With eight-time track champion Dave Darling not committing to running a full-time Pro Stock slate at Seekonk Speedway in 2023, the championship battle appears to be wide open. Heading into the second year of the Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel, if we learned anything in 2022, anything can happen. And with a strong contingent of drivers expected to battle for glory during the season, the champion in 2023 will have gone through a lot to hold the trophy high in the air on September 30. 


Darling – who has dominated most of the last decade in the division – says he isn’t planning on running all of the races. How many will he run? It all depends, and it’s unknown exactly. Will he run enough to make the playoffs and contend for the title? Will he miss the playoffs all together and leave the door wide open for someone to slide in?


Mark Jenison picked up his first career Pro Stock title last year, scoring the big win on the final night of the Drive For The Cup, also capturing the Late Model title on the same night. Jenison is coming back to the Pro Stocks in 2023 – looking for a repeat – and with the speed the car had late in the season last year, look out for Mark to be a factor all year.  


The next contingent of drivers looking to compete with Jenison includes calculated veterans who know how to get the job done. Former track champions Tom Scully Jr., Mike Brightman, Ryan Lineham, Bobby Pelland III, Rick Martin, Dylan Estrella, Tommy Adams and Kevin Casper are all registered and intend to race. Not all of these drivers are Pro Stock champions – but some are – and all of them have at least one championship in a NASCAR Saturday division. 


In the case of Radical Rick Martin, a few championships later, he’s coming back to the Pro Stocks with a point to prove in 2023. Last year, he made the Final Four drivers, and won the Sport Truck title. Can the 2023 season mark yet another Pro Stock title for him? What about Tom Scully Jr? Last year was certainly up and down for him, with the big win a week after the sudden passing of Tom Scully Sr., and a Final Four appearance. If Scully decides to run the full calendar and races with the same speed and tenacity we are used to from him, look out for a run at a second track title.


Brightman was arguably one of Darling’s closest contenders throughout most of the 2022 season – beating him in a Triple Crown race, winning multiple other times, and making the finals with a shot at the title. Brightman has made it clear during the winter his goals are to win the Pro Stock championship in 2023. If the speed returns in the No. 27, it should be an achievable goal if the cards fall correctly. 


Ryan Lineham, Bobby Pelland and Dylan Estrella are all former Late Model champions, entering this season with a bit of different recent backgrounds. Lineham is coming off a mixed slate in the Sportsman and Pro Stocks last year, and has registered to do battle in the Pro Stocks again in 2023. Pelland ran the full schedule last year, winning a race, and just missing the Final Four. Estrella, coming off a year touring with the Granite State Pro Stock Series, is returning to his home roots looking to bring Everett’s Auto Parts back to the top in the leading Seekonk division. Watch out for all three of these impressive contenders to be threats for wins all year, and a major threat for the title if they can make the Final Four. 


Former Seekonk Sport Truck champion Kevin Casper intends to return to Seekonk this season as well in the Phil’s Propane No. 88. Casper may have taken some time off from Seekonk and did some touring himself, but look out for the team to be up to speed quickly.


Tommy Adams is another former Seekonk Late Model champion who won his first Pro Stock race in 2022. The speed under the hood of the 56 in the Pro Stocks was great last year and he will be a threat going into a new season. He will be joined by the likes of teammates Colbey Fournier and Kenny Spencer. Fournier ended last year in Victory Lane in the finale, while Spencer struggled in the No. 0 as a former track champion himself.


Other contenders include Daryl Stampfl, a veteran of racing, Ryan Souliere, a newcomer to the division last year, former Sport Truck regular Kenneth Lavallee, Rookie contender and former Pure Stock winner Mike Rotondo driving the famed Rollie Lindblad No. 48 and many more. Look out for Late Model driver Jeramee Lillie to also compete more in the Pro Stocks in 2023.


Names like Ryan Vanasse (former Late Model champion, planning a partial schedule), Danny Thibeault, Billy Joerres and others will also be names to watch entering the 2023 campaign.


The Pro Stocks will open their 2023 season on Sunday, May 7, as part of Seekonk Speedway’s 78th season opening weekend. On Saturday, May 6, the annual Car Show & Go returns to the Action Track of the East, while opening day roars the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series divisions to life at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 7. Tickets for opening day and all Seekonk Speedway 2023 events are available today at SeekonkSpeedway.com.

One of New England’s most exciting divisions returns to the Action Track of the East, and if you look at what happened the last few years, this division is going to keep fans on the edge of their seats all year for every single lap.


Defending champion Mark Jenison, a veteran, returns as the ringleader of the division as the drivers prepare for more three-wide, side-by-side racing. Jenison won the title in the inaugural Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel last year and will be a threat to make it two straight in 2023. 


However, the list of challengers right on his back will be tough to beat. Former division champions Gerry DeGasparre Jr. and Vinnie Arrenegado, along with former track champions Richie Murray, Josh Hedges, Chase Belcher and Mike Duarte are also registered to chase the crown. Throw in Jacob “Rowdy” Burns and others and you have what is shaping up to be a season to remember.


DeGasparre Jr. dominated much of the season last year and came up just short of the title, but if the speed in the No. 71 returns again in 2023, look for him to park in Victory Lane often. Will his eighth track title be a possibility when September 30 comes around?


Arrenegado may have struggled through some of last year, but he’s coming back with a newer chassis and looking to return with a vengeance. He’s a proven winner, and when he gets hot, he’s sizzling. The No. 17 team has what it takes to make the Final Four, win a lot of races, and contend for the title.


Former Sport Trucks champions Murray, Belcher, Hedges and Duarte are also all considered to be threats going into the season. Murray picked up his first career Late Model win in 2022 and was one of the most consistent drivers in the division, driving the No. 08 to multiple top-five finishes. He came up just one spot short of the title last year and is hungry to get back to the Final Four and improve that by one position in 2023. 


Belcher, who entered the final corner of the finale last year side-by-side with eventual champion Jension, may feel like he has something to prove. But the speed in the Everett’s Auto Parts No. 35 over the years has been great, and it should be back for him this racing season. Hedges, who ran a partial schedule in 2022, is planning a full-time schedule this season. Will a new surge of confidence and anticipation going into the season help propel him to victory? Will Duarte run a full-time schedule for both his Late Model and Sport Truck, or focus on the Truck again and run just select Late Model events?


A few other drivers to watch going into the season include Burns, Connor Souza and Tyler Tomassi. Burns was no stranger to the front of the field in Seekonk’s Legend Cars before moving to the Late Models, and quickly proved last year he has the speed and drive to race up front in this competitive class. There are certainly many situations where Burns will be in contention to win again, and should be considered a driver to watch in the race for the championship. Souza, who plans to return to Seekonk after touring with the Trucks the last few years, almost won a Late Model race late last season, and will be one to watch to score his first trophy. After a year or two in the Pro Stocks, Tomassi, a former Seekonk Bandolero winner, has registered his Late Model with announced intentions to run the third-mile full-time in 2023.  


Other registered names like Ryan Souliere, Dane Saritelli, Nick Uhrig, Bill Goodrow, Paul Lallier and others. Although many of these drivers aren’t expected to run full-time, keep their names in mind in case they decide to compete in a weekly slate. Goodrow and Lallier did in 2022.


Fans can’t forget Jeramee Lillie, who ran full-time last year and nearly won races, and Charlie Rose Jr. – a former track standout – who is the defending Star Speedway Late Model champion, and won at Seekonk last summer.


Look out for Nathan Tracy, Fred Bonalewicz, Ryan Vanasse and Kevin Bowe to also make appearances.


The Late Models will open their 2023 season on Sunday, May 7, as part of Seekonk Speedway’s 77th season opening weekend. On Saturday, May 6, the annual Car Show & Go returns to the Action Track of the East, while opening day roars the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series divisions to life at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 7. Tickets for opening day and all Seekonk Speedway 2023 events are available today at SeekonkSpeedway.com.

 Seekonk Speedway is excited to announce the addition of 1 Connection Recreational Cannabis Dispensary to the sponsorship program at the Massachusetts third-mile for the 2023 season. 
 
Located in Dighton, Massachusetts, 1 Connection is one of the top Massachusetts dispensaries and aims to provide the best quality recreational cannabis, cannabis extracts, and infused products that are currently available in the market. They strive to enhance lives through the goodness of medical and recreational cannabis. At 1 Connection, they are there to help you find your favorite strain, products and delivery methods, whether you are new to cannabis or not. 
 
“Our story is rooted in the belief that we are all connected to each other. Through quality cannabis we can strengthen our relationship with nature, with our community, and ourselves. We know not everyone is alike, and neither is cannabis,"  Dawn Gardner, Chief Operating Officer of 1 Connection, said. "At 1 Connection, we’re here to help you find your favorite strain, products, and delivery methods, whether you’re new to the cannabis world or an experienced user. We believe EVEYONE NEEDS A CONNECTION.”
 
Visit them at 200 Williams Street in North Dighton, MA, online at 1connectionllc.com or give them a call today at 508-386-3866.
 
“Big thanks to 1 Connection for adding to a list of many sponsors committed to helping our 2023 season be a big one at Seekonk Speedway,” Ed St. Germain, Director of Business Development at Seekonk Speedway, said. “We are excited to get rolling on the first weekend in May thrilling our race fans with some of the best motorsports racing in the United States.”
 
Seekonk Speedway’s 2023 race season begins on Sunday, May 7 with opening day for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series divisions – the Pro Stocks, Late Models, Sportsman and Sport Trucks. One day prior on Saturday, May 6, the annual Car Show & Go Returns along with NASCAR Saturday division practice. Tickets for all events for the new season are available now at SeekonkSpeedway.com. 
 
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates.

SEEKONK, Mass. – For the first time in Seekonk Speedway history, Craig Pianka enters a new season as the defending champion of the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman. After making the Final Four in the inaugural Sunoco Drive For The Cup, Pianka made a last-lap pass to cement his first title into the track record books last season. And as the 2023 season begins, Pianka is one of the many favorites to make it back to that point for a new year.
Pianka has been in the division longer than most, and knows the way around the track, and his car, well. As with any champion, he needed a little bit of racing luck on his side to be able to do the job last year. With Andrew Kun as his crew chief, the speed will be there, and Pianka could put the whole thing together and go back-to-back if the cards fall.


Behind him, the battle is on to close the gap and knock him off.


Chad Baxter has dominated the Sportsman division the past few years, winning the 2021 title and coming up just one spot short last year. It was in the middle of the summer when he returned to his old faithful car and she was a rocket to push him into the finals a year ago. Expect Baxter to win multiple times during a new year and be right there when it comes time to crown a champion, if he runs enough races to qualify for the playoffs.


Ed Perry, Adam Pettey, Steve Axon, Ryan Lineham, Scott Serydynski Jr., Cody Tripp and Tyler Almedia are a few others to watch. Perry is one of the most exciting drivers at Seekonk Speedway on a weekly basis, hands down. He’s shown the speed over the last few years to win races and it could certainly correlate into him contending for the title in 2023. 


Steve Axon might not run full-time every year, but when he’s there, he’s in contention to win races. If he runs enough, he would certainly be in contention for the championship. Same can be said for Ryan Lineham, who has bounced around between the Late Models, Pro Stocks and Sportsman in the last few years. Quite the difference between the divisions – but he always seems to be there in contention.


Pettey is a proven winner, but hasn’t quite shown the consistency to be called champion yet. With countless years in the division now under his belt, is the new season the time for him? Another Pettey is also registered for the season in the No. 43 – Dean Pettey – a name many track fans are familiar with. 


Scott Serydynski Jr. had arguably the best year of his short career last year and looks to build on that going into 2023. Cody Tripp, with a new car, looks to get the consistency he needs to chase his first feature win. Almedia, who really came into his own during the 2022 season, also has consistency in mind, but wants that first checkered flag. 

Radical Rick Martin dominated the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks in 2022, and there’s not much other way to say it. Countless wins, dominating performances, top speed and more, Martin returned to the top of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Division IV Seekonk Speedway class in style driving for Richie’s Insulation in his familiar No. 14.


Entering 2023, the real story in the Sport Trucks is – will anyone be able to knock him off the top? A few drivers come to the top of mind when looking at the list of registered contenders – Brittany Campbell, Mike Duarte, Jake Vanada, Amy Arsenault and Mike Cavallaro. All of these contenders are proven winners, and a few of them former champions. Let’s start there. 


Cavallaro has seven championships, and would love to join Dave Darling as the only eight-time champion in the history of Seekonk Speedway. A midseason wreck in 2022 sidelined his normal Truck for part of the season and he struggled to get the backup ride exactly where he wanted it to be. Will 2023 bring a new push of speed for him? Duarte, who made the Final Four of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup last season, returns looking to get back there, but seal the deal. Duarte is often around the top-five at the end of Sport Truck action and should be for most of the events again in 2023. He’s a proven winner, and champion.


Campbell is another proven winner in the division. She’s driving the Watermark Electric No. 8 full speed into 2023 and will look to be a champion. She would become just the fourth female driver in the history of Seekonk Speedway to be crowned champion if she can accomplish the task, and she is expected to be a contender for that, and multiple feature wins along the way.


Amy Arsenault is right there with Campbell looking to park the No. 9 at the front. Arsenault, a former regular in the Fast Friday Pure Stocks, has multiple Sport Trucks wins already to her credit. She was also recently named to the Busch Light Accelerate Her Program in partnership with Woman in Motorsports North America, which only gives her additional confidence.


Jake Vanada, who missed a race and still made a run at the Sport Truck title last year, is returning to the Action Track of the East in 2023 with confidence booming. After the birth of his first child early in the offseason, and him grabbing a second Truck for the stable during the winter, look out for Vanada to come out of the gate strong after a top-five finish in the books already in Connecticut. 


Tom Scully III, Bobby Tripp and Daryl Church also have to be considered. Scully improved consistently over last season, picking up his first career win in the No. 5, and cementing the Scully name even further in the track record books. With a year under his belt, can he improve to winning multiple events? Tripp, coming back to competition for 2023, will return to the Everett’s Auto Parts stable in the No. 88. He’s expected to win, and win often, when driving for that organization. He should surely make the playoffs and contend for the title. Church has been around the division for years, and went back to Victory Lane last year. Don’t count him out when you look at drivers who can win and contend for that championship. 

Saturday April 22


Time to put some cars on the track and get the 2023 season rolling! 


Open to all SEEKONK Divisions except Bandoleros.


Pit Gate opens @ 9 am and practice runs 12-4.  $25 per person.


Tire sales will open at 10 am


General Admission gates for grandstands will not be open for this practice, the grandstands will be open for free for the May6th practice. 


Please plan accordingly for food and beverage as concessions will NOT be open  in the pits.

SEEKONK, Mass. – Seekonk Speedway is pleased to announce that Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck NASCAR Saturday driver Amy Arsenault has been selected to be part of the Busch Light Accelerate Her program for the 2023 racing season. As part of the program, Woman in Motorsports North America is teaming with Busch Light to support females who are chasing a career in NASCAR, including short-track racing. The group has combined to form a points system that will be used during the season to calculate and reward females with the largest sums of points at the end of the year with monetary awards.


Last year, Busch Light committed to spending $10 million over 2022, 2023 and 2024 to elevate women in the sport. Their main objectives, per their press release: “to provide more funding, track time, media exposure, and training to prospective female NASCAR racers aged 21 or older.”


Arsenault fits the brand perfectly – right here at your local NASCAR Home Track. As part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series in the Division IV Sport Trucks, Arsenault has been to Victory Lane multiple times driving the No. 9, and advanced into the round of six last year in the inaugural Sunoco Drive For The Cup championship battle. For 2023, she’s looking forward to returning to the track to compete for wins at a high level. Being selected to the Woman in Motorsports Busch Light Accelerate Her program only gives her additional drive and confidence behind the wheel.


“I got a random call in January asking me a bunch of questions and I figured I was too old for the program and forgot about it,” Arsenault said. “In February, I got another call, followed by a request for stats and then by March I received the email and a contract welcoming me to the program. I was pretty shocked and emotional and the first thing I did was cry and then text and call my family. These are the people that have supported me for the last 18 years that I have been racing and most importantly, the people that have encouraged me in the last year to keep dreaming big.”


Arsenault’s history at Seekonk Speedway has deep roots, as she began her racing in the Fast Friday Pure Stock division. Her father, Robert “Sparky” Arsenault is a multiple-time Sportsman champion at Seekonk Speedway. Amy has been racing in the Sport Trucks for multiple seasons. She’s joined in that division by Brittany Campbell, another successful feature winner. Seekonk Speedway has multiple female champions in track history.

​The points system for the 2023 season, created by the Woman in Motorsports North America, rewards women drivers based on their merit and race results during the year. The system includes factors like race length, size of the fields, level of competition and cost of competing in their class. Amy will begin accumulating points during NASCAR Opening Day at Seekonk Speedway on Sunday, May 7, through September 30 on championship night. The top three finishers in the series will be rewarded with $125,000, $50,000 and $25,000, respectively. 


“It’s a huge deal,” Arsenault said. “I would have never dreamed of being considered, never mind being sought out and contracted. Racing has always just been something fun that I could do with my dad – so the thought of it coming this far is cool. My dad and brother were always successful at racing and I have consistently been trying to keep up. I am excited for the chance to get some exposure for Seekonk Speedway, bring awareness to female racers and for the chance to earn the funds to part towards my racing. I am also hoping that this exposure may help bring some new sponsors on board to help fund the season.”


The Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks will join the Pro Stocks, Late Models and Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman for Seekonk’s 77th opening day on Sunday, May 7. The entire month of May includes action-packed racing on every weekend – including the annual Car Show & Go on Saturday, May 6, one day before NASCAR Opening Day. Two NASCAR Saturday showdowns on May 13 & 20, Fast Friday opening night on May 26 and the Memorial Day Thrill Show on May 27 will wrap a full month to open the year.


New for 2023, Seekonk Speedway fans should be aware that hot coffee will no longer be sold at the concession stands. With the new ticketing system, where fans can buy tickets for all events online at SeekonkSpeedway.com, tickets are cheaper online and there will be a limited number of ticketing agents at the gates on race day. Ticket prices for general admission for NASCAR Saturday normal events are $18 (unless a special event), but online are $15 plus processing fees. Fans who purchase tickets online will have access to the grandstands 30 minutes before those who purchase at the track and will also pay less.


Fans can purchase tickets for all May events and all races at the Seekonk Speedway in 2023 by visiting SeekonkSpeedway.com. For more information on the track, fans are encouraged to visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.

Tire sales will begin on Wednesday, April 19 from 5:30-7:30 PM and will also take place on April 22 at practice from 10 am till 2 pm. 
Tire sales will also be on Wednesday April 26th from 5:30pm - 7:30 pm and again at practice on May 6th from 10 am till 2 pm.


You MUST have a car registered for 2023 with BOTH an owner AND driver in order to purchase tires. NO exceptions will be made.


Check out the Rules page on the website for updated 2023 Tire Rules 


https://www.seekonkspeedway.com/rules-and-registrations.html

See below for Pro Stock, Late Models, Sportsman and Sport Truck