Fast Friday & NASCAR Saturday Weekly Series Staple Events; Touring Series Headliners All on 2024 Lineup Seekonk Speedway released on Tuesday the 2024 event schedule for the Massachusetts third-mile oval. Highlighted by championship weekly racing for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Saturday divisions and Fast Friday, the schedule begins with events in May and ends in October. In the middle, racing will take place across all weekends, with a bit of something different each one. The schedule also includes one mid-week event on June 26, the annual Open Wheel Wednesday Modified Madness worth $10,000 to win. The season opens with NASCAR Opening Day on Sunday, May 5, with the Pro Stocks, Late Models, Sportsman and Sport Trucks in action. After NASCAR Saturday night racing on May 11 and 18, the Fast Friday series opens on May 24, with the Legends Cars, Pure Stocks, Sport 4’s and Bandolero Outlaws and Bandits. Both the Fast Friday and NASCAR seasons roll through the summer with the playoffs taking place over four weekends from September 6-7 through September 27-28. The Drive For The Cup playoff format will return for the 2024 season, with some tweaks. A full copy of the playoff format for the new season will be released once available along with all divisional rules for 2024. “Seekonk Speedway is excited to present a schedule that has just about 40 events for the 2024 season,” David Alburn, General Manager of Seekonk Speedway, said. “From weekly racing on both Friday and Saturday to Thrill Shows and some of the best Touring Series divisions from across New England, we’re excited to celebrate our 79th season of short-track racing in 2024 here in Massachusetts.” On top of weekly racing, multiple major touring series events are back on the calendar for the new year. For the second straight year, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to Seekonk for the Seekonk 150 on June 1. This event will be followed the next Saturday, June 8, by the return of the American-Canadian Tour for the Spring Green 124 for the second straight year. Open Wheel Wednesday is headlined by the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, SMAC 350 Supers and NEMA Lites on Wednesday, June 26. This is followed by Scout Night on NASCAR Saturday, June 29. The NEMA divisions will be back for the Boston Louie Memorial Classic on Saturday, July 13, joined by the Senior Tour Auto Racers for their only 2024 appearance. Their July 13 night will be Ocean State Oil night at the track, also including the Pro Stocks and Late Models. The Pro All Star Series Bay State Classic 150 is also back on the schedule after a year off due to rain, with a Saturday night special set for July 27. This night will also include the New England Antique Racers. The Fast Friday schedule also includes a INEX Legend Car National Qualifier on July 12 and the Bandolero National Qualifier on July 19. During the summer, the weekly racing series will have multiple highlight events. Headlined by the return of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series, a three-race series with its own championship battle in a Final Four format, all divisions will have special events. The Triple Crown Series begins with its first event on May 18 and concludes with a two-day spectacular of Everett’s Triple Crown Finale weekend on August 9-10. The season also includes highlights like Military Appreciation night on June 29, Rhode Island Shriners night with the American Racer USA Pro Stock Classic on July 20, Back To School night on August 17, and the annual Fan Appreciation night and Pit Party, along with Providence Bruins night, on August 24. First Responders night is also back on September 7 along with Blue Collar Customs. The spills and thrills of Thrill Show racing at Seekonk Speedway will also continue for 2024, with major events throughout the season. The Memorial Day Thrill Show on May 25 will kick-off the action, followed by the Independence Day celebration on July 6, including a major fireworks show. On August 3, the Midsummer Thrill Show returns, while the Labor Day Thrill Show & Fireworks on August 31 and Pumpkin Smash on October 12 will round out the season. The Monster Trucks will also return to Seekonk Speedway in 2024 with one, mid-summer event on Sunday, June 16, celebrating Father’s Day. The Spectator Drag Series presented by East Coast Towing & Recovery will also be back for a new season. The 10-event schedule will include NASCAR Saturday night races including May 11, June 29, August 3, August 17 and September 14, joining the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts divisions to kick-off the night. The Spectator Drags will also compete at Thrill Show events on May 25, July 6, August 3, August 3 and October 12, and the Monster Truck event in June.
“Thrill Show racing and Spectator Drag action are two important parts of our event schedule each year,” Ed St. Germain, Director of Business Development for Seekonk Speedway, said. “Many families from across New England come to Seekonk for these special events, many around long weekends with holidays like Independence Day and Labor Day. We’re looking forward to another year of major excitement.” A full copy of the 2024 Seekonk Speedway schedule can be found by visiting SeekonkSpeedway.com. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, fans can visit the track online or follow on social media for the latest news and updates.
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SEEKONK, Mass. — Jacob “Rowdy” Burns saved the best for last in 2023. Burns rocketed to the front quickly in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars season-finale and never looked back, dominating the 30-lap finale and winning the championship in the process. Burns was among the fastest cars all year, and when it mattered most, he did enough to become a Seekonk Speedway champion. Brendan LaBelle finished the final race of the season in second. Isaiah Newcomb, Richie Helger Jr and Nicholas Bulkeley — all joining Burns in the Final Four to race for the title on Friday — finished third, fourth and fifth. Chase Silvia, Nick Lascuola, Mason Tessier, Stephen Bowden and Jaden Hamilton finished the top-10. The season is now complete for the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars division. The 2024 schedule will be released in the winter months. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for all of the latest news and information. SEEKONK, Mass. — Jared Cordeira picked a good time to have the best speed he’s had all year, and it earned him a track championship. Cordeira added his name to the list of Seekonk Speedway champions by winning the season-finale in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks and becoming the 2023 champion in the process. In the final laps, Cordeira had fellow Final Four competitor Greg Perry on his bumper, but he was able to hold him off. Cordeira beat Perry and Ethan Souza to win the title. He was also racing Danny Massa, who spun early and finished eighth in the 30-lap finale as Final Four drivers. The official finish included Cordeira, Perry, Souza, Sam Lincoln and Mike Henriques. Bobby Bettencourt III, Gary Conrad, Danny Massa, Michael Marcou and Don Courtemanche finished off the top-10. The season is now complete for the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stock division. The 2024 schedule will be released in the winter months. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for all of the latest news and information. SEEKONK, Mass. — Many thought it would, but the finale of the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw season came right down to the final laps on Friday night. And it was two Vanasse family members — Ryan and Collin — battling for the championship crown. In the end, Collin slid to the bottom of Ryan and took the lead on lap 7 and never looked back. The victory earned Collin the championship in the Bandolero Outlaws with his fourth win of the season and second straight to end the year. Ryan Vanasse Jr. finished second in the race and the championship. Ryan won nine times this season in the No. 11. Bryson Robidoux finished the race third, with Nathan Rioux and Andrew Gomes following in fourth and fifth. Gomes and sixth-place finisher Brent Robidoux also were part of the Final Four. They were followed by Brody Wakefield, Zachary Keith, RJ Murphy and Dylan Calabro to finish the top-10. The season is now complete for the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw division. The 2024 schedule will be released in the winter months. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for all of the latest news and information. MURRAY WINS DAV FALL CLASSIC, SECOND STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP IN SPORT 4S
SEEKONK, Mass. — Crystal Murray left no doubt that the championship in the Sport 4 division would run through her by winning the first and third playoff events. In Friday’s season-finale, Murray truly ended any questions about if it was her title to lose. Murray used the outside lane to take the top spot, finished second on the track, but ended up winning in the final results in the Sport 4’s after Tyler Duhancik didn't pass inspection. The victory was her fourth of the season and enough to clinch her a second straight championship. Murray becomes the first two-time female champion in the history of Seekonk Speedway. She was followed in the finishing order by multiple-time season winner Jarrod Freitas, who finished second in the championship points for 2023. Additional Final Four drivers included Mikey LeFort and Richie Johnson, who finished the race in sixth and seventh. The official results included Murray, Freitas, Justin Leduc, Arthur Meack and Sam Mattera in the top-five. LeFort, Johnson, Henry Lavallee, Jacob Budznya and Daniel Hayes finished the top-10. The season is now complete for the Sport 4 division. The 2024 schedule will be released in the winter months. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for all of the latest news and information. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — Mike Hanafin didn’t make the final four in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits, but he made sure to end his season on top in 2023. Hanafin captured the final win of the season in Friday’s 15-lap feature, cementing his name as one to watch into the future with a second win on the season. While Hanafin picked up the win, Parker Davis finished second, and it was enough to clinch him the 2023 track championship. Davis beat out Nick Uhrig Jr., who finished third, Sam Macedo, who finished fourth and Mason Silva, who finished fifth in the race. The Final Four and the final race of the season went right down to the wire before the champion was crowned. The season included seven feature wins for Davis en route to the title including three of four races in the playoffs. David Bernier finished sixth in the race, followed by Alya Martin, Luka Dib, Ryder Aguiar and Carl Satterlund Jr. The season is now complete for the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits. The 2024 schedule will be released in the winter months. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for all of the latest news and information. It’s time for a high-speed Fast Friday championship night at Seekonk Speedway! Race fans - expect thrilling action as all five divisions have a Final Four but only one driver in each division will come out as CHAMPION!
Due to some weather expected to possibly impact the area tonight, the Fast Friday show will swiftly move along. This means that post-race, only the race winner and 2023 track champion will be available for interviews at the start/finish line. We will not be interviewing second and third tonight to make sure we move the show along and stay away from weather. Seekonk Speedway will make every effort to run tonight’s full program. If a feature is started and can’t be completed, but is past halfway, the race will be deemed complete and the winner will be the leader at that point. In this case, the champion would be the furthest ahead of the Final Four cars in the running order. In the event of a race not being completed tonight (either not started or less than halfway) the season is over for that division. The champion in the event of a rainout will be the driver with the most overall season points of remaining playoff cars. Race fans - we know emotions will be high after winners and champions will be crowned - and we know many of you will want to celebrate with your families and friends. We ask you to please refrain from going down on the track except close family and crew post-race. The Fan Zone Victory Lane in Turn 4 will be open for all winners and champions to take as many pictures as they would like after they come off the track. We encourage you to join them there for the celebration. In a tough year of weather, Seekonk Speedway looks forward to crowning Fast Friday champions tonight. We appreciate the support of teams, competitors and especially our dedicated fans all year. Let’s go racing on D. Anthony Venditti Fall Classic Friday! SEEKONK, Mass. — The final Fast Friday of the Seekonk Speedway season will take place this Friday, September 29. Not only will track champions be crowned in five divisions as part of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup, the final event of the night will be a 30-lap Pure Stock special - but not with the normal Pure Stock drivers.
After they run their normal championship event, drivers will step out of their rides and hand them to NASCAR Saturday or INEX Legends Cars drivers — one of their choice. Currently, as of this release, 15 teams have planned to compete, most of them with drivers lined up already. Some of the drivers who plan to race in the event include Ryan Vanasse, multiple-time Late Model champion Gerry DeGasparre Jr., Jacob “Rowdy” Burns, Mike Brightman, Colby Lambert, Mike Rotondo, Richie Helger Jr. and Dick Benoit. One of the surprises in the field is former multiple-time Pro Stock champion Fred Astle Jr., who will sit behind the wheel of the No. 30, normally driven by Ethan Souza. He hasn’t been behind the wheel of a Pro Stock for a few years, but his abilities are clear, and it’s going to be something fans will not want to miss when he gets back behind the wheel this Friday night. The event will be sponsored by Spring Villa Memory Care. Located in West Warwick, Rhode Island, Spring Villa is an assisted living residence specializing in Dementia, Alzheimers and Memory Care. The CEO of the business is Craig Pianka — the defending NASCAR Saturday Sportsman champion. Pianka will also be contending in the Final Four of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup to try and win another title this Saturday night. “I think it’s awesome to have some of the NASCAR Saturday and Legends Cars drivers race in the Pure Stocks,” Pianka said. “Not only are they able to earn their car owner some cash, they may even be able to give feedback on the handling and have some fun. We’re happy to partner with Seekonk to sponsor this special race.” Seekonk Speedway has matched the purse put up by Spring Villa. As of this writing, $1,000 will be distributed to car owners who allow their car to be run with a driver in the event. The Pure Stock that is on the track for the “WTF” race must have been competing at Seekonk this season for at least a minimum of two races and must run the championship points race on that night first. This event is one the fans will not want to miss. Current team numbers running, with driver if they have one: 0 - DRIVER TBD 03 - DRIVER TBD 1 - Jacob Burns 5 - Mike Brightman 15 - Colby Lambert 18 - Kaleb Marcou 21 - Driver TBD 26 - Colbey Fournier 30 - Fred Astle Jr 37 - Mike Rotondo 41 - Richie Helger Jr 73 - Ryan Vanasse 77 - Gerry DeGasparre Jr. 83 - Driver TBD 95 - Dick Benoit For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates, including from the track on championship weekend. After a long season of racing, interrupted by Mother Nature many times along the way, Seekonk Speedway will crown 2023 track champions this Friday and Saturday as part of D.A.V. Fall Classic weekend. On Friday, September 29, the Fall Classic will include championship events for the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits and Outlaws, the Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4s, Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks and Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars. On NASCAR Saturday, the Pro Stocks, Late Models, Helger’s Sportsman and Chaz’s Auto Body Sport Trucks will all run their season-finale. The championship four drivers are now set in all divisions. The highest finishing of the Final Four in each race this weekend will be the 2023 track champion. In the Pro Stocks, the Final Four will be made up of Mike Brightman, Bobby Pelland III, Mark Jenison and Tom Scully Jr. All track champions in their history, Brightman and Pelland have Late Model crowns, while Jenison is the defending Pro Stock champion and Scully won the title in 2016. The Late Model Final Four will be made up of Vinnie Arrenegado, Mark Jenison, Jacob Burns and Charlie Rose. The top four seeds entering the playoffs have advanced to the finals and are ready to contend for the crown. Arrenegado and Jenison both have Late Model titles to their credit at Seekonk. Burns has been the dominant force through the first two races of the playoffs, sweeping both, and Rose came close to snagging last week’s win and is the most veteran of the group. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Final Four includes Adam Pettey, Craig Pianka, Steve Axon and Ryan Lineham. When you talk about veterans, you make up the Final Four. Axon, Pianka and Lineham are all former champions, with Pianka winning in this format last year. Pettey has been the most consistent of the whole division this year and now has the chance to make himself a champion. The Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck Final Four also comes down to drivers who were the top four seeds at the end of the regular season. Rick Martin, Jake Vanada, Brittany Campbell and Amy Arsenault have all advanced. Martin, Vanada and Campbell all have multiple wins this season. Arsenault advanced to the Final Four off consistency. On Fast Friday, the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits and Outlaws completed their Final Four last Friday night. In the Bandits, Nick Uhrig Jr., Sam Macedo, Parker Davis and Mason Silva make up the final round. All but Silva have won this year, with Davis on a roll, sweeping the first three playoff events. Macedo is the defending champion, Uhrig is the fan favorite. And Silva, sneaking his way in, could spoil the party for all of them.
In the Outlaws, Ryan Vanasse Jr.’s dominant season will come down to one week in the quest for a title. He will be joined by Collin Vanasse, his cousin, Brent Robidoux and Andrew Gomes. With competitive action all around the track in Seekonk’s youth racing divisions, these may be some of the most exciting championship events to watch. The Sport 4 championship looks like it may run through Crystal Murray, as the defending champion rocketed to the front again last week and has victories in two of three playoff races. She will be joined by regular season top contender and multiple-time winner Jarrod Freitas, former Thrill Show standout who is now racing on Fast Friday Richie Johnson, and multiple-time Sport 4 champion Mikey LeFort. The Helger’s Pure Stocks saw the shock of Scott Cestodio, the number one seed, being eliminated last week. He was joined by Mike Henriques in the group where championship hopes were over. That leaves Ethan Souza, Danny Massa, Jared Cordeira and Greg Perry to battle for the championship. All of them are worthy of getting to this point, but all eyes might be on Perry - who started off slow this season - but has come into the playoffs hot and is the most recent winner. In Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars competition, the top four seeds have advanced. Jacob Burns, Isaiah Newcomb, Richie Helger Jr and Nicholaus Bulkeley are the four who will contend for the crown. All of them have won this year, Newcomb the most of anyone. Bulkeley scored his first and second career win, while Helger visited Victory Lane for the first time in his career. Burns enters championship weekend with a chance to win titles in both the Legends Cars and Late Models. Remember - there is still a battle for the checkered flag in each respective race - even if they are not playoff drivers. On Fast Friday, the Bandolero divisions will remain at 15 laps - but the Sport 4, Pure Stock and Legend Cars races will all be 30 laps. On NASCAR Saturday, the Pro Stocks will run 50 laps, while the Late Models run 40. The Sport Trucks and Sportsman will compete in 35-lap events. Friday night racing begins at 7PM and Saturday night action goes green at 6PM. Seekonk Speedway’s championship weekend will take place on September 29-30. Tickets for both nights, the final The championship four drivers are now set in all Seekonk Speedway divisions, as the track prepares for D. Anthony Venditti Fall Classic championship weekend on September 29-30. The Fast Friday championship four was set on Friday, September 22, with eliminations occurring during racing events. With Mother Nature impacting the show on September 23, cancelling NASCAR Saturday, the final four is decided based off remaining playoff cars seeding in the way they entered the first round of the playoffs. The seeding was determined based off point standings at the end of the weekend of August 25-26 (Regular Season). Every lap, every heat race and every feature mattered during the entire season. In the Pro Stocks, the Final Four will be made up of Mike Brightman, Bobby Pelland III, Mark Jenison and Tom Scully Jr. All track champions in their history, Brightman and Pelland have Late Model crowns, while Jenison is the defending Pro Stock champion and Scully won the title in 2016. Eliminated from contention due to the rain are Dick Benoit and Mike Rotondo. Benoit had quite the impressive run in the Pro Stocks this year in the Danny Cabral Racing mount, coming close to contending for the title with multiple top podium runs. Rotondo, in his Rookie season, drove the Rollie Lindblad No. 48 special to multiple strong runs himself. The Late Model Final Four will be made up of Vinnie Arrenegado, Mark Jenison, Jacob Burns and Charlie Rose. The top four seeds entering the playoffs have advanced to the finals and are ready to contend for the crown. Arrenegado and Jenison both have Late Model titles to their credit at Seekonk. Burns has been the dominant force through the first two races of the playoffs, sweeping both, and Rose came close to snagging last week’s win and is the most veteran of the group. Eliminated due to rain are Chase Belcher and Connor Souza. Belcher had a year filled with ups and downs, while Souza scored his first career win in 2023. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Final Four includes Adam Pettey, Craig Pianka, Steve Axon and Ryan Lineham. When you talk about veterans, you make up the Final Four. Axon, Pianka and Lineham are all former champions, with Pianka winning in this format last year. Pettey has been the most consistent of the whole division this year and now has the chance to make himself a champion. Eliminated in the Sportsman were Randy Moretti and Don Perry. The Chaz Auto Body Sport Truck Final Four also comes down to drivers who were the top four seeds at the end of the regular season. Rick Martin, Jake Vanada, Brittany Campbell and Amy Arsenault have all advanced. Martin, Vanada and Campbell all have multiple wins this season. Arsenault advanced to the Final Four off consistency. Eliminated in the Trucks are Bobby Tripp and Mike Cavallaro — two drivers that won this season in years filled with ups and downs. On Fast Friday, the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits and Outlaws completed their Final Four on Friday night. In the Bandits, Nick Uhrig Jr., Sam Macedo, Parker Davis and Mason Silva make up the final round. All but Silva have won this year, with Davis on a roll, sweeping the first three playoff events. Macedo is the defending champion, Uhrig is the fan favorite. And Silva, sneaking his way in, could spoil the party for all of them. In the Outlaws, Ryan Vanasse Jr.’s dominant season will come down to one week in the quest for a title. He will be joined by Collin Vanasse, his cousin, Brent Robidoux and Andrew Gomes. With competitive action all around the track in Seekonk’s youth racing divisions, these may be some of the most exciting championship events to watch. Eliminated on Friday were Mike Hanafin from the Bandits and Bryson Robidoux from the Outlaws. The Sport 4 championship looks like it may run through Crystal Murray, as the defending champion rocketed to the front again this week and has victories in two of three playoff races. She will be joined by regular season top contender and multiple-time winner Jarrod Freitas, former Thrill Show standout who is now racing on Fast Friday Richie Johnson, and multiple-time Sport 4 champion Mikey LeFort. This may be one of the toughest divisions to pick a champion. Christine Cavallaro and Daniel Hayes were eliminated on Friday. The Helger’s Pure Stocks saw the shock of Scott Cestodio, the number one seed, being eliminated. He was joined by Mike Henriques in the group where championship hopes were over. That leaves Ethan Souza, Danny Massa, Jared Cordeira and Greg Perry to battle for the championship. All of them are worthy of getting to this point, but all eyes might be on Perry - who started off slow this season - but has come into the playoffs hot and is the most recent winner. In Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars competition, the top four seeds have advanced. Jacob Burns, Isaiah Newcomb, Richie Helger Jr and Nicholaus Bulkeley are the four who will contend for the crown. All of them have won this year, Newcomb the most of anyone. Bulkeley scored his first and second career win, while Helger visited Victory Lane for the first time in his career. Burns enters championship weekend with a chance to win titles in both the Legends Cars and Late Models. Eliminated in the Legends were Brendan LaBelle and Josh Parsons. Seekonk Speedway’s championship weekend will take place on September 29-30. Tickets for both nights, the final short-track racing of the season, are available online at SeekonkSpeedway.com. Fans are encouraged to follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. |
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