SEEKONK CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL FOUR FIELDS TO BE SET, WALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS HELP HEADLINE RACING WEEKEND

SEEKONK, Mass. — As Seekonk Speedway hits the final two weekends of the short-track racing season for Fast Friday and NASCAR Saturday, September 20-21 will determine the Final Four who will compete for the title in each division. As the Sunoco Drive For The Cup revs up, after feature event racing on both nights, four drivers will have the right to contend for the title, while two in each division will go home hoping for another shot next year. 


On top of playoff racing, NASCAR Saturday also includes the induction of the 2024 Wall of Fame Class. 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 the Wall of Fame. 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.


Also of note, all NASCAR Saturday divisions will increase five laps in their feature lap count this week - with the Sport Trucks and Sportsman running 30, the Late Models 35 and Pro Stocks 45. All Fast Friday lap counts remain the same this week. 


Fast Friday action begins at 7 p.m. and NASCAR Saturday goes green at 6 p.m.


NASCAR Saturday’s cutline battles to see who will advance to the Final Four are tight in nearly all divisions. The one that isn’t as tight is the Pro Stocks - the top NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series division at the Action Track of the East. 


Based on playoff points, Dylan Estrella has already locked himself into the Final Four with two strong runs in the first two weeks of the playoffs. This leaves three spots open. Right now, there is a three-way tie for second, third and fourth. Leading the tie is Bobby Pelland III, while Rookie of the Year driver Vinnie Arrenegado and Mike Brightman are also currently positioned inside the Final Four. With some work to do, two-time and defending Pro Stock champion Mark Jenison will need a really strong night and someone in front of him to fall. The three drivers are tied with nine points, while Jenison has just five. Can Jension work his way in? And, if he does, who ends up out?


In the Late Models, the battle is much tighter. Charlie Rose and Jacob “Rowdy” Burns opened the playoffs with two fantastic weeks. Burns won both races and Rose finished strong in each. These two drivers are locked into the Final Four on playoff points, leaving just two spots open for the other four drivers to race for this week. Chase Belcher has eight points, while Luke Lebrun and Richie Murray are tied for the final spot with five playoff points. The tiebreaker to make the Final Four is the driver who has the highest season points total up to this point. The edge would go to Lebrun if Mother Nature got in the middle. Mark Jenison, a former Late Model champion, has just two points, but is only three back from the cutline, needing a strong night and a few above him to have trouble if he wants to find his way in. 


The Helger’s Sportsman field is also close. Similar to the Late Models, two drivers are nearly all but locked in. Colby Lambert is certainly a lock, with 14 playoff points, the most of anyone at Seekonk Speedway. He will race for the title on championship night, September 28. As long as Doug Benoit takes the green flag in the feature this week, he will also be locked in, as no one will be able to catch him. If for some reason he doesn’t, the door would be open for him to fall out. Scott Serydynski Jr. is third in playoff points, with slight breathing room over Adam Pettey. Serydynski has seven points, while Pettey, currently holding the final spot, has five. Pettey is ahead of a tie with Josh Hedges for the final spot because Pettey is higher in the entire season points total. Hedges still has a strong chance to compete for the crown, with Tyler Almeida sitting in the final spot with three points, needing a really strong week and some others to struggle.


In the Chaz’s Sport Trucks, there is also a tie for the Final Four spot. Locked in, Radical Rick Martin will chase a third straight Sport Truck title on September 28, after being the highest finishing playoff driver in the first two races of the playoffs. Mike Duarte, who earned the three bonus points for leading at the end of the regular season, is second in playoff points with nine, three up from the cut. Jake Vanada has eight, while Tim Bolger Jr. currently holds the final spot with six playoff points. Former champion Mike Cavallaro is tied with Bolger, but Bolger has the most points over the whole season, breaking the tie. Amy Arsenault also isn’t far out, with four points to her credit. The Chaz’s Sport Truck Final Four will definitely come down to the final lap of this week’s 30-lap feature. 


Fast Friday also has a division tied up. In the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars, Chase Silvia is locked into the Final Four as long as he takes the green flag on Friday night, posting the most of anyone through two weeks, 11 points. Regular season points leader Jacob “Rowdy” Burns is using the three bonus points he got to his advantage. Currently, Burns is second, with 10 points. Richie Helger Jr. is in third with seven, while there is a tie for the final spot as they run. Mason Tessier and Brenden LaBelle both have six playoff points. Tessier currently has the tiebreaker, as he is the highest of the two in the overall season points. In the final spot, multiple-time season winner Josh Parsons has five, but is right there in contention. The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars field is one of the Seekonk Speedway divisions that will go right down to the final lap to determine the Final Four.


In the Helger’s Pure Stocks, there is a tie for the lead, with two drivers feeling comfortable heading into Friday. Brent Robidoux, a Rookie of the Year contender, and Mike Henriques are tied for the top spot, both with 10 playoff points. Ethan Souza is third with 9, while Danny Massa currently holds the final spot with 8. Outside looking in is defending Pure Stock champion Jared Cordeira with just six points, and Bobby Bettencourt III with two points. As they run right now, Cordeira will need a strong night and someone in front of him to fall if he wants to make it back-to-back appearances in the Final Four, and maybe back-to-back titles. 


The Sport 4 division is led by Justin Leduc. As the highest finishing playoff car the first two weeks, including a race victory last time out, Leduc is locked into the Final Four based on playoff points. Richie Johnson is currently second with 10 points, feeling comfortable, up by 5 on the cutline. As long as Johnson comes away with a finish of at least the third highest playoff car in the race this Friday, he will compete for the title. Matt Pion is using the three points he earned as regular season points leader to his advantage, currently sitting third with eight points. Behind them, there is a three-way tie for the final spot. Tyler Duhancik, Crystal Murray and Taylor Bowser each have five playoff points. That is also the order of the tiebreaker based on the points from the whole season. As they run, Duhancik would advance. Can Murray, the two-time and defending champion, or Bowser, find their way into the Final Four?


In the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw division, Parker Davis is locked into the Final Four based on playoff points, after winning the first two races of the playoffs. That leaves three more spots to race for the crown. Right now, Bryson Robidoux is second with nine points, while Brody Wakefield has eight and Nick Uhrig Jr. has seven. Outside the cutoff is season winner Mike Hanafin with five playoff points and Ryder Aguiar with four. As the Bandolero Outlaws return to the track for 15 laps this week, the battle is on to make the Final Four.

And in the Bandolero Bandits, the Final Four is nearly set. By virtue of excellent runs, Luka Dib, David Bernier and Mason Silva are already locked into the Final Four. That leaves just one spot remaining with Jase Chaber currently holding the edge with six points over Ayla Martin and Carl Satterlund Jr., who are tied with three. As the final race of the playoffs before the elimination looms, can Martin or Satterlund find their way in the Final Four?


Tickets for both nights of playoff racing 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.

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