PREVIEW: SEEKONK SET TO CROWN CHAMPIONS ON FAST FRIDAY, NASCAR SATURDAY

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