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2018 NEMA NEWS |
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BILL ELDRIDGE
3/4/26 - 10/22/18 |
Our first champion, Bill
Eldridge, is gone. Born in Needham, Mass. On March 4, 1926,
he died October 22, 2018 after an eventful life of over 92
years. He won 32 features on his way to four NEMA
championships: 1953, 1954, 1957 and 1958. He was inducted
into NEMA's Dick Gallagher Memorial Hall of Fame in 1988,
into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in 2013, and
into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.
NEMA's fans awarded him the Johnny Thomson Memorial Trophy
in 1973.
He joined the Navy as a teenager, serving
four years on a battleship in the South Pacific. Returning
to civilian life, he saw his first midget race at Thompson
and decided he wanted to try it. He spent $100 on driving
lessons at Bud Tatro's midget driving school at the Medford
Bowl, and did well enough to get a ride in a V8-60, and to
finish 10th in the Bay State Midget Racing Association
standings in 1948.
As too many tracks with too few
cars caused the midgets to begin to fade away in the early
50s, Bill tried stock cars, but didn't like the crash-bang
aspect of those cars, preferring the smooth, precision
driving required in a midget. When NEMA was formed in 1953,
Bill won its second race, at Waterford, and its initial
season championship. He also won the title the second
season, and two more in 1957 and 1958. Running against
top-notch competition, he dominated the club in the 50s,
winning 20 of the 84 races NEMA ran in that period. He won
at Waterford, Dracut, Manchester, Seekonk, Lonsdale,
Medford, Norwood, Pine Bowl, Westboro, Brookline, West
Peabody, and The Pines.
During the 60s, Bill
continued to be competitive, not only with NEMA, but with
ARDC. In May 1962, he took the win at Thompson in the
Scrivani Offy, over Ray Brown and Tony Bonadies. A few weeks
later, in July, he beat all the Offies in the Parmenter Ford
at Norwood, finishing ahead of Hank Williams and Bert
Brooks. The next year, back in Scrivani's car, he won again
at Norwood, in front of Bobby Albert and Tony Bonadies. With
NEMA, he won at Plainville, Norwood, Oxford Plains, Thunder
Road, and Westboro during the sixties.
Bill never
travelled a lot, because of his close family ties and his
job. There was one exception. Many of us remember the
attempt by Dick Carmen, of Foxboro, in the mid-sixties, to
race a front-engined, Chevy-powered roadster that he had
spent many years designing and building for USAC Champ Car
competition. Bill almost got it into the show at Trenton,
and passed his Rookie test at the Indy 500, but as the
rear-engined cars took over the Indy car circuit, Dick
Carmen's dream died, along with Bill's chance to make the
big time.
The end of the 60s was a tough time for
Bill. His beloved wife, Barbara died in 1968 after a
seemingly routine medical procedure, leaving Bill to
complete the raising of their six kids alone. He gave up
racing to concentrate on that all-important job.
After a few years, Bill couldn't resist the urge and went
back to running NEMA again. He quickly got back in the swing
of things, winning at Star, Unity and Westboro in 1973 and
74. Unfortunately, his comeback and his racing career were
ended by a crash at Stafford that left him with a broken
neck. He recovered and spent many more happy years with
family and friends.
RIP, Bill Eldridge. |
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June 21st
Cruise Night
at the
Bass Pro Shops at Patriot Place
in Foxboro. The largest
turnout so far
this season - 2,000+ vehicles. |
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Obituary of Raymond Kelley Jr.
Shepherd Funeral Service - Kingston, RI
HERE |
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DYLAN DUHAIME |
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Team CRG Announces 2018
NEMA Lites
Driver Roster
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The owner of Cataldo Racing
Group, Jim Cataldo, has already returned to the NEMA Lites
category in the #7 Beast chassis at the Thompson Speedway
Icebreaker. Also returning is standout Dylan Duhaime in the
#5 Beast for his second year with CRG. This season marks the
rookie season of Colonel (USAF retired) Bruce Finley in the
#2 Hawk chassis.
Jim is a full time Doctor of
Podiatry operating his successful business in Fitchburg, MA.
He will be competing in the full schedule of NEMA events
with aim at consistent finishes and moving further up the
final points standings.
Dylan is a full-time college
student attending Liberty University in Virginia majoring in
Pre-Med studies . He will compete in selected events as he
did last year, where he won three races of six entered,
winning the NEMA hallmark, Boston Louie Memorial at Seekonk
Speedway. Jim will be racing the #5 at Waterford this
weekend until Dylan gets into the seat later this season.
Col. Finley is retired from 30 years of service in the
US Air Force. Bruce has a background in open wheel road
course racing as well as karting. He will make his NEMA
debut start at Waterford Speedway this weekend and hopes to
contest all events at Waterford, Star Speedway, and the
Boston Louie. |
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2018 NEMA SCHEDULES
NEMA MIDGETS
NEMA LITES |
NEMA Releases Robust 2018
Series Touring
Schedule |
At its annual awards
banquet, Northeastern Midget Association President, Tim
Bertrand, released the club's 2018 schedule to the
membership as he recapped the 2017 season. Thirteen combined
NEMA/NEMA Lite shows, and four "Lites Only" shows highlight
a season that brings NEMA back to many of its familiar,
historic "haunts."
"We plan to play off of the
success that we had in the 2017 season, as a club. We had
strong car counts in the 30-35 range every week, with a
season high of nearly 50 cars at the Boston Louie event,"
said club President, Bertrand. "I see us only continuing to
gain momentum for 2018. We've got a number of new teams
coming into the Lite series, and continue to see our car
counts improve with the NEMA division," said Bertrand.
NEMA starts its season at Thompson Speedway Motorsports
Park's annual ICEBREAKER event, with a Lites only race. The
club then moves on to its annual "Test & Tune" at the New
London Waterford Speedbowl on Sunday, April 22nd.
"Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park has enjoyed its great
partnership with with the Northeastern Midget Association.
For the past several seasons, they have provided some of the
most exciting competition at Thompson and we are delighted
to welcome them back in 2018," said Chief Operating Officer
& GM of the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Josh Vanada.
The combined group kicks off its season at the New
London Waterford Speedbowl's "Blastoff" event on May 5th,
which highlights its first of four combined events at the
Speedbowl.
"I'm really excited about 2018, and
having the NEMA cars back. They put on great shows for us in
2017, and we're looking forward to seeing more of that in
2018,"said GM of the New London Waterford Speedbowl, George
Whitney.
The Lites then move on to Star Speedway on
May 19th, with a Lites only show.
The combined group
then moves on to Wiscassett Speedway on June 2nd, starting a
busy stretch in June - the first of two shows there, and to
the famed Riverhead Raceway on June 9th. The Lites then race
at Thompson on June 13th with the NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour.
The Butch Walsh Memorial then highlights the
schedule on June 16th at Star Speedway, and June concludes
with the Boston Louie Memorial at Seekonk Speedway's Open
Wheel Wednesday on Wednesday June 27th.
July 14th
will be the always popular Iron Mike Scrivani Memorial at
the Monadnock Speedway, and July 21st Star Speedway will
host the Marvin Rifchin Memorial.
The Lites then
travel back to the Waterford Speedbowl on July 28th for a 50
lap event celebrating the late Jim O'Brien, and NEMA goes to
Thompson on August 8th for a NEMA only event with the Whelen
Modified Tour. August 11th will be a combined show at the
New London Waterford Speedbowl for its annual Wings & Wheels
event with the ISMA Super Modifieds, and the club will
celebrate the late Gene and Marilyn Angelillo at this event.
The Lites travel back to Star Speedway on September 1st,
for a Lites Only event, and the combined group will be back
to Wiscassett Speedway for a special extra distance event on
September 8th.
The combined group then travels back
to the Waterford Speedbowl for an open wheel extravaganza
with the Modified Racing Series.
October concludes
the season for the club, with the Shane Hammond Memorial at
Thompson's World Series of Racing, and the New London
Waterford Speedbowl the following weekend for their season
ending event.
2018 NEMA MIDGETS
2018 NEMA LITES |
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| Racing Safety Survey
for Drivers |
AC, a third party research
firm, is conducting a survey on behalf of the motorsports
community at large to identify ways to make racing safer for
drivers of all levels and at every circuit.
As a
token of our appreciation for your time, participants who
provide contact details will be entered to win a grand prize
of $500 (winner will be chosen at random.)
For those
who choose to remain anonymous, a donation will be made to a
motorsport safety charity on their behalf.
We urge
you to spend just a few minutes answering the following 12
questions as openly and completely as possible. The future
of driver safety in racing may depend on your valuable
feedback.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! |
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www.surveymonkey.com/r/RacingSafety |
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Associated ISS Safety Barrier Demo Video HERE |
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KART KLASH VIII
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24th, 2018
www.f1boston.com
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Proceeds
of the event
benefitted the
Shane
Hammond
Believe
Foundation |
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Todd Bertrand Prepared for
Championship Bid in 2018 |
By Jeff Champagne
Todd Bertrand lived 2017 to the fullest, both on and off the
track, and it was punctuated by winning the 2017 World
Series at Thompson Speedway in the fall.
"I had
finished as the runner-up in this race at least three of
four times, and even blew a motor while leading it. Now to
finally have won it, and win it for Shane, it means the
world to me," Todd stated. 2017 was an up and down NEMA
season for Todd, as he missed a handful of race in the
middle of the season, In the races he did attend, he only
finished outside the top ten once, and recorded a podium
finish earlier in the season at Wiscasset. Through all of
this, he still managed an 8th place points finish.
Todd plans to make a full-on assault in 2018 and take the
championship away from his Bertrand Motorsports teammate
Randy Cabral. "In order for us to do that, we have to have
zero D.N.F.'s, as any D.N.F. would hinder our chances of
winning the championship considerably," Todd would state. To
ensure this, the team just completed a meticulous off-season
program that included triple checking nuts and bolts,
preventative engine maintenance, and extensive cleaning. In
coordination with his commitment to NEMA in 2018, Todd has
decided to cut back in his NEMA Lite appearances, but he
expects to be a podium contender for when he does decide to
try double duty, a feat he would like to attempt at
Thompson. "Thompson Speedway is most certainly my favorite
track. No other track is that fast, or that scary, all while
being a blast."
Off the track, 2017 was a year full
of highs, as he married his now wife, Mariah, and announced
that a baby and future racer is on the way. Excited by the
news, his father Gil stated, "Todd has always liked kids,
and he's super excited to finally have one of his own, I'm
really proud of him." |
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Chambers Brothers Focused
on
NEMA in 2018 |
Brothers Alan and Jim
Chambers have similar goals going into 2018: Win races and
win the championship. The first goal is certainly possible
for the two of them, but only one can win the championship,
and Jim will be putting all the chips on the table after
finishing as the runner-up in both the NEMA and NEMA Lites
championships in 2017.
Jim, the 2016 NEMA Lites
Champion, will only run part-time in the lites this year as
he prepares for the onslaught of the NEMA Championship,
attempting to become the first driver to win a championship
in both NEMA and the NEMA Lites. Expect to see Jim pull
double duty at tracks such as Star and Riverhead, where he
has taken victory multiple times. "I can't decide which was
better, winning the NEMA Lite race at Riverhead lasts year,
or the photo finish at Speedway 51, in which we also claimed
victory," Jim stated, "I just love the short tracks. Tight,
racy, quarter miles match my driving style and the car
perfectly." If Jim can perform on the speedway tracks as he
has on the short tracks, the championship isn't that far
from being his.
For Alan, 2018 brings a new chassis,
with a fresh Mopar powerplant. With said powerplant, Alan
will be one to watch as he hopes to top what he called, "My
best season yet," in 2017. The fourth-place points finish in
2017 instilled a boost of confidence which he plans to 2018,
and into victory lane. Although he has yet to earn his
maiden NEMA victory, a 2018 schedule full of tracks to his
liking could help him become a repeat visitor.
Although neither brother has a full NEMA-Lite commitment,
don't be surprised if Alan and Jim split driving duties in
the Mac's Auto World 12 throughout the year. |
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Jake Trainor Set To Make Bid for 2018 NEMA Lites Rookie
of the Year |
By Jeff Champagne
NEMA Lite rookie Jake Trainor will
look to have another record setting season in 2018, as he sets his
sights on becoming the rookie of the year and quite possibly the
youngest winner in NEMA Lites history.
In 2017, Trainor began
his second-year racing midgets with the USAC Eastern Midget
Association in the South-eastern region of the United States,
setting a track record at Huntsville Speedway in Alabama (in a Ford
Focus powered Spike) in the process, along with rookie of the year.
In conjunction with his southern escapades, Jake made a
handful of NEMA Lite appearances, with impressive showings in each.
After finishing 13th from a 7th starting spot in the Boston Louie
Memorial race last June. In October, Jake posted his best NEMA run
to date, starting on pole in the season finale at Waterford and
finishing 4th.
His 2018 goals would not be attainable without
his supporters, and sponsors, such as Geartote, Santos Auto Body,
and Local 550 Sprinkler Fitters. Jake Trainor has proven that even
in youth, can come experience, and he hopes to enforce that with a
top ten points. |
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Ryan Locke to Make NEMA Lites
Championship Bid in 2018 |
By Jeff Champagne
Following the footsteps of his dad Jeff, this talented young
man proved that the "sophomore slump" is merely a myth.
Although he did reach the top step of the podium in 2017, as
he did in 2016, he showed his growth with a string of
consistent runs throughout the season, reaching the podium
five times throughout 2017, including two podiums each at
Wiscasset Speedway and the New-London Waterford Speedbowl.
"My favorite moment of the 2017 season would be
leading the Boston Louie Memorial. That race is so special
and has a breadth of history, it was an honor to be in the
running for the win," Locke stated.
Going into 2018,
Locke is focusing on small adjustments and getting
consistently comfortable in all situations, but he won't let
that detract from the big picture. If Ryan can run up front
weekly, fight for wins, and stay consistent, then, "The
championship will fall into place," Ryan says.
These
goals would not be attainable without his gracious sponsors,
Shawmut equipment, Chester General Store, and Locke Crane
services.
With a mind-set such as that, it is not out
of the picture to see the 15-year-old phenom make a big
statement. |
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2017
NEMA Lites Champion Cugini
Prepared for 2018 Season |
Dan Cugini's 2017 season
included a multitude of high points and low points. "Losing
our crew chief Chris at the beginning of the season was
tough for all of us," Dan remarked upon Chris's unexpected
passing.
That proved to not be a setback, as Dan was
four-for-four in podiums to start the NEMA Lites season,
with a win at Star Speedway in the second race of the year.
From that point onward, it was all uphill from there. He
went on to take second place at Wiscasset, where he won in a
thriller finish in 2015 in the NEMA division. "When you're
at Wiscasset, you're on the throttle for the majority of a
lap, and you never stop turning. That track is a continuous
corner with just enough grip to be fast, and really
'racey'."
The following race, the World Series of
Racing at Thompson Speedway, Dan's future brother-in-law,
Max Zachem, was unable to compete in the Whelen Modified
Tour event as a cause of medical reasons. In what was, "A
dream come true," Zachem selected Dan to drive the #20 MPZ
Motorsports Troyer in the event, and was having an amazing
debut run, running 7th with less than 10 laps to go before
his race ended in an untimely accident. "To be able to be a
top five contender in my first NASCAR WMT event, just shows
the dedication of the MPZ Motorsports team, and I cannot
thank them enough for this opportunity. That same day, Dan
went on to capture his first NEMA Lites Championship, a feat
that he dedicated to his late crew chief.
For 2018,
Cugini hopes to find the "hot" set-up on his new wide-body
Hawk chassis early in the season, and be competing for wins
as well in the NEMA Lites series. "I'm going to try for a
handful of modified races as well, but as long as I'm
competitive in what I'm driving, then I'm happy." |
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Coy
Looking Forward to Continued
NEMA Lites Success in
2018 |
By Jeff Champagne
2017 was not only a first season, but it was a
breakout season. The third-generation driver became part of
a club shared by just one family, three-generations of
family winning in NEMA or NEMA Lites competition.
"Our season really started to come together at Speedway 51,
which happens to be my favorite track," Coy stated. His,
"shocking and unexpected win," as Coy himself stated, at
Waterford was part of an impressive season ending surge that
saw him string together five consecutive top tens'.
These finishes helped to propel him to an 8th place points
finish, and earn the 2017 NEMA Lites Rookie of the Year
award. Additionally, he learned at the NEMA banquet that he
and his team had received the "Never Say Die" associate
member award, on honor he held high within his favorite
moments of the season.
Hoping to top the already
incredible 2017, Coy plans to be a championship contender
with his Mach 1 Performance and Hall Tree Farms sponsored
Beast midget, with multiple improvements having taken place
this past off season. Fresh engine, new car, fresh paint,
and a fresh start to show the rest of the field that 2017
wasn't just a fluke, but the beginning of a consistent
contender. |
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3 Time Champ, Zych
Readies for 2018 Season |
By Jeff Champagne
Even after missing one race, John Zych was still able to
finish 2017, fifth in the championship points standings.
Although he didn't double down as champion as he had
liked, he still reached victory lane in the "Boston Louie"
Memorial race. The annual event at Seekonk is a race that
Zych could only have dreamt of winning. Stating, "We have
been trying to win that one for a while," in his relief of
conquering the 1/3rd mile "Concrete Palace."
In
addition, he also took the victory at the ultra-fast
Wiscasset speedway, to become one of three drivers who
visited victory lane more than once in 2017.
Very few
changes have occurred this off-season within the Zych group,
as they expect to be on par with 2017 champion Randy Cabral.
His Esslinger powered Drinan is certainly worthy of getting
him to the front, even without financial backing from a
major sponsor(s).
Being that he may not make every
race, Zychs' 2018 plan consists of winning those races of
which he does attend, as that would be, "The biggest success
for out team." |
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Scally Prepared to Conquer
NEMA Field in 2018 |
By Jeff Champagne
Coming off a stellar 2017
season that saw him claim his first feature win in NEMA and
NEMA Lites, Paul Scally looks to carry his momentum into the
2018 season by winning, "As many battles as I can." With his
first two individual series wins, Paul points out that each
of those races had a further meaning. On fathers-day weekend
2017, he was able to take down the win at Star Speedway in
the NEMA division in his Esslinger powered Drinan chassis,
with his father in attendance.
Many years of trying,
had finally paid off, and he was to the jackpot once again.
A handful of weeks later, Paul struck gold in Maine at his
favorite racetrack of Wiscasset Speedway, this time with his
Ford Focus powered Drinan in the NEMA Lites division. He has
deemed Wiscasset his favorite because the owners have a deep
appreciation for the stellar events that NEMA puts on there,
along with his ability to naturally adapt to that track.
With changes happening constantly within his team, he
hopes to find his consistency and get his program, "On the
Bertrand level." Until he finds that consistency, he plans
work even harder to get there, along with help from sponsors
such as Earth Movers Corporation in Randolph, Mass., Charter
Environmental, and Circle Performance.
In addition to
his personal 2018 goals, Paul has enjoyed serving for the
NEMA in multiple roles, and plans to continue his efforts in
improving the sport of asphalt midget racing for future
members and midget enthusiasts. |
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KART KLASH VIII
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24th, 2018 |
Proceeds
of the event
benefit the
Shane
Hammond
Believe
Foundation |
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www.f1boston.com |
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Driver’s meeting will be held
at 5 PM on Sat., February 24th,
with an on-track start
time at 6 PM.
Entry Fee:
$79.00
Sign up ASAP with
link below as space is limited! |
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seymourperformanceproducts.com/product/kart-klash-viii |
Submit the entry fee by
credit card or by check
before February 18th. To submit
by check,
call Bobby at (617) 201-2814. |
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NEMA is saddened to
hear of
the passing of
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Bob Webber Sr.
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The owner of
Star and Hudson Speedways, he was a long time friend of NEMA. He
will be greatly missed.
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| SERVICES: Relatives and
friends are cordially invited to calling hours on Wednesday,
January 31, 2018 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Dewhirst
and Boles Funeral Home, 80 Broadway (Rt. 28), Methuen, MA
01844. Funeral Services and burial will be private. A
Celebration of Bob's Life will be held in the spring at Star
Speedway in Epping, NH, and will be announced later. In lieu
of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions
in Bob's Memory be made to Hospice of Rockingham County, 137
Epping Road, Exeter, NH 03833; Fifty Legs, Boston, P.O. Box
1086, Lithia, FL 33547; or Autism Society of Maine, 72 Main
Street B, Winthrop, ME 04364. For directions and online
condolences, please visit www.dewhirstfuneral.com. |
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