Seekonk Speedway
| "The Cement Palace", "The Action Track of the East", "The Fast Track to Family Fun" | |
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Logo and track map of Seekonk Speedway
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| Location | Seekonk, Massachusetts |
| Time zone | Eastern |
| Coordinates | 41°47′04″N 71°18′08″W / 41.7845°N 71.3021°WCoordinates: 41°47′04″N 71°18′08″W / 41.7845°N 71.3021°W |
| Capacity | About 10,000 |
| Owner | Venditti Family |
| Operator | Francis and David Venditti |
| Broke ground | 1945 |
| Opened | May 30, 1946 |
| Architect | D. Anthony Venditti |
| Major events |
Whelen All-American Series Northeastern Midget Association Whelen Modified Tour American Canadian Tour |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1/3 mi |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | 7 Feet |
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 family operated 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 action every Saturday night, depending on the weather. On Friday nights, Seekonk Speedway is open for lower-budget competition, open to drivers of varying skills. The track has seating all around the track, 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 the cars.
The track is scheduled to host a second U.S. Pro Stock/Super Late Model Championship race, scheduled to run July 12th, 2017. On September 3rd, 2016, Seekonk Speedway announced that it is going to be adding bandoleros to its Fast Friday series for 2017, with 17 races scheduled. It will be split into two divisions according to INEX rules; bandits and outlaws. On November 1st, 2016, it was announced that Seekonk Speedway will be a stop on the debut schedule of the Modified Touring Series, based in New Hampshire. On November 9th, 2016, the track announced the inaugural race for the Granite State Pro Stock Series. The race will not be a points race for the track's weekly pro stocks but they are eligible for competition in the 100 lap race. On November 15th, 2016, the track also announced the inaugural race for the New England Truck Series. The race will be 55 laps long, with the first 50 laps having cautions count towards the race total and final five not count. Starting in 2017, the street stocks will be known as the sportsman division under Helger's South Coast Power Equipment.
Opening 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 1/4 mile dirt oval. Along with midgets, the track branched out to 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 to the world. It is unknown when, but the track was eventually expanded to a 1/3 mile oval, and paved with asphalt. Midgets and modifieds dominated racing at Seekonk Speedway, until the predecessors to the now 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 the walls of the track.
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Wikipedia