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Wings & Wheels Roars Into
Waterford
Speedbowl August 14
 |
| L to R: Randy Cabral, Chris
deRitis, and Russ Stoehr |
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NEMA Feature - Speedbowl - Sat. August 14th |
|
Pos. |
# |
Driver |
Hometown |
Owner |
|
1 |
75 |
Chris deRitis |
Philadelphia, PA |
Ciconni/deRitis |
|
2 |
45 |
Russ Stoehr |
Bridgewater, MA |
Dumo's Desire
Racing |
|
3 |
47 |
Randy Cabral |
Plymouth, MA |
Tim Bertrand |
|
4 |
26b |
Greg Stoehr |
Bridgewater, MA |
Greg Stoehr |
|
5 |
29 |
Jeff Abold |
Pennellville,
NY |
Bobby Seymour |
|
6 |
7ny |
Adam Cantor |
Dix Hills, NY |
Cantor Racing |
|
7 |
93x |
Mike Horn |
Ashland, MA |
Jeff Horn |
|
8 |
39 |
Todd Bertrand |
Suffield, CT |
Tim Bertrand |
|
9 |
4 |
Anthony Nocella |
Woburn,
MA |
Bobby Seymour |
|
10 |
20
|
Andy Shlatz |
Enfield, CT |
Andy Shlatz |
|
11 |
78 |
Brian Cleveland |
Billerica, MA |
Linda Cleveland |
12
DNF |
9 |
John Zych, Jr. |
Liverpool, NY |
John Zych, Sr. |
13
DNF |
22 |
Chris Leonard |
Pelham, NH |
Dave Leonard |
14
DNF |
44 |
Erica Santos |
Franklin, MA |
Ed Breault |
15
DNF |
50 |
Pete
Pernisiglio, Jr. |
Ronkonkoma, NY |
Pete
Pernisiglio,Sr |
16
DNF |
3m |
Jim Miller |
Weymouth, MA |
Jim Miller |
17
DNS |
30 |
Paul Scally |
Raynham, MA |
Paul Scally |
18
DNS |
2 |
Lee Bundy |
Kennebunkport,
ME |
Lee Bundy |
|
HEAT 1 - 3m-93x-4-44-47-22-39
DNF 2-30 |
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HEAT 2 - 75-7-45-9-29-26b-50-78-20 |
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| Chris deRitis
Gets First NEMA Win |
Waterford, CT – Chris deRitis played with the
best Saturday night before going on to a convincing
Northeastern Midget Association win at Waterford
Speedbowl’s Wings and Wheels.
The 22-year old
Pennsylvanian beat back challenges from defending
champion Randy Cabral and had to retake the lead from
Russ Stoehr before claiming his first-ever NEMA victory.
deRitis (Cicconi/deRitis 75) passed Russ Stoehr
(Dumo’s Desire 45) with 10 laps remaining. He went on to
win over Stoehr, Cabral (Bertrand 47), Greg Stoehr
(Stoehr 26b) and Jeff Abold (Abold 29).
Leading
all but two laps, deRitis made the winning pass inside
Stoehr heading into turn three. “Russ drove it in high
and I went right under him,” explained deRitis. “I
barely lifted.”
“My mistake, I got in too high
and he scooted under me,” said Stoehr who took the lead
on a controversial restart with 12 laps remaining.
deRitis, the 2009 Rookie of the Year, twice beat
back early restart challenges from stable mate Cabral.
“I knew if I made a mistake it was over,” said deRitis.
“I knew I couldn’t mess up.”
The two “came
together” on the third restart. The incident clearly
angered Cabral who had stormed from eighth to second
before the second lap was complete.
“There was
contact,” admitted deRitis who was concerned with
Cabral’s post-race anger. “I was just trying to find the
groove. I thought that was it, that everybody was going
to go by.”
“They ran into each other,” offered
Stoehr. “I drove off the bottom, took the lead and
waited for a yellow that never showed.”
Cabral,
who never doubted deRitis’ win, settled into third.
deRitis, who had a fast lap of 12.977 (104.030 mph)
quickly erased Stoehr’s lead before making the winning
pass.
The coveted Boston Louie Memorial is next
on Aug. 28 at Seekonk Speedway.
 “Really
cooking” deRitis said of the fast lap.
It
was the third race of the season at Waterford and the
second first-time winner, deRitis joining Chris Leonard
who captured the season-opener…”and both cars with
yellow,” pointed out Russ Stoehr who finished second to
both of them.
deRitis
made co-owner Lou Cicconi look good, the latter
predicting a win for the youngster before the season
began.
Lites
standout Todd Bertrand scored an eighth in his NEMA
debut.
Jim
Miller and deRitis were heat winners.
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Todd Bertrand Set For NEMA Debut |
Brockton, MA – Todd
Bertrand has picked the right track to make his
Northeastern Midget Association debut. Todd, a vital
part of the NEMA Lites over the past three years, will
be stepping into the family #39 Saturday at Waterford
Speedbowl’s Wings and Wheels.
A NEMA Lites winner at Waterford in 2008,
Bertrand has posted two podiums in ‘Bowl action this
summer. He will be part of a busy pit that includes the
#47 of two-time defending champion Randy Cabral and the
#75 of Chris deRitis.
Anthony Nocella, a frequent winner in the Lites,
will be making his second NEMA start in the Seymour car.
Slated to be a full-time NEMA competitor in
2011, Bertrand, a winner at Monadnock this year, will be
reporting to pre-season soccer camp at Western New
England following the Waterford race.
Cole Carter drove the car to two podiums earlier
this year. Ryan Newman is among the names that have
filled the seat. |
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Chris Leonard Returning to Waterford |
After a long wait for backordered pistons, Chris
and Dave Leonard have the #22 back together for their
return to NEMA Midgets competition.
Following a
popular first win at NEMA's season opener at the
Speedbowl, the #22 has been able to score points in only
a couple of outings while battling mechanical woes.
With the rebuild complete this past weekend, Chris
hopes to be back on form at Saturday's Wings and Wheels
show. |
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NEMA Battle Moves Back to Speedbowl |
Brockton, MA - Only 32
points separate leader Randy Cabral and contender Russ
Stoehr as the Northeastern Midget Association head to
Waterford Speedbowl’s Wings and Wheels Saturday night.
NEMA shares the program with the ISMA supers,
The Modified Racing Series and the Speedbowl’s SKs on a
program that has quickly become a New England favorite.
Stoehr comes to Waterford with victories in two
of the last three events in the Dumo’s Desire 45. That
includes a win in the Hammond Memorial at the Bowl less
than a month ago. Two-time defending champion Cabral,
NEMA’s all-time Speedbowl winner with eight, has three
wins this season in the Bertrand 47. He is working on a
streak of five straight podiums.
The battle for third is no less torrid between
Greg Stoehr (Stoehr 26b), Chris deRitis (Cicconi/deRitis
75) and Adam Cantor (Cantor 7ny). All three are capable
of strong runs, Cantor a winner at Monadnock.
The three-eighths Speedbowl is a charter member
of NEMA. It is generally accepted as the premier Midget
track in New England. Greg Stoehr’s 13.032 seconds lap
at the Hammond Memorial converts to just over 103 mph.
Other contenders include second generation
drivers Jeff Abold in the family car and Mike Horn, the
latter impressive most recently at Seekonk’s Open Wheel
Wednesday. “We believe we’re closing in on that first
victory,” insists Horn.
No facility, incidentally, has hosted more NEMA
first-time wins over the past decade that Waterford.
Season-opener winner Chris Leonard was the most recent
addition to the list.
The list also includes Barry Kittredge and Jim
Miller, the latter coming to Waterford off two strong
finishes this season including a fifth the last time out
at Monadnock.
Aaron Wall and John Zych Jr are worthy of
watching as is 17-year old Anthony Nocella who’s slated
to drive the Seymour car that won at Seekonk. Todd
Bertrand, a Lites standout, will be making his NEMA
debut in the family #39. |
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| Cabral, Stoehr Chasing
NEMA History |
Brockton, MA –
Neither will admit to any concern, but Randy Cabral and
Russ Stoehr, running one-two atop the Northeastern
Midget Association points battle, are flirting with
history. There are two major races looming in August –
NEMA’s participation in Waterford Speedbowl’s Wings &
Wheels on the 14th and the heralded Boston Louie
Memorial at Seekonk on the 28th.
After three wins this year in the Bertrand 47,
two-time defending champion Cabral is a win away from
sole possession of sixth on NEMA’s all-time win list. He
is currently tied with Johnny Mann with 29. Stoehr, a
two-timer so far this summer in the Dumo’s Desire 45,
sits fourth with 42 wins, three behind Nokie Fornoro.
Cabral, insistent that he “doesn’t belong” with
the drivers ahead of him, dismisses the subject quickly.
Still, second-generation driver Cabral and
third-generation competitor Stoehr, who has won two of
the last three races, are fully aware of the role
history plays in the 58-year old club.
Stoehr, a five-time champion who has been
winning NEMA races since 1989, is highly motivated in
carrying forth the traditions set by the late Gene
Angelillo. The two wins bring the Angelillo total to
108. Still, in the few years they’ve been together, the
Cabral/Bertrand statistics take a back seat to none.
Waterford and Seekonk are NEMA’s “come home,”
venues with few secrets and high possibility for
surprises. Classic testimony to the latter - Cabral’s
first win, the 2000 Boston Louie at Seekonk in a family
car that was older than he was. A surprise of more
recent vintage is Chris Leonard’s first-ever win in this
year’s season opener at Waterford.
Over the years Waterford has produced a number
of first time wins. High on the list of possibilities
this time are Chris deRitis and Mike Horn, both having
impressive runs this season. The deRitis car is part of
the Bertrand stable. Horn, third at Seekonk, will
benefit from the addition of father Jeff to his team.
Jeff, who crashed badly at Monadnock, will be “taking
some time off” as a driver.
Greg Stoehr, who chased his brother home at the
recent Hammond Memorial at Waterford, Adam Cantor, a
winner earlier this year, and Jim Miller, are top
contenders as well. Lou Cicconi Jr., who dominated
Seekonk’s Open Wheel Wednesday show, and Jeff Abold are
also strong possibilities for Waterford.
After
winning six of seven and four in a row (including the
’08 Wings and Wheels), Randy Cabral has just two podiums
in the last five races at Waterford.
The Seymours
and the Bertrand 47 have identical records in the last
seven shows at Seekonk, three wins and two seconds.
Anthony
Nocella won his second Lites feature of the year and
sixth over two years at Monadnock. The 17-year old has
made one NEMA start (at Waterford) and gets high praise
from the Seymours who have been instrumental in the
careers of Bobby Santos III and Jeff Abold.
NEMA has
produced a new winner in every year but one since 1997,
that being 2009. It started right away this year with
Chris Leonard’s win at Waterford. |
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NEMA Looks Back at Waterford Speedbowl |
| Ted Christopher’s Waterford
Speedbowl win on May 24, 1998 remains one of the most
talked about events in the track’s long association with
NEMA. Driving an Angelillo car, Christopher edged Bobby
Seymour with Mike Seymour third. It remains the only
NEMA win for the versatile Christopher who has prevailed
in a host of different types of race cars including TQs
and Supermodifieds in addition to Modifieds . NEMA
returns to Waterford for the Aug. 14 Wings & Wheels
show. |
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