NEMA - NorthEastern Midget Association

THE SHANE HAMMOND MEMORIAL
Email or call Deb or Anthony
to be a sponsor or donate a raffle item.
shanebelieve@comcast.net
508-245-0689-Deb
508-245-7311-Anthony

TODD BERTRAND #48 with ANTHONY & DEB
from The SHANE HAMMOND FOUNDATION

NEMA MIDGETS 2017 DRIVERS CHAMPION
RANDY CABRAL - #74



	*Heats >>*

*Photos by John DaDalt*

*NEMA MIDGETS - THOMPSON - 10/14/17*
Pos.	#	Driver	Hometown	Owner
1	48	Todd Bertrand	Danielson, CT	Gil Bertrand
2	21	Jim Chambers	Atkinson, NH	Mike Chambers
3	74	Randy Cabral	Kingston, MA	Bertrand Motorsports
4	47	*Kyle Hamilton*	*Plainfield, IN*	Bertrand Motorsports
5	39	*Avery Stoehr*	*Lakeville, MA*	Bertrand Motorsports
6	30	*Paul Scally*	*Raynham, MA*	*Paul Scally*
7	7	Alan Chambers	Atkinson, NH	Mike Chambers
8	66	Chris deRitis	Philadelphia, PA	Dan deRitis
9	5b	*Bethany Stoehr*	*Bridgewater, MA*	*Greg Stoehr*
10	31	Ryan Bigelow	East Berlin, CT	Paul Bigelow
11	A1	*Mike Horn*	*Ashland, MA*	*Jeff Horn*
12	16	Matt O'Brien	Wilmington, MA	Matt O'Brien
13	87	Doug Cleveland	Sudbury, MA	Doug Cleveland
14	9	*John Zych Jr.*	*Mendon, MA*	*John Zych Sr.*
15	99	*Jim Santa Maria*	*Burlington, CT*	*Jim Santa Maria*

Jim O'Brien at www.NemaHistory.com
-
gofundme Account Here

RYAN BIGELOW #13 with MATT O'BRIEN (L)

NEMA LITES 2017 DRIVERS CHAMPION
DAN CUGINI - #51




		10/14 Heats >>

			Photos by John DaDalt

NEMA LITES - THOMPSON - 10/15/17

Pos.	#	Driver	Hometown	Owner
1	13	Ryan Bigelow	East Berlin, CT	Randy Bigelow
2	76	Kyle Hamilton	Plainville, IN	Frank Manafort
3	14	Chad Labastie	Uxbridge, MA	Chad Labastie
4	35	Randy Cabral	Kingston, MA	*Glen Cabral*
5	51	*Dan CuginI*	*Marshfield, MA*	*Dan Cugini*
6	45	Todd Bertrand	Danielson, CT	Bertrand Motorsports
7	12	Jim Chambers	Atkinson, NH	Jim Chambers
8	30	*Paul Scally*	*Raynham, MA*	*Paul Scally*
9	41	*Meg CuginI*	*Marshfield, MA*	*Glenn Cugini*
10	21	*Anthony Payne*	*Fairlawn, NJ*	*Mike Scrivani*
11	99	*Jim Santa Maria*	*Burlington, CT*	*Jim Santa Maria*
12	19	Richard Coy	Haskell, NJ	Richard Coy
13	9	Ben Mikitarian	Northborough, MA	*John Mikitarian*
14	16	Dennis O'Brien	Deerfield, NH	Chris O'Brien
15	7	Jim Cataldo	Sterling, MA	Jim Cataldo
16	68	*Danny Gamache*	*Smithfield, RI*	*Danny Gamache*
17	3	Chris Vose	Gloversville, NY	Chris Vose
18	52	Kevin Park	Foxboro, MA	Kevin Park
19	36	*Avery Stoehr*	*Lakeville, MA*	Glen Cabral
20	38	Ryan Locke	*Raymond, NH*	*Ken Locke*
21	88	*Jeff Locke*	*Raymond, NH*	*Ken Locke*

Bertrand, Bigelow Conquer
Thompson's World Series in
NEMA Action; Cabral, Cugini
Crowned Champions

The Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park World Series of Speedway Racing has become known as the "crown jewel" of Northeast auto racing. Thousands of fans and nearly 500 race cars were packed into nearly every square inch of the 77 year old facility. The Northeastern Midget Association, in its 65th year, showed in full force with 36 cars present between both the full midgets and the Lites. In NEMA action, Todd Bertrand dominated the Shane Hammond Memorial feature event from his third starting position and in the Lites, Ryan Bigelow dominated the Jim O'Brien Memorial leaped out from the pole and led every lap of the feature event.

The two races were run in Memorial of the tragic death of Shane Hammond at TSMP and long time club executive Jim O'Brien.

In the NEMA division, Randy Cabral took down his sixth driving championship and Danny Cugini took down the Lites championship. Tim Bertrand took down the NEMA owners crown, also his sixth, and Glenn Cugini took down the Lites owners championship.

In the NEMA feature, Paul Scally and Alan Chambers brought the field down to the green flag. Scally bolted out into the lead, but was quickly haunted by Todd Bertrand in the K&N #48 machine. Bertrand ducked under Scally in turns one and two on the second lap, and then began to set sail, running some of the fastest laps of the race (17.836) in the early stages of the event.

Further back, all eyes were on Randy Cabral and Jim Chambers, who were battling for a championship. If Chambers finished in the top three, Cabral needed to finish between seventh and ninth, respectively. It was a rush to the starting line for the Cabral team, who discovered ten minutes before the feature event that the battery on his #74 K&N machine had started to catch fire. The crew quickly changed out the battery and checked over the car, as the field was rolling onto the track.

At the front, Bertrand had smooth sailing, as he methodically worked his way through lapped traffic. Chambers took second on lap eight, and further back, Cabral had come from tenth to the third spot. The feature, which would go green to checkered, would see Bertrand win by a margin of nearly six seconds, over Chambers, and 2017 champion Cabral. Kyle Hamilton came from ninth to finish fourth ahead of Bertrand Motorsports teammate Avery Stoehr, who finished fifth. Paul Scally, Alan Chambers, Chris Deritis, Bethany Stoehr and Ryan Bigelow rounded out the top ten.

"I've been trying to win this race for years, and have come up short so many times," said Bertrand. "We had a tough start to the season with this new car, but finally figured it out, and its just unbelievable. I need to thank my whole family and crew for their help, and to Danny Drinan for coming out to help us this weekend," he said. "Winning this race, is definitely the biggest win of my career."

In the Lites race, Danny Cugini locked up the drivers championship by taking the green flag, but needed to finish two spots better than car owner Mike Chambers to take down the owner's championship, so all eyes were on this duo. At the front of the field, Ryan Bigelow blasted out into the lead in his Chevy Ecotec/Bigelow Electric machine. His lead would not last long, however, as the red flag was thrown for a scary incident involving Ryan Locke who flipped down the front stretch. Locke would walk away from the incident unhurt.

When the green flag flew again, Bigelow would blast out into the lead, running a momentum line up a the top of the race track, each lap distancing himself from the field. Further back, tenth place starter Kyle Hamilton was working his way to the front in the Frank Manafort #76. Hamilton would get to second after passing Chad Labastie, who held the position for the first half of the event, but the race would go green to checkered after the first restart. Bigelow would go on to dominate the remainder of the feature, in heavy lapped traffic.

"I need to thank my Dad, without him, I would not be able to do this and its great to get this win for him. I also need to thank my brother, Paul, who put his racing aside to help focus on me this year. This car would not go around without him, and he had it on a rail today," said Bigelow.

Following Bigelow across the line was Hamilton, Labastie, Randy Cabral, 2017 champion Danny Cugini, Todd Bertrand, Jim Chambers, Paul Scally, Meg Cugini and Anthony Payne.

NEMA concludes its year at the New London Waterford Speedbowl with a non points event this coming Sunday for the Lites.

Cabral, Cugini Lead NEMA
to Thompson's World Series

Thompson, CT -- Both Randy Cabral and Danny Cugini lead NEMA to this coming weekend's World Series of Racing at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Cabral leads Jim Chambers by 50 points in the NEMA division, and Cugini has a comfortable lead in the Lites. However, in the Lites owners Championship, Cugini leads Mike Chambers by a mere thirteen points. Cabral was the winner the last time NEMA visited TSMP in November after a heated battle with John Zych.

This year's Thompson finale is a special one, in that it will be the second time that the Shane Hammond Memorial will be held at TSMP and the Lites division will celebrated the cancelled Jim O'Brien Memorial from Star Speedway on Sunday. The young Hammond lost his life in a NEMA midget at Thompson in 2008. Since that point, his mother, Deb Marvuglio, has been a devout supporter of the club through the Shane Hammond Memorial Foundation, and her support of the annual event, memorializing Hammond.

As always, a Thompson victory prize is the ultimate for any NEMA or NEMA Lite driver. A "separate the men from the boys" track, the 5/8 mile will see speeds in excess of 140 miles per hour when the NEMA cars hit the tracknext Saturday.

"We're very excited to conclude a very competitive season at the Thompson Speedway Motorspors Park," said NEMA President Tim Bertrand. "Josh (Vanada), Don Hoenig, Jonathan Hoenig and their team have put together a first class facility, staff and program. We have been very proud to be a part of their program for three events this year, and the World Series is one of everyone's favorites in the club" Bertrand said.

The NEMA midgets will run the Saturday evening portion of the World Series of Racing program and the Lites will be a part of Sunday's program this coming weekend.

O'Brien Memorial on Tap
at Thompson World Series

Since the Star event on Sept. 30 was cancelled due to weather, the O'Brien Memorial for the NEMA LITES will now be part of the Thompson World Series weekend.

Brothers Matt and Dennis O'Brien will both be competing in the NEMA and Lites race cards, respectively. Brother, Chris O'Brien, will be on hand as well - as he owns the Dennis O'Brien machine. The O'Brien Memorial win has become a coveted one, on the minds of many Lites racers. One of those is NEMA Champion and Lites competitor, Randy Cabral, who won the event in 2015 at the Waterford Speedbowl.

"Jim was such a good guy, and always thought about the little guy. Maybe we aren't considered the little guys anymore, but for many years when we were showing up with a 1979 Edmunds on a snow mobile trailer, Jim was always there to greet us with a smile. It would be such an honor to win this race," said five time champion, Randy Cabral. "He did so much for the club, I'd like all of the younger generation to understand who he was, and the impact he had on what we have today," Cabral went on to say.

"Jim O'Brien was what NEMA stands for, and personified what we have strived for this club to represent - family values, innovation happening in home garages, and fun," said club President, Tim Bertrand. "His family carries on his legacy by pouring their efforts into the club, and I can't think of a better way to honor their Dad," said Bertrand.

Jim O'Brien was a legendary car owner and club officer, who for a span of four decades personified the best of NEMA. At a very young age, he was introduced to the Midgets by his father and in 1970, joined the NEMA family as a car owner. He earned feature wins with Johnny Evans, driving his Falcon powered Kurtis, and Doug Cleveland who powered to victory in his home built "Pink Panther" laydown chassis.

In 1975 he won the Coca-Cola dirt track championship with Hank Stevens at the wheel. Jim was an innovative fabricator and engine builder and with his sons by his side, he always built his own cars and motors. For years he served as a NEMA contest board member, once a vice-president, and for 13 consecutive years as the treasurer. His life-long dedication to the club was truly outstanding and in 2003, he was inducted into the NEMA Hall of Fame. However, most notably Jim was always one that stood-up and fought for fair competition and defended the "little guy" - racers who ran with small budgets.

"Jim lived and breathed NEMA. He was 100% for NEMA and the little guy. He was a big proponent of building your own car from scratch, every component," said long time club stalwart Mike Scrivani Jr. "Jim also dedicated a great part of his life to serving the club. He did a great job as an officer. He also wasn't afraid to speak his mind, he was very knowledgeable, and when he spoke, people listened," said Scrivani.

In the same spirit of Jim O'Brien, the NEMA Lites were created with two principals - cost effectiveness and fair competition. While the NEMA midgets are considered the fastest midgets in the world, the NEMA Lites boast to be "lite" on the wallet, making them the perfect fit to highlight the Jim O'Brien Memorial race.