Hirschman Clinches Seventh Tri-Track Title; DJ Shaw Wins ACT Race & Championship; Burns Pockets $2,000 in INEX Legends


By Souza Media


SEEKONK, Mass. – Saturday’s Seekonk Speedway season-finale hosted three divisions of New England short-track racing, with two champions crowned, and one driver keeping the hometown crowd on the edge of their seats in two different races.


In the headliner of the afternoon, Anthony Nocella topped the final race of the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series season, scoring his first victory of his career with the series. Nocella’s Seekonk triumph was a long time coming – as the driver of the No. 92 had finished at the front of the field at the third-mile multiple times, in multiple different modified divisions.


Nocella took the lead from early race dominator Chuck Hossfeld for the final time on lap 69, and drove away to the victory. Hossfeld finished second, driving for Stephen Kopcik, while Matt Hirschman wrapped the podium in third. Nocella’s victory marked the sixth different winner in seven Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series events for the 2022 season – only Hirschman ended the season as a multiple-time winner.


With his podium, Hirschman locked up the series title for the seventh time by more than 40 points over his closest challengers. In another season filled with winning and top-five finishes across the Northeast, Hirschman rocketed back to title form with Tri-Track – one of the most competitive Modified touring divisions in the region. 


Kyle Bonsignore and Woody Pitkat finished the top-five in the 100-lap event. In qualifying heat racing earlier in the day, the field was trimmed from 43 down to 29 cars who started the main event. In the Pepsi Challenge heat races, Matt Galko, Hirschman, Sam Rameau and Pitkat picked up $300 each for winning their respective heat. In the two Pepsi Challenge consi races, veteran Todd Szegedy and Rob Murphy picked up $300 each.


In the 100-lap penultimate race of the season for the American-Canadian Tour, the final 30 laps was a showdown between eventual series champion DJ Shaw and Seekonk Speedway Late Model regular Jacob “Rowdy” Burns. It was Burns who took the lead early, but Shaw charged from the bottom of the top-10 to the front quickly, and challenged for the lead in the final stages. The two swapped the lead back and forth for the final circuits, and on the final lap, as the field crossed for the white flag, Burns was out front. However, it was Shaw who would dive to the bottom and make the pass, edging Burns as the finish by .068 seconds. As a local regular, Burns was looking to become the first track standout to beat the invading ACT Tour drivers in the 17th race in the history of ACT at Seekonk, but came up just a tick short. Alexandre Tardiff finished third, followed by Jason Corliss and Tom Carey III in a 32-car starting field. 


Burns was the winner of the day in the $2,000 to win, 30-lap INEX Legends Cars race – holding off a hard-charging Mason Tessier in the final few feet to win by inches. Burns and Tessier swapped the lead back and forth themselves for many of the late laps, with Tessier trying the bottom in the final corner, but coming up just short. Jase Mongeon, Jake Silvia and Brendan LaBelle finished the top-five in the 27-car starting field, with a purse of over $7,000 distributed post-race. 

Barre, VT — The next leg of the Southern New England Swing Triple Crown for the American-Canadian Tour comes down to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway this Saturday, October 22nd with the Haunted Hundred. Once again alongside the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, the ACT Haunted Hundred is expected to be yet another legendary showdown between the Touring stars of Quebec and New England against a stout field of hometown favorites with the 2022 season quickly coming to a close. 
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Currently in the cat-bird seat, leading the American-Canadian Tour points, is a driver who has seen plenty of ups and downs at the Cement Palace. Center Conway, New Hampshire’s D.J. Shaw narrowly won the 2021 Haunted Hundred and the 2021 American-Canadian Tour before being edged in a final lap dogfight with fellow New England touring legend Ben Rowe. This time around, Shaw holds a strong lead but don’t look for the 04VT Ford Mustang playing it safe on Saturday, the A.H. Fence team will be there to win. 


On another hot stream, the ‘Fireball’ rookie from Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Quebec is looking to take down his first American-Canadian Tour win this Saturday night. Alexendre Tardif may have the Rookie of the Year title all sewn up, but he’s still hungry for more. Currently second-in-points behind Shaw, it may take a miracle to get him to the top but the only trophy he’s missing on his mantle this season is the elusive first win. Look for Tardif out front on Saturday. 
A pair of Massachusetts hot shoes will also be hard to keep your eyes off. Both Tom Carey III and Derek Gluchacki were in contention all day one year ago before late incidents stole away the chance to join the Haunted Hundred winner’s circle. Both are also looking to keep up their top spots in the Southern New England Swing Triple Crown after their 1,2 finish at Thompson Speedway two weeks ago. The three-race series will close out the final three events of the American-Canadian Tour season with a $3,000 purse to be spread amongst the top three who compete in all three Southern New England events. Looking for redemption, and eyeing their share of the Triple Crown bonus, both Gluchacki and Carey are coming into Seekonk with something to prove. 


After a hard last-lap crash turned him into instant icon status at the third-mile oval just weeks ago, 2022 Seekonk Speedway champion Mark Jenison has filed his Haunted Hundred entry as has one of the top Thunder Road Speedbowl Late Model rookies with Stephen Martin ready to haul south from Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Officials expect several Seekonk Late Model regulars to join the fray, each looking to be the first regular to ever take the American-Canadian Tour win in the sanctioning bodies 17th visit to the Cement Palace.


The American-Canadian Tour returns to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 22nd for the Haunted Hundred alongside the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series and the INEX Legend Cars. The penultimate event for the American-Canadian Tour brings the championship down to the ‘Cement Palace,’ a wild card oval where anything can happen as drivers set themselves up for the championship Shoreline 150 at New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, October 29th.


For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com.  You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.

SEEKONK, Mass. --  The New England Supermodified Series made their inaugural stop at Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday night as part of Boston Louie Seymour Memorial night at the track, and there was no surprise winner when this one was over. After 75 laps, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader Jon McKennedy took down the feature win, taking the lead just after the halfway point and dominating the final half to score the feature win.


McKennedy is no stranger to racing at Seekonk Speedway. He’s run countless Modified events in the past, and even had some laps in a Supermodified prior to Wednesday night. But this time, there was absolutely no doubting he was the car to beat. Early on, Dan Bowes led the race, pulling away from his challengers. When it was time to roll, McKennedy pulled into the lead, then held off Supermodified standout Ben Seitz and Rob Summers over the final stages of a late restart to visit Victory Lane. While those two followed on the podium, Bowes finished fourth and Dave Duggan completed the top-five.


The NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites were also at the track Wednesday for the annual Boston Louie Seymour Memorial night. In the 29-lap NEMA feature, Avery Stoehr rocketed to Victory Lane, dominating in a race that looked like it was going to go the entire distance without a caution flag. However, with just a few laps to go, Paul Scally had a mechanical issue and slammed the wall on the frontstretch, setting up a late restart. On this night, no one was stopping Stoehr, so it didn’t matter. He took down the win with Randy Cabral, a multiple-time NEMA champion, and Jim Chambers, finishing the podium. Matt O’Brien and Nathan Byrd followed in fourth and fifth.


In the 50-lap NEMA Lite race — the Stu Murray Cup — PJ Stergios took the lead early and never looked back. In a race that started with 25 cars, the racing was hot and heavy across the entire track. In the final few laps, Stergios was being hounded by Joey Bailey, who tried everything to get around. On the final circuit, Bailey and a lapped car got together, ending his chances. Stergios would celebrate the win over Randy Cabral, Todd Bertrand, Ben Mikitarian and Danny Cugini in the extra-distance event.


Seekonk Speedway will return to racing on Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27, as the fields are set for the inaugural Seekonk Speedway Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel. Tickets are available online today at SeekonkSpeedway.com.


For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.

SEEKONK, Mass. — The winged warriors are heading for the Action Track of the East this Wednesday night. Seekonk Speedway will light up the racing world with a mid-week event on Wednesday, August 24, as the annual Boston Louie Seymour Memorial hits the third-mile with both the NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites. Joining the card in their inaugural season, the Northeast Supermodified Series, presented by PASS, will also be on the track for 75 laps of exciting racing.



Former NASCAR Cup Series regular Ken Schrader is one of many drivers planning to compete at Seekonk this week. Schrader will be racing in both the NEMA Lites and the Supermodified Series, looking for a double-dip in Victory Lane at the end of the night.


In the NEMA Midgets and NEMA Lites, their championship races will heat up as the season winds down. In the current NEMA Midget points, Avery Stoehr leads multiple-time champion Randy Cabral, who is also a multiple-time Seekonk winner. John Zych, Alan Chambers and Jim Chambers are close behind, and all expected to be major contenders in the 29-lap feature. In the NEMA Lites, Jake Trainor leads the standings over Avery Stoehr, Paul Scally and Joey Bailey. Trainor is not only the defending NEMA Lite Boston Louie Seymour champion and the points leader, but he also scored a victory at Seekonk earlier this year on Open Wheel Wednesday. On that night, Cabral finished second, with rising star Mike Pernesiglio third, and Schrader in fourth spot.


Schrader is no stranger to Seekonk. He competed at the track many years ago and over the last few years has been competing regularly in the NEMA Lite division. Both of the NEMA fields will be filled with drivers from all across the country including Indiana, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The NEMA divisions will be racing for the Stu Murry Cup on Wednesday. Stu was the former CEO of Wirtgen America, who showed many years of support to help get the Boston Louie Seymour Memorial race where it is today. 


The Northeast Supermodified Series field will be headlined by Schrader and current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader Jon McKennedy, who certainly knows how to get to the front of the field. In the Supermodified race, Schrader will be driving one of Vic Millers cars. The event will showcase some of the top names in the division, as the Supermodifieds bring their big speed and power to Seekonk.


The Supermodified feature will be 75 laps and the field will be set by qualifying heat races.


Calling the action in the booth for the 26th annual Boston Louie events will be Pete Falconi, along with Sirius XM Radio’s Jack Arute and Superstar Racing Experience announcer Allen Bestwick. For the Supermodified Series, Seekonk’s own Kevin Boucher will be in the booth to call all of the action.


Fans attending the event are reminded that no pets are allowed at the Seekonk Speedway, and camping is not allowed on Speedway property.


Following Wednesday, Seekonk Speedway will return to racing on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28, where the playoff fields will be set for the inaugural Drive For The Cup presented by Sunoco Race Fuel. Racing on Friday begins at 7 p.m., and Saturday action rolls at 6 p.m. 


For more information on Seekonk Speedway and to purchase tickets for all remaining 2022 events, fans are encouraged to visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.

Tessier Captures $2,000 Prize in NLR Summer Showdown 35; Bowie Dominates in PASS Modifieds 40


SEEKONK, Mass. — Ryan Kuhn waited a long time for his first Pro Stock win, but it happened in one of the biggest races of the season. Kuhn, a former Seekonk Speedway Late Model champion, captured the $10,000 winning prize in the second annual Bay State Classic at Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday — besting Dave Darling and Jake Johnson — two more homegrown Seekonk competitors — to win the prize in the 150-lap race.


Kuhn started from the pole position, but the chase to Victory Lane wasn’t easy for the Massachusetts racer. Kuhn had to hold off the challenges of Darling, the defending and eight-time track champion, over the course of nearly the whole race. On a restart with just under 40 laps to go, Darling passed Kuhn for the top spot when Kuhn’s shifter locked up, but Kuhn wasn’t going to be denied.


He caught Darling, slid to the inside, and passed him for the lead, driving away in the final laps to the win. Darling would settle for second, while Johnson charged through the field in the final laps, passing DJ Shaw late, to finish in third. Kuhn extended his PASS North championship lead with the win, and made the Seekonk hometown faithful proud, along with the rest of the top three.


In the Nick Lascuola Racing Summer Showdown 35 for the Legends Cars, Mason Tessier scored his third Seekonk win of the season, but this one was for $2,000. Tessier jumped out front from pole position and ran the duration of the race essentially unchallenged by his competition. Behind him, Devin Deshaies finished in the runner-up spot after 35 laps and Josh Parsons competed the podium.


Zach Bowie dominated the 40-lap PASS Modified feature, taking the top spot on lap eight and never looking back in the clean and green event. Behind him, Dan Brown finished in the second spot and Garrett Lamb finished in third. Ryan Ripley, who won the inaugural PASS Modified visit to Seekonk in 2021, finished 10th after moving his way up to fourth before a late-race caution.


Seekonk Speedway will return to action on Friday, July 29 for Fast Friday, and Saturday, July 30 for the Midsummer Thrill Show. Tickets for both events, and all remaining 2022 events, are available today at SeekonkSpeedway.com.


For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.

SEEKONK, Mass. — With $10,000 on the line, the second annual Bay State Classic at Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday, July 27, is sure to draw the best of the best of the best to the third-mile.


The Pro All Star Series is rolling into Massachusetts for the second time this year, and with all of the money on the line to the winner, this one is going to be one fans will not want to miss.


The Wednesday special will be the second of three mid-week events Seekonk Speedway will host during the 2022 season.


Johnny Clark leads the series into Seekonk coming off a victory in June, where he beat Eddie MacDonald and Angelo Belsito in the final laps to take the win. In his last few stops at Seekonk Speedway, Clark has been nearly unbeatable behind the wheel of the No. 54 — posting some of the fastest laps and holding the trophy when it mattered most. Belsito was close in June, leading early, going to the rear, then racing back through the pack to finish second. Will this mid-week showdown be another battle between the two of them?


Additional invaders from PASS include NASCAR Xfinity Series part-time driver Derek Griffith, a former Seekonk winner, MacDonald, DJ Shaw, Joey Pole and Gabe Brown, among others.


More than a handful of former Seekonk Speedway track champions are also entered in the race looking to defend the home turf. Eighth-time track Pro Stock champion Dave Darling leads the list, along with Ryan Kuhn, Belsito, Kevin Casper, Vinnie Arrenegado Jr., Dylan Estrella, Jake Johnson, Jake Matheson, Ryan Vanasse and Bobby Pelland III. All of these drivers have proven to be the dominant force in one or more Seekonk divisions before — but can they beat the rest of the pack and win $10,000?


Additional entries for the race include names like Brandon Barker, Ben Ashline, Gabe Brown, Tyler Tomassi, Dan Winter, Kevin Folan and more. The 150-lap main event will be a true test of tire conservation and who can step on the throttle the most in the final laps to chase the $10,000 prize.


Don’t miss it. It’s the annual stop for PASS at Seekonk and the annual mix between Seekonk’s top Pro Stock stars and some of the best in New England.


The PASS Modifieds will also invade Seekonk on Wednesday for their second ever appearance at the third-mile. Last year, Ryan Ripley beat Max Cookson and JR Baril to the line at the finish of their 50-lap feature. This competitive division that runs all over New England will be heading to Massachusetts looking to thrill the race fans. 


Also on the card, the Nick Lascoula Racing Summer Showdown will see drivers race for a $2,000 prize in 35 laps. In the longest Legends Cars race of the season at Seekonk, the purse for this event, which rises over $5,000, is the top Legends Cars purse in New England to date in 2022. The race will see some of Seekonk’s top Legends Cars drivers including Isaiah Newcomb, Devin Deshaies, Reese Bogue, Mason Tessier and others battle it out against some potential invaders for the big prize. Will a $2,000 to win race mark one of the top events of the year for the Fast Friday class in a non-points show?


Race day begins at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27. The Pro All Star Series, $10,000 to win Bay State Classic will wrap a full night of racing. For those who can’t make it to the track on race night, the event will air live on FloRacing.TV.


All tickets for the event, including pit passes, are available online now at SeekonkSpeedway.com. Fans can purchase passes in advance and skip the lines on race day.

For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.

Bay State Classic Practice


We will have an open practice for those competing in the Bay State Classic. This practice will be open to Pro Stocks, PASS Mods and Legends ONLY. 🏁


When : Tuesday July 26th ….5 pm - 8 pm
Pits open at 4 pm
Cost $30 per person


Haulers will NOT be able to be left in pits overnight.


🎟 PLEASE BUY YOUR PIT PASSES ONLINE HERE ⬇️


https://seekonkspeedway.showare.com/ordertickets.asp?p=56&src=eventperformances

SEEKONK, Mass. -- Seekonk Speedway will roar back to life this weekend, July 8-9, with Fast Friday racing returning to the track and the Independence Day Thrill Show set for Saturday night in a packed weekend of racing at the Massachusetts third-mile.

On Friday night, after having last week off, the drivers of the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits and Outlaws, Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4’s, Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars and Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks will return to the third-mile for action. The Saturday night Thrill Show special, beginning at 5PM, will be Seekonk’s annual Independence Day celebration, with fireworks and a full card of racing on tap one week late due to Mother Nature.

Friday’s event will showcase the Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4’s in the second round of the Everett’s Triple Crown. In their first Triple Crown event, AJ Manuel, a former division champion, stormed back to the track and rolled to the victory in his first race back. Crystal Murray finished second, and the Tiverton, Rhode Island, native has podium finishes in all of the races so far this season, giving her a points lead of just under 30 going into this week. Jarrod Freitas is coming off his first career win last time out and will be joined by Tyler Duhancik, Henry Lavallee, Karlin Levesque and others as major contenders in the 30-lap special. 

The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars season has revolved around Devin Deshaies and Brendon Hamannn, but Friday could see a new challenger get to Victory Lane. Reese Bogue hasn’t won yet, but multiple top-five finishes has the driver of the No. 4 in prime position to pounce this week. Coming off strong runs in the last few weeks, Isaiah Newcomb, Brenden LaBelle, Mason Tessier, Nicholaus Bulkeley and others should be top of mind when it comes to the 25-lapper this week.

The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero divisions have been dominated by a few faces early on. In five Bandit races, Darren Krantz Jr. won the first three, but Milania Shilosky has since won the next two. With those two leading the way, Nick Uhrig Jr., Ryan Vanasse Jr and others have also been impressive early on. In the Outlaw division, Chase Silvia has four victories in the first five events and has no signs of slowing down — but Brent Robidoux, Bradley Strickland, Andrew Gomes and others aren’t going to let him get away without a fight. 

The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks will also be back Friday night, trying to hold off two-time and defending champion Greg Perry in their championship battle. Perry has two wins, but somehow still sits fifth in their points run due to a DNF early in the season. At the top, most recent division winner Danny Massa leads Jeremy Lambert by just two points. Coming off a strong run, look for Sam Lincoln to get to Victory Lane before long in 2022.

Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 8. Tickets are just $10 for adults, while those 12 and under are free. All tickets are available in advance at SeekonkSpeedway.com but will also be sold at the track on race day.

On Saturday, Seekonk lights up the night sky with the annual Independence Day Thrill Show powered by MEGA Disposal. The Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags return for another round of racing, while the Car & Truck Enduros, Figure 8 Races, Insane Chain Race and Powder Puff divisions will also be in action. For this special event show, adults are $25 per person, while kids 6-12 are $12 and those five and under are free. Parking, as always, is free at Seekonk Speedway. Gates will open at 2:30PM for this show with the green flag dropping at 5PM.

Tickets for all Seekonk Speedway events are now available online at SeekonkSpeedway.com. Tickets can be purchased in advance for both general admission in the grandstands and pit passes for all races, including major upcoming races. Seekonk Speedway will host the Independence Day Thrill Show on Saturday, July 9 and will host Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday racing just about every week through the end of the summer. In July, Seekonk will also host the Pro All Star Series Bay State Classic 150 on July 27, worth $10,000 to win the winner, and the Midsummer Thrill Show on Saturday, July 30. 

For more information about Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates. 

Seekonk Speedway would like to make fans, teams and competitors aware of the opportunties available to them with online digital passes for entry to the track this season. Through SeekonkSpeedway.com, fans can purchase grandstand admission passes online and put them into their Apple Wallet or print them at home, where they can use them to get in at the track on race day.

The same goes for teams, drivers and crew members in the pit area. 

Pit passes are available in advance on the ticketing platform for purchase. The process is simple: patrons should go online to SeekonkSpeedway.com, click on tickets, and create an account through the software. Once the account has been created, purchase pit passes for respective events you are going to be attending. Upon completing purchase, a link will be sent to your email address with the passes. When opening the link, be sure to add them to your Apple Wallet, or print them at home, to bring with you on race day. This includes for pit passes.

Fans or teams that complete this step will be able to skip the lines on race day and avoid delays getting into the track. 

This also works for teams who would like to purchase passes for their entire team or a few crew members. Upon purchasing the passes, you are able to forward them into someone else’s email address name and they will be able to access them for themselves.

This is especially important for Touring Series shows such as the Pro All Star Series or Tri-Track Open Modified Series. Drivers and car owners can purchase passes for themselves and their crew and send them to the respective parties. In order to purchase pit passes on race day for anyone other than just one person, all parties must be there at the time to sign and collect their pit passes. No lists will be created for crew members who are coming at a later time. 

Seekonk Speedway does appreciate your understanding in this evolution into the digital age. Anyone with questions is encouraged to call the office at 508-336-9559 and ask for Dawn for assistance. You can also visit SeekonkSpeedway.com today to collect tickets for all events during the season and find the latest information on the track.