The Division I NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Pro Stock class at Seekonk Speedway has multiple former champions that will be returning for the 2016 season.
Among the list is defending division points champion Angelo Belsito, who scored the title during his sophomore season in 2015 behind the wheel of the Belboy's Trucking No. 8. Belsito impressed many right from the start of his Super Late Model career, winning a few races in his rookie year then breaking out and scoring multiple victories while becoming the consistent one in 2015 and getting valuable points each week. He will return with the same family owned team and should be right in the front.
Joining Belsito on the list are names like Freddy Astle, David Darling, Rick Martin and Dick Houlihan. All four are veterans have won championships before and have all been strong in the past few years. Darling has a brand new car for the 2016 season, while Astle will carry the Everett's Auto Parts white and green colors for another season.
Houlihan will be back driving for his friend Len Ellis, who is a Seekonk Speedway Wall of Fame member himself. Martin comes into the season after finally breaking through back into victory lane in 2015 after a long absence. He will be hungry for another victory and maybe a final championship.
Driving for Lindblad Chassis, Ryan Lineham will compete weekly driving the famous No. 48. After a slow start to his first season with the team two years ago, Lineham beat out Freddy Astle in June of 2014 and ever since then has been right up front. The former Street Stock champion has some more experience now in the Pro Stock and should be a threat for the title.
Both of the Casper brothers are also set to return for this season. Kevin has scored a few victories behind the wheel of his Phil's Propane No. 88 recently, including round three of the 2015 Phil's Propane Triple Crown Series.
Kyle is still searching his first career victory in the Pro division, but it surely isn't far away. He has come close many times before, finishing second or third a handful of times. Both should be strong throughout the season.
We must not forget about Team V Racing and "The Rocket" Ryan Vanasse. He has seemed to always score at least one victory in the Pro Stocks, but hasn't had the complete season needed to win the championship. Could this be the one? The car is always extremely fast, but the luck isn't always there for Vanasse. We will see if that changes this racing season.
Tom Scully Jr., a well-known veteran of the Seekonk division, will also be back to chase a title this season. He came up just short in 2015, finishing second in the final tally while scoring a few wins in the process. His No. 2 NAPA machine is up front weekly and this season should be no different for him and the Scully team.
What about former Street Stock champion Rey Lovelace? He is in a seat for car owner Don Parsons of Anytime Realty. The former title holder should be a threat as a rookie in a former Tom Scully car.
That's only a taste of the drivers that will be competing this season. To see the rest, you'll have to come out on Opening Day.
The Pro Stocks headline the season-opener on Sunday May 1, with a 40 lap feature.
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