NEMA - NorthEastern Midget Association

Randy Cabral - Russ Stoehr - John Zych Jr.





*Photos by John Dadalt*

Russ Stoehr Joins NEMA Win List

Waterford, CT – Coming from the eighth starting spot, Russ Stoehr (Dumo’s Desire 45) had the lead seven laps in and went on to win the 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association feature Sunday at Waterford Speedbowl’s Weekend Finale. It was the first win of the season for Stoehr who became the 11th winner in 12 NEMA races this season.

Only a mid-race caution interrupted Stoehr’s run, the resulting restart providing an opportunity for point leader Randy Cabral (Bertrand 47) who finished a half second behind in second. It was Cabral’s fourth second place finish this year at Waterford.

John Zych (Zych 9) got by three cars in the final two laps to claim third. Mike Horn (Horn 93x) and Bethany Stoehr (Jarret 4x) were fourth and fifth.

Stoehr passed his niece Bethany coming out of turn two on lap five to take second. A lap later he moved past pole sitter James Santa Maria (Santa Maria 99), the only other leader, at the end of the backstretch.

His 49th NEMA career win ended a season of frustration for Stoehr and the Dumo’s Desire team. “We’ve struggled,” he said. “We’ve been a little bit off.” He added “paying attention to the program”
+was the key Sunday.

“I wanted to pass Horn and Zych (the sixth and seventh starters) early and we did that,” said Stoehr who is now tied with Cabral on NEMA’s all time Speedbowl win list, each with eight. He was clearly in command when rocks on the front chute, thrown up by a car heading into the infield, brought out the yellow.

On the restart, Horn followed Stoehr past SantaMaria into second while Cabral, who started 12th, moved from sixth to third down the backstretch. With eight laps left, Cabral took second from Horn out of four and the chase was on.

“Looking at my [blistered] right rear and looking at his I couldn’t have passed Russ with 100 more laps,” Cabral said in victory lane. He did, however, make every effort, “moving the car around looking to make it faster.” That, he suggested, amounted to “driver error.”

Still, Cabral, who had the fastest lap (his 13.014 slightly better than Stoehr’s 13.016) takes a 78-point bulge on Stoehr into this weekend’s World Series at Thompson.

NEMA MIDGETS - WATERFORD - 10/7/12

Pos. # Driver Hometown Owner

1 45 Russ Stoehr Bridgewater, MA Dumo's Desire Racing

2 47 Randy Cabral Plymouth, MA Tim Bertrand

3 9 John Zych Jr. Louisville, KY John Zych Sr.

4 93x Mike Horn Ashland, MA Jeff Horn

5 4x Bethany Stoehr Bridgewater, MA MCI Racing/
Greg Stoehr

6 26b Greg Stoehr Bridgewater, MA Greg Stoehr

7 33 Adam Cantor Glen Cove, NY Allan Cantor

8 39b Todd Bertrand Suffield, CT Bertrand Motorsports

9 4 Anthony Nocella Woburn, MA Bobby Seymour

10 3m Jim Miller Weymouth, MA Jim Miller

11 99 Jim Santa Maria Burlington, CT Susan Santa Maria

12 2 Lee Bundy Kennebunkport, ME Lee Bundy

13 7ny Phil Dimario Glen Cove, NY Allan Cantor

14 30 Paul Scally Raynham, MA Paul Scally

15 50 Pete Pernesiglio Jr. Lake Grove, NY Pete Pernesiglio Sr.

16 78 Brian Cleveland Billerica, MA Linda Cleveland

17 38 Anthony Marvuglio E. Bridgewater, MA Tammy Bourbeau

18
DNF 71 Seth Carlson Brimfield, CT Gene Feigel

19
DNF 44 Joey Payne Fairlawn, NJ Ed Breault

Dylan Duhaime



		*Photos by John Dadalt*

Duhaime Gets First At Speedbowl

Waterford, CT – Dylan Duhaime wound up the Northeastern Midget Association Lites winner Saturday night at Waterford Speedbowl’s Finale when Keith Rocco, who was first under the checkered, was disqualified for excessive wing angle. It was the first-ever Midget win for Duhaime who gave up the lead following a restart with four laps remaining.

“It’s not the way I would have preferred,” said Duhaime, 14, “but I’m still pumped up with my first victory.” He came from the fifth starting spot. Rocco (Manafort 76) was looking for a second-straight Speedbowl Lites victory.

Avery Stoehr (Stoehr 15b) wound up second followed by Christian Briggs (Briggs 44), Ian Cumens (Seymour 9) and Bethany Stoehr (Stoehr 26). It was a long run for Cumens who came from the back after being involved in a first-lap mishap.

Duhaime took the lead on lap 15, going around Ryan Bigelow (Bigelow 13), the only other leader, heading into turn three. Duhaime put an end to a side-by-side battle with pole sitter Bigelow by “going into the turn full throttle” while Bigelow “had to slow for the turn.”

Rocco, who started 11th, was on the end of a six-way nose-to-tail battle by lap 11. Finding all the room he needed on the outside, he was sitting second, some seven lengths behind, when the yellow flew because of a stalled car on the grass in the front chute. It set up a single-file restart.

After beating back a first-turn inside bid by Avery Stoehr, Rocco needed one more lap to take the lead only to have Duhaime execute an impressive cross-over move that “completely surprised” Rocco. It fell short, however, and Rocco went on to take the checkered by just under a half second.

“I love the top,” said Rocco, who had the fastest lap (13.799). “I told them to keep the fifth and sixth lanes open for me.”
Duhaime had the only other sub 14 seconds lap, a 13.903.
There was plenty of mutual respect, Duhaime proclaiming his admiration (“I want to run like he does”) for Rocco while Rocco had high praise for both Duhaime and Avery Stoehr.
Kenney Johnson and Avery Stoehr were the heat winners.
The fastest lap of the day was a 12.986 by Bethany Stoehr en route to a heat win in the Mike Jarret #4x qualifying for today’s 25-lap NEMA feature. She beat her uncle Russ in the #45 by 1.2 seconds. Bethany will be in the car for Sunday’s 25-lap NEMA feature.

NEMA LITES - WATERFORD - 10/6/12

Pos. # Driver Hometown Owner

1 57 Dylan Duhaime Loudon, NH Shawn Duhaime

2 15a Avery Stoehr Lakeville, MA MCI Racing/
Russ Stoehr

3 44 Christian Briggs Mattapoisett, MA Christian Briggs

4 9 Ian Cumens Lydell, PA Bobby Seymour

5 26b Bethany Stoehr Bridgewater, MA MCI Racing/
Greg Stoehr

6 46 Kenney Johnson Bethany, CT Jeff Johnson

7 51 Danny Cugini Marshfield, MA D. Cugini

8 12 Brandon Martinez North Kingston, RI Lou Martinez

9 50 Carl Medeiros, Jr. Westport, MA Carl Medeiros

10 93 Jake Smith Stroudsburg, PA Ted Smith

11 31 Paul Bigelow Berlin, CT Randy Bigelow

12 4 Logan Rayvals Brockville, ONT Paul Scally

13 45 Brandon Igo Wilbraham, MA David Igo

14 7 Dana Shaw Danielson, CT Gregory Olson

15 11b Eric Leduc Agawam, MA Tom Leduc

16 33b Scott Bigelow E. Hampton, CT Randy Bigelow

17 13 Ryan Bigelow E. Hampton, CT Randy Bigelow

18 18 David Moniz Fairhaven, MA David Moniz

19 39 R. J. Tufano West Haven, CT R. J. Tufano

20 81 Andy Barrows New Ipswitch, NH Dustin Anderson

21
DQ 76 Keith Rocco Wallingford, CT Frank Manafort

Waterford’s Finale Next For NEMA

Brockton, MA – Picking the Northeastern Midget Association winners at this weekend ‘s Fall Finale at Waterford Speebowl’s is a foolhardy task. Both NEMA and the NEMA Lites will be making their fifth visit of the year to the Connecticut shoreline three-eighths mile.

Four drivers will be looking for a second 2012 Waterford win in Sunday’s 25-lap NEMA feature. The same is true of the 25-lap Lites feature, the latter on the busy Saturday night schedule. Both divisions will qualify on Saturday.

John Zych Jr., Greg Stoehr, Anthony Marvuglio and Todd Bertrand have scored at Waterford in NEMA competition this season. Ryan Bigelow, Brandon Igo, Avery Stoehr and stock car ace Keith Rocco have been Lites winners.

The one safe bet – NEMA will be quick. Stoehr, en route to a win last May, posted a season-best 12.937 seconds lap. In all four visits, the fast lap has never reached 13.1 meaning the full midgets are hitting seeds in excess of 105 mph on what many consider the best paved midget track in the northeast.

NEMA, enjoying one of the most competitive seasons in its history (10 winners in 11 starts) takes the show to one of the most competitive venues

Randy Cabral, heading toward a second straight and fourth overall championship for himself and owner Tim Bertrand, and Ian Cumens, the driver of the Seymour Lites car, comes to the Finale with tons of motivation as well. Both have finished second in three of the four Speedbowl races this year.

Although Cabral reigns as Waterford’s top NEMA winner with eight, there have been 14 NEMA visits since his last ‘Bowl checkered, the 2008 Finale. The Plymouth, MA school teacher has had six seconds and two thirds in that run in which Russ Stoehr won five times.

Cumens, a winner this summer at Oswego, was second to Rocco last month but did own the quickest lap, a 13.936. Three-time winner Carl Medeiros Jr., whose 13.871 is the fastest Lites feature time of the season, and R.J. Tufano, who chased Avery Stoehr, have also had near misses at Waterford this season.

In addition to Zych, Greg Stoehr, Marvuglio and Bertrand, Mike Horn, Adam Cantor, Jim Miller, rookie Seth Carlson and Anthony Nocella have won in 2012. Cantor and Miller have won at Waterford in the past. The ‘Bowl’s win list also includes likely Finale starters Jeff Horn, Joey Payne, Pete Pernesiglio and Barry Kittredge. Nocella has won three times in Lites competition.

“Double Duty” Cabral and Alan Chambers have also won Lites features this season. Other contenders include Bethany Stoehr, Danny Cugini, Brandon Martinez, Kenny Johnson, Christian Briggs and Logan Rayvals.