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. — Chad Baxter dominated the finale of the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman season on Saturday night at Seekonk Speedway. In a 35-lap season-finale that went without a caution flag, Baxter got to the front quickly, passing Nick Wood for the lead on lap eight, and never looking back. Baxter’s feature win also came with Steve Axon finishing second and winning the 2023 Sportsman championship. Axon had a season filled with ups and downs, but when it mattered most, he was there. Axon’s second track championship comes in 2023 for the driver of the No. 04 - 13 years after his first title in 2010. Ryan Lineham finished third, also part of the Final Four on Saturday. Chris Gomes and Nick Wood followed in fourth and fifth. Craig Pianka (Final Four), Colby Lambert, Adam Pettey (Final Four), Eric Schwegal and Chris Rioux finished off the top-10 spots. The season is now complete for the Helger's Sportsman. 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. — The finale of the Late Model season came right down to the final laps at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday night. And in the end, it was Connor Souza capturing his second win of the season to finish the year, and Vinnie Arrenegado scoring his second track championship. Connor jumped out front quickly and led all 45 laps in the feature. But it wasn’t easy in the final few laps, with Arrenegado and Mark Jenison right on his tail, battling for the championship between them. Arrenegado ended up on top of Jenison for the title, and was right to the inside of Souza as the two made a little bit of contact coming to the finish line battling hard for the win. Souza won, with Arrenegado capturing a second Late Model title. The driver of the No. 17 went to Victory Lane multiple times this year and sealed the season with the title. Jenison finished third, one spot short, while the two other Final Four drivers, Charlie Rose and Jacob Burns, finished fourth and fifth. The season is now complete for the Late Models. The 2024 schedule will be released in the winter months. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.comand follow the track on social media for all of the latest news and information. DUARTE WINS TRUCK FINALE, MARTIN ADDS ANOTHER TITLE TO HIS LEGACY
SEEKONK, Mass. — Mike Duarte may not have been in the Final Four in the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks, but he made sure to end his season on top. Duarte dominated the season-finale 35-lap feature to roll to another victory in the No. 50 on Saturday night. Duarte dominated most of the race, driving away from the competition and holding them off on a late restart to lock up the win. Darryl Church finished in second in the feature, while Rick Martin rounded out the podium and rolled to another Seekonk Speedway championship. For the second straight year, Martin won races and captured the title in the No. 14. His legacy continues to grow, now with another title to go along with it. Mike Cavallaro finished fourth and Jake Vanada finished fifth. Vanada, who won multiple races himself this year, came home second in the title battle. Brittany Campbell and Amy Arsenault also advanced to the Final Four, finishing sixth and eighth in the feature, respectively. The season is now complete for the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks. 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. — 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. 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. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — Mark Jenison picked the perfect time to get back to Pro Stock Victory Lane for the first time in 2023. Jenison had a tough first race in the Sunoco Drive For The Cup last week, putting his chances of making it two championships in a row in question. But, Saturday, Jenison passed Mike Brightman for the lead and drove away in the final laps to get back to victory lane and cement himself into the second round of the playoffs. Dick Benoit passed Brightman late and finished second, while Brightman settled for third. The top-three are all advancing to round two in the race for the championship. Ryan Souliere finished fourth and Mike Rotondo was fifth. Bobby Pelland, Tom Scully Jr., Colbey Fournier, Dylan Estrella and Tommy Adams completed the top-10. Jenison, Benoit, Brightman, Rotondo, Pelland and Scully are the final six racing for the title in the Pro Stocks. The full race results are unofficial at this time, pending post-race technical inspection. The Pro Stocks will be back on track for the second round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup on Saturday, September 23. It will be followed by championship night on Saturday, September 30. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. ![]() SEEKONK, Mass. — The first race of the Late Model Sunoco Drive For The Cup was a dominating performance for Jacob “Rowdy” Burns that ended in a feature win. The second and final race in the first round also ended with him carrying the checkered flag, but it didn’t come easy. Burns had to hold off the charges of Charlie Rose in the final few laps, including in the final corner, to score the feature win. Saturday’s 30-lap feature win completed a clean sweep for Burns in the first round of the playoffs, advancing him to round two easily in his quest for the title. Rose and Vinnie Arrenegado will join Burns in the final six in the playoffs after their second and third-place finishes on Saturday night. Tyler Tomassi and defending division champion Mark Jenison finished off the top-five. They were followed by Connor Souza, Scott Serydynski Jr., Chase Belcher, Mike Brightman and Tommy Adams in the top-10. Eliminated from playoff contention were Tomassi and Luke LeBrun. The Late Models will be back on track for the second round of the Sunoco Drive For The Cup on Saturday, September 23. It will be followed by championship night on Saturday, September 30. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates. |
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