SUMMER HEATS UP THIS WEEKEND AT SEEKONK SPEEDWAY WITH FAST FRIDAY, NASCAR SATURDAY

SEEKONK, Mass. — As the Action Track of the East hits the middle of the summer, racing will heat up this weekend with two nights of action set for Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16. Fast Friday returns to the track for another round, while NASCAR Saturday is also back for the first time in nearly one month as the battle towards the inaugural Seekonk Speedway Drive For The Cup Playoff system continues to inch closer.


Fast Friday will be headlined by the second round of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series for the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars, while Saturday includes the second round of the Everett’s Triple Crown for the Pro Stocks, set for 60 laps, and a special appearance by the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags.


Fast Friday’s Legends Cars division has been competitive all year, and a special extra-distance race this week should be no different. Devin Deshaies has three wins, with Brendon Hammann close behind with two. Mason Tessier had a rough start to the year, but spun it back in his own direction last week, scoring his first win of the season. Additional drivers who haven’t won, but have been competitive, include Reese Bogue, Isaiah Newcomb, Brenden LaBelle and Josh Parsons. The second round of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series will help decide who makes the finale round for the Legends Cars, which is set for August 5.


In the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks, Mike Henriques heads into the 25-lap feature this week fresh-off his first win of the season, with Greg Perry, a two-time feature winner, coming home in the runner-up spot last week. While those two have been strong, Danny Massa has a 10-point lead over Jeremy Lambert in the standings. Both of those drivers have been to Victory Lane — but the next two in the points battle — Sam Lincoln and Jordan Threllfall — would like to get there for the first time this Friday night.


Both Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero divisions have been competitive all year, with the Outlaw division running through Chase Silvia in the first six weeks. Silvia has five wins behind the wheel of the No. 17, and has a comfortable lead over Andrew Gomes. However, with the new playoff system this year, all that matters is making the top six in the point standings in the Bandolero class. Currently, Mikey LeFort III leads Bobby Bettencourt III for the final playoff spot by four points, with Adam Harrison and Bradley Strickland just 8 points back. As the playoffs inch closer, will the Outlaw division be Seekonk’s closest battle to make it into the playoffs?


The Bandit division has three different winners so far, with Darren Krantz Jr. winning the first three events, followed by two straight by Milania Shilosky and last weeks winner Ryan Vanasse Jr. Heading into their 15-lap feature this week, Sam Macedo, Collin Vanasse and Bryson Robidoux will all be looking for their first wins of the season, while RJ Murphy looks to repeat his podium last week and get even closer to the front. 


The Everett’s Auto Parts Sport 4 division closed up last week when Crystal Murray had a tire failure, meaning she leads Jarrod Freitas and Tyler Duhancik by just six points. However, the battle for the top-8 spots is also competitive in this division. Stephanie Bruneau leads by six points over Justin Leduc, as the top-9 drivers seem to have separated themselves a bit from others. The Sport 4 division has multiple different winners so far, and names like Henry Lavallee and Duhancik could be adding their name this week.


On NASCAR Saturday, the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman field has continued to impress fans this year, with Ed Perry, Craig Pianka and Chad Baxter all visiting Victory Lane so far. However — names like Doug Benoit, Tyler Almeida and Adam Pettey have been close to getting the job done. Baxter got his old faithful car back a few weeks ago and has multiple wins in a row under his belt leading into this weekend, but we will see if a two-week break changes things.


The Pro Stocks will compete in the second round of their Everett’s Triple Crown, set for 60 laps, and it should be a close battle. In the first Triple Crown race, Mike Brightman barely held off Dave Darling, thrilling fans with a final 10 laps to remember. This time, will Darling get the edge? The eight-time track champion has yet to get to Victory Lane in 2022 as we hit the middle of July. Tommy Adams, Tom Scully Jr., Ryan Vanasse and others will look to make their own mark on this special event.


The Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks are coming off their own two-week break, and as one of Seekonk’s most competitive divisions, their race for the playoffs is also close. Amy Arsenault leads Tom Scully III by just eight points for the final playoff spot, while the top-six drivers seem to have distanced themselves. Jake Vanada is seventh, just six points ahead of Arsenault. All three of them will look for their first wins of the season this week in the 25-lap feature on Saturday, trying to beat the likes of recent winner Brittany Campbell, Barry Shaw Jr., Mike Cavallaro, Rick Martin, Mike Duarte and others. 


In the Late Models, this division is coming off one of the more intense races in recent memory — a three-wide battle for the lead in the last round of the Triple Crown Series. Their 30-lap feature this week will be a battle between points leader Gerry DeGasparre Jr., Vinnie Arrenegado, Chase Belcher, Richie Murray and others. 


Saturday also includes another round of racing for the Troy City Tactical Spectator Drags — their second straight weekend of action. Early in their season, Richie Johnson leads the points battle over Mike Vincent and Joe Defarias. 


Fast Friday racing begins at 7 p.m., while NASCAR Saturday takes the green flag at 6 p.m. Tickets for both nights are available in advance at SeekonkSpeedway.com and will also be available at the track on race day. Tickets for all of the 2022 Seekonk Speedway events are also available online. Seekonk Speedway has multiple major events coming up including the second annual Bay State Classic on Wednesday, July 27, worth $10,000 to win with the Pro All Star Series in town. The Midsummer Thrill Show is also scheduled for Saturday, July 30.




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

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