|
|
|
2017 NEMA NEWS |
|
|
.gif) |
| SATURDAY December 2,
2017 |
Royal
Plaza Hotel,
181 Boston Post Road
West,
Marlboro, MA 01752
Cocktails at 6:00 PM
Dinner & Awards at 7:00 PM
DJ & Dancing around 9:00 PM |
|
FULL BANQUET PHOTO PAGE HERE |
 |
BERTRAND MOTORSPORTS
2017 NEMA MIDGETS CHAMPIONS |
 |
CUGINI
MOTORSPORTS
2017 NEMA LITES CHAMPIONS |
 |
| O'BRIEN AWARD TO JOHN
MIKITARIAN |
|
FULL BANQUET PHOTO PAGE HERE |
|
|
|
 |
2017 NEMA OWNERS CHAMPION
BERTRAND MOTORSPORTS - #74 |
 |
Bertrand Continues
To
Write NEMA Story |
Celebrating his sixth
Northeastern Midget Association owners championship, Tim
Bertrand fielded the question with ease. Where, he was
asked, does he see himself in NEMA history?
A logical
inquiry considering in addition to the titles (all with
driver Randy Cabral), Bertrand has had 66 wins with 10
drivers since 2002, a list that starts with himself driving.
He had five cars in 2017, - three of them, including
Cabral's #74 championship car, were in the top four in final
points. Another was eighth. The fifth was a Lites entry. All
were winners.
"I really don't think about our
place," says Bertrand, who also serves as club president.
"We are still in the process of writing a story. I'll know
in my heart when it is time for the story to end. When it
does, I believe it will be in line with others like Dave
Humphrey and the Gene Angelillo/Drew Fornoro combination."
This success comes after the near miss in 2016 when an
injury in a Pro-4 race resulted in Cabral, who had the point
lead, missing the final NEMA feature. "Just kind of was what
it was," Bertrand offers. "Randy and I had an agreement
concerning other rides. He is a racer and that's what racers
do."
While Bertrand claims to believe "everything
happens for a reason" he, at the same time insists, "the
better the job you do during the winter, the more likely
you'll have success in the summer." Therein is the story of
a historic season.
Last year, Cabral was having some
problems with the #47 while the #74, both Lindblad/Drinan
chassis, was successful with several drivers. Explaining
"sometimes different eyes see things differently," Bertrand
turned the #74 over to the Cabrals and spent the winter with
the #47.
Early on, the #74 struggled while "the 47
hardly finished off the podium" including a win by Justin
Bonsignore at Riverhead, a podium with Doug Coby at the
Boston Louie and a pair of 2nd's with Indiana driver Kyle
Hamilton. After fixing some shock and setup problems, Cabral
caught fire at midseason and finished strong, the car ending
up 32 points better than the Jim Chambers #21. The 25 year
old Gaerte-powered Bertrand #39, twice a winner with Avery
Stoehr aboard, was third and the #47 fourth despite missing
two races. The World Series winner #48, Todd Bertrand's
ride, was eighth. Todd also had a Lites win in the "company
car." All that was in addition to the club presidency.
"Team work," Bertrand answers the obvious 'how?'
inquiry. The #39 and the #47 "live" at Tim's house where
fellow competitor Seth Carlson was a very helpful part of
the crew this summer. The Stoehr family, no strangers to the
Gaerte engine, also played a role with the #39. The Cabrals
housed the 74 while the #48 was at Todd's house where father
Gil played a role. "Bertrand," however, is on all of them.
This year Stoehr, Bonsignore and Carlson joined a list
of Bertrand winners that starts with Cabral and Todd and
includes Mark Buonomo, Lou Cicconi Jr., Doug Coby, Joey
Payne.
The past season was a great chapter in an
already great story.
2017 NEMA Midgets Points
Owners
1 Bertrand Motorsports #74, 1419, 2. Mike Chambers #21,
1377, 3. Bertrand Motorsports #39, 1317, 4. Bertrand
Motorsports #47, 1235, 5. Mike Chambers #7, 1187, 6. John
Zych #9, 1174, 7. Paul Scally #30, 1089, 8. Gil Bertrand
#48, 877, 9. Gene Feigel #71, 722, 10. Greg Stoehr #5b, 759 |
|
|
|
|
|
2017 NEMA DRIVERS CHAMPION
RANDY
CABRAL - #74 |
 |
Cabral Acknowledges Help
In Capturing NEMA Crown |
Randy Cabral has six
Northeastern Midget Association driver championships
including the 2017 trophy. He appreciates each and declines
comparing them. And he understands his place in NEMA history
and is aware of how he got there.
The latest crown
came in a season where the 38-year old school teacher almost
quit, actually suggesting owner Tim Bertrand "put somebody
else in the car." This title, he insists, is the result of
the "emotional support" of Bertrand, who also celebrated his
sixth championship, and the dogged determination of his
father and crew chief Glenn Cabral.
After
back-to-back midseason wins at Star and Thompson, Cabral
finished with four-straight top-fours including two seconds.
He and Bertrand finished 42 points in front of driver/owner
Jim Chambers. Cabral, a winner for a record 18 straight
seasons, also moved into third on NEMA's all-time win list.
"This one is gratifying considering a year ago I was in
a hospital bed knowing one was slipping away," Cabral says.
"I wanted to get Tim what got away from us last year." An
injury in a Pro-4 race kept him out of the 2016 NEMA final,
allowing John Zych Jr. to overtake him.
This season
didn't start well. After much success in the #47, Cabral
moved into Bertrand's #74 this year, a car that was very
successful with a number of drivers the year before. "We
couldn't get the car to handle," he recalls. "The "#74 did
so well for everybody else the year before and I couldn't
pass a car. It got into my head and I told Tim to try
another driver. He kept saying "it's the car, not you."
Cabral had a sixth and two sevenths after four races
when Glenn "went back to the drawing board." After a fifth
at the Boston Louis, he won back-to-back at Star and
Thompson setting up the strong finish. While he freely
admits fortune played a part (leader Seth Carlson had a tire
go down with two to go), he points to the Star victory as
the turning point. "It was the Butch Walsh Memorial, one of
the few Memorials I hadn't won," he says."
Despite
the start, the #74 didn't have a DNF, "a credit to my
father," Cabral says. While it is one of four cars in the
Bertrand Motorsports stable, Glenn Cabral turns the
wrenches. Father and son are a Lites team as well, an
activity that brings joy to Glenn ("he likes being a car
owner") and more seat time for Randy ("you can't get enough
seat time.")
The consecutive years streak, he says,
"is actually more important to my father," says Cabral. His
first wins came in his father's car and "the third and
fourth year we didn't win until late in the year. I remember
he was so concerned that we hadn't won yet."
The
Thompson win was his 51st, moving him past Russ Stoehr into
third. "I never imagined I would see that," he says. "I've
been going to races since I was a kid and I've seen so many
good drivers struggle to win in these cars." He sees the two
ahead of him - National Midget Hall of Famers Drew Fornoro
and Dave Humphrey - "in a class of their own and just to be
mentioned in the same sentence is like a dream come true."
2017 NEMA Midgets Points
Drivers (Wins)
1. Randy Cabral (2) 1419, 2. Jim Chambers (1) 1377, 3. Avery
Stoehr (2) 1317, 4. Alan Chambers 1187, 5. John Zych Jr. (2)
1174, 6. Paul Scally (1) 1089, 7. Seth Carlson (1) 1065, 8.
Todd Bertrand (1) 877, 9. Bethany Stoehr 759, 10. Jim Santa
Maria 722. |
|
|
|
 |
2017 NEMA LITES CHAMPION
DAN
CUGINI - #51 |
 |
Family, Consistency Drive
NEMA
Lites Champ Cugini |
|
A
half-dozen years ago, the Hawk chassis showed up in Dan
Cugini’s garage. His father (Glenn) and uncle (Don) asked
Dan if he wanted to drive it. He said yes.
Driving
that same Focus-powered No. 51, Cugini captured the 2017
Northeastern Midget Association Lites Division driver and
owner championships. He is nothing if not consistent.
Working with his father in the garage – “we plan on two
nights a week but it usually turned out to be four” –
remains his “greatest joy.” Mom Kathy, sister and fellow
driver Meg and brother Joey, are part of it too.
That
consistency carries over to the track. There were 17-point
paying Lites races in 2017. Cugini won twice (once in tech)
but had eight podium finishes, was in the top five 15 times
and fell out of the top seven only once when mechanical woes
resulted in a 16th at Star Speedway in July.
He puts
the championship on the same level with his “full-midget”
win at Wiscasset back in 2015. It was not easy, ending up 93
points better than Jim Chambers in the driver’s battle (who
missed an event) and a scant 23 over Chambers in the owners
rundown. There were 12 different winners in what could be
described as the best season for the 10-year-old division.
“We had veterans and youth, growing car counts, so many
possible winners,” Cugini boasts.
The 25-year
old Marshfield, MA resident then capped the season with an
incredible weekend, finishing first (without the wing) and
second (with it) at Dominion Speedway in Virginia on
Saturday (with the same car) and chasing Randy Cabral home
to second in a non-point affair at New London Waterford
Speedbowl on Sunday.
“We didn’t
have a great start,” says Cugini, pointing to crew chief
Chris Derosiers passing away after the season opener at
Thompson. “Chris was the brains of the operation. Then Matt
and Bobby Seymour stepped in and they were there all season.
We couldn’t have done it with them. It was such an honor to
have them in our pit this year.”
Second at
the Icebreaker and a win (in tech) gave Cugini the points
lead after two races and he kept it with a streak of strong
finishes before losing it with the 16th at Star. The
comeback started with a win at Seekonk – “the biggest of the
season”- but he didn’t regain it until Sept. 9 with a fifth
behind Richie Coy at Waterford. Both title races were in
doubt heading into the Icebreaker.
Cugini also
drove a Max Zachem car in the Whelen NASCAR Modified Series
at the World Series. Starting 25th, he was running seventh
when he collected in an accident (“I was walled.”) Still, he
was “very happy” with the effort and despite declaring
“there is nothing like driving a Midget, nothing more fun,”
Modifieds may be in the future.
Zachem
dates Meg and was part of the Virginia venture. Family
connections, long a NEMA feature, are special for Cugini.
“They are everywhere,” he says pointing to father and son
Bobby and Matt Seymour with nephew/cousin Ben Mitkitarian.
The Cugini
family now owns three Lites titles - An Owner’s champion in
2013. Dan was out of the top 10 only once in 17 races that
year with four podiums. Family and consistency is an
established Cugini trademark.
2017 NEMA LITES Points
Drivers (Wins)
1. Dan Cugini, 2224 (2), 2. Jim Chambers, 2131 (2), 3. Ryan
Locke, 1967; 4. Ben Mikitarian 1794 (2), 5. Randy Cabral
1691 (1), 6. Paul Scally 1669 (1), 7. Jim Cataldo 1518, 8.
Richie Coy 1482 (1), 9. Christopher Vose 1244, 10. Dennis
O’Brien 1202. Other winners: Todd Bertrand, Chad LaBastie,
Dylan Duhaime (3), Anthony Payne, Jake Stergois, Ryan
Bigelow.
Owners
1. Dan Cugini 2224, 2. Jim Chambers 2201, 3. John Locke
1967, 4. John Mikitarian 1794, 5. Glenn Cabral 1691, 6. Paul
Scally 1669; 7. Mike Scrivani 1490, 8. Richie Coy 1482, 9.
Jim Cataldo 1282, 10. Christopher Vose 1244.
|
|
|
|
 |
NEMA's
65th CONSECUTIVE YEAR
2017 CALENDAR |
The Northeastern
Midget Association announces the release of the 2017 Racing
Calendar celebrating NEMA's 65th consecutive year.
This publication features colored photos and knock out
graphics.The body of the calendar is full of current and
historic information including past and present driver's
first wins and the tracks they won at. Both NEMA and NEMA
LIte drivers and car owner's birthdays are spread from front
to back as well as the legends of yesterday.
And for
the traditionalists, all the important dates and federal
observances are included as well as a few surprises. All
this information is set to a backdrop of team photos and
outstanding graphics produced by race team owner and driver
Matt O'Brien.
This calendar is a must have for the
northeastern race fan and will serve as the perfect
Christmas gift to be enjoyed all year long.
We are
currently offering these units for a low price of $10 each
with all profits funneled back into the club.
Quantities are limited; to order, send your check to
Bill Van Slyke, 23 Horsestable Cir., Shelton, Ct. 06484
(Checks made out to Bill Van Slyke). |
|
|
|
 |
Angelillo One of Several
NEMA Memorial Races |
Few, if any, racing
organizations celebrates its history, its foundation
builders, on the level the Northeastern Midget Association
does. In addition to a host of post-season "named" laurels,
there are a number of memorial races. Last Saturday Jim
Chambers and Anthony Payne were winners in the Marvin
Rifchin Memorial at Star Speedway.
The previous week,
Avery Stoehr, in Tim Bertrand's 39, and Dylan Duhaime,
captured honors in the Angelillo Memorial that was part of
the New London-Waterford Speedbowl's Wings and Wheels event.
The race memorializes NEMA Icons Gene and Marilyn Angelillo.
Stoehr and Bertrand are well aware of the significance of
that victory.
It is the third time a Stoehr has won
the race, going back to Greg Stoehr's victory in the
"Marilyn's Passion" race at Monadnock in 2009. Husband Gene
and daughter Laura Kibbe put together the memorial to the
tireless woman who some saw as the very soul of NEMA before
her death in September of 2007.
Since Gene's
passing, the event honors both. The first winner in 2010 was
Russ Stoehr in the Dumo's Desire #45. It was an inspired
result because Laura decided to carry on the effort Gene and
Marilyn had started back in 1980 with a Midget purchased at
the Cleveland airport. Marilyn suggested the team be named
after Gene's dad Domenic, called "Dumo" and the number
corresponded to Gene's age at the time.
Russ Stoehr
and Dumo's Desire were the 2010 champions. It was the 14th
crown for the Dumo's Desire operation. Gene's 13 titles and
the 107 victories he and Marilyn shared once appeared to be
uncatchable marks. He won championships with Drew Fornoro,
Joey Payne and Russ Stoehr. They also won races with Nokie
Fornoro and Ted Christopher. With all the stories (some now
reaching folklore status) and the statistics, Gene and
Marilyn left behind truly incredible standards not only in
performance but in leadership roles.
Tim Bertrand
knows and appreciates NEMA history and his place in it.
Since 2002, he and driver Randy Cabral each have five
championships. His cars have won over 60 times including the
three straight (2011-13) Angelillo Memorials brother Todd
captured. Mark Buonomo, Lou Cicconi and Doug Coby and Tim
himself have also won in Bertrand cars.
The Mike
Scrivani Memorial is slated for Sept. 2 at Monadnock with
the Jim O'Brien Memorial at Star on Sept. 30. Both are
legendary car owners. Shane Hammond is memorialized at
Thompson's World Series. The Allan Cantor, Boston Louie
Seymour, Butch Walsh in addition to the Angelillo and
Rifchin races have already been run. The names all seem to
blend in.
Angelillo's first victory with Drew
Fornoro aboard in 1981 came at Hudson Speedway. Early in the
race, Nokie Fornoro, in a Scrivani car, went off the track
bringing out the red. While waiting out the red, the right
rear on the Angelillo car was going down. "Iron Mike"
Scrivani ordered the right rear be taken off his damaged
racer and put on the Angelillo car. Drew then went on to win
the feature.
Gene Angelillo loved telling that story.
Mike Scrivani Jr. continues to tell it, one of hundreds he
has mastered. It is one of the reasons NEMA loves memorial
races. |
|
|
|
NEMA Announces
“First Time” Winner
Awards
for 2017 Season |
| New Award will be
presented by Seymour Performance for NEMA Midgets and by the
Mike Scrivani Family in honor of “Iron Mike” Scrivani for
the Lites Division. |
For the first time, the
Northeastern Midget Association has announced a new award
for the 2017 season, that will reward first time winners in
a "lottery" style system. Seymour Performance of
Marlborough, MA will present the award for the NEMA series.
The Mike Scrivani Jr. Family, in honor of legendary NEMA car
owner "Iron Mike" Scrivani, will present the Lite series
award.
Each week, the presenting sponsor will put
$50 into a "fund" that will build up until each division
sees a first time winner. For example, if a first time
winner takes the checkers on the 5th race of the season, a
bonus of $250 will be paid to that driver, and the fund will
be reset for the next race.
With a number of new
teams signed up for both the NEMA series and the Lites
series for 2017, the effort will help promote the new teams
coming into the division.
"This is an awesome effort,
and I'm excited that Mike Scrivani brought this idea forward
to the club and owners," said newly appointed NEMA
President, Tim Bertrand. "Mike and his family have been a
beachhead team in NEMA for over forty years and we are very
excited to have them spearheading this new program for the
club," said Bertrand.
"When Mike called me with this
idea, I thought it was fantastic. It will be an awesome way
to reward first time winners in both series," said Bobby
Seymour of Seymour Performance.
In addition to the
award, the Scrivani Family presents the Iron Mike Memorial
race, which will take place this year at Monadnock Speedway,
on September 2nd, and the Seymour Family presents the Boston
Louie Memorial, which will take place at Seeknonk Speedway
on June 29th.
NEMA kicks off its schedule with the
Lites at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park at the
ICEBREAKER on April 1, and then moves on to the New England
mainstay, the New London Waterford Speedbowl on May 6th
(Lites) and May 7th (NEMA). |
|
|
|
|
| BOB HART |
| MAY 15, 2017 |
Bob Hart, 90, of Nassau,
NY passed away on May 15, 2017. Bob was the son of the late
Harold and Hazel (Burns) Hart and husband of the late
Patricia C. Hart. He is survived by his loving children
Marcy Hart Palmer, Rick Hart, Mitzi Hart, and Rob Hart; and
predeceased by children, Melba Hart Gaitor and Lawrence
Hart. Bob leaves behind nine beloved grandchildren and many
cherished nieces and nephews. He was a strong center in all
our lives.
Bob was a life-long lover of all things
racing and speed. An avid and accomplished race car driver,
he was a long standing member of the Northeastern Midget Association,
champion in the '50's with MARC, and held the land speed
record on Daytona Beach. Later he raced with the Atlantic
Coast Old Timers, for a career that spanned over 60 years.
Now the final checkered flag has dropped. Bob was a mentor,
friend, and guide to all whose lives he touched, and his
delightful sense of humor left all with a smile.
Starting with NEMA's first season (he finished 8th in the
standings), Bob was a regular NEMA competitor into the
seventies. He won 3 NEMA features. He was awarded the
Johnny Thomson trophy and NEMA's Sportsmanship award in
1969. He was named to the Wen Kelley trophy in 1994. He
spent many years on NEMA's Contest Board.
Bob was the
patriarch of a racing family. His late wife, Pat, was
NEMA's first female driver, and both sons ran with NEMA for
many seasons. Son Rob is still very involved in racing,
currently the crew chief for Jarett Andretti's USAC
sprint car team.
In
remembrance, donations may be made to Boy Scout Troop 166,
c/o Grace United Methodist Church, 42 Church St., Nassau, NY
12123. |
|
|
|
|
Christopher Desrosiers
April 19, 2017 |
-
Mr. Christopher Desrosiers, of Nashua, N.H., died
unexpectedly Wednesday, April 19 at his residence. He was
the loving companion of Sharon Hamer. He was born 50 years
ago in Taunton, the son of Armand “Joe” and Nancy (Monroe)
Desrosiers, Jr. He was educated in Taunton and had been a
Nashua resident for the past 20 years.
Christopher
was a self-employed boat mechanic. He was a member of The
Taunton Boys Club, the Taunton Eastern Little League, the
Babe Ruth Baseball League, and the Junior Football League.
He enjoyed building midget race cars, bicycles, and boating.
He was a communicant of the former St. Jacques Parish in
Taunton.
In addition to his parents, of Taunton and
his companion, of Nashua, he leaves: 3 children: Taylor,
Timothy and Hannah Garcia Desrosiers; 3 sisters: Doreen
Vogel and her husband Rick of So.Carolina, Cheryl Sylvia and
her husband, Robert of E. Taunton, and Michelle Toli of
Florida, and several nieces and nephews.
Visiting
Hours will be held at The Riendeau-Mulvey Funeral Home, 467
Bay Street, Taunton, on Monday, April 24 from 5:00 to 7:00
P.M. A Prayer Service will follow the Visiting Hours,
Monday, at 7:00 P.M. Relatives and friends are invited to
attend. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in his
memory may be made to the charity of your choice. |
|
|
- |
Celebration of Life for
-
Jack L. Glockner
-
Friday, March 10, 4-8
PM
Leighton-MacKinnon Funeral Home
4 West Washington St.
Hanson, MA
-
In lieu of flowers donations can be
made in his memory
to:
The Shane Hammond Believe Foundation
164 Anna Dr. East,
Bridgewater MA, 02333
|
|
D |
Nancy Giannini
Wife of Jack Giannini
-
Her funeral will be
held on Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 10:00 AM from Chase Parkway
Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home, 430 Chase Parkway,
Waterbury, CT to Saint Michael’s Church for a Mass of Christian
Burial at 11:00 AM.
-
Burial will be private and
at the convenience of her family.
-
Calling hours will be held
on Thursday morning from 9:00 – 10:00 AM at the funeral home.
=
Memorial contributions may
be made to
V.N.A. Health Care Hospice Division,
50 Brookside
Road, Waterbury, CT 06708. |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Richie Coy
Joins NEMA Lites Ranks
|
The third generation of one
of Midget racing's greatest families, Richie Coy will
campaign a Focus-powered Beast chassis in the Northeastern
Midget Association's Lites Division in 2017. "We plan on
being as competitive as possible right out of the box," says
the Haskell, NJ resident. "We are looking to win, to grab a
championship."
The Lites Division opens its 10th
season April 1-2 at Thompson World Series. It is the first
of 18 races on the 2017 agenda, making the Lites one of the
northeast's fastest growing divisions. It is one of the most
competitive as well. There were seven winners in 16 races
last year.
The Coy family owns 36 NEMA victories -
20 for Richie's grandfather Johnny, 15 for his uncle Joey
and one for his father Johnny Jr. A successful Legends Car
competitor the past six years, Coy is more than aware of
that history. "I believe I can be the first third generation
winner in NEMA," he says. "It is a goal."
A racer
since 1992, Coy, 43, says it all came together at last
fall's Thompson's World Series. "Walking through the pits I
saw the Midgets," he explains. "I said to myself we need to
go Midget racing again. It all clicked, all came back into
focus again. We needed to go back to our roots."
He
had a brief fling with NEMA back in 1996 and has some
experience in the TQs, but Coy's racing was primarily in
Late Models and asphalt Modifieds before taking up with the
Legends. Twice a New Jersey Legends champion, he was
successful in off-road racing as well. He says he came along
late in his grandfather's legendary career but has heard
over and over about him. He did get to watch his father and
uncle.
He feels he never really got a fair chance
with the Midgets and looks forward to correcting that.
"I really find the Lites concept attractive," he says.
"It allows us to run a full midget on a budget we can
afford. It is very comparable to the Legends." He adds he
"thought about the number 21 because that was our Legends
number but that belongs to Mike Scrivani." He decided on
number 19. Ironically, both Johnny and Joey Coy won in
Scrivani equipment.
NEMA NOTE: The last
NEMA win for a Coy came at Riverside Park on Aug. 10, 1996
when Joey made a last-lap pass on Mike Seymour work. Third
was Drew Fornoro followed by Bobby Seymour and Mark Buonomo.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Alan
Chambers To Focus On
NEMA Midgets In 2017
Driver Looking To Take His Racing
Program To
The Next Level |
|
Column By: MATTHEW WIERNASZ
/ RPW |
ATKINSON, NH - NEMA driver
Alan Chambers will focus on running full time in the NEMA
Midgets in 2017. He may run a few races in the NEMA Lites
but will primarily focus on the NEMA Midgets next season to
bring his program to the next level.
NEMA released a
tentative schedule just last week. He believes the schedule
looks great for the 2017 season.
" Star Speedway is
my home track and where I run best and we have a lot of
races there so I like that." Chambers Said
Chambers
believes he tends to run better on the smaller tracks such
as the quarter mile ovals in which he thinks is a good
portion of the schedule.
" If we get Speedway 51 and
White Mountain on the schedule as well. I think it will
really play into my favor." Chambers Said
Last
season started off great for Chambers. He had won a heat
race and had a big lead in the feature until he lost the
belt and the car stalled. It went all down here from there..
The engine blew up a few weeks later and side lined him for
most of the season. By the end of the year, between him and
his brother Jim. They had lost three engines.
They
were able to put everything back together for the end of the
year. Jim's brother Alan won the 2016 NEMA Lites
Championship. There were a lot of ups for the team as they
won five races this past season that can carry momentum into
the 2017 season.
Chambers knows he needs to do
better on the big tracks such as the New London-Waterford
Speedbowl, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park and Wiscasset
Speedway. He has run well there and finish very respectable.
He feels he needs to find a little more speed to break onto
for the podium finishes and challenge for wins.
He
feels all the guys in NEMA are great to race with. He likes
racing with his brother Jim because of the sibling rivalry.
With multi time champions Randy Cabral and John Zych are
contenders every week as they win races but Chambers
believes they run real hard but most importantly they run
clean.
" I like going wheel to wheel with the past
champions and when I don't beat them. I definitely learn
from them." Chambers Said
Mac's Auto World will
return as a sponsor for the 2017 season. He is working with
other sponsors to see what the team can put together since
the tentative schedule is out and hopes to get definite
answer.
Chambers goals for the 2017 season are to
finish every race and pick up that first NEMA win and also
finish the year top five in points.
The NEMA Lites
will kick off their 2017 season at Thompson Speedway
Motorsports Park on Saturday April 1st. The NEMA Midgets
will kick off their 2017 season at the New London-Waterford
Speedbowl on Sunday May 7th. |
|
|
|
|
 |
John Zych Shows No Mercy
In NEMA Midgets
Taking
Third Series Championship In 2016,
Driver Still Just
Taking It One Race At A Time |
| Column By: MATTHEW
WIERNASZ / RPW |
MENDON, MA - John Zych, Jr.
took down his third NEMA Midgets title in 2016. His plans
are to continue in 2017 in the NEMA Midgets.
" We
never to promise to run for points. Just one race at a time
so that is what we are looking to do next year." Zych Said
For Zych to win his first championship was
unbelievable. To win the second one was important to Zych to
prove that it was no fluke. The third championship was
really a great feeling because it is great to prove that we
can be ultra competitive year after year.
While most
teams have a crew where it can be not a lot or have many.
Zych's crew is him and his father John, SR. What makes it
special with those championships is Zych and his father have
turned into a pretty good duo. Sometimes it is a little more
challenging only having two people but at the same time it
does make it a little sweeter for Zych and his father.
"The midgets are great because it is possible for a
small team which I think is different than a lot of other
groups right now." Zych Said
With winning the three
championships in NEMA, Zych feels its best to enjoy it as a
family. The pictures are priceless to him and the success is
really family success because it takes everyone to do this
beyond his dad and him. Its his wife Elizabeth and John's
mother who support them and have to deal with it.
Zych's kids got to enjoy the championship celebrations. His
two daughters got to enjoy it. John and his wife Elizabeth
welcomed their third child a baby boy back on November 9th.
The whole family was there to celebrate the banquet with him
back in December. Everyone is doing well.
To win
those championships, Zych has had to battle with Randy
Cabral and Bertrand Motorsports. These two drivers have put
on great battles at the track and have respect for each
other.
" They are both great competitors. Randy
(Cabral) is one of the best drivers NEMA has seen and Tim
(Bertrand) is determined as anyone to be successful. They
are a great team all around and very challenging to compete
against. I have a lot of respect for those guys." Zych Said
Zych believes the 2017 NEMA Midgets schedule is
spread across the summer at some of the best tracks in New
England.
" There are multiple tracks yet multiple
dates at most of the tracks so that is good for the
newcomers to build their notebooks and hopefully get more
teams involved." Zych Said
Zych felt he was fairly
consistent in 2016 but there were a few races that he looked
back at knowing the setup was missed and there were things
that he would have changed bur feels that is part of the
learning though. He tries to make things a little better
year after year so he can take what he learned at those
tracks on those nights and hopefully apply it for next year.
Sponsors are needed for Zych's team. Finding
sponsors has been challenging for a lot of reasons. It is
important to him that a sponsor sees and feels the value of
that type of investment. That would be priority number one
and would want them to enjoy the sport of auto racing as
much as he and his family does.
He would first and
foremost like to thank his family. He would also like to say
thanks to the teams and the people to make our series work
officials, volunteers and race tracks.
His goals for
next season are to win as many races as he can.
The
NEMA Midgets will kickoff their 2017 season on Sunday May
7th at the New London Waterford Speedbowl. |
|
|
|
|
|
