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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th
NEMA MIDGETS & NEMA LITES |
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ISMA Bob Webber Sr. Memorial 125
350 Supers
Randy Witkum Memorial 60
NEMA LITES Jim O'Brien Memorial 50
NEMA Midgets
Classic Lites |
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OFFICIAL - NEMA LITES -
STAR -
9/7/19 |
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Pos.
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#
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Driver |
Hometown
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Owner |
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1 |
76 |
Randy Cabral |
Kingston, MA |
Frank
Manafort |
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2 |
38 |
Ryan Locke |
Chester, NH |
Ken Locke |
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3 |
8t |
Jake Trainor |
Medway, MA |
Mike Trainor |
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4 |
6 |
Barry Kittredge |
Marlboro, MA |
Barry Kittredge |
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5 |
19 |
Richie Coy |
Haskell, NJ |
Richie Coy |
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6 |
12 |
Alan Chambers |
Atkinson, NH |
Mike Chambers |
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7 |
48 |
Matt Janisch |
Nazareth, PA |
Matt
Janisch |
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8 |
35 |
Anthony Marvuglio |
Bridgewater, MA |
Glen Cabral |
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9 |
88 |
Chase Locke |
Chester, NH |
Ken Locke |
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10 |
17 |
Kyle Valeri |
Monument Beach, MA |
Peter
Valeri |
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11 |
5 |
Jim Cataldo |
Sterling, MA |
Jim Cataldo |
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12 |
16 |
Matt O'Brien |
Wilmington, MA |
Christopher Butterweck |
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13 |
03 |
Dennis Potter |
- - - |
Dennis Potter |
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14 |
55 |
Drew Eldridge |
No Chelmsford, MA |
Drew
Eldridge |
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15 |
69 |
Matt Merry |
Plaistow, NH |
Matt Merry |
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16 |
22 |
Anthony Payne |
Fairlawn, NJ |
Jim Susi |
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17 |
3 |
Chris Vose |
Gloversville, NY |
Chris Vose |
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18 |
21 |
Logan Rayvals |
Brockville, ON |
Mike
Scrivani |
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19 |
15 |
Wade Matteson |
Ellington, CT |
Wade Mattesen |
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20 |
94 |
Tiana Kibbe |
Fairfield, CT |
Curt Kibbe |
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HEAT 1:
69, 12, 38, 6, 19, 88, 5, 22, 55, 94 |
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HEAT 2: 48,
76, 3, 8t, 35, 17, 16, 21, 03, 15 |
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NEMA MIDGETS - STAR -
9/7/19 |
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Pos.
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#
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Driver |
Hometown
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Owner |
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1 |
9 |
John Zych Jr. |
Mendon, MA |
John Zych Sr. |
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2 |
39 |
Avery Stoehr |
Lakeville, MA |
Bertrand Motorsports |
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3 |
74 |
Randy Cabral |
Kingston, MA |
Bertrand Motorsports |
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4 |
48 |
Todd Bertrand |
Danielson, CT |
Bertrand Motorsports |
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5 |
21 |
Jim Chambers |
Atkinson, NH |
Jim Chambers |
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6 |
17 |
Alby Ovitt |
Somersworth, NH |
Bertrand Motorsports |
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7 |
47 |
Chase Dowling |
Roxbury, CT |
Bertrand Motorsports |
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8 |
30 |
Paul Scally |
Raynham, MA |
Paul Scally |
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9 |
A1 |
Mike Horn |
Ashland, MA |
Jeff Horn |
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10 |
50 |
Lanson Fornoro |
Brockton, MA |
Pete Pernesiglio Sr. |
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11 |
16 |
Matt O'Brien |
Wilmington, MA |
Matt O'Brien |
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12 |
18 |
Andy Lunt |
Marion, MA |
Christian Briggs |
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HEAT 1:
48, 74, 39, 50, 9, 16 |
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HEAT 2:
21, 30, 17, 47, 18, A1 |
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Zych, Cabral Take O’Brien Memorial,
STAR Classic NEMA Wins |
Saturday evening, the Northeastern Midget
Association returned to the Webber Family's STAR
Classic, for the first time in years. A packed
crowd, and one of the biggest open wheel events of
the year greeted NEMA, ISMA, the 350 Supers and a
number of other divisions. Even more special, the
night was dedicated to long time club member,
officer, and supporter, Jim O'Brien.
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
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 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.
In the NEMA
feature, Andy Lunt and Lanson Fornoro brought the
field down to the green flag. Quickly, John Zych
used the bottom of the race track to get by Lunt,
and passed Fornoro headed into turn three on the
next lap.
Zych, who has had an abysmal start
to the season, with engine woes and a badly wrecked
race car earlier in the year, showed no signs of
relinquishing the lead as he ripped off some torrid
laps in the 11.7 range in the early stages of the
feature. Behind Zych, points leader Avery Stoehr
used the high line to bolt into second place early
on, and Randy Cabral came from deep in the pack to
third, with teammate Todd Bertrand in tow.
As
the laps wound down, Stoehr made up a little ground
on Zych, but over the closing laps Zych would extend
his lead again, and dominate the final laps. Stoehr
would finish second followed by Cabral, Bertrand,
Jim Chambers, Alby Ovitt, NASCAR star Chase Dowling,
Paul Scally, Mike Horn, and Lanson Fornoro.
In the O'Brien Memorial Lites Feature, Randy Cabral
in the Seymour/Frank Manafort #76 used the high line
to drive into the lead on the first lap. Long time
TQ racer and champion Matt Janisch settled into
second on lap three, and made up some ground on
Cabral, but then began to fade.
By lap nine,
NJ's Richie Coy, had driven from deep in the pack to
third, and took second on lap ten. Coy would start
to run down Cabral, and the caution would fly.
On the green flag, Coy and Cabral would go wheel
to wheel for three laps, neither giving up the top
spot, and at this point, rain drops started to fall
onto the race track. Cabral would pull away from
Coy.
As the race wound down, Ryan Locke would
get by Coy, and set his sights on Cabral. Locke,
running some of the fastest laps of the race, would
close the gap and was on Cabral's bumper with five
laps to go. Locke tried high and low, and used
lapped traffic to his advantage in a masterful
drive, but could not pass the veteran, Cabral.
Cabral would go on to take down the coveted
O'Brien Memorial, followed by Locke, Jake Trainor,
Barry Kitteridge, Richie Coy, Alan Chambers, Matt
Janisch, Anthony Marvuglio, Chase Locke and Kyle
Valeri.
"Jim was so good guy as he always
thought about the little guy. Maybe we aren't
considered to be 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 Cabral, a five-time
champion. "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. Jim
O'Brien was a staple in the foundation of NEMA. He
was one of the pioneers who helped pave the way for
pavement midget racing in the Northeast as we see it
today. To win this race is an honor," said Cabral.
The O'Brien family gave out special awards to -
Jeff Locke, Outstanding Innovator, Anthony
Marvuglio, Outstanding Competitor, Drew Eldridge,
Outstanding Racer.
NEMA picks back up at the
Wiscassett Speedway on Sept 21st. |
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NEMA Returns to the STAR Classic
for the
O’Brien Memorial |
The Northeastern Midget Association will invade
Bobby Webber's STAR Speedway in Epping, NH on Saturday night
September 7th, for one of New England's largest open wheel
races of the year, the annual STAR Classic. The NEMA Lites &
NEMA will run along side the International Super Modified
Association (ISMA) in the famed event.
Of high
importance, on this evening, the NEMA Lites will take center
stage for the annual Jim O'Brien Memorial Race, this year a
50 lap event for the Lites. The O'Brien family is very proud
to have their father's annual memorial event at Star, a
track that dates back as far as any, in conjunction with the
Northeastern Midget Association.
Brothers Matt and
Dennis O'Brien will both be on hand with Matt competing in
the NEMA and Lites race cards. Dennis will be the crew chief
on the Lites car along with son DJ, and Matt's son,
Benjamin, on the NEMA car. An O'Brien Memorial win will be a
coveted one on the minds of many Lites racers. One of those
is NEMA Champion and Lites competitor, Randy Cabral of
Kingston.
"Jim was so good guy as he always thought
about the little guy. Maybe we aren't considered to be 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 Cabral, a five-time champion.
"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. Jim O'Brien was a staple in the
foundation of NEMA. He was one of the pioneers who helped
pave the way for pavement midget racing in the Northeast as
we see it today," said Cabral.
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 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 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.
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.
When NEMA
returns to Star next weekend, the times will be lightening
fast, and the racing action is bound to be intense. |
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Chase Dowling Makes NEMA
Debut with Bertrand
Motorsports
at the STAR Classic 9/7 |
A familiar name in the New England racing circle, in
Chase Dowling, will make his first ever North Eastern Midget
Association start this weekend at Bobby Webber's STAR
Speedway Classic event. As one of New England's most
prestigious and biggest events, featuring the International
Supermodified Association and NEMA, it is bound to be action
packed this Saturday.
Dowling, who finished 2nd in
last year's NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship
standings, and 2015 rookie of the year, picked up his first
Modified Tour win at last year's inaugural NWMT Musket 250
at the New Hampshire Speedway. Dowling is excited to make
his first ever NEMA start for Tim Bertrand and Bertrand
Motorsports.
"I've always wanted to run midgets.
After I got done go kart racing I started to go the races
with Gene Angelillo and hanging out with their race team. I
was pointing in that direction before going legend car
racing down south, then Frank Manafort and I teamed up and
ran midgets up at bear ridge on dirt. We ended up getting a
NEMA lite and I tested it at Waterford and really had a
great time. I never got to compete in a NEMA event though.
The opportunity to drive for the Bertrand is going to be an
amazing one. I'm very humbled to be offered a top tier
midget at the STAR Classic - one of the biggest races
around. I've been very fortunate and grateful in my racing
career to drive so many different cars with great owners,
and to now top it off with a Bertrand midget at the star
classic is surreal," said Dowling.
"I know Chase has
wanted to run a midget for a while now," said team owner Tim
Bertrand. "I got a call from Ben Dodge this week, who wanted
to put together a deal for Chase and it just so happened
that we had an open seat. I've always admired Chase, his
driving style and mild manner - so it made sense to make
this happen," said Bertrand. "We'll have all 5 of our cars
there this weekend at Star. It's one of our biggest shows of
the year and we want to support the Webber family. Alby
Ovitt will be back in the 17, and the rest of our team, - it
should be a great weekend," he said.
It is the first
return of NEMA to the STAR Classic in many years, and should
prove to be a great show for the fans. |
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