NEMA - NorthEastern Midget Association

AVERY STOEHR - RYAN BIGELOW - TODD BERTRAND

RANDY & RYAN BIGELOW - JIM & JOE SANTA MARIA






*John Dadalt*	*John Dadalt*	*John Dadalt*








		Photos by Norm Marx

NEMA MIDGETS - WATERFORD - 10/5/14

Pos. # Driver Hometown Owner

1 99 Ryan Bigelow E. Hampton, CT Joe Santa Maria

2 39 Todd Bertrand Sufield, CT Todd Bertrand

3 15a Avery Stoehr Lakeville, MA Russ Stoehr

4 9 John Zych Jr. Mendon,MA John Zych Sr.

5 71 Seth Carlson Brimfield, CT Gene Feigel

6 47 Randy Cabral Plymouth, MA Tim Bertrand

7 51 Danny Cugini Marshfield, MA D. Cugini

8 21 Jim Chambers Atkinson, NH Mike Chambers

9 30 Paul Scally Raynham, MA Paul Scally

10 54 Jim Santa Maria Burlington, CT Susan Santa Maria

11 80 Pete Pernesiglio, Jr. Ronkonkoma, NY Pete Pernesiglio, Sr.

12
DNF 44 Russ Stoehr Bridgewater, MA Ed Breault

13
DNF 7 Alan Chambers Atkinson, NH Mike Chambers

14
DNF 87 Doug Cleveland Sudbury, MA Doug Cleveland

15
DNF 50 Kevin Park Foxboro, MA Pete Pernesiglio, Sr.

16
DNF 79 Ian Cumens Lydell, PA Ian Cumens

17
DNF 46 Kenney Johnson Bethany, CT Jeff Johnson

18
DNF 5b Bethany Stoehr Bridgewater, MA MCI Racing/
Greg Stoehr

19
DNF 74 Doug Coby Wethersfield, CT Tim Bertrand

DANNY CUGINI

NEMA LITES DRIVER CHAMPION RYAN KRACHUN & FAMILY



















*Photos by Norm Marx*

NEMA LITES - WATERFORD - 10/5/14

Pos.	#	Driver	Hometown	Owner
1	51	*Danny Cugini*	*Marshfield, MA*	*D. Cugini*
2	9	Matt Swanson	Acton, ME	Matt Seymour
3	94	Logan Rayvals	Brockville, ON, CA	Craig Rayvals
4	25	Richie Morrocco	Plainville, MA	Richard Morrocco
5	32	*Scott* *Bigelow*	E. Hampton, CT	Scott *Bigelow*
6	29	Ryan Krachun	Neshanic Station, NJ	Mike Krachun
7	*15a*	*Avery Stoehr*	*Lakeville, MA*	*Russ Stoehr*
8	18	DJ Moniz	Fairhaven, MA	David Moniz
9	21	Anthony Payne	*Fairlawn, NJ*	*Jennifer Scrivani*
10	35	Randy Cabral	Plymouth, MA	Glen Cabral
11	41	Megan *CuginI*	*Marshfield, MA*	*D. Cugini*
12	16	Dennis O'Brien	Deerfield, NH	Chris O'Brien
13 DNF	52	RJ Gage	-	Kevin Park
14 DNF	42	Juris Kupris	Williamsburg, NY	Charles Thomas Motorsports
15 DNF	31	*Paul* *Bigelow*	Kensington, CT	Paul *Bigelow*
16 DNF	45	Brandon Igo	Enfield, CT	David Igo
17 DNF	39	RJ Tufano	West Haven, CT	RJ Tufano
18 DNF	44	Christian Briggs	Mattapoisett, MA	*Charles Thomas Motorsports*
19 DNF	03	Dennis Potter	New Boston, NH	Dennis Potter
20 DNF	46x	Andy Barrows	New Ipswitch, NH	Jeff Johnson

WATERFORD FINALE PRODUCES
FIRST TIME NEMA MIDGETS WINNER &
FIRST TIME CHAMPION FOR NEMA LITES

October 5, 2014 - Some lines were added to the NEMA history book on Sunday when the midgets ran at the Waterford Speedbowl's Fall Finale. Ryan Bigelow of E. Hampton, CT. became a first time winner in the NEMA Midgets and Ryan Krachun of Neshanic Station, NJ became a first time champion in the Lites.

After all events were rained out on Saturday, NEMA's weekend schedule was whittled down to features only on Sunday. The midgets shared the day with a dozen other divisions of race cars.

As it has many times in the past, The Speedbowl produced a first time winner in the NEMA Midgets. Ryan Bigelow cruised to victory in the 25 lap main. Bigelow, a winner in the NEMA Lites earlier in the season was filling the seat normally occupied by Jim Santa Maria of Burlington, CT. Santa Maria was competing in a new ride and was the early leader of the race after starting on the pole.

The race started with drama when Bridgewater, MA driver Bethany Stoehr's car started smoking and spewing fluid just after the drop of the initial green flag. She piled into the first turn wall and collected CT's Doug Coby, driving a Bertrand Motorsports entry on the way in. Both cars ended up on the hook. Stoehr's car had to be towed from the front and back. Neither driver was injured.

The complete restart saw Santa Maria jump into the lead ahead of Doug Cleveland of Sudbury, MA., Bigelow and Paul Scally of Raynham, MA. After a few laps, Santa Maria was in a comfortable lead with Bigelow in second.

At the halfway mark Santa Maria's car had a suspension issue that caused him to spin coming out of turn 2 and relinquish the lead to Bigelow.

It was all Ryan Bigelow after the restart.

Todd Bertrand of Suffield, CT was slicing through the field and after battling teammate Randy Cabral of Kingston, MA, as well as Lakeville's Avery Stoehr near the front, he set sail to run down leader Bigelow.

Without another caution the laps ran out and Bertrand settled for second, finishing 1.5 seconds behind Bigelow. Avery Stoehr finished third, followed by John Zych of Mendon, MA and Seth Carlson of Brimfield, MA. Point leader Randy Cabral, who had worked into the top 3 earlier ended up in sixth.

In victory lane, an elated Bigelow thanked his crew and family for the support and noted that early in the race he worked as a "blocker" for Jim Santa Maria, who was the first half leader of the race and previous driver of Bigelow's winning car.

Bigelow turned in the fastest lap of the race at 13.16, for a average speed of 106 mph.

The NEMA Lites finished their season at Waterford's Fall Finale on Sunday. Danny Cugini of Marshfield, MA won the battle, but young Ryan Krachun won the overall war by claiming the championship. Krachun had been exchanging the point lead with Cugini over the second half of the season.

Cugini dominated the field, leading the event at one point by a straightaway. At the checkeredflag, he finished almost 3 seconds ahead of Matt Swanson of Acton, MA. It was Cugini's second win of the season, the first coming at Waterford as well.

Swanson finished 3 seconds ahead of Logan Rayvals of Brockville, Ontario. Richie
Morrocco of Plainville, MA was fourth, followed by Scott Bigelow of E. Hampton, CT in fifth.

Krachun finished sixth, but it was good enough to claim the drivers' championship. It was his first full year in the NEMA Lites. In the post race interview he said that "though it was a goal at the beginning of the year, he didn't think that they would end up winning it all."

The 25 lap NEMA Lite feature was marred by a first lap crash when third place runner Andy Barrows of New Ipswich, NH spun sideways out of the fourth turn and collected 5 other cars. Barrows, Christian Briggs of Mattapoisett, MA, RJ Trufano of West Haven, CT and Dennis Potter of New Boston, NH all went off on the hook. None were injured. Anthony Payne of Fairlawn, NJ and Richie Morrocco were able to rejoin the field after being involved.

The NEMA Midgets finish their season and crown a champion at Thompson Motorsport Park's World Series of Racing in two weeks.

NEMA GOES INTO WATERFORD AND COMES OUT WITH A CHAMPION

The Northeastern Midget Association will come out of the Waterford Speedbowl this weekend with one champion and only one race away from crowning another. The midgets make their annual appearance at the Speedbowl's Fall Finale this Saturday and Sunday.

It's the final race of the 2014 season for the NEMA Lites. Ryan Krachun of Neshanic
Station, NJ leads the drivers' standings by 110 points over Danny Cugini of Marshfield, MA. Both were winners in the division, coming in consecutive events in August. Cugini won at Waterford and Krachun at Star.

The owners' points are a different story.

Thanks to multiple victories and a couple of strong runs by brother Ryan subbing in his car, owner/driver Scott Bigelow of E. Hampton, Ct. trails Krachun's RKR Enterprises by only 1 point. Its very possible that the Lites could have different driver and owner champions in 2014. Bigelow currently sits fourth in drivers' points. He can advance his position, but not win the championship as a driver.

Cugini has a shot at both the owners' and drivers' championships with a good showing at the Waterford Finale. But, a decent run by Krachun will clinch the drivers' championship. A feat that would be accomplished in his first full season with the NEMA Lites.

The points are close enough that plenty of spots in the the top 10 of the Lites can
change hands this weekend before putting the cap on their season.

The NEMA Midgets have two more races to run, this weekend at Waterford and the season ender at Thompson in two weeks.

Randy Cabral of Kingston, MA sits atop the standings. He leads Lakeville's Avery Stoehr by 123 points going into Waterford. Cabral won the last race at Oswego with a last lap, last turn pass to claim is fifth of the season. He is eyeing his fifth NEMA championship.

But, Cabral has been absent from Waterford's Victory Lane for a frustrating long time and Stoehr has already won there this season, as well as 2 top 5's in the other Speedbowl races. This will be a battle to watch. Cabral has been flawless since 2 DNF's to start the season. He hasn't finished out of the top 5 since those early season hiccups. Stoehr's record has rollercoasted throughout the year.

Though Avery has a shot at winning the championship, he's got to keep an eye on the surging Seth Carlson of Brimfield, MA who is only 16 points back in third. Like Stoehr, Carlson has a pair of wins this season, one of which came at Waterford for both.

Those top 3 in points have a good lead over the rest of the field, but its tight from
fourth on back.

The owners' points are another story. Cabral's car owner Tim Bertrand has an even stronger lead over Avery's car owner and father Russ Stoehr. A third place finish at Evans Mills with brother Todd Bertrand in the car assured Tim a comfortable owners' points lead. Cabral was in the Breault 44 that day and had one of his two DNF's.

The NEMA Lites run their qualifying heats and feature event on Saturday, while the NEMA Midgets qualify Saturday and run their feature as the first race on Sunday.