Epping, NH – The Northeastern Midget Association rolled into the Star Speedway for their second and final appearance of the 2005 season on Saturday night, and it was once again former Star Supermodified regular Joey Payne of Pomona, NJ taking down the checkered flag in the Gene Angelillo #45.

Although the night belonged to Payne, most fans in the grandstands were talking about the night Ed Breault had aboard his self-owned #44 machine, which at best can be described as up and down. Breault led the first 11 laps of the feature event before he got tangled up with the lapped car of Andy Shlatz, and that sent him to the rear of the pack.

Two laps later, Breault had a minor spin to bring the field under caution, but it was lap 15 that left the fans speechless. When Shane Hammond #37, Nokie Fornoro #50 and Doug Cleveland #78 got out of shape coming off turn four, Breault climbed the right rear wheel of
Rich Gerbe #18, and he slammed the retaining wall nearly head-on.

And if the impact with the concrete wasn’t enough, Breault’s car flipped over on it’s right side as it slid down the track virtually destroyed, then went back up on all fours and then over on its left side before grinding to a halt about 50 yards from the point of initial contact.

To make matters worse, a small fire broke out in the engine compartment as the car sat on its side on the racing surface, although quick response from the track fire and safety crews
had the situation quickly under control, and Breault was helped from his battered racer a bit shaken up, but otherwise unhurt.

Back to racing, Randy Cabral #35 had taken over the lead after Breault’s first incident, and the second restart on lap 13 gave Payne the shot he needed, as “The Jersey Jet” blasted past Cabral on the outside to put the Gary’s Auto Parts Beast chassis/Gaerte-powered
machine on the point.

Cabral continued to give chase, but Payne was off and running, laying down some pretty quick laps as he stormed to victory, his second Star win of the year. Cabral held off a stiff challenge in the late laps from 2004 NEMA driving champion Ben Seitz in the Pete Valeri #17 to collect runner-up honors.

Longtime Star Supermodified competitors Chris Perley in the Don Berrio #2 and Jeff Horn in his own #A-1 made good use of their experience on the quick quarter-mile to grab fourth and fifth, while second generation racer Mike Ordway, Jr. #99, Adam Cantor #7NY, Nokie Fornoro aboard the Pete Pernesiglio #50, Mike Keeler #55 and Doug Cleveland #78 closed out the top ten.