Keith Cyr Graphic

NEMA SEASON OPENER
Sun. 4/1 Waterford Speedbowl

Winner Lou Cicconi in the Bertrand #47b

2007 Points HERE

Waterford, CT (April 1, 2007): Lou Cicconi of Aston, PA, was in the thick of the battle right from the drop of the green flag in the Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA) season opener at the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, CT on Sunday afternoon. Just after the halfway marker, Cicconi’s dogged pursuit of leader Pete Pernesiglio of Lake Grove, NY, paid off with a pass for the lead. Cicconi withstood a strong challenge from the hard-charging Bobby Santos III of Franklin, MA, in the late stages of the race before heading off to victory.

Even after a long hiatus from Midget racing, the Supermodified standout never missed a beat.

“I honestly feel like I never left (midget racing),” said Cicconi after the race. “Racing this car felt exactly the same as it had in the past.”

The car that Cicconi drove to victory was one that he had built and sold to the Bertrands. Cicconi is expected to run six to seven races in 2007 for the Bertrand Motorsports team.

“Tim and Gil Bertrand gave me an awesome car today,” said Cicconi after the race. “I have a great teammate in Randy Cabral. After a practice session last week, we had some problems with the car. Randy and his father Glenn fixed it during the week and Randy tested the car for me when I could not be here on Friday. They worked a lot on my car this weekend. I really have to thank the Cabrals and Nick from the crew.”

Bertrand Motorsports driver Randy Cabral of Plymouth, MA, came on strong late in the race to finish second and joined his teammate on the podium. Joey Payne of Fairlawn, NJ, Ben Seitz of Pocasset, MA, and Santos rounded out the top five.

The start of the 25-lapper was marred by a scary first lap wreck involving rookie competitor Abby Martino of Norfolk, MA. After Adam Cantor of Dix Hills, NY, elected to go to the tail of the field for the start of the event, Pete Pernesiglio made the most of his newly-acquired pole starting position jumping out to lead the opening lap. Randy Cabral immediately took chase in second. Things heated when Erica Santos of Franklin, MA, and Nokie Fornoro of Stroudsburg, PA, battled for third.

The nerf bars of the Fornoro and Santos machines got locked together while they battled. With the two cars slowing, the remainder of the field bunched up behind. In a chain reaction, Barry Kittredge spun blocking much of the track. With cars scattering, the #88 of Abby Martino launched over the #36 of Cory Cleary. Martino cart-wheeled in the catch-fence along the frontstretch. She finally came to rest after landing hard on all four tires. Martino was transported to the local hospital as a precautionary measure.

Also involved in the incident were Paul Scally and Shawn Torrey. Fornoro and Santos were the only cars able to continue. Under the caution period, mechanical problems forced another rookie competitor, John Zych, Jr., to retire from the event.

After a complete restart, Pernesiglio again was able to grab the lead. Cicconi immediately took over second. By lap two, Bobby Santos had charged into the third position over his sister Erica. Seitz also looked to take the spot away from E. Santos and was able to make the pass stick on lap three.

Cicconi pressured Pernesiglio for the lead with Santos and Seitz running nose to tail. E. Santos rounded out the top five. Cabral, Payne, and Nokie Fornoro ran just outside the top five.

Cicconi dove to the inside of Pernesiglio exiting turn two in a bid for the lead on lap seven. Pernesiglio was up for the challenge and Cicconi settled back into second. The heated battle for the lead cooled when the second caution of the event flew on lap eight for a spin by Jeremy Frankoski.

The restart on lap eight pitted leader Pernesiglio against some heavy hitters including Cicconi, B. Santos, Seitz, E. Santos, Cabral , Payne, and Fornoro. Aaron Wall, in the Seymour #29, and a returning Tim Heath, who took two seasons off from competition, rounded out the top-ten for the restart.

Pernesiglio shut the door on the restart while Seitz got by B. Santos for third. It was a four car battle for the top spot with Pernesiglio, Cicconi, Seitz, and Santos running within inches of one another in a tight pack.

Seitz tried a pass on Cicconi but could not complete the move. He immediately fell into the clutches of B. Santos. As the lead pack entered heavy traffic, Santos was able to regain the position from Seitz.

Cicconi got racy on lap 15, getting up along side the leader Pernesiglio. The two went side-by-side for the lead. They were dead-even at the stripe but Cicconi gained an advantage and the lead as they entered turn one. Santos also got by Pernesiglio to take away the second spot.

On lap 16, Santos dove to the inside of Cicconi in turn one. The two went wheel-to-wheel for almost the entire lap. Santos, digging for the lead, threw his machine low in turn four. Unable to hold on, Santos spun into the infield exiting turn four, leaving Cicconi in the lead alone. Santos was able to keep the car moving but much of the field had gotten by. The event’s third caution waved for cleanup to the racing surface.

The restart with eight laps remaining now found Cicconi in the hot seat followed by Pernesiglio, Seitz, Cabral, and Payne. Fornoro, E. Santos, Cantor, Brit Andersen and Heath made up the top-ten in the running order when the green waved once again.

Cicconi was easily able to maintain his position at the point. Seitz and Cabral pressured Pernesiglio for the second spot when racing resumed. Cabral rocketed into third place over a fading Seitz with Joey Payne lurking. Payne was able to make the pass on Seitz and B. Santos had already worked his way back into the sixth position.

Cicconi began to check out while Pernesiglio had his hands full holding off Cabral. The action was halted for a spin by Tim Heath on lap 22. The single file restart found Cicconi, Pernesiglio, Cabral, Payne and Seitz in the top-five for the dash to the checkers.

Back under green, Cicconi immediately stretched out to a sizeable lead. On the white flag lap, the action heated up behind the leader. Payne peaked to the inside of Cabral for third while Santos tried the outside of Seitz for fifth. Despite the jockeying, there were no changes in top four positions on the track.

At the checkers, it was Cicconi in for the win over apparent runner-up Pernesiglio. After post race inspection, the #80 of Pernesiglio was deemed to have a width infraction. Randy Cabral was awarded the runner-up position giving the Bertrand Motorsports the sweep. Joey Payne, Ben Seitz and Bobby Santos rounded out the top five.

Rookie Aaron Wall had a strong showing coming home sixth in his NEMA debut. Nokie Fornoro, Adam Cantor, Erica Santos, and Brit Andersen completed the top ten.

The Northeastern Midget Association has some time off before resuming the 2007 schedule on May 19. The next stop for the mighty Midgets is the Seekonk Speedway, where the club will be part of opening day festivities. For more information on the upcoming event, visit www.seekonkspeedway.com.

Manchester, CT: The 2007 season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive on record for the Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA). The roster, the schedule, and the intensity will be the impetus for some of the fiercest competition that NEMA has seen in many years.

The motivation is there for all the teams; the marquee teams of the club in particular. Defending Champion Ben Seitz of Buzzards Bay, MA, comes into the season with the chance of becoming the first driver ever to win four consecutive driver championships. The team, led by car owner Peter Valeri of Monument Beach, MA, is poised for the challenge but will have a tremendous season-long fight as many top teams are gunning for the championship in 2007.

Joey Payne of Fairlawn, NJ, who was on his way to a stellar season in ’06, was sidelined by a devastating wreck at Stafford near mid-season. Although the team has put it behind them, it is undeniable that the determination of the owner Gene Angelillo of Wolcott, CT, and the entire team is fueled by “what could have been”.

The “Jersey Jet” is coming into the 2007 season with a vengeance. If they can continue with the momentum enjoyed at the tail-end of the 2006 season (and with lady luck on their side), the Payne-Angelillo team may be unstoppable.

Many feel that the brilliance of the Cabral/Bertrand pairing has not yet even begun to shine. Despite their winning ways in 2006, the powerful combination of team owner Tim Bertrand of Brighton, MA, and driver Randy Cabral of Plymouth, MA, have battled mechanical woes and their share of bad luck. For this hungry duo nothing short of domination is the goal. And a distinct possibility for the Bertrand Motorsports team. With a fan base that is far-reaching, Randy Cabral has got to be the emotional favorite for the 2007 championship.

The Bertrand stables will get an added boost of power during the 2007 season when the legendary Lou Cicconi, Jr. once again will jump behind the wheel of a Midget as a teammate to Cabral. The first of several races for Cicconi will be the season opener at the Waterford Speedbowl on March 31-April 1, 2007.

The Mike Jarret-owned team may have the decided edge for the 2007 season. As much as this competitive team wants to win races, their ultimate goal is to have fun. The elder statesmen of the Club, Jarret and his driver Nokie Fornoro of Stroudsburg, PA, have nothing to prove. Fornoro will likely see the NEAR Hall of Fame while Jarret has earned respect and recognition as both a car owner and sponsor. They wanted to race together again and prove that the old dogs could still run with the pups. In 2006, run they did, winning two races and staying in the hunt for the championship right down to the wire.

Fornoro, who will once again miss races due to his commitment to the International Supermodified Association, will share the driving responsibilities in the potent #4 with part-time teammate Shane Hammond of E. Bridgewater, MA. With this talented pair in his corner, it might be Jarret’s turn to stand as the owner’s champion in 2007.

As for the rest of the talent-laden Northeastern Midget Association roster, their determination will be evident right out of the box at the season opener at Waterford. Look for the 2007 season to be the one which finds Shane Hammond in victory lane.

“Ben (Seitz), Joey (Payne) and Randy (Cabral) should be up front again this season,” said Hammond. “There are a number of other drivers that will be right up there also. As for myself, I hope I can mix it up with them. This year I’m hoping to get my first victory. It’s going to be very challenging with the very strong competition we have in the club. It’s time for me to put a little pressure on myself to step it up.”

Mike Keeler of Danbury, CT, has shown he can win races. Now with a new team, his visits could become more frequent. Adam Cantor of Dix Hills, NY, has endured a winless streak that has been plagued by bad luck. A new season means new possibilities for the capable driver, who would like nothing more than to hit a hot-streak in 2007.

Other NEMA drivers capable of visiting victory lane include the Dolan Brothers-Ryan and Sean, Pete Pernesiglio and Kyle Carpenter. A whole new rookie class enters the ring with years of racing experience behind their youthful exuberance including proven winners like Brit Andersen, Aaron Wall, Mark Irving and many more.

The 2007 season kicks off at the Waterford Speedbowl on April 1 and culminates at the World Series at Thompson Speedway in October. The schedule gains momentum in late May with visits to the new All-Star Speedway and the first visit to Monadnock Speedway. The series will make appearances at such notable tracks as Stafford and Seekonk Speedways along with a return to Beech Ridge for a total of 15 action-packed races.

Qualifying for the NEMA Midgets will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2007 with feature events scheduled for Sunday, April 1, 2007. For more information on the Bud Nationals at the Waterford Speedbowl log on to www.speedbowl.com.