It was learned today that 3-time Seekonk Speedway Champion Don Dionne of Warwick RI passed away on Tuesday, January 5th. Don was a long time fan favorite at Seekonk, where he picked up over 30 wins in a career that spanned over 25 years. Don won his first race on September 23, 1967 in the B division. His final win came on July 15, 1989, in John Tyler's Sound Marine Special.
His first championship came in 1970 in the B division. In 1979, he became the very first Pro Stock Champion, driving for the Manfredo Brothers. He followed that up in 1981, with his second Pro Stock title.
At this time, arrangements have not been announced. We will update as soon as possible.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Fred Darling Passes.
The Seekonk Speedway family would like to send our condolences to the Darling Family. Fred Darling, former competitor, father to Wayne Darling, grandfather to Dave Darling and Eric Snow, passed away Tuesday Evening. Calling hours will be on Friday evening at Rebello's Funeral Home in East Providence RI. I will update the times when they are available.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Seekonk Speedway holds rules meetings for 2010.
With an eye toward the future, Seekonk Speedway held their annual rules meetings with all competitors on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 27th and 28th. While most of the bantering was over different procedures, some changes did come out of the meetings.
The biggest change in the rules centered around the Late Model division. For the past two seasons, competitors from area speedways could come in and compete under the New England Late Model rules package, but only for up to 6 shows. In 2010, any Late Model can come in and compete for the full season, but must run either the current Seekonk Speedway Late Model rules, which will go virtually unchanged for the upcoming season, or compete under the American Canadian Tour (ACT) rules package. This will allow competitors from tracks such as Waterford, Lee USA, White Mountain and more to come in and compete for the 2010 Championship, instead of being forced to only a handful of events.
“We want to expand our Late Model division for 2010,” Race Director Dave Alburn Stated. “I didn’t want to force a change to our competitors at a cost to them, and I feel that we have some of the best teams around. But from a business standpoint, I see where the Late Models may be heading, and don’t want to cut ourselves, or our fans, short.” Another rule change for the Late Models, and as well for the Pro Stocks, is any competitor running a stock Camaro type snout, will get a weight break of 25 pounds.
In the Pro Stocks, the only other clarification was for the cars that compete with a non-crate engine. If they decide to compete with an open-competition style engine, there will only be a 50 pound penalty assessed.
In the Seekonk Sport Trucks, most of the talk was surrounded around the body configuration. “I want the bodies to resemble trucks from the front to the rear,” Alburn added. “I don’t want the slanted back panels. This is a Truck division, and I need for them to resemble the trucks on the road.” It was also stated the flywheels must remain solid, meaning no holes drilled into them. There must also be a 2” inspection hole in the bottom of the bell housing, to allow the Tech Inspector to get a look at the flywheel without removing the transmission.
One concern in the Street Stock division is the cost of the rear ends in the cars. There are several options out there, including the Ford 9” rear end. In 2010 there is the allowance of the full floater rear ends for the Street Stocks. There was also the clarification in the exhaust rules. There are 2 mufflers mandatory, and MUST have a 3” inlet port and outlet port.
The Pure Stocks did not get any changes to the cars, but did get some clarification on the procedures for handicapping and driver eligibility. The driver cannot win more than 3 championships in the Pure Stocks, as this is a beginner division. Drivers are required to retire from the class upon their third title, regardless of how long. In the handicapping of the features, the winner of the previous race will start last in the field. If you miss the previous week, you will start just ahead of the previous week’s winner.
The claimer rule in its current form will undergo a change. From being able to purchase the complete car, a driver finishing second may claim the engine from the winning car. The parameters and fee is to be determined at this time. Roll cage setup and design was discussed, as well as a compression and cam rule. Those are to be determined at this time.
The Seekonk Youth Racing Association was part of the meetings as well. This younger generation class was not without discussion for a few topics. It was stated that transponders will be mandatory for 2010. This is for a variety of reasons, including driver development and scoring. It was also brought up that the restrictor plates for the 600 class can be leased for the season. Instead of picking up a plate each week, a team will be assigned one at the opening practices, and will be responsible for that plate all season long. A fee will be assessed if the plate is damaged, and must be available for inspection at any time. This is not mandatory, but recommended, so teams will not have to remove them at the conclusion of each event. The competitors brought up the possibility of a gear rule for the 600 class, as well as driver eligibility in each of the SYRA classes.
This is just an overview on the rules meetings, and do not outline completely what was talked about. Before making changes to the cars in any of the divisions, the management requests that you contact your divisions’ tech official with any questions or clarifications.
The next event on the calendar is the 64th Annual Awards Dinner and Celebration. This gala will be held on Saturday, January 16, 2010. It will be held, as always, at the Venus De Milo on Route 6 in Swansea, MA. Tickets are $30 per person, and can be purchased through the speedway office. Join us as we close out the 2009 season in style.
The biggest change in the rules centered around the Late Model division. For the past two seasons, competitors from area speedways could come in and compete under the New England Late Model rules package, but only for up to 6 shows. In 2010, any Late Model can come in and compete for the full season, but must run either the current Seekonk Speedway Late Model rules, which will go virtually unchanged for the upcoming season, or compete under the American Canadian Tour (ACT) rules package. This will allow competitors from tracks such as Waterford, Lee USA, White Mountain and more to come in and compete for the 2010 Championship, instead of being forced to only a handful of events.
“We want to expand our Late Model division for 2010,” Race Director Dave Alburn Stated. “I didn’t want to force a change to our competitors at a cost to them, and I feel that we have some of the best teams around. But from a business standpoint, I see where the Late Models may be heading, and don’t want to cut ourselves, or our fans, short.” Another rule change for the Late Models, and as well for the Pro Stocks, is any competitor running a stock Camaro type snout, will get a weight break of 25 pounds.
In the Pro Stocks, the only other clarification was for the cars that compete with a non-crate engine. If they decide to compete with an open-competition style engine, there will only be a 50 pound penalty assessed.
In the Seekonk Sport Trucks, most of the talk was surrounded around the body configuration. “I want the bodies to resemble trucks from the front to the rear,” Alburn added. “I don’t want the slanted back panels. This is a Truck division, and I need for them to resemble the trucks on the road.” It was also stated the flywheels must remain solid, meaning no holes drilled into them. There must also be a 2” inspection hole in the bottom of the bell housing, to allow the Tech Inspector to get a look at the flywheel without removing the transmission.
One concern in the Street Stock division is the cost of the rear ends in the cars. There are several options out there, including the Ford 9” rear end. In 2010 there is the allowance of the full floater rear ends for the Street Stocks. There was also the clarification in the exhaust rules. There are 2 mufflers mandatory, and MUST have a 3” inlet port and outlet port.
The Pure Stocks did not get any changes to the cars, but did get some clarification on the procedures for handicapping and driver eligibility. The driver cannot win more than 3 championships in the Pure Stocks, as this is a beginner division. Drivers are required to retire from the class upon their third title, regardless of how long. In the handicapping of the features, the winner of the previous race will start last in the field. If you miss the previous week, you will start just ahead of the previous week’s winner.
The claimer rule in its current form will undergo a change. From being able to purchase the complete car, a driver finishing second may claim the engine from the winning car. The parameters and fee is to be determined at this time. Roll cage setup and design was discussed, as well as a compression and cam rule. Those are to be determined at this time.
The Seekonk Youth Racing Association was part of the meetings as well. This younger generation class was not without discussion for a few topics. It was stated that transponders will be mandatory for 2010. This is for a variety of reasons, including driver development and scoring. It was also brought up that the restrictor plates for the 600 class can be leased for the season. Instead of picking up a plate each week, a team will be assigned one at the opening practices, and will be responsible for that plate all season long. A fee will be assessed if the plate is damaged, and must be available for inspection at any time. This is not mandatory, but recommended, so teams will not have to remove them at the conclusion of each event. The competitors brought up the possibility of a gear rule for the 600 class, as well as driver eligibility in each of the SYRA classes.
This is just an overview on the rules meetings, and do not outline completely what was talked about. Before making changes to the cars in any of the divisions, the management requests that you contact your divisions’ tech official with any questions or clarifications.
The next event on the calendar is the 64th Annual Awards Dinner and Celebration. This gala will be held on Saturday, January 16, 2010. It will be held, as always, at the Venus De Milo on Route 6 in Swansea, MA. Tickets are $30 per person, and can be purchased through the speedway office. Join us as we close out the 2009 season in style.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Seekonk Speedway sets 2010 rules meeting dates and times.
With the 2009 racing season behind us, Seekonk Speedway has already set an eye to ’10. “We feel that we should get this done early in the off season, so everyone can start to prepare on next season,” Race Director Dave Alburn stated. “I’ve got a couple of things hopping around, and want to discuss them with the competitors, so we can have everyone on the same page as we get ready for our 65th season.”
The dates are as follows: Tuesday, October 27, SYRA 6pm, Street Stocks 7pm, Seekonk Sport Trucks 8pm. On Wednesday, October 28, Pure Stocks & Sport4 6pm, Late Models 7pm, Pro Stocks 8pm. The meetings will be held at the American Legion Hall at 351 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk, MA. Located across from The Old Grist Mill Restaurant, it is the same location that has been hosting the meetings for the past several years.
Please be sure to come by for your divisions’ rules, and be sure to ask any questions that you may have. The results of these meetings will set the slate for the 2010 rulebook. For further information, please contact the office at (508) 336-9959. You can also keep up to date at seekonkspeedway.com.
The dates are as follows: Tuesday, October 27, SYRA 6pm, Street Stocks 7pm, Seekonk Sport Trucks 8pm. On Wednesday, October 28, Pure Stocks & Sport4 6pm, Late Models 7pm, Pro Stocks 8pm. The meetings will be held at the American Legion Hall at 351 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk, MA. Located across from The Old Grist Mill Restaurant, it is the same location that has been hosting the meetings for the past several years.
Please be sure to come by for your divisions’ rules, and be sure to ask any questions that you may have. The results of these meetings will set the slate for the 2010 rulebook. For further information, please contact the office at (508) 336-9959. You can also keep up to date at seekonkspeedway.com.
Monday, October 05, 2009
DAV Schedule of events
FRIDAY Practice Day October 9th
Pits open at 9 AM - Pit Admission $20 (no open grandstand admission)
Practice all divisions 11 AM to 5 PM.
(Rotation Order-SYRA 600, Trucks/Mini stock, SYRA 750, Street Stock, Late Model, Pro 4 Modified, NEMA Lites, Pure Stock, Pro Stock)
SATURDAY October 10th
8:00 AM Pits Open - Front gate @ 10AM
8:45 AM Inspections
10:00 AM Practice starts (Rotation order-SYRA 600, Trucks/Mini stock, SYRA 750, TV Modified, Street Stock, NEMA, Late Model, Pro 4 Modified, NEMA Lites, Pure Stock, Pro Stock)
1:30 PM Qualifying starts
Qualifying Schedule
SYRA 600 8 laps
Pure Stock 8 laps
SYRA 750 8 laps
Trucks 10 laps
Pro 4 Modifieds 12 laps
NEMA Lites 10 laps
Street Stocks 10 laps
Late Models 12 laps
NEMA Midgets 10 laps
Pro Stocks 12 laps
TVMods 12 laps
Consolation races will follow in same order as needed
Feature Schedule
Pro 4 Modifieds 30 Lap
SYRA 600 Feature 25 laps
Pure Stock Feature 25 laps
SYRA 750 Feature 25 laps
Pro 4 Race for Cancer
NEMA Lites Feature 25 laps
SUNDAY 11th
9:00 AM Pits open – Front gate @ 10 AM. No engines may start before 12 noon.
10:00 AM Pit party
12:00 PM Practice for NEMA Midgets, Pro Stocks, TVMods ONLY
1:00 PM Features start
Feature Pitting- All divisions in parking lot must use area inside track pits along wall.
Please wait for speedway officials to call your division.
Feature Schedule
Sport Truck/Ministocks 30 laps ($250 to win)
Street Stocks 30 laps ($250 to win)
Late Models 50 laps ($700 to win)
NEMA Midgets 25 laps
Pro Stocks 100 laps ($3,000 to win)
TV Modifieds 100 laps
Schedule subject to change
Pits open at 9 AM - Pit Admission $20 (no open grandstand admission)
Practice all divisions 11 AM to 5 PM.
(Rotation Order-SYRA 600, Trucks/Mini stock, SYRA 750, Street Stock, Late Model, Pro 4 Modified, NEMA Lites, Pure Stock, Pro Stock)
SATURDAY October 10th
8:00 AM Pits Open - Front gate @ 10AM
8:45 AM Inspections
10:00 AM Practice starts (Rotation order-SYRA 600, Trucks/Mini stock, SYRA 750, TV Modified, Street Stock, NEMA, Late Model, Pro 4 Modified, NEMA Lites, Pure Stock, Pro Stock)
1:30 PM Qualifying starts
Qualifying Schedule
SYRA 600 8 laps
Pure Stock 8 laps
SYRA 750 8 laps
Trucks 10 laps
Pro 4 Modifieds 12 laps
NEMA Lites 10 laps
Street Stocks 10 laps
Late Models 12 laps
NEMA Midgets 10 laps
Pro Stocks 12 laps
TVMods 12 laps
Consolation races will follow in same order as needed
Feature Schedule
Pro 4 Modifieds 30 Lap
SYRA 600 Feature 25 laps
Pure Stock Feature 25 laps
SYRA 750 Feature 25 laps
Pro 4 Race for Cancer
NEMA Lites Feature 25 laps
SUNDAY 11th
9:00 AM Pits open – Front gate @ 10 AM. No engines may start before 12 noon.
10:00 AM Pit party
12:00 PM Practice for NEMA Midgets, Pro Stocks, TVMods ONLY
1:00 PM Features start
Feature Pitting- All divisions in parking lot must use area inside track pits along wall.
Please wait for speedway officials to call your division.
Feature Schedule
Sport Truck/Ministocks 30 laps ($250 to win)
Street Stocks 30 laps ($250 to win)
Late Models 50 laps ($700 to win)
NEMA Midgets 25 laps
Pro Stocks 100 laps ($3,000 to win)
TV Modifieds 100 laps
Schedule subject to change
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