Seekonk Speedway
Seekonk Speedway is a family entertainment venue that features racing of all kinds on a semi-banked 1/3 mile asphalt-paved oval, located on U.S. Route 6 in Seekonk, Massachusetts.
The track holds the distinction of being the longest continually operated family-owned race track in the United States, under the guidance of the Venditti family since it opened on May 30, 1946. The track is sanctioned by NASCAR under the Whelen All-American Series. It is also the widest track in New England at 72 feet. The track's all-time winningest drivers include George Summers and "Radical" Rick Martin of Westport, Massachusetts. Typically starting on the first Sunday of May, Seekonk Speedway is host to short track racing every Saturday night, depending on the weather. On Friday nights, Seekonk Speedway is open for lower-budget competition, to drivers of varying skills. The facility has seating all around, allowing patrons to see the whole track from any seat. Optional pit passes are available for sale which allow patrons to enter the paddock area to meet the drivers and see their cars.
History
Opened in 1946, Seekonk Speedway has hosted stock car racing from its inception. Construction of the track was started by Dominic Anthony Venditti in 1945, following the post-war racing boom. The track was built with midgets in mind, as a paved oval. Along with midgets, the track branched out to modifieds as the staple of racing for nearly twenty years. Venditti had his own vision for the future of auto racing in the United States, and he used his track to promote that vision. In 1980, the track was expanded to a oval. Midgets and modifieds dominated racing at Seekonk Speedway, until the predecessors to the late models were introduced. The track has not only hosted stock car racing, however. The track has been flooded at least once for boat races to take place within its walls.Modifieds and midgets were a track staple until 1987, when they were completely phased out of weekly racing. Along with the modifieds were a division that lasted from 1982 to 1987, called the "mini modifieds". Venditti had introduced the division formerly known as the "all-pro division" after a visit to the mid-west, where he received inspiration for a series similar to modern-day super late models, with the intent of replacing the modifieds. For 1978 only, the all-pro division raced with the cadet division, with a flag on the trunks of the all-pro division cars to differentiate them. The all-pro division became its own division in 1979, and had their name changed to "pro stocks" mid-season. In 1984, the pro stocks replaced the modifieds as the headlining division at Seekonk Speedway. The track claims to have created the division known universally as "super late models", but the claim is widely disputed. Preceding the pro stocks, however, are the track's late models, which have been racing at the track since 1960. The late models were introduced to the speedway in 1960 under the name of the "charger class". The charger class was eventually renamed the "cadet division", also known as the "late model cadets". In 1978, the cadet division was renamed again, to "late models", but the name was changed back to "cadet division" the following year. For 1980 to 1989 the name had once again been changed, this time back to "charger class". In 1990 the charger class had another name change, this time being named the "late model sportsmen". This name was used until 2003, when sportsman was dropped, leaving the name as "late models". In 2010, the late models had their rules changed so that they would conform to American Canadian Tour late model rules. This allows Seekonk late model drivers to travel to any ACT race they want and race, and also allows any ACT competitor to travel to Seekonk and race.
Street stock racing at Seekonk Speedway was introduced in 1971, for one season. They would later return to the track from 1974 through 1980, taking yet another hiatus at the end of the 1980 racing season. In 1985 however, the street stocks were brought back to Seekonk, and have been racing weekly ever since. The street stock division was introduced as a cheap way to get into racing. The cars ran stock chassis from American made cars, keeping the cost of racing down for its competitors. At the end of the 2016 racing season, the street stocks had their name changed to the sportsmen, per request of the division's new sponsorship. In 1995, Seekonk Speedway introduced a division named the sport trucks. The trucks were introduced as a secondary introduction division to Saturday night racing at the track, the other division being the sportsmen. The current trucks at the track are similar in appearance to Camping World Truck Series trucks, but are down-scaled and far less powerful.
Saturday Night NASCAR
Racing
Saturday night starting at 6PM EST, Seekonk Speedway hosts weekly Saturday Night NASCAR racing under the banner of the Whelen All-American Series, allowing its weekly competitors to fight point battles on the national scale against tracks from all corners of the country. Phil's Propane has signed aboard to sponsor 12 races per year, three per division, in what is called the Phil's Propane Triple Crown Series. Victory lane is sponsored by Everett's Auto Parts, who also sponsor the late model division at the track. Caution flags do not count towards the race total at Seekonk Speedway, except during a touring race in which the series dictates caution laps to count towards the race total.Racing is split into heat races and feature races. Sport trucks, sportsmen, and late models run 10 lap heat races, while the pro stocks run 12 lap heat races. The top five finishers in each heat race receive points, 5 for first, 4 for second, etc. Sport trucks and sportsmen run 25 lap feature races, and during the Triple Crown Series races run 35 lap feature races. Late models run 30 lap feature races, and during the Triple Crown Series races run 50 lap feature races. Pro stocks run 40 lap feature races, and during the Triple Crown Series races run 65 lap feature races, except for the first Triple Crown race every year, which is 75 laps in memorial to Brad Scott.
NASCAR divisions
Division 1
Division 1 of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing at Seekonk Speedway is the pro stocks, also known as super late models at many other tracks. The pro stocks at Seekonk Speedway run either a tube frame chassis or straight rail chassis on 10-inch American Racer racing slicks. The engines are 358 cubic inch crate engines sold by General Motors and Ford Motor Company, generating 400-450 horsepower. Many different body styles of cars are allowed to compete at the track, including Camaro and Impala, Mustang and Fusion, Charger and Challenger, Cutlass, Grand Prix, and Camry. All bodies are made of fiberglass. Use of a General Motors crate engine allows a minimum weight of 2,775 pounds, use of a Ford crate engine allows a minimum weight of 2,800 pounds, and use of an open engine allows a minimum weight of 2,825 pounds. A maximum of 56% left side weight is enforced with all tube frame chassis cars, while straight rail chassis cars are allowed only 55%. All weights are measured with driver.Before every pro stock race, "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent is played over the loudspeakers.
Division 2
Division 2 of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing at Seekonk Speedway is the late models. The late models at Seekonk Speedway run with rules that are nearly identical to the late model rules set by ACT. The late models run a tube frame chassis on 8-inch American Racer racing slicks. The engines are 358 cubic inch crate engines sold by General Motors and Ford Motor Company, generating 350-370 horsepower. Many different body styles of cars are allowed to compete, including Monte Carlo and Impala, Charger, Grand Prix, Taurus, and Camry. All bodies are made of fiberglass, generally with steel quarter panels. The minimum weight of all cars is 2,775 pounds including driver, with a maximum of 57% left side weight.Before every late model race, "Fuel" by Metallica is played over the loudspeakers.
Division 3
Division 3 of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing at Seekonk Speedway is the sportsmen. The sportsmen at Seekonk Speedway run any stock American-made chassis made from 1970 to the late 1980s on 7-inch American Racer treaded racing slicks. The engines are 358 cubic inch General Motors and Ford engines and 366 cubic inch Chrysler engines, with the option of running a crate engine, generating 300-350 horsepower. There is a large variety of car body styles allowed to compete, with any car body made in America from 1970 to 1988 allowed. All bodies are required to be made of aluminum or steel. Weight rules are set only on the right side of the cars, with a minimum ride side weight of 1,400 pounds including driver.Before every sportsman race, "Flirtin' with Disaster" by Molly Hatchet is played over the loudspeakers.
Division 4
Division 4 of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing at Seekonk Speedway is the sport trucks. Sport trucks at Seekonk Speedway run 25-lap races. The sport trucks at Seekonk Speedway run a stock chassis from the options of Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S-10, GMC Sonoma, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma on 7-inch Hoosier treaded racing slicks. The trucks at Seekonk Speedway have the option of running a four-cylinder or eight-cylinder engine. Four-cylinder engines are limited to 2,300 cubic centimeters, 2,400 cubic centimeters and 2,500 cubic centimeters. Eight-cylinder engines have the option of running a General Motors crate engine, or running a Chevrolet 305, Ford 302, or Dodge 318 engine. All bodies are required to be made of steel sheet metal. Twenty-three hundred CC engine trucks have a minimum weight of 2,400 pounds, 2,400 CC engines 2,450 pounds, 2,500 CC engines 2,550 pounds, and all V8 trucks have a minimum weight of 2,850 pounds. All weights are measured with driver, with a maximum left side weight for four-cylinder engines being 55% and eight-cylinder engines being 56%.Before every sport truck race, "Wild Side" by Mötley Crüe is played over the loudspeakers.