by Dale Wobrink

Seekonk, MA: Joey Payne of Pomona, NJ took down the coveted win in the 9th Annual Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic for the Northeastern Midget Association on Saturday night August 27, 2005 at Seekonk Speedway. Payne became the first repeat winner of the prestigious event. The Dumos Desire #45 owner Gene Angelillo continues to set the standard as the only owner to have multiple wins in the Seymour Classic. Angelillo now has three wins-two with Payne and one with Drew Fornoro.

“I have mixed feelings (about being the first repeat winner),” said Payne. “I feel like I won the first one on a technicality. Randy (Cabral) was the real winner the first time. It is really good to earn this one!”

The event pays tribute to “Boston” Louie Seymour, the patriarch of the Seymour Family of Marlboro, MA and possibly one of the most influential car owners of his time in open-wheel racing. “Boston” set a benchmark for performance and integrity in the sport. His family, most notably wife Ellie and sons Bobby and Mike, continues his legacy with their devotion to Midget racing.

“Growing up I remember Louie being the ‘Million-Mile Man’ and I feel like that is something that I have in common with him,” said the race winner, who has run Supermodifieds and TQ Midgets among other things. “It is an honor.”

Jeff Horn looked like the man to beat as he led the most laps in the event but a caution on lap 23 gave Payne the opening he needed to make the winning pass. Payne and Angelillo enjoyed the biggest payday of the season with the victory. Through the support of great sponsors like Wirtgen America, Ferrara Spring Works, Helping Hands of America, West End Rental, and Harrington Trucking, the Boston Louise Seymour Memorial Classic is the highest paying event on the NEMA schedule.

Horn was gracious in victory lane and very happy to come home in the second position. Last year’s race winner Ben Seitz finished third ahead of Chris Perley. Rising star and Ray Evernham protégé Erin Crocker, who had faded in the early going of the event, rallied late to finish fifth in the Seymour Family-owned #29.

It was a hard-fought sixth-place finish for Randy Cabral, who also earned the “Hard-Charger Award” presented by Chuck Welling. The young driver was involved in a heat race accident that also eliminated Kyle Carpenter, Ed Breault, and Mike Keeler from competition. Cabral unloaded his back-up car only to have it break before the feature. The crew was forced to make repairs to his #35. Cabral started from the tail of the field and worked his way as far up as fifth but lost the position to Crocker in the closing laps. Adam Cantor, Fornoro, Mike Ordway, Jr. and Pete Pernesigilio completed the top ten.

Shane Hammond led the field to green to start the prestigious Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic. Jeff Horn would be the first official leader as he took the top spot exiting turn four to complete lap number one. Mark Buonomo, making his first start of the season since the opener at Stafford, jumped into the second position by lap three. Horn was setting a torrid pace for the event and entered lap traffic with only a handful of laps into the record books.

The first caution of the event flew just shy of halfway when Greg Stoehr spun. On the restart Horn led Buonomo, Nokie Fornoro, who was debuting his new car, Payne, and Hammond inside the top five. The caution flew immediately for a false start while Tommy Spada spun.

Buonomo retired from the second position with mechanical problems during the caution period. The series of events moved Fornoro to the outside of Horn for the restart and defending race champion Ben Seitz into the top-five.

On the restart, Fornoro got a good run on the restart. He hung on the outside of Horn for over a lap before Horn was able to gain control of the event once again. Fornoro remained glued to the tail of Horn’s #A-1 machine.

Fornoro gave it a valiant effort as he made a bold move in an attempt to take over the lead from Horn on lap 23. Horn maintained the lead while Fornoro spun to the infield to bring out the caution.

This time Horn had to contend with the likes of Payne, Seitz, Chris Perley, and Cabral inside the top-five on the ensuing restart. Once again the drivers had a hard time getting going. A minor incident involving Fornoro and Spada necessitated another quick caution. This set up a six-lap dash to the checkers between Horn, Payne, Seitz and Perley.

The restart saw the top-four cars in a heated battle for position. Payne immediately challenged Horn for the lead while Perley pressured Seitz for third. The lead pack went two-by-two for two complete circuits. On lap 25, Payne was the new leader. Horn settled back into second.

At the finish it was Payne in for his second win in the Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic followed by Horn, Seitz, Perley and Crocker. Cabral, Adam Cantor, Fornoro, Mike Ordway, Jr. and Pete Pernesigilio rounded out the top ten.

“My car was terrible in the beginning,” said Payne. “It was so tight I couldn’t turn it. Under caution with ten laps to go I used the weight-jacker to free up the car. The car was really hooked up after that.”

Heat races presented by Falconi Brothers, Crowe Enterprizes, Oval Track Parts, Jackie Parker’s Wanna Pump, Schrader Racing and Chuck King were won by Payne, Seitz and Cantor. Mike Keeler was presented with the Hard Luck Award.

The next event for the Northeastern Midget Association is scheduled for Saturday Night, September 3, 2005 at Oswego Speedway as part of the “Oswego Classic” Celebration. Log on to www.oswegospeedway.com to get all the Classic information.

#29 IN THE PROGRAM
#1 IN YOUR HEART

WIRTGEN AMERICA
Antioch, TN

HARRINGTON PAVING
No. Billerica, MA

FERRERA SPRING WORKS
Springfield, MA

HELPING HANDS OF AMERICA
Wrentham, MA

WEST END RENTAL
Brodsville, PA

SCHRADER RACING
Concord, NC

JS KING ASSOCIATION
Concord, NC

MIKE ROSELLI
Brodsville, PA

OVAL TRACK RACING PARTS
Findlay, OH

SMALL CAR RACING ENGINES
San Miguel, CA

JACKIE PARKER'S WANNA PUMP
Wrentham, MA

FALCONI BROTHERS OIL COMPANY
Southboro, MA

CROW ENTERPRISES
Anaheim, CA

PATRIOT INTEGRATED WALL SYSTEMS
Inverness, FL