PREVIEW: VETERANS, RISING STARS RETURN IN STACKED PURE STOCK FIELD

The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stock field will showcase one of the most stacked fields in Seekonk Speedway history in 2022. As a growing division that started over a decade ago, the Pure Stocks continue to be the place for drivers who want to make one final step on Fast Friday before they move to NASCAR Saturday. The division includes the likes of many veterans, including some former champions and race winners, and rising stars, who are looking to make a name for themselves in a competitive class.


Last year, veteran Greg Perry picked up his second career championship, besting Danny Massa over the final stretch of the season to visit championship glory. Entering 2022, those two drivers are at the top of the list of favorites. Perry, as a two-time champion, is going to be tough to beat. He has the experience, the drive to succeed and the championship glory and history to be there at the end. Massa, who won multiple races early last year, may have fallen off late — but don’t let that fool you. He wants to prove he can become a champion and will look to use the 2022 season to do it.


As Seekonk introduces the playoff system in 2022 — the Drive 4 For The Cup — including three races in September, where the field will be cut from 8 drivers, to 6 drivers, to 4 drivers for the final race — who will be the one to become champion? In that final championship race, the driver that bests the other three in the feature will be the champion. The question is: who will make it there to battle for it? This is going to be different, but fun for everyone to watch. 


Behind Perry and Massa, multiple frontrunners from the end of last year are going to be tough to beat. Names like Jeremy Lambert, Ethan Souza, Timmy Ouellette and Jim Reilly should be on the list to watch.


Lambert is a former division winner, while Souza, who has been working with former Pro Stock champion Fred Astle Jr., showed a ton of speed and visited Victory Lane in his first few races during the 2021 season. Timmy Ouellette, who graduated from the Seekonk Youth Racing Association, won the Everett’s Triple Crown title last year, and wants the overall championship. Jim Reilly, who graduated from the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags into the Fast Friday division lineup, picked up his first career win late last season and should be a threat to contend for the title in 2022. 


Additional names to watch include Justin Menard, Mike Henriques, Bill Chouinard, Mike Rotondo, Justin Rioux, Jared Cordeira, Emily Brightman, Austin Flanagan, Sam Lincoln, Matt Talbot, Rob Hendrickson and Alice Benoit. 


Picking out just a few, Flanagan moved from the Sport 4 division to the Pure Stocks late last season and was progressively getting better. Brightman, who is inside the same family as Pro Stock winner Mike Brightman, is looking to get her stability and contend for top-fives this season. Lincoln, Talbot and Hendrickson all have experience and will look to elevate themselves to become a feature winner this year. The additional drivers in the list are also ones to watch going into the new season. 


How about names like Joe Gardner, Gary Conrad, Nick Brightman, Harold Holdsworth, Matthew Desrosiers and Josh Badach? Will any one of them contend for feature wins? Will someone else come onto the scene and contend to grab the checkered flag during the 2022 season? The Pure Stock division is known for one or two drivers each year to capture their first career win, if not more.


The Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stock season begins on Friday, May 27 with a 25-lap feature and will roll through Friday, September 23, where the champion will be crowned. Tickets for all Seekonk Speedway Fast Friday, NASCAR Saturday and Thrill Show events are available today at SeekonkSpeedway.com. Fans are encouraged to follow the track on social media for the latest updates and information. 
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