NEMA - NorthEastern Midget Association

www.HelpingHandsOfAmerica.org

OPEN WHEEL WEDNESDAY - JULY 16TH

*Seekonk Speedway - 7/16/08*
*Pos.*	#	*Driver*	*Hometown*	*Owner*
1	29	Jeff Abold	Pennellville, NY	Bobby Seymour
2	47	Randy Cabral	Plymouth, MA	Tim Bertrand
3	A1	Jeff Horn	Ashland, MA	Jeff Horn
4	7ny	Adam Cantor	Dix Hills, NY	Cantor Racing
5	4	Nokie Fornoro	Stroudsburg, PA	Mike Jarret
6	75	Lou Cicconi Jr.	Aston, PA	Lou Cicconi Jr.
7	98	Bobby Santos III	Franklin, MA	Robert Santos Jr.
8	63	Jeremy Frankoski	Huntingon Station, NY	TSR Motorsports Inc.
9	45	Joey Payne	Fairlawn, NJ	Gene Angelillo
10	26b	Greg Stoehr	Bridgewater, MA	Greg Stoehr
11	49	B.J. MacDonald	Dublin, PA	B.J. MacDonald
12	5	William Wall	Shrewsbury, MA	Wall Motorsports LLC
13	44	Erica Santos	Franklin, MA	Ed Breault
14	22	Chris Leonard	Pelham, NH	Dave Leonard
15	77m	Mike Luggelle	Hull, MA	Mike Luggelle
16	88	Abby Martino	Norfolk, MA	Joan Martino
17	87	Doug Cleveland	Sudbury, MA	Doug Cleveland
18	21	Barry Kittredge	Marlboro, MA	Barry Kittredge
19	9	John Zych Jr.	Mendon, MA	John Zych
20	94	Jim Peruto	Doylestown, PA	Jim Peruto
21	35	Lee Bundy	Kennebunkport, ME	Glen Cabral
22	28	Paul Luggelle	Holbrook, MA	Paul Luggelle
23	16	Matt O'Brien	Wilmington, MA	Jim O'Brien
24	30	Paul Scally	Raynham, MA	Paul Scally
25 DNF	P30	Mike Horn	Ashland, MA	Mike Horn
26 DNF	77	Shawn Torrey	Enfield, CT	Mike Luggelle
27 DNF	99	Aaron Wall	Shrewsbury, MA	Power Point Race Cars

Jeff Abold Seekonk NEMA Winner

The pass came on lap 14 and the rest was academic. Rookie Jeff Abold, 19, drove the Seymour #29 to an impressive victory in the Northeastern Midget Association 25-lap segment of Seekonk’s Open Wheel on Wednesday.

Starting 16th, Jesse State passed Nick Ribbe in traffic on lap 14 to capture his third straight 25-lap NEMA Lites feature

Abold took the low road past Randy Cabral heading into turn three after two laps of side-by-side racing. It was then a matter of counting laps. He finished several car lengths ahead of point leader and three-time winner Cabral with Jeff Horn third.

The winning move ended a duel that was set up by the second and last restart on lap 12. “I thought ‘if he pushes up a little bit that’s where I am going,” said Abold. “I wasn’t trying to force him anywhere.” And when Cabral did “push up a little bit” Abold “saw the opening, took it and went by.”

Abold followed Cabral to the front. Coming from the 10th starting spot, Cabral took the lead from pole sitter Nokie Fornoro in the backstretch on lap four. When the first yellow flew eight laps in, Abold was third. A half lap after the restart he was on Cabral’s tail. He was still there when yellow flew again four laps later.

“When I saw him outside me I knew,” said Cabral, claiming he might have “over strategized” himself. “If he had hit me, banged me, I’d have something to say. Jeff out-raced me, passed me and he got away. The kid is good.”

“It’s Randy Cabral and it’s amazing,” continued Abold, the son of supermodified star Pat. “It almost seems unfair to win like that when the car is that good. It was better on the inside but it was awesome anywhere I put it.”

Horn, who pointed out the combined age of Abold and Cabral doesn’t equal his (63), moved from seventh to third on the final restart. Adam Cantor and Fornoro, the front row sitters, completed the top five.

Victory lane was filled with Seymours, including brothers Bobby and Mike and matriarch Miss Ellie. While a victory for Autocraft delighted everybody, “it’s more about chassis here,” said Bobby. He added the car was probably three-tenths of a second faster in the feature following “big time” post-head adjustments. He was also filled with accolades for Abold.

When the first yellow flew in the Lites feature, State was eighth. On the third restart attempt, Ribbe took command from early leader Paul Luggelle and two laps later State was challenging. The duo battled in front of the field before State used lapped traffic to assume command.

“Lapped traffic always helps,” understated State. Jack Stergois, Shaun Gooslin and P.J. Stergois completed the top five.




			Photos by NormMarx.com
Heat Action >

NEMA Lites - *Seekonk Speedway - 7/16/08*
Pos.	Car #	*Driver*	Owner
1	18	Jesse State	Jim State
2	85	Nicholas Ribbe	Nicholas Ribbe
3	57	Jake Stergios	Bill Stergios
4	26	Shaun Gosselin	Gosselin Racing
5	11	PJ Stergios	Bill Stergios
6	35	Anthony Marvuglio	Glen Cabral
7	48	Todd Bertrand	Tim Bertrand
8	33	Shawn Torrey	Shawn Torrey
9	51	Russ Wood Jr	Russ Wood
10	10	Matt Bettencourt	F. Bettencourt Trucking
11	1	Tad Uzzle	Tad Uzzle
12	28	Paul Luggelle	Paul Luggelle
13	06	Timothy Paul	Rick Paul
14	50	Mike Muldon	-
15	09	Stephanie Doty	Ronald Doty
16	36	Josh Wollam	-
17	66L	Mike Luggelle	Mike Luggelle
Stamford, CT $100 Hard Charger Award to Jesse State #18

Seekonk Next Stop For Busy NEMA

When the Northeastern Midget Association goes to Seekonk Speedway, it is literally “going home.” It all started on Memorial Day of 1953, Fred Meeker capturing the first feature in the club’s history.

Rained out previously, “Open Wheel Wednesday” will be NEMA’s first visit this year. Point leader Randy Cabral, who has yet to finish below second over six races, leads NEMA back to D.Anthony Venditti’s “Cement Palace.”

Undefeated Jesse State will be the driver to watch as the NEMA Lites test Seekonk for the first time. State has won both “official” Lites races.

“So much history,” says NEMA President Mike Scrivani Jr. “It is everywhere, like a living, breathing thing.” Jeff Horn, one of six active drivers with Seekonk wins, calls it “one of NEMA’s showcases, a real midget track.”

Joey Payne Jr. was the last NEMA winner, capturing last fall’s DAV.

Nobody has been more successful at “the ‘Konk” than Nokie Fornoro. The veteran, who has eight Seekonk wins, hopes to escape the doldrums that have plagued the Jarret #4 this year. His last win came in August of 2006.

Cabral and Greg Stoehr join Horn in the three Seekonk wins bracket. Payne has done it twice and Bobby Santos III, a winner the last time out at Stafford Motor Speedway, once. Cabral’s Bertrand team had two wins last year with Lou Cicconi driving.

NEMA NOTES:

Bobby Santos III admitted he took a little extra time passing sister Erica en route to victory at Stafford. He was looking for a pass that would be the “most advantageous for her;” that would have “given her the best path ahead.” They “try to help each other out” as much as possible.

In practice they try to run together giving dad an easier job observing both cars. Bobby Jr. plays a major role in setting up Erica’s Ed Breault #4 as well as the family #98.

Bobby and Erica and the Wall brothers, William and Aaron, are the latest in a long line of sibling combinations in NEMA.

The Fornoro family is tops at Seekonk with 10 including two for Drew. The Stoehrs have eight wins – five for Russ – while the Seymours have four, split evenly between Bobby and Mike.

Nokie Fornoro’s 44 wins is the most among active NEMA drivers. The list also includes Joey Payne Jr. (19), Jeff Horn (19), Randy Cabral (16), Bobby Santos (10), Greg Stoehr (6), Lou Cicconi (6), Pete Pernesiglio (3), Adam Cantor (2), Doug Cleveland (1), Jeremy Frankoski (1) and Erica Santos (1).