SEEKONK, Mass. — Mother Nature didn’t come to play on Saturday night at Seekonk Speedway, forcing track officials to postpone the racing card including the Spring Green 123 for the American-Canadian Tour. The ACT Tour will return to Seekonk for this special event on Saturday, August 19, alongside a full card of racing that will include the Pro Stocks, Sportsman and Sport Trucks.


With the postponement of the ACT Tour event until August 19, all grandstand passes purchased for the June 3 racing card will be honored on August 19 when ACT returns. 


Seekonk Speedway has also announced an adjustment in the schedule for the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series. Although the first two races in the Triple Crown for all divisions will remain unchanged, the final events for the Pro Stocks and Late Models have been moved to Saturday, August 12. The Sportsman and Trucks Triple Crown finale remains on August 19 as part of Everett’s Auto Parts weekend at the track. The Pro Stock race on August 19 will be a normal 40-lap feature.


“These adjustments to our schedule will just add even more excitement to race night on August 12,” Ed St. Germain of Seekonk Speedway said. “With some of our Late Model contenders racing with the ACT Tour, we will give them the opportunity to do that and leave them off the August 19 schedule. We appreciate everyone working through these types of adjustments with the Speedway.”


-The Scully Memorial 55 for the Pro Stocks has been rescheduled to Saturday, July 15, a night that will also include the prestigious Boston Louie with  NEMA Lites and NEMA Midgets along with the Late Models.


Pit passes purchased for the June 3 event will be honored either this Saturday, June 10 or August 19. For those who chose to use them this Saturday, June 10, the track will cover the cost of the added value for the Tour pit pass and make it an even swap. Wristbands must be turned in to receive a new band.


Seekonk Speedway returns to Saturday night short-track racing on Saturday, June 10, with a show headlined by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Seekonk 150. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman, Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks and Late Models will also all compete in the first round of their  Everetts Auto parts Triple Crown. All three divisions will have extra laps with the Trucks and Sportsman running 35 and the Late Models running 45.


For more information on Seekonk Speedway and to purchase tickets for upcoming events throughout the 2023 season, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com. Fans are also encouraged to follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates surrounding the Massachusetts third-mile.
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SEEKONK, Mass. — Jacob “Rowdy” Burns had all sorts of struggles in the opening day feature for the Late Models at Seekonk Speedway, but week two was a different story. Burns battled seven-time division champion Gerry DeGasparre Jr. hard for the lead early in the race, and then when DeGasparre had problems, Burns wasn’t going to be denied.


He drove the No. 30 to Victory Lane in dominating fashion in the final laps, as the rising star pulled away from a side-by-side battle between Mark Jenison and Chase Belcher for second in the final circuits. Jenison would get the better of Belcher, with Chase following close behind in third at the end of 30 laps.


Vinnie Arrenegado raced from his eighth-place starting spot after winning on opening day to finish in fourth, while pole sitter Connor Souza hung on for a top-five finish. Luke Lebrun was sixth, followed by Richie Murray, Charlie Rose, Corey Fanning and Kevin Bowe.


The Late Models will return to the track on Saturday, May 20 with another 30-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. — Right from early in the day in the opener of the Seekonk Speedway season, it was clear Ryan Lineham was going to be one of the drivers to beat in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman. Lineham worked from the pole position in his heat race and scored the win, then started from the pole in the feature and led the entire 25 laps to score the season-opening victory.


While Lineham won, the story of the race was a mid-race chaos crash in turn three, collecting many of the front-running cars. When Steve Axon had mechanical problems, many cars were collected including Axon, Chris Gomes, Kyle Casper and others. Once the race went back green, Lineham drove away with the win while Randy Moretti and Adam Pettey were left to battle for second, with Moretti coming out on top.


Pettey finished third, with Craig Pianka and Don Perry finishing the top-five. Chris Rioux wrapped the race sixth, followed by Chad Baxter, Tim Watson, Tyler Almeida and Jimmy “Pepe” Silvia. The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman will return to the track for another 25-lap feature as part of Saturday night NASCAR racing on May 13. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com.
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SEEKONK, Mass. — As she kicked-off her Busch Light Accelerate Her program in style, Brittany Campbell parked her No. 8 Truck in Victory Lane on Sunday to open the season at Seekonk Speedway. Racing in the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks, Campbell raced multiple grooves battling for the lead, but in the final laps, pulled away from the competition.


She had to face the charges of names like Amy Arsenault, Mike Duarte and others. In the end, it was all her at the front driving the Truck right into Victory Lane. Duarte, a former division champion, would settle for second at the finish, followed by defending champion Rick Martin in third. Darryl Church opened the season with a strong run in fourth and Arsenault settled for fifth after some mid-race trouble. 


Jake Vanada finished sixth, with Marissa Morgan, Bobby Tripp, Tom Scully III and Manny Dias finishing the top-10. 


The Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks will return to the track for another 25-lap feature as part of Saturday night NASCAR racing on May 13. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com.

Two-Day Weekend Includes Return of Classic Car Show & Swap Meet on Saturday; NASCAR Divisions Opening Day on Sunday, May 7



Weekend Preview by Souza Media


SEEKONK, Mass. – After a long offseason of quiet around the Seekonk area, Seekonk Speedway will roar to life for the first time for racing action in 2023 this weekend. The 77th season of competition at the Massachusetts third-mile officially begins on Sunday, May 7 with NASCAR Opening Day – including all four Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series divisions.


The Pro Stocks, Late Models, Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman and Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks will compete in qualifying and their first feature races of the season on Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. All of the competitors in the field will be chasing the opening checkered flag of the season, but will also begin their quest towards the second Sunoco Drive For The Cup and the track championships that will come with it.


One day prior on Saturday, May 6, the 12th annual Classic Car Show & Swap Meet returns to Seekonk Speedway in a big way.  With entertainment provided by Cruisin Bruce and over five awards on the line for things like Top Three Best of Show, Best Paint, Best Engine and more, race fans will have a free opportunity to walk around the show on the frontstretch parking lot. Admission for cars is $10 per car, with gates opening at 8 a.m. and judging beginning at 10 a.m. All fans and car enthusiasts who attend the show will also have free access to watch NASCAR divisions practice on track from 12-4 p.m. on Saturday.


“It’s going to be a mega weekend of racing with so much going on at Seekonk Speedway that fans will not want to miss it,” Ed St. Germain of Seekonk Speedway said. “With the car show returning, there is going to be a big turnout on Saturday, while the NASCAR drivers make their final tune-ups for Sunday’s racing. Once Sunday begins, drivers are going to be giving everything they have in the tank to grab the first wins of the year. Race season is here and we can’t wait to see everyone at Seekonk Speedway in 2023. Fans should visit SeekonkSpeedway.com for tickets and the latest news.”


As the preseason roster sits, the Pro Stocks have 30 cars registered. With eight-time track champion Dave Darling saying he won’t run a full season, the battle is on for race wins and the chase towards the Sunoco Drive For The Cup championship. Names like defending champion Mark Jenison, Tom Scully Jr., Bobby Pelland, Rick Martin, Colbey Fournier, Mike Brightman, Dylan Estrella, Tommy Adams and others will contest their 10-lap heat races and a 40-lap feature to headline opening day.


In the Late Models, Jenison is also rolling into 2023 as the defending champion, looking to get his double-duty season off with a strong finish. A new car and confidence have former division champion Vinnie Arrenegado excited about the competition for opening day. Names like Gerry DeGasparre Jr., Richie Murray, Josh Hedges, Chase Belcher, Jacob “Rowdy” Burns and others will be ones to watch in their 10-lap heats and 30-lap feature on Sunday.


The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman, known as one of New England’s most exciting divisions, rolls into the season with Craig Pianka looking for back-to-back titles. His path to doing it will be difficult, with 2021 champion Chad Baxter, Ed Perry, Steve Axon, Adam Pettey and many others ready to chase him down, starting on opening day. The Sportsman field, set to be over 20 for the season-opener, will have 10 lap heats and a 25-lap feature.


In the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks, Radical Rick Martin looks to pick up where he left off last yea, iin dominating fashion. Driving the No. 14, Martin will do battle against names like Amy Arsenault, Brittany Campbell, Jake Vanada, Mike Duarte, Mike Cavallaro and many others. The Trucks will run 10 lap heats, and a 25-lap feature.


Important times to note for the weekend include the Classic Car Show & Swap Meet gates opening at 8 a.m. on Saturday, while NASCAR pit gates open at 9 a.m. NASCAR division practice will roll from 12-4 p.m., with a short break for burnout drags at 1 p.m.


On Sunday, pit gates open at 9 a.m., while practice begins at 11 a.m. Front grandstands open at 12 p.m. and Pro Stock time trials will begin at 1 p.m. The first green flag for heat races, followed by feature action, is 2 p.m. 


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 including opening day 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. 


For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media, where you can get the latest race day updates during events.

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.

 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.