Seekonk Speedway is preparing for a full weekend of racing this Friday and Saturday, August 5-6, as Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Finale weekend rolls onto the track.
On Fast Friday, all five divisions have a final four of drivers ready to battle for the 2022 Triple Crown — and only one driver in each will leave with the it. In order to win, drivers will simply have to beat the other three on the track. The highest finishing of the four in their respective division will be the 2022 Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown champion. All races on Fast Friday except the two in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero divisions will be five extra laps.
This means the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series race will be set for 30 laps, with AJ Manuel, Mikey LeFort, Jarrod Freitas and Tyler Duhancik battling for the crown. In the first two races of the Triple Crown chase, Manuel started at the tail of the field, found his way through the pack and rolled to Victory Lane. Can a three-peat of wins come at the perfect time to earn him the Triple Crown in his farewell race? LeFort, a former multiple-time champion, could be one of the major threats to stand in his way, as a proven winner. Freitas and Duhancik both have wins during the 2022 season and have shown top-five speed on a weekly basis.
In the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Pure Stocks, Greg Perry, Danny Massa, Tim Ouellette and Sam Lincoln will race for the title. Perry and Massa have already won races in 2022, with Perry capturing two wins, and Massa earning one of his own, and currently leading the point standings. Lincoln, who is riding momentum off a podium run last week, will look to seal his first Triple Crown title in fine fashion. Ouellette has been quiet this season, but could find the perfect time to spark in Friday’s 30-lap feature.
The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits chase will come down to Milania Shilosky, Darren Krantz, Ryan Vanasse Jr. and Nick Uhrig Jr. The first three of those names each have multiple wins during the season — with Vanasse capturing his second checkered flag just last week. Uhrig has a podium finish just a few races ago and would love to have his career breakthrough moment in their 15-lap feature.
In the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaws, Chase Silvia, Andrew Gomes, Joey LeMay and Bradley Strickland will race for the Triple Crown. Three of them have won this year — including first-time wins for Strickland and Gomes in the last two weeks. Silvia has been to Victory Lane in six of the nine races this season, while LeMay has been quiet, but pointed his way into the finale and should be considered a threat to win.
And in the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars, the four drivers set to battle include Brendon Hammann, Devin Deshaies, Mason Tessier and Reese Bogue. Hammann won early in the year and has been on the podium since, but seems to have cooled off a bit heading for the end of the summer. Will this be a rebound race to steer him back on track? Deshaies is a similar story, winning early and slowing down, but has been a master of consistency with top-five finishes in most events. Tessier has two wins in the last four events, while Bogue has been quiet, but would love to use the Triple Crown title to bolster his resume.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.
EXTRA-DISTANCE: NASCAR SATURDAY DIVISIONS TO BATTLE FOR EVERETT’S TRIPLE CROWN TITLES
On Saturday, August 6, Seekonk Speedway will go the extra distance with four Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series finale races. As part of each event, four drivers will be racing each other for the Triple Crown title, with the one that finishes the best capturing the crown.
In the Chaz Auto Body Sport Trucks, Mike Cavallaro, Brittany Campbell, Rick Martin and Barry Shaw Jr will race for the Triple Crown title. All four of them have victories during the 2022 season, but Campbell and Martin have been especially strong of late. Campbell picked up her first win of the season a few weeks ago, and Martin has three wins of his own. Shaw may have won the first Triple Crown race to lock himself into the final four, and Cavallaro may have got in on points — but can they find their way to the top of the class in the 35-lap feature?
The Pro Stock 60-lap finale might be the most anticipated since the inception of the Triple Crown Series. With four drivers racing for the crown, three of them come to light as recent success drivers in the division. Mike Brightman and Dave Darling battled down the final laps of the first Triple Crown race, with Brightman edging out for the victory. In the second round, Darling passed Brightman in the final laps to take the win. Will the two of them resume their battle in the finale and race for it between themselves? Tom Scully Jr. and Colbey Fournier join them in the final race, with Scully picking up an emotional win just a month ago, and Fournier becoming consistent of late inside the top-five. Can they steal it?
The Late Models might be the biggest toss-up of all of the NASCAR Saturday divisions, with Vinnie Arrenegado, Gerry DeGasparre, Richie Murray and Chase Belcher set to battle it out. Arrenegado won early in the season but has struggled of late, while Belcher is coming off a victory last time on the track. Richie Murray won on opening day and has consistently been around the top-five, and DeGasparre is one of few drivers who has two victories this season. Who will come out on top in their 45-lap main event?
Finally, Chad Baxter has to be the favorite in the final four of the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment Sportsman, but Craig Pianka, Ed Perry and Doug Benoit are right there on his back. Baxter has three wins in the last four races, while Pianka and Perry have been consistent to run inside the top-10 lately. For both Pianka and Perry, who won early in the season, winning success hasn’t been tasted recently, but this could be a great return to the top. Benoit, a former Pure Stock champion on Fast Friday, has shown speed all year — but could really cement his season with a Triple Crown title on Saturday in the 35-lap feature.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest updates.
