THE NEMA ANGELILLO MEMORIAL
Remembering Gene and Marilyn
NEMA MIDGETS - L to R: WINNER ALBY
OVITT #17, TODD BERTRAND #48, 2nd, (not shown) RANDY
CABRAL #74, 3rd.
Photos by Norm Marx
NEMA MIDGETS - LEE USA -
8/16/19
Pos.
#
Driver
Hometown
Owner
1
17
Alby Ovitt
Somersworth, NH
Bertrand Motorsports
2
48
Todd Bertrand
Danielson, CT
Bertrand Motorsports
3
74
Randy Cabral
Kingston, MA
Bertrand Motorsports
4
21
Jim Chambers
Atkinson, NH
Jim Chambers
5
47
Sammy Swindell
Germantown, TN
Bertrand Motorsports
6
39
Avery Stoehr
Lakeville, MA
Bertrand Motorsports
7
30
Paul Scally
Raynham, MA
Paul Scally
8
18
Andy Lunt
Marion, MA
Christian Briggs
9
A1
Mike Horn
Ashland, MA
Jeff Horn
10
9
John Zych Jr.
Mendon, MA
John Zych Sr.
11
36
Jeff Champagne
Westfield, MA
Glen Cabral
HEAT 1:
48, 9, 18, 74, 21
HEAT 2: 17,
A1, 39, 47, 30
NEMA LITES - L to R: RYAN LOCKE, #38,
3rd;
WINNER RICHIE COY #19; & PJ STERGIOS #11, 2nd.
Photos by Norm Marx
OFFICIAL - NEMA LITES - LEE USA -
8/16/19
Pos.
#
Driver
Hometown
Owner
1
19
Richie Coy
Haskell, NJ
Richie Coy
2
11
PJ Stergois
Candia, NH
Bill
Stergios
3
38
Ryan Locke
Chester, NH
Ken Locke
4
35
Anthony Marvuglio
Bridgewater, MA
Glen Cabral
5
8t
Jake Trainor
Medway, MA
Mike Trainor
6
76
Randy Cabral
Kingston, MA
Frank
Manafort
7
12
Alan Chambers
Atkinson, NH
Mike Chambers
8
55
Drew Eldridge
No Chelmsford, MA
Drew
Eldridge
9
9
Ben Mikitarian
Northborough, MA
John
Mikitarian
10
36
Jeff Champagne
Westfield, MA
Glen Cabral
11
94
Tiana Kibbe
Fairfield, CT
Curt Kibbe
12
88
Chase Locke
Chester, NH
Ken Locke
13
69
Matt Merry
Plaistow, NH
Matt Merry
HEAT 1:
88, 35, 69, 12, 38, 36
HEAT 2: 8,
76, 11, 55, 94, 7, 9
Ovitt, Coy
Take Down NEMA's Angelillo Memorial at
Lee USA
This past Friday, the Northeastern Midget
Association visited Lee USA Speedway, with special
guest, Sammy Swindell, for the coveted Angelillo
Memorial race. Alby Ovitt dominated the NEMA portion
of the event to take down his first ever feature win
in a midget, while Richie Coy, from the famed Coy
Racing stables, took down a hard fought Lites win.
Lee USA is a most fitting place to honor the
Angelillos after many feature event victories at the
Speedway. Marilyn, who passed away in September of
2007, and Gene, who died in March of 2010, were the
most successful owners in NEMA history. The Dumo's
Desire team captured 14 championships and over 100
feature wins. In addition, they served the club in a
number of positions. Gene was president and Marilyn
secretary for a number of years. Gene's final win
was Waterford's 2009 Wings and Wheels. Russ Stoehr
was the driver.
Gene initiated the first
Angelillo race, calling it the "Marilyn's Passion"
at Monadnock in 2009. Russ Stoehr and PJ Stergios
(Lites) were the winners. Their daughter Laura Kibbe
brought the race to Waterford following Gene's
death, and with the current turmoil at the
Speedbowl, the club brought the race to Lee.
In the NEMA feature, Alby Ovitt, one of the
winningest drivers in Lee USA Speedway street stock
history, wasted no time driving from his fourth
starting position around the outside of Andrew Lunt
for the lead by the end of the first lap. Ovitt, who
rarely finishes worse than second place in the
Street Stock division at Lee, began to set a torrid
pace at the front of the field. His best time, 13.30
seconds, came on lap four. Behind Ovitt the battle
for second place was heating up as the laps wound
down between teammates Todd Bertrand and Randy
Cabral. Bertrand and Cabral split the lapped car of
Lunt with two laps remaining, with Bertrand coming
out on top for the runner up spot. Cabral was third
followed by Jim Chambers, Sammy Swindell, Avery
Stoehr, Paul Scally, Andy Lunt, Mike Horn and John
Zych.
"I can't thank Tim Bertrand and his
team enough for giving me this opportunity. It has
been a dream to win a midget race, and to do it at
my home track is amazing. I also need to thank Russ
and Avery Stoehr for giving me the opportunity to
get into midgets and Keith Bothelo who spent his
entire birthday on Thursday working on the car to
get it ready for Lee," said Ovitt.
In the
Lites feature, a caution that sent Matt Merry into
the wall on lap one, paused the field before the
race got under way. Earlier in the day, Jim Cataldo
was taken to the hospital after an altercation with
the wall and was released later that evening. When
the green flag flew, and racing resumed, NJ's Richie
Coy, jumped out into the lead.
Coy began
clicking off coinsistently quick laps in the
14.4/14.5 range. Behind him, PJ Stergios was making
a charge, never letting Coy out of his sight,
running similar laps.
As the laps wound
down, Stergios closed the gap and made a run at Coy,
but could not make the pass. Ryan Locke came from
the seventh spot to pass Anthony Marvuglio for third
with one lap remaining, and Coy was able to hold on
for the victory.
"We were junk all day and
threw the kitchen sink at it for the feature. On the
original start I got together with Matt Merry and he
ended up in the fence, I got loose under him and we
touched wheels. I hate that he got into the fence.
On the next restart I got a good jump on the outside
and cleared Chase Locke out of 2. The car felt
great. From that point on, all I was trying to do
was run away and hide. I didn't realize that PJ was
there the whole race. I was just trying not to make
a mistake. Then the caution comes out as I'm in turn
3 about to take the checkered flag. I knew I had to
have a great restart with PJ outside and Anthony
behind me. I punched and got away from PJ, but
Anthony showed me his nose going into one. I gave
him just enough room not to wreck and drive off turn
2 clear and ran 2 hard laps to the checkered. It's
been almost 2 years since our last win. We've had 4
or 5 races slip away from us that we should have won
but didn't. Last night was awesome. The Lites are so
close that it's tough to grab one of these races!,"
said Coy.
PJ Stergios finished second
followed by Ryan Locke, Marvuglio, Jake Trainor,
Randy Cabral, Alan Chambers, Drew Eldridge, Ben
Mikitarian and Jeff Champagne.
NEMA returns
to the Star Classic on September 7th, with both the
Lites and NEMA on tap.
Swindell Returns to NEMA at Thompson
& LEE USA
Speedways in August
One of the most recognized
names in American motorsports, Sammy Swindell, will make a
handful of Northeastern Midget Association starts for Tim
Bertrand/Bertrand Motorsports beginning on Wednesday August
14 at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, and continuing
on to LEE USA Speedway on Friday August 16th. Swindell will
be available for fan interaction & autographs at both
venues. Swindell is a three-time World of Outlaws Champion &
Five-time Chili Bowl champion.
Swindell will join a
five car Bertrand Motorsports NEMA operation for the races
joining teammates Todd Bertrand, Randy Cabral and Avery
Stoehr. Four time NEMA champion and ISMA champion Ben Seitz
will join the team at Thompson, and one of the hottest
drivers in the northeast, Alby Ovitt, will join the team at
LEE USA in a fifth car.
"It was great to be able to
put together another deal with Sammy for 2019," said team
owner Tim Bertrand. "We had a great time racing together
over the last couple of years and getting to know each
other, and the entire team is looking forward to having him
back to the Northeast.
"We are incredibly excited to
have one of the biggest names in open wheel racing
participate in our program on Friday August 16that LEE USA
Speedway. Swindell is undoubtedly one of the best and we are
looking forward to having him here," said LEE USA Speedway
GM, Joe Bassett.
"We are ecstatic to have Sammy
Swindell join an already exciting evening of racing at the
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Between the exciting
NEMA action and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, fans should
be in for a great evening," said Thompson Speedway
Motorsports Park General Manager, Terry Eames.
Swindell was successful in his debut two seasons ago with
the team, running second fastest in qualifying, advanced
from seventh to third in his heat and from fifth to fourth
in the feature, against NEMA's best.
Along the way
he went wheel-to-wheel with teammates Randy Cabral, Todd
Bertrand and held off a charge from two time and defending
Champion John Zych. Last season, the team struggled with a
new car that Swindell ran, but this year, the team has opted
to put Swindell in the family's iconic No. 47, a threat to
win any time it shows up. Danny Cugini took down the Iron
Mike Scrivani Memorial race just last weekend in the
Bertrand 47.
"We struggled a bit last year, and
frankly, if Sammy is going to come out all this way to run,
I want to give him a car that he can get right to it in,"
said Bertrand.
"I'm excited to be able to get back
out and drive for Tim and his team. We've gotten to know
each other well over the last couple of years and even
teamed up for a couple of Chili Bowls. A lot of the learning
curve is behind us, and we should be able to get right to it
off the bat this year," said Swindell.
Car owner
Bertrand was ecstatic about the partnership.
"Sammy
is a great guy to be around, and I'm particularly excited to
have him run Thompson for us, a place that our team has had
so much success at," said Bertrand.
