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DOLAN HAS SHOT AT IMPRESSSIVE CLUB

Teenager Ryan Dolan heads into Thompson Speedway's Icebreaker April 5-6 with a chance to join some very impressive company. Dolan aims to become the sixth driver to capture back-to-back Northeastern Association season-openers. The company includes five champions and two of Midget racing's all-time greats.

Dolan, a member of NEMA's 2001 Rookie class, became the club's youngest winner when he prevailed at last year's Icebreaker.


Nine-time champ and NEMA's all-time feature winner Drew Fornoro was the last to win a second-straight season opener, doing it in 1983. The only active driver on the list, Fornoro's five season-opening race wins is the NEMA standard. Drew, who got off the mark with wins in 1982, '83, '87, '93 and '98, is one up on a pair of Midget legends.

Bill Eldridge and Dutch Schaefer each won four times on opening day. Eldridge, a four-time champ, won back-to-back openers in 1954 and '55. Schaefer, another Midget immortal, did it 1959 and '60.

Walter Gale, the 1964 champ, captured the 1966 and '67 openers. Armond Holley began a championship run with a season-opening win in '76 and repeated in '77. Johnny Coy Sr., one of Midget racing greatest performers, won back-to-back in 1970 and '71, both times at Thompson.

Holley is one of six drivers to ride a season-opening win to the driving title. Eldridge did it in '54 and '58, Dick Brown in '61, Johnny Mann in '72, Drew Fornoro in '83 and '98 and Joey Coy in '91.

Among current drivers, Jeff Horn had three openers, the last at Lee in 1994. Russ Stoehr's win at Waterford in 1999 was his second season opening win. Others who have won on opening day are Howard Bumpus ('89 at Star), Randy Cabral ('01 at Thompson), Nokie Fornoro ('86 at New Egypt), Joey Payne ('96 at Star), Bobby Seymour ('90 at Lee) and Babe Shaw ('97 at Star).

Thompson has hosted 10 NEMA openers, one behind Star and the now-gone Westboro Speedway.


NEMA OPENING DAY WINNERS

Year    Date   Track                            Driver
1953    5/30    Seekonk, MA                Fred Meeker
1954    5/28    Medford, MA                 Bill Eldridge
1955    5/21    W.Peabody, MA            Bill Eldridge
1956    5/11    Westboro, MA               Len Thrall
1957    428     Brookline, NH               Oscar Saunders
1958    4/20    Brookline                      Bill Eldridge
1959    4/19    Menands, NY                 Dutch Schaefer
1960    4/24    Thompson, CT               Dutch Schaefer
1961    5/30    Onteora, NY                  Dick Brown
1962    5/25    Norwood, MA                Tony Bonadies
1963    5/4      Plainville, CT                Bill Randall
1964    5/13    Westboro, MA                Johnny Kay
1965    4/24    Seekonk                        Dutch Schaefer
1966    5/21    Westboro                       Walt Gale
1967    n/a     Westboro                       Walt Gale
1968    n/a     Oxford, ME                     Ronnie Evans
1969    4/26    Westboro                       Dutch Schaefer
1970    4/18    Westboro                       Johnny Coy
1971    4/11    Thompson                     Johnny Coy
1972    4/29    Westboro                       Johnny Mann
1973    5/5      Westboro                       Bob Pick
1974    4/27    Westboro                       Bill Eldridge
1975    5/16    Westboro                       Dave Humphrey
1976    5/4     Thompson                      Armond Holley
1977    4/3     Thompson                      Armond Holley
1978    4/2     Thompson                      Johnny Coy Jr.
1979    4/1     Thompson                      Leigh Earnshaw
1980    4/5     Thompson                      Hank Rogers Jr.
1981    5/3     Thompson                      Bob Cicconi
1982    n/a     Westboro                       Drew Fornoro
1983    5/21    Star (NH)                        Drew Fornoro
1984    n/a     Monadnock                    Mike Seymour
1985    5/4      Star                               Dave Humphrey
1986    6/20    New Egypt, NJ               Nokie Fornoro
1987    4/26    Pocono, PA                   Drew Fornoro
1988    4/30    Star                               Jeff Horn
1989    4/29    Star                               Howard Bumpus
1990    n/a     Lee                                Bobby Seymour
1991    n/a     Star                               Joey Coy
1992    5/23    Star                               Jeff Horn
1993    5/1      Star                               Drew Fornoro
1994    4/24    Lee                               Jeff Horn
1995    4/29    Star                               Russ Stoehr
1996    5/18    Star                               Joey Payne Jr.
1997    5/17    Star                               Babe Shaw
1998    5/16    Star                               Drew Fornoro
1999    4/19    Waterford, CT                Russ Stoehr
2000    4/16    Waterford                      Rudy Boetticher Jr.
2001    4/28    Thompson                     Randy Cabral
2002    4/7      Thompson                      Ryan Dolan


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