SEEKONK, Mass. — Just two weekends remaining in the 2023 Seekonk Speedway short-track racing season, and it’s time to crown some champions at the end of the month. This weekend, September 22-23, the final four drivers in all nine track divisions will be set in the second round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, as championship weekend on September 29-30 is quickly closing in. As the drivers return to the track for both Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday, both Bandolero divisions will cut their playoff field from five to four, while all other divisions will cut from six to four. In all divisions, including Bandolero’s, the four eligible drivers who finish highest this week in their race will advance to the final four. The NASCAR Saturday Pro Stock battle eliminated Rick Martin and Dylan Estrella last week, leaving six to contend for this week. Mike Brightman, Bobby Pelland, Mark Jenison, Tom Scully Jr., Dick Benoit and Mike Rotondo are the six remaining drivers. The group includes a mix of veterans who have titles - two of them former Pro Stock champions and two former Late Model champions. Jenison is the defending Pro Stock champion, Scully won the title in 2016. They are joined by Brightman and Pelland, two former Late Model title holders who have been near the front of the pack all year long. Dick Benoit is a stranger to championship contention, but has shown consistent speed all year in the Pro Stocks in the Danny Cabral Racing entry. And Mike Rotondo - who is driving one of the New England region’s most historic rides - the Rollie Lindblad No. 48 special as a Rookie of the Year contender - has a shot at the championship. Four of them will advance, two will go home. The Late Model division is down to six, with two former division champions in the mix. Vinnie Arrenegado and Mark Jenison are the top-two seeds and enter both with championships - Jenison’s coming last year in this format. Arrenegado has been consistently strong all year with feature wins and another podium last week. Both will be tough to beat - but will have to contend with Jacob “Rowdy” Burns, who has won both of the first two playoff races, holding off Charlie Rose to do it last week. Rose, a veteran of racing at Seekonk and other tracks in New England, seems to have found some speed he needs just at the right time to contend for the title himself. Connor Souza and Chase Belcher might be the two dark-horses in the battle, but both are proven winners in the division. Belcher came down to the final few feet last year in contention for the title and was part of a wild wreck that ended up with Jenison as champion. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman division had a shake-up in their playoff battle after post-race inspection last week. With the disqualification of Chad Baxter, Steve Axon and Colby Lambert, the Sportsman field looks different entering round two than we originally thought. Axon still advances as the third seed, earning enough points in the first race of the playoffs to barely be in front of Lambert and Baxter, who have both been eliminated. That leaves Axon to battle top seeds Adam Pettey and Craig Pianka, Ryan Lineham, Randy Moretti and Don Perry. Lineham won last week - asserting his shot to make the final four strong as a former division champion. Pianka is the defending Sportsman champion, and “Captain Fun” would love to go out on top in his retirement season. Axon still has just as good of a chance as anyone to win the crown, and has been in contention right from the first laps of the season. Randy Moretti and Don Perry were originally eliminated, but are now back in. Do they have a chance to shock the division and make the Final Four this week? In Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck action, the first two weeks of the playoffs saw Dave Darling, a non-playoff driver, and Jake Vanada, the number two playoff seed, pick up feature wins. Vanada might be getting hot at just the right time, as the No. 29 has been fast all year, but a second playoff race win came at the perfect time. He will have to contend with Rick Martin, who needs no introduction and is also the defending Truck champion. Brittany Campbell scored a podium last week and the Busch Light Accelerate Her driver is certainly showing the speed she needs to make the Final Four. Speaking of Busch Light drivers, fellow female Amy Arsenault joins her in the final six and has been consistently picking up speed as the season winds down. Those four are joined by two other track veterans - Bobby Tripp and Mike Cavallaro - as contenders. Tripp and Cavallaro have both won this season and many times in their career. Cavallaro is a former multiple-time Truck champion. Picking the Final Four in this division is a tough task. On Fast Friday, Ryan Vanasse Jr. added yet another victory to his Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw season last week, cementing his spot in the final six. With the speed he’s had all year, he should be just about a lock to make the Final Four, but we will see what happens on Friday night. He’s joined in the remaining playoffs by Bryson Robidoux and Brent Robidoux - two brothers - who both have been showing consistent speed. Bryson is still looking for his first career win, but Brent has experience in this format, making the finals last year. Both Andrew Gomes and Collin Vanasse have also been up front all year and enter this week with a shot at the final four. Collin, the cousin of Ryan, may be one to watch when it comes down to the final laps. With only one driver being eliminated, no matter what, it should come down to the final laps in the Bandolero Outlaws. Will you be there on Friday night at 7PM to see it? The fellow youth racers in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits have been exciting to watch all year. In the final six you will find Nick Uhrig Jr., Sam Macedo, Parker Davis, Mike Hanafin and Mason Silva. The only of the remaining five that has not won this season is Mason Silva - but he has shown the speed to do it from time to time. Will he make his mark with a big first career win to advance to the Final Four? Davis leads everyone with five feature wins, including the first two races of the playoffs, and has put himself as the favorite for the title. But, Uhrig is a multiple-time winner, and how can you forget Macedo - who won the title last year in this format - without even winning a race all season. He got that out of the way earlier in the year, but still would love to make it back-to-back. And then you have Mike Hanafin, the son of former track Sportsman champion John Hanafin, who is going to do everything he can to make sure he advances. Crystal Murray and Jarrod Freitas won the first two races of the Sport 4 playoffs and both have to be considered favorites heading for the round of six. Murray is the defending champion with two wins this season and Freitas has dominated much of this year and enters this weekend as the top seed remaining, with Murray second. They are joined by former Thrill Show standout Richie Johnson, who picked up his first career Sport 4 win during the summer. Mikey LeFort, a former division champion, drives the Helger’s Racing No. 13 and is going to be a threat. They are joined by Christine Cavallaro and Daniel Hayes - certainly the two dark-horses to contend for the crown. But, they have made it this far, and have a chance to make their force felt this week. Who advances in the Sport 4’s? The Helger’s Pure Stock division is down to the final two weeks with six contenders ready to go. Scott Cestodio won four times early in the year and has been fast through the summer, entering as the top seed into the round of six. Ethan Souza won last week, and if you look at the overall standings for the entire season, he is out front. Danny Massa won the first race of the playoffs and is no stranger to the front, while Mike Henriques struggled in the first playoff race, but blasted his way into this round with a chance. Jared Cordeira and Greg Perry are the two lowest seeds entering the round of six, but that doesn’t matter to them - they are going for the gold. Even at this point, picking a Pure Stock champion is extremely difficult. All six of them are worthy of hoisting the crown. The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars Final Six drivers include Jacob “Rowdy” Burns, Isaiah Newcomb, Richie Helger Jr., Nicholaus Bulkeley, Brendan LaBelle and Josh Parsons. Like the Pure Stocks, all six of them have shown they are worthy to get to this point - all winning at least one race this season. Burns has a chance to make the Final Four in both the Late Models and the Legends Cars. Newcomb is coming off a sizzling hot stretch of victories in recent weeks, including the first two of the playoff races. Helger grabbed his first Legends Cars win a few weeks ago, while Bulkeley, Parsons and LaBelle have also all been right at the front of the pack. With how close they all are on speed, it may come right down to the final third-mile - literally - before the Final Four is decided. Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m., while NASCAR Saturday action is set to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for both nights and all remaining 2023 events are available online 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 information, including updates from the track on race day.
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SEEKONK, Mass. — For the ninth time in 2023, Ryan Vanasse Jr. added his name to the winner list at Seekonk Speedway on Friday night. In the conclusion of the first round of the Sunoco Drive For the Cup in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaws, Vanasse entered the final lap in the lead. There was contact in turn three coming to the checkered flag, and Collin Vanasse crossed the line first. But, officials deemed Collin would be docked two positions, giving Ryan the victory, Andrew Gomes second and Collin third after 15-laps. All three advanced to the next round of the championship playoffs, joined by Bryson Robidoux (fourth) and Brent Robidoux (seventh). Dylan Calabro scored his best finish of the season in fifth, while RJ Murphy, Brent Robidoux, Brody Wakefield, Zachary Keith and Jordan Duquette finished in the top-10 spots as well. Zachary Keith was the one driver eliminated from the Bandolero Outlaw playoffs. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaws will return to the track on Friday, September 22, for another 15-lap feature. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — Isaiah Newcomb has been no stranger to the front of the field in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars at Seekonk Speedway for most of 2023. Friday night, in the first race of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, Newcomb was out front right from lap one and never looked back. He started third, made a three-wide move to take the lead, and wasn’t to be denied in the final laps on multiple restarts. Newcomb, who ended the regular season second in points, is off to a strong start in his chase for the track championship in the playoffs. He was followed to the line after 25 laps by Josh Parsons and Brendan LaBalle, also playoff drivers. Three more playoff drivers followed in fourth through sixth: Jacob Burns, Richie Helger Jr and Nicholaus Bulkeley. Cole Robie, Chase Silvia, PJ Evans and Kevin Davis finished off the top-10. The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars will return to the track on Friday, September 15, for the second race in the first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — Danny Massa had his hands full in the first race of the first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, but when the checkered flag went in the air, he made sure all the hard work mattered. Massa captured the win in the opener of the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment playoff battle, holding off Scott Cestodio in the final laps to score the win. Ideally, Massa would have had some clear sailing early in the race. But, Cestodio was there right from the early going. He tried everything to get around, but wasn’t able to do it and opened his playoffs with a strong second-place finish. Sam Lincoln settled for third, a strong run for him, with Ed Gould and Jared Cordeira, who went to the rear early and had to charge back through the field, finishing fifth. Greg Perry, Ethan Souza, Bobby Bettencourt, Don Courtemanche and Mike Henriques finished off the top-10. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks will return to the track on Friday, September 15, for the second race in the first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — On a late arestart in the first race of the first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup for the Sport 4s, the defending division champion made sure to start off the playoffs right. Crystal Murray restarted second on lap 20, and used the outside lane to pass Jarrod Freitas for the lead, then drove away for the victory. It was the second win of the season for the defending division champion in the No. 38. Freitas finished second, opening his Sunoco Drive For The Cup title bid with a strong run. Behind them, Mikey LeFort worked through some traffic to finish in the third spot. Justin Leduc led laps early and finished fourth, while Sam Mattera rounded out the top-five. Former division champion Dave Westgate returned to finish sixth, with Richie Johnson, Andrew Rittman, Christine Cavallaro and Daniel Hayes completing the top-10. The Sport 4’s will return to the track on Friday, September 15, for the second race in the first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. ![]() Friday marked another exciting round of racing for Seekonk Speedway’s youth racing division, the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits. For the last month, the finishes across the line on the final lap have been close, clean and exciting to watch. This week, in round one of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, all three of those things were true again. When the field took the white flag, it was defending champion Sam Macedo out front. But, when they came down the backstretch, Nick Uhrig Jr. was to the inside and they entered the final two turns racing wheel-to-wheel for the lead. However, Parker Davis wasn’t going to be denied. He found a lane to the bottom, three-wide for the lead, and crossed the line just inches ahead of Nick Uhrig Jr. for the top spot. It was the fifth win of the season for Davis and on the transponder, he officially won by .015 seconds over Uhrig, with Macedo on the outside of the three-wide battles finishing .078 seconds back. Three-wide to the finish with Seekonk's youngest drivers. Mike Hanafin and Ryder Aguiar followed in fourth and fifth at the finish. The top-six drivers in the finishing order, including Mason Silva in sixth, are the six drivers battling for the 2023 championship in the playoffs. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits will return to the track on Friday, September 15, for the second race in the first round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. SEEKONK, Mass. — After a summer filled with veteran success, first-time winners and everything in between, Seekonk Speedway is ready for the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. This Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9, the championship rounds begin with a four-week playoff to crown the 2023 track champions.
Friday night, the five Fast Friday divisions are on track for their first race of the playoffs. On Saturday, the NASCAR Saturday divisions hit the third-mile. This weekend includes regular lap counts for all nine of Seekonk’s divisions - headlined by Saturday’s 40-lap Pro Stock main event. On Fast Friday, the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits and Outlaws, the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks, Sport 4’s and Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars are ready for battle. Youth racing is alive and well in the Bandolero divisions, with Sam Macedo looking to go back-to-back for titles in the Bandits, but he has a tough field ready to challenge him. In the Outlaws, Ryan Vanasse Jr. has been the dominant force all year, but will the playoffs kick-off on a high-note for the driver of the No. 11? In the Sport 4 class, Crystal Murray only has one victory this season, but her championship defense begins Friday night. Jarrod Freitas and Mikey LeFort have been the winningest drivers in 2023 - are they in prime spot to take the crown? Or is someone else? In the Helger’s Pure Stocks, Scott Cestodio cooled off a bit in the summer after a dominant start. Will former champion Greg Perry be his top challenger to contend with to win the 2023 track title? Or will someone like Sam Lincoln shake off some mid-season struggles and come on strong at the right time? The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars title chase might be the toughest one to predict going into it. Names like Jacob Burns, Isaiah Newcomb, Nicholaus Bulkeley, Richie Helger Jr., Brendan LaBelle and Josh Parsons have won races and are in the playoffs. But they are joined by Mason Tessier and Chase Silvia, two who have shown speed, but haven’t won yet. Will you need to win a race to win the title? Only time will tell. NASCAR Saturday’s Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck division is also tough to predict going into Saturday’s 25-lap playoff opener. Jake Vanada had a strong start to the year and has been consistent throughout, along with Brittany Campbell. But, is defending champion Rick Martin still the favorite going into the Sunoco Drive For The Cup? Or is someone else going to contend with them like recent winners Mike Duarte or Bobby Tripp? In the Helger’s Sportsman, former champion Chad Baxter might be coming on at just the right time. After winning the last two races, Baxter rolls into round one the favorite. But, he was the favorite last year, and Craig Pianka made a last-lap pass in the championship race to score the title. Pianka has dreams of winning back-to-back titles in his final season of racing, but names like Adam Pettey, Steve Axon and more will be looking to knock them off and hold the crown themselves. The 2023 Late Model division rolls into the playoffs with multiple drivers feeling the momentum. Vinnie Arrenegado, Jacob Burns and Luke LeBrun have been the three most consistent, fastest cars this season. But, defending champion Mark Jenison and Chase Belcher shouldn’t be overlooked. They are joined in the playoffs by Charlie Rose, Tyler Tomassi and Connor Souza, who is coming off his first career win last time on the track. And in the Pro Stocks, Jenison looks to repeat in this division as well. But, Dylan Estrella, Mike Brightman and Bobby Pelland III have been among the fastest cars all year, and will be threats when it comes time to decide the champion, along with a few others. It all begins Friday and Saturday — the next four weeks will crown Seekonk Speedway’s 2023 champions. Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m. and Saturday action goes green at 6 p.m. Tickets for all playoff racing at Seekonk Speedway, including round one for both nights this weekend, are available now by visiting SeekonkSpeedway.com. Fans are also encouraged to follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates surrounding the 2023 Sunoco Drive For The Cup and upcoming events. Breaking Down The Sunoco Drive For The Cup: Format, Rules For Playoff Time at Seekonk Speedway9/5/2023 This weekend, September 8-9, Seekonk Speedway kicks-off the second annual Sunoco Drive For The Cup. The playoff format will crown champions in all nine Seekonk divisions during championship weekend on September 29-30, after a four-week battle to find the title holder. With the playoffs moving up to four weeks instead of three this season, let’s break down the format and rules leading into the excitement. The first round of the playoffs is set for September 8-9, with the second round set for September 15-16. No one will be eliminated from any division until the conclusion of the September 15-16 weekend of racing. Unlike last year, eliminations in the first round will be done based on a points format. Both Bandolero divisions will trim from six drivers to five, while all others will go from eight to six after round one going into round two. Playoff drivers will be given points with 10 going to the highest finishing playoff car, 9 to the second, 8 to the third, all the way down to the final playoff car. The highest five amounts of points after two weeks in the Bandolero divisions will advance to round two, while the highest six amounts in all other divisions will advance. On NASCAR Saturday, heat points of 5-4-3-2-1 will also be given and used in the final totals. If a race is rained out in round one, only points that are counted for the other event will determine who moves on. If both races were to rain out, then the regular season points would be used to determine who advances and who is eliminated. In the second round of the playoffs (September 22-23), eliminations are based off where drivers finish in a feature race. In all nine Seekonk divisions, the top four playoff finishers in the race during round two will go to the Final Four. The championship weekend, September 29-30, will have the Final Four race each other to determine the champion. The driver who beats the other three in that feature event will be crowned the 2023 track champion. For all events in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, Seekonk Speedway’s General and Technical rules are in effect. For all playoff rounds, the qualifying and feature lineups will follow the same format as they did in 2022. The first in the lineup will be those who qualified through heat races but are not playoff cars. The qualified playoff cars will line up next based on a blind draw. The highest of the points drivers going into the race will draw first for the starting spot, followed by second, etc. Nothing from previous rounds/races in the playoffs matters when it comes to lineups. On Fast Friday, normal lap counts will be used for each round except the final, where the Pure Stocks, Legends Cars and Sport 4’s will run 30 laps. The Bandolero divisions will remain at 15 laps for all rounds. On NASCAR Saturday, round one will be normal lap counts. Round two will see each division run five extra laps - for example, the Pro Stocks will run 45. In the final NASCAR Saturday championship races, each division will run 10 extra laps. For example, the Sport Trucks will run 35 laps in the final race of the season. In the event the final race cannot be completed due to unforeseen circumstances on scheduled date and rain dates, the champion will be decided by highest points total of remaining championship cars. Seekonk Speedway will honor the winner of the Drive For The Cup as the 2023 track champion in their respective division. Seekonk Speedway will continue a points grid, recognizing drivers from both Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday all year. The points grid started on opening day and will end on September 29-30, just like the playoffs will. The driver that wins the championship will be placed as the leader in the division for the season. However, from second on back, the final points will be calculated with the driver who earned the most points in the overall season highest, in second. For example, if Johnny Smith was eliminated in round one of the playoffs, but scored the most points among playoff cars for the season, he would finish second in points. It all begins Friday and Saturday — the next four weeks will crown Seekonk Speedway’s 2023 champions. Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m. and Saturday action goes green at 6 p.m. Tickets for all playoff racing at Seekonk Speedway, including round one for both nights this weekend, are available now by visiting SeekonkSpeedway.com. Fans are also encouraged to follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates surrounding the 2023 Sunoco Drive For The Cup and upcoming events. SEEKONK, Mass. — With the rainout of the final Fast Friday of the 2023 regular season, Seekonk Speedway’s playoff fields are now set for Friday night divisions. During a four-week Sunoco Drive For The Cup in September, Seekonk’s champions will be crowned in the playoff system. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits and Outlaws, the Sport 4’s, Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks and Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars will all do battle. Playoff events for Fast Friday divisions will take place on September 8, 15, 22 and 29. Championship night for all five divisions will take place on the 29th, where all five champions will be crowned. For tickets for all of the Fast Friday playoff events and the NASCAR Saturday playoff events, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com. The first round of the playoffs will take place on September 8 and 15. The first two weeks of the playoffs will include a points format to determine who moves to the next round. The number of cars in the playoffs is six in both Bandolero divisions and eight in all other classes. After the first round, the Bandolero fields will be trimmed to five and the rest of the divisions will be trimmed to six. On Fast Friday, feature points will be given to playoff cars with 10 going to the highest finishing playoff car, 9 to the second highest playoff car, 8 to the third, etc., down through the playoff field. At the end of the two weeks in round one, the lowest totals will be eliminated (one in the Bandolero divisions eliminated, two in all other divisions eliminated). Then, the fields will be set for round two on September 22. The Bandolero divisions will eliminate one more driver to make the final four. The other divisions will eliminate two drivers to make their final four. The top-four playoff drivers in the finishing order of the race at the end of September 22 will advance to the finals. On September 29, the Final Four will crown the champion with the highest finishing of the four winning the title in their respective divisions. In the event the final race cannot be completed due to unforeseen circumstances on scheduled dates and rain dates, Seekonk Speedway’s champions will be decided by the highest points total of remaining championship contenders. Throughout the entire playoffs, regular points will be calculated for each race and a tally will remain kept. At the end of the championship night, only the champion will keep their position in the final points (first) and all other drivers in the playoffs will be aligned based on their overall season points. For example, someone who finishes second in the final race of the season in the Final Four may be the second highest finishing playoff car, but have the fifth greatest point total for the season. They will be aligned to fifth in the final standings. For tickets for all of the Fast Friday playoff events and the NASCAR Saturday playoff events, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com. PLAYOFF FIELDS BANDOLERO BANDITS Nicholaus Uhrig Jr. Sam Macedo Parker Davis Mike Hanafin Mason Silva Ryder Aguiar BANDOLERO OUTLAWS Ryan Vanasse Jr. Bryson Robidoux Andrew Gomes Brent Robidoux Collin Vanasse Zachary Keith SPORT 4S Jarrod Freitas Henry Lavallee Crystal Murray Richie Johnson Taylor Bowser Mikey LeFort Christine Cavallaro Daniel Hayes PURE STOCKS Scott Cestodio Ethan Souza Danny Massa Jr. Mike Henriques Sam Lincoln Jared Cordeira Tim Ouellette *Greg Perry LEGENDS CARS Jacob Burns Isaiah Newcomb Richie Helger Jr Nicholaus Bulkeley Mason Tessier Brendan LaBelle Joshua Parsons Chase Silvia When the final race of the regular season is complete on Friday, August 25 at Seekonk Speedway for the Fast Friday divisions, the fields for the Sunoco Drive For The Cup will be set. Entering Friday’s racing, there are a few battles that show tight racing at the cutline. Both Bandolero divisions will advance six drivers to the playoffs, while the rest of the Seekonk classes will advance eight.
There is also a chance for drivers who are outside the playoff bubble to advance. If a driver has competed in all of the races in their respective division this season, and they win on Friday night, they will advance and add a car to the playoffs. Let’s take a look at where each division stands, and which drivers are eligible for the win and you’re in policy, heading to Friday. BANDOLERO BANDITS The battle for the final spot in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits appears done. Ryder Aguiar leads Luka Dib by 32 points heading to the final race of the regular season. With only 10 or so Bandolero Bandits on the track every week, unless the car count drastically increases this week, the chances for Dib to advance will be eliminated. However, he is the only driver in the Bandits who would advance if they grab a feature win. Right now, it looks like Nick Uhrig Jr., Sam Macedo, Parker Davis, Mike Hanafin, Mason Silva and Ryder Aguiar will decide the 2023 track championship in September's Sunoco Drive For The Cup. BANDOLERO OUTLAWS Unlike the Bandolero Bandits, the Outlaws will go down to the final laps to decide the final playoff spot. The top-five drivers are all but locked in: Ryan Vanasse Jr., Bryson Robidoux, Andrew Gomes, Brent Robidoux and Collin Vanasse. Zachary Keith holds the sixth and final spot entering this week by 16 points over Dylan Calabro. That’s a total of eight positions on the track - a gap Calabaro could certainly overcome in a field that is in the double-digits weekly. If he can’t get in on points, Calabaro is on the list of drivers who can win and get in. He is joined on that list by Mikey LeFort III, Jordan Duquette, Zacarias Kelley and Abbie Badejo. Is this one division we could see someone sneak in with a seventh entry in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup by winning the final regular season race? SPORT 4’s The battle for the Sport 4 playoffs is going right down to the final lap of the regular season. Right now, Daniel Hayes holds the final spot - but is just four points ahead of Justin Leduc for it. Leduc has been coming on strong in the second half of the season, winning during the summer. He will need to beat Hayes by two spots on the track to advance. Christine Cavallaro is ahead of them in seventh spot, and 22 points ahead of the cutline, 11 positions on the track. She feels comfortable going into the regular season finale. In this division, Andrew Rittman-McLaughlin and James Sullivan would advance to the playoffs if they win Friday's 25-lap feature. 7 Christine Cavallaro - 392 points 8 Daniel Hayes - 370 points 9 Justin Leduc - 366 points PURE STOCKS The only way for a driver currently outside the top-eight in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stock points is to win and get in, if they are eligible. Greg Perry holds the final spot by 50 points over Don Courtemanche, which is the maximum amount you can gain in one night. Even if Perry didn’t race and Don won, Perry would win the tiebreaker with two feature wins on the season and would advance. For Courtemanche, his only shot to advance is to score his first career win in Friday’s 25-lap feature. Otherwise, the field is set: Scott Cestodio, Ethan Souza, Danny Massa, Mike Henriques, Sam Lincoln, Jared Cordeira, Timmy Ouellette and Greg Perry. LEGENDS CARS The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars top-seven drivers entering Friday night are locked in. Jacob Burns, Isaiah Newcomb, Richie Helger Jr., Nicholaus Bulkeley, Mason Tessier, Brendan LaBelle and Josh Parsons are racing for the championship next month. In the final spot right now is Chase Silvia. He leads over Kevin Davis by 24 points, which is 12 positions on the track. With the car count over 15 weekly, it’s certainly possible for Davis to advance. However, with the consistency Silvia has shown during his rookie season, another solid run this Friday will help him clinch his spot to battle for the title in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup. In the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars, Stephen Bowden and Jaden Hamilton enter Friday in a situation where if they win the race, they are in the playoffs as a ninth-car. The finale of the Fast Friday regular season is set for Friday, August 25 at 7 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the playoff fields are locked in based on current points. Fans can purchase tickets at SeekonkSpeedway.com, cheaper than the gates on race day and can also skip the lines with online tickets. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit the track website and social media channels. |
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