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DOLAN HAS SHOT AT IMPRESSSIVE CLUB
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Teenager Ryan Dolan heads into Thompson
Speedway's Icebreaker April 5-6 with a chance to join some very impressive company. Dolan
aims to become the sixth driver to capture back-to-back Northeastern
Association season-openers. The company includes five champions and two of Midget
racing's all-time greats.
Dolan, a member of NEMA's 2001 Rookie class, became the club's youngest winner when he
prevailed at last year's Icebreaker.
Nine-time champ and NEMA's all-time feature winner Drew Fornoro was the last to win a
second-straight season opener, doing it in 1983. The only active driver on the list,
Fornoro's five season-opening race wins is the NEMA standard. Drew, who got off the mark
with wins in 1982, '83, '87, '93 and '98, is one up on a pair of Midget legends.
Bill Eldridge and Dutch Schaefer each won four times on opening day. Eldridge, a
four-time champ, won back-to-back openers in 1954 and '55. Schaefer, another Midget
immortal, did it 1959 and '60.
Walter Gale, the 1964 champ, captured the 1966 and '67 openers. Armond Holley began
a championship run with a season-opening win in '76 and repeated in '77. Johnny Coy Sr.,
one of Midget racing greatest performers, won back-to-back in 1970 and '71, both times at
Thompson.
Holley is one of six drivers to ride a season-opening win to the driving title.
Eldridge did it in '54 and '58, Dick Brown in '61, Johnny Mann in '72, Drew Fornoro in '83
and '98 and Joey Coy in '91.
Among current drivers, Jeff Horn had three openers, the last at Lee in 1994. Russ
Stoehr's win at Waterford in 1999 was his second season opening win. Others who have won
on opening day are Howard Bumpus ('89 at Star), Randy Cabral ('01 at Thompson), Nokie
Fornoro ('86 at New Egypt), Joey Payne ('96 at Star), Bobby Seymour ('90 at Lee) and Babe
Shaw ('97 at Star).
Thompson has hosted 10 NEMA openers, one behind Star and the now-gone Westboro
Speedway.
NEMA OPENING DAY WINNERS
Year Date Track
Driver
1953 5/30 Seekonk, MA
Fred
Meeker
1954 5/28 Medford, MA
Bill
Eldridge
1955 5/21 W.Peabody, MA
Bill Eldridge
1956 5/11 Westboro, MA
Len Thrall
1957 428 Brookline, NH
Oscar
Saunders
1958 4/20 Brookline
Bill
Eldridge
1959 4/19 Menands, NY
Dutch
Schaefer
1960 4/24 Thompson, CT
Dutch
Schaefer
1961 5/30 Onteora, NY
Dick
Brown
1962 5/25 Norwood, MA
Tony
Bonadies
1963 5/4 Plainville, CT
Bill
Randall
1964 5/13 Westboro, MA
Johnny
Kay
1965 4/24 Seekonk
Dutch
Schaefer
1966 5/21 Westboro
Walt
Gale
1967 n/a Westboro
Walt
Gale
1968 n/a Oxford, ME
Ronnie
Evans
1969 4/26 Westboro
Dutch
Schaefer
1970 4/18 Westboro
Johnny
Coy
1971 4/11 Thompson
Johnny
Coy
1972 4/29 Westboro
Johnny
Mann
1973 5/5 Westboro
Bob
Pick
1974 4/27 Westboro
Bill
Eldridge
1975 5/16 Westboro
Dave
Humphrey
1976 5/4 Thompson
Armond
Holley
1977 4/3 Thompson
Armond
Holley
1978 4/2 Thompson
Johnny
Coy Jr.
1979 4/1 Thompson
Leigh
Earnshaw
1980 4/5 Thompson
Hank
Rogers Jr.
1981 5/3 Thompson
Bob
Cicconi
1982 n/a Westboro
Drew
Fornoro
1983 5/21 Star (NH)
Drew
Fornoro
1984 n/a Monadnock
Mike
Seymour
1985 5/4 Star
Dave
Humphrey
1986 6/20 New Egypt, NJ
Nokie
Fornoro
1987 4/26 Pocono, PA
Drew
Fornoro
1988 4/30 Star
Jeff
Horn
1989 4/29 Star
Howard
Bumpus
1990 n/a Lee
Bobby
Seymour
1991 n/a Star
Joey
Coy
1992 5/23 Star
Jeff
Horn
1993 5/1 Star
Drew
Fornoro
1994 4/24 Lee
Jeff
Horn
1995 4/29 Star
Russ
Stoehr
1996 5/18 Star
Joey
Payne Jr.
1997 5/17 Star
Babe
Shaw
1998 5/16 Star
Drew
Fornoro
1999 4/19 Waterford, CT
Russ
Stoehr
2000 4/16 Waterford
Rudy
Boetticher Jr.
2001 4/28 Thompson
Randy
Cabral
2002 4/7 Thompson
Ryan
Dolan
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