Is Home Track Advantage enough to hold back the All Stars in the Cirelli Marketplace 150?
Seekonk, MA — What do over 100 wins, 9 championships and tens of thousands of laps equate to? Usually this means domination from the hometown heroes. But when the premier touring class for the Pro Stocks/Super Late Models comes to town, home track advantage can take a back seat.
In addition to the winners’ purse and bragging rights, the winner of the Cirelli Marketplace 150 will be a guaranteed starter in the 2009 DAV Fall Classic for the Pro Stocks.
In the past twelve years, there have been only three drivers from the outside to make it to victory lane in the Pro Stocks at Seekonk Speedway. Jeff Stevens was the winner the last time a Pro Stock touring series visited The Action Track of the East. It was 1998, and it was the now defunct NEPSA tour. Travis Benjamin won his very first Pro Stock race in an open competition event in September of 2000, and Russ Hersey did it in October, 2007. For both Stevens and Hersey, it was the DAV Fall Classic, Seekonk’s most prestigious Pro Stock race.
Those events, however, were only 100 laps. The Cirelli Marketplace 150 will add another 50 laps to what will become the longest Pro Stock event in Seekonk history. That looks like it will be the equalizing factor. Several Seekonk Pro Stock regulars will take on the Pro All Stars Series best.
Dave Darling was the first driver to become a guaranteed starter for this event when he won the opening day 75 lap qualifier. When Fred Astle Jr. finished second to Darling in the second qualifier, he became the recipient of the position. Both drivers will have to attempt to qualify in order to take their position in the 24 car field.
Four time Seekonk Pro Stock Champion Rick Martin will return to the Pro Stock wars in Jeramee Lillie’s #88, and is also a two time winner on the PASS tour. Tom Scully and his father Tom Sr will team up and attempt to qualify for the 150, and Late Model standout Kevin Casper has announced he will be piloting a Pro Stock as well for this event.
Nick Ribbe will return to Seekonk where he was the Seekonk Youth Racing Association Champion in 2003 and 2004. John Dabrowski will also be returning to the track he called home for much of the past decade.
One of the hottest young drivers in the Northeast will return to the site of his first ACT win in 2007. Joey Pole will be competing in the DeSouza Motorsports entry. Kelly Moore has visited Seekonk’s Victory Lane 3 times in his career. His first came in 1989, racing with the ACT Tour. The next two visits were in 2001 and 2003, in the former NASCAR Busch North Series.
Additional entries include Scott Alexander, Adam Bates, Richie Dearborn, Steven Legendre and Donnie Whitten, in addition to Johnny Clark, Ben Rowe, and Derek Ramstrom.
It will be a battle of will, determination and endurance. One hundred and fifty laps of Pro Stock Action at the Action Track of the East.
Pit gates open at 1pm, with practice starting at 3pm. The green Flag drops at 6pm. Camping will be available starting Friday evening until Sunday morning. For more information, check out our website at seekonkspeedway.com.
The Cirelli Marketplace 150. Where will you be sitting?
Sources: Kevin Boucher/Seekonk Speedway PR