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The Seekonk 200 has been
CANCELLED due to weather.
Seekonk, Ma. – Friday
9/28/12- Inclement weather has forced the rescheduling
of the Seekonk 200 at Seekonk Speedway.
The
track walk to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of
Providence is canceled; we ask any donations be
forwarded directly to the Ronald McDonald House.
The race is tentatively rescheduled for Saturday
April 27, 2013 at Seekonk Speedway with a rain date of
Sunday April 28, 2013.
“All the weather
forecast indicate rain throughout the weekend; we
thought it would be best to cancel early to save the
many race teams the expense of travel; we thank all the
individuals involved, especially Bobby Seymour, &
Seekonk Speedway in the planning of this event, and look
forward to their participation in April”, said Race
Promoter Gary Sagar of Kraze Korlacki Speed Equipment,
Inc.
Updates on this event will be provided in
the near future. |
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Seekonk 200 Sponsors |
S.M. Lorusso & Sons Inc.
Walpole, MA
Shea Concrete Products
Inc.
Wilmington, MA |
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| NEMA LITES Feature
Race Sponsors |
Woodshole Marine
Woodshole, MA
Nocella Paving
Woburn, MA
Power & Antenna
Service
Beacon, CT
Blackwatch Farm
Weathersfield, VT |
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| NEMA Midgets
Feature Race Sponsors |
Shea Concrete Products Inc.
Wilmington, MA
Motorcars
International
Bridgewater, MA
Nocella Paving
Woburn, MA
UNOH - University of
Northwestern Ohio
Lima, OH |
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| ISMA Feature Race
Sponsors |
Shea Concrete Products Inc.
Wilmington, MA |
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| “The Louie,” A
Showcase of Talent |
Brockton, MA - En route
to becoming the biggest pavement Midget race in the
Northeast, the Boston Louie Memorial has added
immeasurably to the recent history of the 60-year old
Northeastern Midget Association.
The 16th edition
of the two-tier “Louie” is part of the Saturday night,
Sept. 29 Seekonk 200 Presented by S.M. Lorusso & Sons at
Seekonk Speedway. A 29-lap feature for the full Midgets
and a 21-lapper for the Lites share the agenda with a
100-lap International Supermodified Association event
and a 50-lap Street Stock Open.
The “Louie,”
which memorializes Hall of Famer car owner Louie
Seymour, has been a showcase for the best Midget talent
in the region. An expected banner field is expected in
all three divisions.
A brief overview of Boston
Louie history follows.
1997 – The
championship-bound Russ Stoehr and Bruce Beane won the
first Boston Louie, besting legend Nokie Fornoro, the
latter driving for the Scally family.
1998 –
Another championship bound team, Drew Fornoro and Gene
Angelillo prevailed besting Bobby Seymour. It was the
first of three Louie victories for Angelillo.
1999 – A perfect night for Louie Seymour’s boys, Bobby,
in the Scrivani #9, besting Mike in the Tapply #8.
2000 – Driving a car older than he was – the family
#35 – Randy Cabral collected his first-ever NEMA
checkered (he now has 33) with a convincing win over
Nokie Fornoro.
2001 – Driving Babe Shaw’s 1s,
Jeff Horn started eighth, had the lead by lap two and
beat Russ Stoehr by a comfortable margin.
2002 –
Moving to Waterford Speedbowl, 16-year old Bobby Santos
III, driving a Seymour/Scrivani maintained car, scored
his first “big” win. The winning pass – going under Tim
Bertrand in turns three and four – came with 13 laps
remaining.
2003 – Win number one for Payne and
two for Angelillo came after Randy Cabral’s car was
judged “too wide.”
2004 – Ben Seitz (Valeri 17)
chased down Payne, took the lead with nine left and then
survived a late restart challenge. Seitz and Valeri went
on to the championships.
2005 – Back at Seekonk,
Joey Payne took advantage of a lap 23 caution to pass
Jeff Horn and become the first two-time winner. It was
the third Louie for Angelillo.
2006 – It was
Nokie’s turn and he wired it in the Jarret #4, finishing
far ahead of Payne.
2007 – Seitz joined the two
win club. Although he led every lap, Seitz had to beat
back challenges from both Nokie Fornoro and Payne in the
closing laps.
2008 – The Cabral/Bertrand team,
with a motor borrowed from the Santos team, started
eighth, had the lead by lap three and won by less than a
car length over a very young Jeff Abold in a Seymour
car. Bobby Santos III was third. Shaun Gosselin was the
first “Louie” Lites winner.
2009 – The first of
three straight wins for the Abold/Seymour team. After
posting a blistering 10.859 in time trials, Abold came
from the 16th starting spot and passed Cole Carter,
driving for Bertrand, on lap 18. Anthony Marvuglio, in
the Cabral 35, scored an emotional Lites win.
2010 – Starting 14th, Abold needed only 10 laps to grab
the lead and then beat back a late challenge from
Cabral. It was a sweep for the Seymours, Anthony Nocella
winning the Lites event.
2011 – Setting fast time
for the third straight year, Abold needed 19 laps to
grab the lead and again beat back Cabral threats in the
closing laps. David Moniz ruled the Lites feature.
Ayla Brown, the daughter of U.S. Senator Scott Brown
and an aspiring country music singer, will sing the
National Anthem. New England racing legend Bentley
Warren will be the Grand Marshall. |
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Ayla Brown to Sing
National Anthem
at the Seekonk 200 |
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| Ayla Brown has pursued
a diverse range of endeavors over the span of the last
six years. Her achievements include; being an American
Idol Semifinalist, recording artist of four albums,
national and local performances, involvement in numerous
charitable causes, National Anthem singer for the
Philadelphia 76ers, and national news correspondent for
The Early Show on CBS. In January of 2012, Ayla released
a self-titled country album. |
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| NEMA’s “Louie” Set
To Go |
The 16th annual Boston
Louie Memorial, set for Saturday night at Seekonk
Speedway, is the biggest paved track midget race in the
northeast. It is the biggest plum in the Northeastern
Midget Association’s basket.
The two-tiered – a
29 lap feature for the full Midgets and a 21 lapper for
the Lites – “Louie” joins a 100-lap International
Supermodified Association event and a 50-lap Street
Stock Open on the Seekonk 200 Presented by S.M. Lorusso
& Sons agenda.
The race memorializes “Boston”
Louie Seymour, a Marlboro, MA resident who, for better
than two decades, competed around the nation in USAC
Sprint and Super Crown action. The 29 laps recognizes
the number Louie Seymour made famous.
The entire
Seymour family including Louie’s widow Ellie and son
Mike and Bobby continue to present the event.
The Seymours are looking to extend a “Louie” win streak,
Jeff Abold driving the family car to victory in ’09, ’10
and ’11. With Abold driving his own car this year, the
Seymours will put their hopes in young driver Anthony
Nocella. Abold will be doing double duty and will be
among the ISMA field trying to end Johnny Benson’s
Seekonk win streak at two.
Leading the NEMA field
aiming to end the Seymour streak is defending champion
and current point leader Randy Cabral, second the past
two Louies driving for Bertrand Racing. Cabral has two
Louie victories –his first-ever NEMA in 2000 and again
driving for Bertrand in 2008.
NEMA rookie Seth
Carlson comes to the Louie hoping to repeat his win
earlier this year in Seekonk’s Open Wheel Wednesday. He
is one of 10 NEMA winners this year, the list including
John Zych Jr., Greg Stoehr, Mike Horn, Adam Cantor,
Anthony Marvuglio, Jim Miller and Todd Bertrand in
addition to Nocella and Cabral. Joey Payne and Russ
Stoehr, both Seekonk experts, are always contenders.
Other hopefuls include Barry Kittredge, Jim SantaMaria,
Paul Scally, Doug and Brian Cleveland, Lee Bundy and
Matt O’Brien.
Four-time winner Carl Medeiros Jr.
and Alan Chambers, each coming off victories two weeks
ago at Beech Ridge Speedway, head up the Lites
contenders.
Modified standout Keith Rocco, a
surprise winner at Wateford Speedbowl a few week back,
will be making his second career Midget start in the
Lites feature. It will be first-ever Seekonk race for
Rocco who’ll be driving the Manafort #87 that came from
the rear at Waterford.
Other Lites contenders
include Ian Cumens in the Seymour entry, Avery Stoehr,
Randy Cabral, Brandon Igo and Ryan Bigelow, all winners
this season as well. Bethany Stoehr, Danny Cugini, Kenny
Johnson, Andy Barrows and Christian Briggs have been
knocking on the door.
Bentley Warren is a perfect
choice for Grand Marshall duties. A many time ISMA
champion, Warren’s resume includes, in addition to a
pair of Little 500 victories and a Copper World Classic
checkered, multiple wins at the Oswego and Star
Classics. The two-time Indianapolis 500 competitor has a
history with the Seymour family as well, driving the
“Spirit of Boston” Silver Crown car as well as an
occasional midget ride. |
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Lorusso Signs on as
Seekonk 200
Sponsor |
It is now the Seekonk 200
Presented by S.M. Lorusso & Sons Inc. Long associated
with New England motor sports, the Walpole, MA- based
company has signed on as the presenting sponsor for what
promises to be an evening of exceptional speed Saturday
night, Sept. 29 at the historic facility.
The
Northeastern Midget Association’s 16th annual Boston
Louie Memorial, comprising of a 29-lap feature for the
full Midgets and a 21-lapper for the NEMA Lites, and a
100-lap haul for the lightning-quick International
Supermodified Association are on the agenda along with a
50 lap Street Stock Open. The evening celebrates the
town of Seekonk’s 200th birthday.
“We are pleased
to be part of this great event,” said company Vice
President Sam Lorusso. “The people I’ve met through
racing are hard-working and dedicated. It is a great joy
to be involved with this race. I think we’re going to
write some history.”
Lorusso and sister company
Cape Cod Aggregates, have been part of the southeastern
New England construction scene since 1938. They also
have a long involvement in area auto racing especially
in NEMA and ISMA. Presently Lorusso sponsors the ISMA
efforts of Ben Seitz driver and owner Dick Bien.
Seitz, driving for Peter Valeri, carried Cape Cod
Aggregates sponsorship to four straight NEMA
championships. The Valeri/Lorusso relationship actually
started with Legends Cars.
NEMA stalwart Mike
Favulli drove a Cape Cod Aggregates sponsored Midget to
many victories and remains one of the most popular
figures in NEMA history.
According to Lorusso,
the company’s auto racing involvement began with the
“T-5” Modified owned by Tom Dunn and driven by Fred
Schulz and Leo Cleary. The sponsorship followed Dunn’s
venture into NEMA where Butch Walsh was among the
drivers. |
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Streaks Play Role in
NEMA’s Boston Louie |
Brockton, MA - Two of the
Northeastern Midget Association’ top teams head into the
16th annual Boston Louie Memorial concerned with
streaks. The Seymour family would like to extend one
while Bertrand Racing hopes to end one.
“The
Louie,” NEMA’s premier event, is part of the Saturday
night, Sept. 29 Seekonk 200 Presented by S.M Lorusso &
Sons at Seekonk Speedway. NEMA’s two-layered effort – a
29-lap feature for the full Midgets and a 21-lapper for
the Lites, joins a 100-lap ISMA Supermodified haul and a
50-lap Street Stock Open on the agenda.
The
Seymour family hopes to extend a “Louie” win streak to
four. Bertrand Racing would like nothing better than
stopping a skein of three straight runner-up finishes
with a victory.
The race memorializes one of New
England’s most revered characters. For over two decades,
Marlboro, MA-based Louie Seymour (the "Boston" tag came
from Marlboro's proximity to the Bay State capitol)
towed to USAC Sprint Car and Silver Crown events
throughout the country. “The man who towed a million
miles,” he was tabbed.
Louie’s sons Mike and
Bobby and widow Miss Ellie, are emotionally invested in
the race which has contributed much to the NEMA
mystique. Tireless workers on the promotional level,
they continue to be competitors as well. Bobby and Mike
finished one-two in 1999.
The Seymour family is,
in fact, looking for a fourth straight “Louie,” Jeff
Abold driving their car to victory over the past three
years. Abold, also a supermodified threat, had the
fastest time on each winning occasion, posting an
incredible 11.071 seconds lap in 2010.
While
Abold will be present again in his own Midget, the
Seymours will be looking to young Anthony Nocella to
continue their run. Nocella is no stranger to “Louie”
excitement or Seekonk. He won the 2010 Louie Lites race
in Seymour equipment. A year ago he was fourth in the
Louie driving for another owner and then jumped back in
the Seymour to win the DAV.
“I’ve had pretty
good success at Seekonk,” says Nocella, pointing out
“keeping your momentum is the key there. It a short
track but it is very fast.” He is determined to maintain
the streak. “I know how much the Seymour family wants a
victory,” says Nocella who comes to the Louie on a win
and a third at Beech Ridge. “I know how excited they got
after I won the Lites race.”
Indeed, the Seymours
are looking to Ian Cumens to duplicate the sweep they
celebrated in 2010 in the Lites feature.
Tim
Bertrand’s cars have chased Abold home the past three
years – Cole Carter the driver in 2009 and Randy Cabral
in the past two Louies. The defending champ and present
point leader, Cabral aims to join Abold as the only
three-time winners of the race. Cabral’sfirst-ever NEMA
win came in the 2000 Louie in the family 35. He won
again in 2008, besting Abold.Todd Bertrand will also be
in a Bertrand car.
Both Nocella and Cabral come
to the Louie off victories at Beech Ridge Speedway.
Joey Payne Jr. will also be seeking a third Louie
win. |
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Rocco To Wheel
Midget
At Seekonk Sept 29 |
2010 Whelen All-American
Series National Champion Keith Rocco of Meriden, CT.,
has filed an entry to drive the #76 Frank Manafort owned
NEMA LITE midget, Saturday night, September 29, at
Seekonk (MA)
Speedway.
The race program
featuring the powerful winged ISMA supermodifieds,
NEMA midgets, and ‘open’ street stock race is being run
in conjunction with the 200th anniversary celebration of
the Town of Seekonk.
Rocco will compete at the
famed ‘Cement Palace’ after qualifying at Stafford (CT)
Motor Speedway. “Seekonk Speedway is the perfect track
to race with NEMA. I have never raced there, only
practiced once with ‘Ole Blue’,” said Rocco, referring
to a Whelan Modified Tour car he drove before being
sidelined with a wrist injury. “I look forward to
competing for the first time at Seekonk.”
The
Seekonk appearance will be Rocco’s second time in a
midget race
car. His first attempt resulted in a back
to the front victory at Waterford (CT) Speedbowl earlier
this month.
The powerful winged supermodifieds
will headline the card competing in a 100-lap feature
race. Cornelius, NC., driver, Johnny Benson will be
looking to win his third consecutive race at Seekonk.
The Northeastern Midget Association, (NEMA) will
stage their 16th annual ‘Boston Louie Seymour Memorial
Classic,’ a 29-lap feature race in honor of the late
racing icon. The companion NEMA LITES will compete in a
21-lap feature.
A 50-lap‘Street Stock Open’ with
entries from around New England are expected to compete
for the $1,000 to-win payoff and added bonuses. |
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