4/10/2017
Seekonk Speedway
2017 Seekonk Sport Truck Season Preview
The 2016 Seekonk Sports Trucks season was one of the closest and most intense championship battles that the division has seen in years. Mike Cavallaro’s experience behind the wheel and Chase Belcher’s tenacity and never-give-up attitude put fans through a thrilling final few weeks of the season that eventually saw Cavallaro come out with the victory. Going into the 2017 season, it’s going to be tough to beat both of these drivers and they seem to be the two that drivers will need to beat on a weekly basis.
Cavallaro, who has more titles than you can count on one hand, had struggled to find speed for the past few seasons and even struggled early on in 2016. However, when it mattered most, Cavallaro got the setup correct and dominated over the final stretch of the season to capture the title. He will be the one at the top of the pack when the division opens the season in May. Belcher, who came up just short of his second title, is coming back looking to redeem himself. As a competitor for Everett’s Auto Parts, Belcher’s No. 81 truck will be in the front on a weekly basis — you can count on that.
Behind these two drivers come a list of drivers that will be looking to take them off the top. Mike Duarte will enter for another season with his No. 50 and he has been getting a little bit better each year. Duarte has scored a few wins in the last two seasons and has proved that he can run consistently towards the front of the pack. Will he be able to breakthrough and become a true title contender?
Mike Lopes, who still has yet to visit victory lane, will be back in his No. 72 hoping that he can finally break into victory lane. Eddy Perry, who has struggled with the handling over the past season in his No. 00, has also come close to sitting in victory lane a few times. For the Rehoboth, Mass. driver, a victory would mean everything.
Veteran challengers Darryl Dutch and Darryl Church will also be back for another season. The two veterans put everything they have on the table each and every week in hopes that they can get to the front of the pack. Josh Hedges, who was the fastest truck over many of the final races last season and visited victory lane a few times, will be back in hopes of making himself a title contender. The experience and setup notes from the end of the 2016 season will help him a lot.
Newcomers like Adam Giacomozzi, Bryan Parisee, Scott Harkin, Anastasia Lebrun and David Simpson will be looking to learn the ropes of the division this season, which will create a Rookie of the Year battle that will be one of the best in recent memory. Other returning drivers include Barry Shaw Jr., John Robidoux, Doug Rioux, John Paiva and Bob Rainville.
Article Credit: Kyle Souza
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