NEMA - NorthEastern Midget Association

FRIDAY, JULY 13TH

Emotional, Dominating
NEMA Win For Cantor

Lee, NH – Dedicating the performance to his gravely ill stepfather Joe DeMonte, Adam Cantor dominated the 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association Friday night at Lee USA Speedway. Driving a new Reider chassis numbered 33 in honor of DeMonte for only the second time, the Long Islander led every circuit and won by almost half a lap.

After a series of early restart challenges from Todd Bertand (Bertrand 39), Cantor, who started second, took the lead for good on lap nine and romped to victory. “Finally got rid of the bugs,” understated Cantor whose feature efforts followed an equally dominating heat triumph.

Coming from the eighth starting spot, point leader John Zych Jr., (Zych 9) took second place from Bertrand with a daring move in turn one with 11 laps gone. Bertrand held on for third with Russ Stoehr (Dumo’s Desire 45) and Randy Cabral (Bertrand 47) completing the top five.

It was an emotional win, DeMonte a valued member of the Cantor crew. “He was always there to help me,” Cantor said. The win, he added, “helps sooth what is a tough time for all of us.

The final restart marked the seventh time Cantor bested Bertrand. “You just got to figure out what you did the last time to beat him,” he explained. Each time Cantor, who was concerned with it becoming “the 24 hours of Lee,” left no doubt about his dominance.

He credited is dad Allan with solving the fuel problems that plagued the car’s debut at Stafford.

He had high praise for Bertrand. “He could have drove me dirty and he didn’t,” said Cantor following his sixth career win, the second at Lee. His best lap (13.307) came late in the race.

“We were just hanging on. It was a wild ride,” said Zych following his fourth top five and third podium of the season.

There have been four winners in as many races as NEMA faces a busy week – Seekonk Speedway’s Open Wheel Wednesday (July 18) and the return to Star Speedway on July 21.

NEMA MIDGETS - Lee - 7/13/12

Pos. # Driver Hometown Owner

1 33 Adam Cantor Glen Cove, NY Allan Cantor

2 9 John Zych Jr. Louisville, KY John Zych Sr.

3 39 Todd Bertrand Suffield, CT Bertrand Motorsports

4 45 Russ Stoehr Bridgewater, MA Dumo's Desire Racing

5 47 Randy Cabral Plymouth, MA Tim Bertrand

6 71 Seth Carlson Brimfield, CT Gene Feigel

7 3m Jim Miller Weymouth, MA Jim Miller

8 93x Mike Horn Ashland, MA Jeff Horn

9
DNF 77 Bethany Stoehr Bridgewater, MA Mike Luggelle

10
DNF 26b Greg Stoehr Bridgewater, MA Greg Stoehr

11
DNF 44 Joey Payne Fairlawn, NJ Ed Breault

12
DNF 30 Paul Scally Raynham, MA Paul Scally

13
DNF 99 Jim Santa Maria Burlington, CT Susan Santa Maria

14
DNF 8 Barry Kittredge Marlboro, MA Barry Kittredge

15
DNF 78 Lanson Fornoro Stroudsburg, PA Linda Cleveland

16
DNS 38 Anthony Marvuglio E. Bridgewater, MA Tammy Bourbeau

17
DNS 7ny Ben Seitz Pocasset, MA Allan Cantor

18
DNS 87 Doug Cleveland Sudbury, MA Doug Cleveland

HEAT 1: 33-3m-8-47-9-30-dnf 99-dnf 78-dns 7ny

HEAT 2: 26b-44-45-39-93x-71-dnf 38-dnf 77-dns 87

Medeiros Doubles Up At Lee

Lee, NH – Carl Medeiros Jr. ended a streak of 36 Northeastern Midget Association Lites races without back-to-back winners and he did it in a single night at Lee USA Speedway Friday. He won the 25-lapper rescheduled from June 22 and then came back to capture the regularly scheduled event, doing both in dramatic style. It all came 11 days before his 16th birthday.

“What a night,” said Medeiros who dedicated the first win to his grandparents. It ended a run of frustration for the family team that posted a couple seconds last year and had two impressive runs this season.

Coming from the 12th starting spot in the opener, Medeiros took the lead from Jake Smith on lap 12 with a daring move out of four. Sitting behind a Smith-Bethany Stoehr battle, Medeiros passed them both on the outside. He went into one with a clear advantage and then romped to the checkered in the caution-free event, posting a race-best 14.510 lap.

Stoehr, whose inside try failed, fell back to third. A lap later Stoehr, with Randy Cabral in tow, passed Smith for second and third down the back. Passing continued as Avery Stoehr rallied to grab a fourth. Ryan Bigelow was fifth as the Lites continue to impress.

Starting 10th, in the second feature, Medeiros took the lead from Cabral just prior to the second yellow on lap 18. Medeiros, Cabral, Paul Bigelow and Ian Cumens were locked in what was clearly the best Midget action of the night before Medeiros found the outside route into the lead.

Cabral, in the family car, was not ready to give up. On the restart, he got the jump but Medeiros moved to the inside down the back and by the checkered had a wide edge. His second-race best lap was a 14.353.

Medeiros will be looking for a record third straight when the Lites accompany the NEMA full Midgets to Star Speedway on Saturday night, July 21.

NEMA LITES #1 - Lee - 7/13/12

Pos. # Driver Hometown Owner

1 50 Carl Medeiros, Jr. Westport, MA Carl Medeiros

2 26b Bethany Stoehr Bridgewater, MA MCI Racing/
Greg Stoehr

3 35 Randy Cabral Plymouth, MA Glen Cabral

4 15b Avery Stoehr Lakeville, MA MC Racing LLC/
Russ Stoehr

5 13 Ryan Bigelow E. Hampton, CT Randy Bigelow

6 93 Jake Smith Stroudsburg, PA Ted Smith

7 9 Ian Cumens Lydell, PA Bobby Seymour

8 11 Alan Chambers Atkinson, NH Michael Chambers

9 57 Dylan Duhaime Loudon, NH Shawn Duhaime

10 51 Danny Cugini Marshfield, MA D. Cugini

11 45 Brandon Igo Wilbraham, MA David Igo

12 44 Christian Briggs Mattapoisett, MA Christian Briggs

13 12 Brandon Martinez North Kingston, RI Lou Martinez

14 33b Scott Bigelow E. Hampton, CT Randy Bigelow

15 31 Paul Bigelow Berlin, CT Randy Bigelow

16 4 Logan Rayvals Brockville, ONT Paul Scally

17
DNF 19 Matt Seavey - Matt Seavey

18
DNF 39 R. J. Tufano West Haven, CT R. J. Tufano

NEMA LITES #2 - Lee - 7/13/12

Pos. # Driver Hometown Owner

1 50 Carl Medeiros, Jr. Westport, MA Carl Medeiros

2 35 Randy Cabral Plymouth, MA Glen Cabral

3 9 Ian Cumens Lydell, PA Bobby Seymour

4 57 Dylan Duhaime Loudon, NH Shawn Duhaime

5 45 Brandon Igo Wilbraham, MA David Igo

6 26b Bethany Stoehr Bridgewater, MA MCI Racing/
Greg Stoehr

7 31 Paul Bigelow Berlin, CT Randy Bigelow

8 51 Danny Cugini Marshfield, MA D. Cugini

9 11 Alan Chambers Atkinson, NH Michael Chambers

10 4 Logan Rayvals Brockville, ONT Paul Scally

11
DNF 93 Jake Smith Stroudsburg, PA Ted Smith

12
DNF 19 Matt Seavey - Matt Seavey

13
DNF 15b Avery Stoehr Lakeville, MA MC Racing LLC/
Russ Stoehr

14
DNF 33b Scott Bigelow E. Hampton, CT Randy Bigelow

15
DNF 39 R. J. Tufano West Haven, CT R. J. Tufano

16
DNF 13 Ryan Bigelow E. Hampton, CT Randy Bigelow

17
DNS 12 Brandon Martinez North Kingston, RI Lou Martinez

18
DNS 44 Christian Briggs Mattapoisett, MA Christian Briggs

NEMA Bonanza At Lee

Brockton, MA – It’s been 13 races since the Northeastern Midget Association has had a back-to-back winner. It’s been 36 events for the NEMA Lites. Mike Horn, a winner at Stafford’s CarQuest Super Saturday, and Brandon Igo aim to end those streaks Friday night when NEMA visits one of its traditional haunts, Lee USA Speedway.

With two 25-lap Lites features – the June 27th rain out in addition to the regularly scheduled show – it amounts to 75-laps of Midget feature racing.

A winner at NEMA’s two biggest ovals, second-generation driver Horn goes to Lee with plenty of motivation, not the least of which is proving he can succeed at the smaller stops as well. He can also join his father Jeff on the Lee NEMA win list.

John Zych, the only driver with three straight top-five finishes, takes the point lead to Lee. Russ and Greg Stoehr along with defending champion Randy Cabral, are, still very much contenders. All have collected a Lee checker as have Joey Payne Jr. and Adam Cantor. Russ Stoehr won in dominating style a year ago.

Anthony Marvuglio will be looking to turn around his luck after two heart-breaking efforts. The last two times out, he was in dominating positions only to be victimized by a flat tire (Waterford) and fuel problems (Stafford).

Anthony Nocella, Todd Bertrand, Paul Scally, Seth Carlson and James Santa Maria, the latter two rookies, are other contenders. SantaMaria was a Lites winner at Lee in 2009.

Igo, who won the last Lites event at Waterford on May 12, is part of a strong field that includes Ryan Bigelow, also a winner this year, Ian Cumens, who has two straight runner-up finishes, and Paul Bigelow, Ryan’s older brother and a Lee winner in 2011.

Andy Barrows, Carl Moderios, Joey Mucciacciaro, Jake Smith and the Stoehr cousins – Bethany and Avery – are others thinking about the opportunity for a two win evening.

Rescheduled to
Friday, July 13th, 2012

*LITES HEAT 1 on JUNE 22nd*

*LITES HEAT 2 on JUNE 22nd*

*Photos by John Dadalt*

Lee USA Hosts NEMA Lites

Brockton, MA - The Northeastern Midget Association’s Lites Division makes its third start Friday night June 22nd at the Lee USA Speedway. Ryan Bigelow and Brandon Igo, both winners this year, lead the rapidly growing group to the tricky southern New Hampshire oval.

Paul Bigelow won the last Lites show at Lee, besting Jim Santa Maria and Carl Medeiros Jr. last summer. Other past Lee Lites winners include the busy Randy Cabral and Paul Luggelle, both possibilities for Friday as well. Cabral has won in both NEMA and NEMA Lites at Lee.

Seymour Enterprises driver Ian Cumens, who has two seconds this year, is a contender as well. Ryan Bigelow and Cabral are also working on two straight top-five Lites finishes. Medeiros comes to Lee off an outstanding performance at NEMA’s anniversary outing at Waterford Speedbowl.

Joey Mucciacciaro, Anthony Nocella, Alan Chambers, Danny Cugini, Christian Briggs, Bethany Stoehr, Kenny Johnson, Andy Barrows, David Moniz and youngsters Dylan Duhaime and Avery Stoehr are others worthy of watching.

Cousins Bethany and Avery Stoehr have both had strong runs this season. Bethany’s dad Greg and Avery’s father Russ have won NEMA features at Lee.

NEMA gets back in action June 30 at Stafford Speedway’s Carquest Super Saturday.

There have been 36 features since Nocella became the second driver to win back-to-back Lites features back in 2009. Jake Stergios was also a back-to-back winner that year.
The first NEMA winner at Lee was Walter Gale in the Secondo Offy in 1966. NEMA also ran at Westboro (MA), Riverside Park (MA), Plainville (CT), Catamount (VT) and Norwood (MA) that season. All those tracks are now only memories.

NEMA’s Numbers Game
29...51...11b
45....47....1

Brockton, MA - Heading into the Friday, June 22 race at Lee USA Speedway, “29” is the “winningest” number in the four-year plus history of the Northeastern Midget Association’s Lites Division. Anthony Nocella has done the number, long associated with the Seymour operation, proud with 11 Lites victories.

Following 29 in the Lites standings is 51, Russ Wood Sr. and Jr. claiming five wins. With a win at Lee, Ryan Bigelow (13), Paul Luggelle (28) and Brandon Igo (48) can put their number in a third place tie with 11b, the latter belonging to the Stergios family.

It gets a little more complicated with NEMA which is celebrating its 60 anniversary. Heading into Stafford Motor Speedway’s Carquest ‘Xtreme Saturday June 30, “ 45,” the late Gene Angelillo’s number, has been in victory lane 98 times. Second place belongs to “47,” 11 wins off the lead. The statistics were compiled by long-time racing historian Ed Duncan.

Both numbers continue to hold the NEMA spotlight. Six-time champion Russ Stoehr, the Stafford winner last year, is in the 45 while three-time and defending champ Randy Cabral, the Stafford winner two years ago, will be in the 47. Cabral and car owner Tim Bertrand carry on a long tradition. Al Pillion, Lou Fray and NEMA favorite Dave Humphrey put the 47 in Victory Lane driving for John McCarthy. Jeff Horn added to the total in cars owned by Bay Hayes. The 47 has been in victory lane at Stafford seven times.

No 1 is third with 76. The No. 1 was once traditionally taken by the defending champion.

The top 10 NEMA winning numbers according to Duncan:
1. #45 (98), 2. 47 (87), 3. 1 (76), 4. 22 & 26 (37), 6. 4 (32), 7. 5 (27 wins), 8. 21 (27), 9. 2 & 3 (23 wins).

Russ Stoehr the only driver to win in four decades – the last two of the 21st century and the first two of the 22nd.
With John Zych Jr. winning this year at Waterford, only the letters I, J, Q, U and X remain uncovered on NEMA’s all-time win list. In addition to Z, N (Anthony Nocella), O (Mike Osite), V (Rich Volger) and Y (Butch Yuris) have only one representative.
While Zych was the first Z to win, he was not the first “9.” It has been in Victory Lane 17 times.
Again according to Duncan, the likes of Cabral, Jeff Abold, Mark Buonomo, Bobby Santos III and Mike Seymour have put the 29 in NEMA’s victory lane 13 times.