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SATURDAY, MAY 27th, 2023 |
NEMA LITES ONLY
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Kyle Valeri #17 - 1st Win |
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Heat 2: |
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Photos by Norm Marx |
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NEMA LITES - LEE USA -
5/27/23 |
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Pos.
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#
|
Driver |
Hometown
|
Owner |
|
1 |
17 |
Kyle Valeri |
Monument Beach, MA |
Peter Valeri |
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2 |
20 |
Alby Ovitt |
St. Johnsbury, VT |
Jackie
Parker |
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3 |
53 |
Dylan Coutu |
Hopeville, CT |
Ron Coutu |
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4 |
4 |
PJ Stergios |
Candia, NH |
Matt
Seymour |
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5 |
21 |
Joe Bailey |
Monroe, NJ |
Mike
Scrivani |
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6 |
16 |
Dan Cugini |
Marshfield, MA |
Dennis
O/Brien |
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7 |
10 |
Avery Stoehr |
Assonet, MA |
Jackie
Parker |
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8 |
30 |
Paul Scally |
Raynham, MA |
Paul Scally |
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9 |
55 |
Drew Eldridge |
No. Chelmsford, MA |
Drew
Eldridge |
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10 |
59 |
Brayden Egan |
Ashford, CT |
Eric Egan |
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11 |
35 |
Connor Souza |
Riverside, RI
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Glen
Cabral |
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12 |
23 |
Jeremy Utley |
Carver, MA |
Jeremy Utley |
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13 |
8 |
Ethan Dion |
Oakdale, CT |
Stephen
Dion |
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14 |
28 |
Mike Pernesiglio |
Ronkonkoma, NY |
Pete Pernesiglio
Sr. |
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15 |
3 |
Christopher Vose |
Gloversville, NY |
Christopher Vose |
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16 |
94 |
Tiana Kibbe |
Fairfield, CT |
Curt Kibbe |
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17 |
47 |
Randy Cabral |
Kingston, MA |
Randy
Cabral |
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18 |
99 |
Kyle Ferrucci |
Woodbury, CT |
Robert
Ferrucci |
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Heat 1:
20, 4, 47, 16, 23, 55, 28, 3, 94 |
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Heat 2:
30, 21, 53, 10, 17, 35, 99, 8, 59 |
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Valeri Earns His First Career NEMA LITES Win
in Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway |
The Northeast Midget Association celebrated a
monumental Memorial Day weekend. NEMA not only recognized
their 70th season but also for the second year in a row,
NEMA celebrated a first time career winner.
After a
couple of off weekends, the NEMA LITES traveled to the Lee
USA Speedway for the first time this season for the Granite
State Derby.
NEMA Announcer Pete Falconi announced
the stars and cars of the division, as the drivers lined up
and saluted their fans for the famous four-wide parade lap.
The drivers realigned to their starting positions as
Jeremey Utley in the #23 led the field to the green flag for
25 fast laps. Going into turn one, Utley, Drew Eldridge in
the #55, Alby Ovitt in the Parker Brother's Racing #20 went
three wide and Ovitt would take the lead going down the
backstretch. After the first lap was completed, Ovitt went
on to gain half a straightaway lead over Utley but coming to
the close of the second lap, there was an early race caution
on the field that brought drivers back to a double file
lineup.
As the field was brought back to green flag
racing with one lap complete, Ovitt jumped to the lead
followed by Kyle Valeri in the Valeri Motorsports #17, and
Utley. Going into turn three, Ovitt would begin to stretch
out his lead by one second over Valeri. At the close of the
second lap, coming down the front stretch, the battle for
positions 3-6 took form between Dylan Coutu in the Redline
Motorsports #53, Avery Stoehr in the Parker Brothers Racing
#10, PJ Stergios in the Seymour Racing #4, and Utley. Stoehr
then chose the high line going into turn one to battle with
Stergios for the third position, Coutu along with Joey
Bailey in the Scrivani Racing #21, followed close behind.
On lap 5 the top 6 began to spread out as Coutu,
Bailey, and Danny Cuigini in Jim O'Brien & Son's Engineering
#16, would take over the fourth through sixth positions.
By lap 9, Ovitt had a 5 car length advantage over Valeri
but nearly 2 laps later, on lap 11, Valeri closed the gap
and was on the back bumper of Ovitt.
On lap 15, the
leaders started to encounter lap traffic that would play to
the advantage of Valeri and by lap 17, Valeri would seize
the coveted lead position from Ovitt, accelerating to a near
certain victory.
However, as the field and fans have
come to expect with this hard fought field of contenders, a
late race caution on lap 19 would again reset the field,
erasing the hard fought lead of Valeri and bring the field
back to a double file restart.
With 5 laps remaining,
Valeri led the field back to green while Ovitt, Coutu, and
Stergios went three wide going into turn two competing for
the second position. As they raced their way down the
backstretch, drivers made their way back to two-wide
formation,Coutu attempted to take second from Ovitt by
taking the low line but was quickly countered as Ovitt
regained position driving back around Coutu going into turn
two.
As the white flag waved over Lee USA Speedway,
signaling the final lap for the NEMA LITES in the 2023
Granite State Derby, Valeri had firmly secured his lead over
Ovitt, en route to his first career win. Valeri's first
place win would be followed by strong finishes by both Ovitt
and Coutu.
In an after race interview in victory
lane, Kyle commented on his first win, "Words cannot express
what I'm feeling right now...this feeling is indescribable.
This has been one of my dreams to win one of these races and
park it right here and that dream came true today."
Peter Valeri, father of Kyle, commented, "It's awesome that
Kyle got his first win. It's a whole different feeling when
your son wins versus when your driver wins. We built a new
car over the winter and it really paid off"
Rounding
out the top 10 were strong finished by: Valeri (#17)
followed by Ovitt (#20), Coutu (#53), Stergios (#4), Bailey
(#21), Stoehr (#10), Paul Scally (#30), Drew Eldridge (#55),
and Brayden Egan (#59)
The NEMA Midgets will begin
their season opener along with the NEMA LITES at the New
London Waterford Speedbowl for the Shane Hammond Memorial on
Saturday, June 10th. |
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