MARTIN, SORTEUP, BOUCHER TO BE ENSHRINED IN SEEKONK WALL OF FAME THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

SEEKONK, Mass. — Radical Rick Martin, who is racing for a third straight Sport Truck title this season, Skid Sorterup and current track announcer Kevin Boucher will be enshrined onto Seekonk Speedway Wall of Fame this Saturday night, September 21. 


The induction ceremony will begin at 5:15 p.m., leading right into qualifying heat races at 6 p.m. NASCAR Saturday also includes the annual visit from the Senior Tour Auto Racers Modified and Sportsman divisions, along with the Pro Stocks, Late Models, Sportsman and Trucks - all ready for elimination night in the playoffs. Fast Friday will also be on track.


With 50 years of competition, Rick has been to Victory Lane over 110 times at Seekonk Speedway, along with 7 championships as a driver, with one more as a car owner.  Over the time of his career, Rick has been one of the most exciting competitors to compete. From the first time he raced in 1975, his fan base started to grow. Today, they continue to be among the most loyal at the speedway. His first win came on May 12, 1979 in the Late Model division, his first of two  on the season. From there, he moved into the Pro Stocks in 1980, picking up his first win in ‘82, on the final night of points competition. While the winning continued through the decade, it wasn’t until 1991 that he picked up his first championship, driving for Ray Manfredo and Dan Sweeney. He picked up his second Pro Stock title in 1996, and followed that up in ‘98 and ‘99, driving for Gil Lopes. In 2000, he competed against his own car, and watched Fred Astle Jr. pick up the championship over himself. Over the next several years, Rick would travel the Northeast, competing with the now defunct North East Pro Stock Association and then with the Pro All Stars Series, winning at tracks like White Mountain Motorsports Park and Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire. Whenever his schedule allowed, he would return to his home track and put on a show for the fans. Later in the decade, he returned to weekly competition, coming back in the Sport Trucks, and returning to his winning ways. In 2010, he picked up the Truck title, his first of three titles, including back to back in 2022 and 2023. In August of 2021, Rick picked up his 100th career win at Seekonk, in a tight battle, edging out Tom Scully Jr. Since then, he has added another dozen wins at Seekonk. 


In the early 1940s, even before Seekonk Speedway was built, Skid Sorterup spent time with D. Anthony Venditti. Together, with Rusty Rushton, Anthony made his dream a reality. Anthony would use them both for a sounding board, but more importantly, they were by his side each step of the way. When the speedway was opened in 1946, Skid made sure he was there to support his friend. He competed briefly, but it was as a car owner that he found more success. When the speedway transitioned from the open cockpit midgets to the jalopies of the early 50’s, Skid was running his car with drivers such as Don Hall behind the wheel. Fords were at the forefront, and his was one of the quickest around the ¼ oval. But he wanted more. The Fords at the time were running a single front axle beam. Skid had an idea. He built a Ford coach with an independent front suspension. After a couple of races, and some adjustments and tweaks, he found his coach among the best cars. He was the first to try the independent front suspension when everyone else was utilizing the single front axle setup. It was that type of innovation, and his close ties with D Anthony, that helped set him apart from his peers. A mechanic by trade, his innovations and ideas over the years made him one of the early pioneers of the sport outside of the cockpit. His devotion to the sport and the speedway made his name legendary at Seekonk. 


For over 40 years, Kevin Boucher has been part of the family at Seekonk Speedway. From his first job as a runner for lineups to today, Saturday’s have been spent at The Action Track of the East. As a young fan, and the son of championship car owner Ernie Boucher, the passion has overflowed since the early days. He has worked in various forms through his youth. Selling programs in his early teens, to working on the wrecker crew for several years, working in the novelty stand, and then into the announcers booth. In addition, Kevin has been Race Director and Pit Steward, giving him an insight into the behind the scenes part of race night, helping him bring that insight to his style of announcing. He was behind the Wall of Fame from the beginning, honoring the men and women who built the foundation of the Seekonk Speedway. He was part of the 60 Years of Stars that celebrated the 60th anniversary of the track in 2005. For 30 years, he has been the man on the mic, entertaining the fans with his conversationalist style. His knowledge of the history of the speedway and its competitors and teams has been a big part of his style, making sure they aren’t forgotten. His relationships with the fans and the teams are what continues to drive him to putting his heart into his job each week. 


Tickets for both nights of playoff racing this weekend and all remaining 2024 Seekonk Speedway events are available online now at SeekonkSpeedway.com. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, fans are encouraged to visit the track website and also follow us on social media.