fourth spot. Schrader is no stranger to Seekonk. He competed at the track many years ago and over the last few years has been competing regularly in the NEMA Lite division. Both of the NEMA fields will be filled with drivers from all across the country including Indiana, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The NEMA divisions will be racing for the Stu Murry Cup on Wednesday. Stu was the former CEO of Wirtgen America, who showed many years of support to help get the Boston Louie Seymour Memorial race where it is today. The Northeast Supermodified Series field will be headlined by Schrader and current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader Jon McKennedy, who certainly knows how to get to the front of the field. In the Supermodified race, Schrader will be driving one of Vic Millers cars. The event will showcase some of the top names in the division, as the Supermodifieds bring their big speed and power to Seekonk. The Supermodified feature will be 75 laps and the field will be set by qualifying heat races. Calling the action in the booth for the 26th annual Boston Louie events will be Pete Falconi, along with Sirius XM Radio’s Jack Arute and Superstar Racing Experience announcer Allen Bestwick. For the Supermodified Series, Seekonk’s own Kevin Boucher will be in the booth to call all of the action. Fans attending the event are reminded that no pets are allowed at the Seekonk Speedway, and camping is not allowed on Speedway property. Following Wednesday, Seekonk Speedway will return to racing on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28, where the playoff fields will be set for the inaugural Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel. Racing on Friday begins at 7 p.m., and Saturday action rolls at 6 p.m. For more information on Seekonk Speedway and to purchase tickets for all remaining 2022 events, fans are encouraged to visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. |
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