Dreams come ’round at Seekonk Speedway

“It’s a place families come, have some fun, get away from the real world for a while,’’ said Francis Venditti, 69, son of the late founder, D. Anthony Venditti. Francis runs it now with his nephew David. “Americans still have a love of the automobile,’’ Venditti said.

On any Saturday night of the 26-week season up to two dozen vehicles scream around the track, racing in various categories. Upward of 5,000 spectators line the metal bleachers that surround a one-third-mile oval track that has not changed much since the place opened.

And neither has one financial fact: No one is getting rich racing. These are part-time racers, from all walks of life, engaging in an obsession that racer Gerry DeGasparre said, “is not a hobby, it’s a small monster.’’

“You definitely spend more than you make,’’ said racer Jake Vanado, 20, from nearby Berkley, his pro-stock car emblazoned with sponsor decals from Skater’s Edge in Taunton and a local Dunkin’ Donuts. “Last week, we had a mechanical failure and it cost $600 to fix. We won $150 that night.’’

First-place finishes net drivers $1,500 — a far cry from what it costs to run a car. A new one can easily top $50,000, used around $35,000, said Vanado, who works for Comcast. But that doesn’t matter in this hobby-obsession; the love of racing is what it’s all about.

“I like the chess-match aspect of racing, the strategy, more than the speed or adrenaline rush,’’ he said. “You factor in things like how many laps are left, where you are in the pack, who you’re racing against. There are a lot of variables.’’

Competition is the lure to his friend Tom Scully Jr., 30, a NAPA store salesman, who said he likes working on his car all week and seeing how he does against others on Saturday night — including his dad, Tom Scully Sr., 54.

“It keeps me going,’’ the elder Scully said, moments before father and son faced off in a race. “I have a grandson in it now, that makes three of us here. I’ve been doing it for 33 years.’’