With two-time defending champion Vinnie Arrenegado making the full-time move to the Pro Stocks in 2024, the battle for the Late Model title chase will commence with multiple drivers to watch. Arrenegado may show up for select events, but his quest for another championship looks like it will move to the Division I Pro Stocks.
Former champion Mark Jenison and rising star Jacob “Rowdy” Burns seem to be two of the top contenders to watch going into the season. Jenison won the title after a last-lap battle in 2022, and came up just short of winning it again in 2023. The driver of the No. 22 is sure to be a threat to win races and be there at the end of the season to contend for the title. He is also a back-to-back two-time Pro Stock champion.
Burns, the defending Fast Friday Legends Cars champion, established his name in the Late Models the last two years. Burns is going to win often, and he’s going to make the playoffs with a shot to add a NASCAR Late Model title to his credit in the No. 30.
Two more drivers to watch are Chase Belcher and Connor Souza. Both of these young drivers have proven they can win races. Souza won twice last year, including the season-finale in the No. 38, and is coming back in 2024 looking for more. Belcher, driving the No. 35 for Everett’s Auto Parts, has multiple career wins, and came so close to the championship in 2022. Can either of them challenge to make the head table?
Former Sport Truck champion Richie Murray looks to get back to Victory Lane in 2024. He picked up his first career Late Model win on opening day in 2022, and had top-five finishes last season in his No. 08.
Luke Lebrun is a former Legends Cars champion and has been to Victory Lane in the Late Models before at Seekonk. Look out for him in his No. 27 to contend for wins and the chase for the title. Another name to add to the list is veteran Charlie Rose, who made the Final Four last year and will surely be a threat on the track.
Moving up from the Fast Friday Sport 4 division, Jarrod Freitas will contend for the Rookie of the Year in the Late Models in the No. 47. Moving from Fast Friday himself is former Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero winner Andrew Gomes, who will compete with Freitas for the Rookie of the Year honors, driving the No. 10. The move for both of those drivers shows the continued growth in Seekonk’s Fast Friday program helping drivers eventually make the move to NASCAR Saturday.
Brittany Campbell, a multiple-time Sport Truck winner, also will be part of the Rookie of the Year class in her Late Model debut season. Tyler Lallier may not be a Rookie, but the former Sportsman championship contender has plans to return to competition this year in his familiar No. 7.
Look out for names like Jerammee Lillie, who always runs near the front. Ryan Souliere is also registered in the No. 4 and Bill Goodrow the No. 32, while Manny Dias has registered the No. 42.
Expected to run a partial schedule is former Late Model champion Bobby Pelland III, driving for the Vanasse family. We mentioned it off the top, but look for Arrenegado to contend for wins when he runs. Others to watch include Nathan Tracy, Dennis Stampfl and more.
The 2024 season opens for Seekonk’s Late Models on Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. The season includes events from May through September. The championship night for the Pro Stocks will be Saturday, September 28. The Late Models will also have the opportunity to race with the American Canadian Tour in non-Seekonk points events on June 8 and November 2. For more information on the 2024 Late Model season, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news.
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