The rumble and roar of the Modifieds, Midgets, and Supermodifieds returns to Seekonk Speedway this Wednesday, June 28 as the annual Open Wheel Wednesday is ready to rock the third-mile.
The track has evaluated the weather forecast and even though the morning hours have a risk for rain, the afternoon hours show clearing and some great weather for a Wednesday night short-track major event. All systems are go for Open Wheel Wednesday on June 28 at Seekonk Speedway!
This special event will include a 100-lap, $10,000 to win Open Modified race, sanctioned again this year by the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series. It’s the 18th edition of the special event, with Matt Hirschman leading all active drivers into the race with five career wins, and Doug Coby not far behind with three. Hirschman has won the last two Open Wheel Wednesday races and overall, three of the last five. His first victory came back in 2008 and he hasn’t stopped winning since. The Pennsylvania native is just a few weeks off his dominating NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour performance at Seekonk on June 10, where he won the pole, led all the laps and scored the impressive win. If someone is going to pocket $10,000, they will likely need to run through the No. 60.
Coby will be back to chase the crown in the Mayhew Tools No. 10, the second outing of the year for his personal race team. He’s joined by former event winners Kirk Alexander (76), Richard Savary (99), Ron Silk (16) and Ronnie Williams (50) as previous winners of the race entered to compete. As of the writing of this story, nearly 30 drivers have entered to compete. Seekonk fans will be familiar with names like Jake Johnson, a two-time Legends Cars Seekonk champion, Chase Dowling, Les Hinckley, Chris Pasteryak and others. The 100-lap race will conclude the night on Open Wheel Wednesday with a full card of racing planned just before it.
The NEMA Lites and 350 SMAC Supermodifieds are also back in town. The NEMA Lites, a division that tours throughout New England during the season, is making their first of two trips to Seekonk coming up in the next few weeks. They will be back for the Saturday, July 15 show as part of the Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic night along with a few NASCAR divisions. In their early 2023 season, names like Abby Ovitt, Danny Cugini, Avery Stoehr and others are off to strong starts. The NEMA Lites race is set for 50 laps around the third-mile.
Fans can expect to see Jake Trainor as one of the many NEMA drivers at the track on Wednesday night. At just 18-years-old, Jake Trainor is coming off a major victory in the Little 500 in Indianapolis back on Memorial Day weekend. From Medway, Massachusetts, this local contender is quickly making a name for himself. His Little 500 victory also marked the first triumph in the major event for car owner Matt Seymour.
“This is my second start in a sprint car and my first time at Anderson,” said Trainor in Victory Lane that night. “I just did everything I felt like I could have done to prepare for this race and I still felt like I was underprepared coming into it. don’t even know what to say. I’m so lost for words.”
This rising star will compete in the Seymour Racing No. 29 entry, a car that is no stranger to Victory lane at Seekonk Speedway.
With the SMAC Tour heading back to Seekonk, they will be just about getting their season underway, just like Seekonk, due to Mother Nature. The winged warriors return to the Action Track of the East will produce high-speed racing fans will not want to miss.
Tickets for Open Wheel Wednesday are available in advance online today at SeekonkSpeedway.com. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets for this and all Seekonk Speedway 2023 events online to save money and avoid lines on race day. Tickets are $35 online in advance or $38 day of, with youth ages 6-12 just $12 in advance or $15 day of. Kids five and under and parking are free at Seekonk Speedway. For those who purchase tickets ahead, gates will open at 4:30PM, for those who buy at the gates, they will open at 5PM.
For the latest news and information including updates on Open Wheel Wednesday, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social.