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Race 14 - Lee USA Oktoberfest -
10-5-24 |
Race
13 - Monadnock - 9-21-24 |
Race 12 -
Star Hall of Fame Classic - 9-14-24 |
Race
11
- Wiscasset Speedway - 9-1-24 |
LITES Race 10 - NL-W Speedbowl - 8-17-24 |
Race 9 - Monadnock - Iron Mike - 7-20-24 |
Race
8 - Seekonk - Boston Louie - 7-13-24 |
LITES Race
7 - Seekonk - OWW -
6-27-24 |
LITES Race
6 - Hudson - O'Brien -
6-16-24 |
LITES Race 5 - Star Speedway - 6-15-24 |
LITES Race
4
- Wiscasset Speedway - 6-1-24 |
Race 3 - NL-W Speedbowl - SHANE - 5-25-24 |
LITES Race 2 - Monadnock -
5-4-24 |
Race 1 - Claremont MP -
4-27-24 |
|
2023 NEMA Banquet - 3-23-24 |
LITES Race
12 - Thompson SMP -
10-8-23 |
Race 11 - Lee USA Oktoberfest - 9-30-23 |
Race 10 - Star Classic - 9-16-23 |
Race
9
- Wiscasset Speedway - 9-3-23 |
Race
8 - Monadnock - Iron Mike - 8-26-23 |
Race
7 - NLWS - Angelillo - 8-19-23 |
Race
6 - Seekonk - Boston Louie - 7-15-23 |
LITES Race
5 - Seekonk - OWW -
6-28-23 |
LITES Race
4 - Hudson - O'Brien -
6-18-23 |
Race
3 - NL-W Speedbowl - SHANE - 6-10-23 |
LITES Race 2 - Lee USA -
5-27-23 |
LITES Race 1 - Monadnock - 5-6-23 |
2022 NEMA Banquet - 3-25-23 |
PREVIOUS RACE
RESULTS - ALL YEARS |
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seymourperformanceproducts.com |
NEMA
Announces
Contingency Awards
Presented by
Seymour Performance Products |
The Northeastern Midget Association has announced that
Seymour Performance Products (SPP ) will be presenting
contingency awards from some of the most prominent names in the
industry on a race by race basis to NEMA competitors. The NEMA
LITES kick off their season at the Thompson Motorsports Park
ICEBREAKER on April 11, and the combined group kicks off the
season at LEE USA Speedway on May 15th.
"We really
wanted to determine a way to give back more to the NEMA
community," said SPP owner, Bobby Seymour. "We partnered with
some of the best names in the motorsports industry to provide
generous contingency awards to our NEMA Midgets and NEMA LITES
teams on a weekly basis. This should drive excitement for our
competitors and also brand loyalty to our sponsors," he said.
"The entire club thanks Bobby, Matt and the SPP team, as
well as all of the contingency sponsors, for this great
initiative," said club President, Tim Bertrand. "We are excited
to increase engagement with the brands who have been so loyal to
motorsports, and also give back to our competitors," he said. |
The following partners will
be providing cash and product to NEMA competitors: |
nerfinc.com |
mpdracing.com |
"The Friends of Mike
Rivard" |
NEMA LITES/NEMA Midgets heat races will be sponsored by
Sunoco Racing Fuels.
Each NEMA Midgets and NEMA LITES heat winner will
receive 5 gals of Sunoco Racing Fuel. |
Industry Sponsors who will be
supplying Gift Certificates: |
bellracing.com |
diversifiedracing.com |
simpsonraceproducts.com |
wintersperformance.com |
ipcindy.com |
fkrodends.com |
proshocks.com |
vahlco.com |
advancedracingsuspensions.com |
The contingency awards will
be as follows: |
|
NEMA LITES Feature Winner will receive a $50 gift
certificate from one of the participating sponsors, of their
choice.
2nd and 9th place finishers will receive a $50 gift
certificate from one of the participating sponsors, of their
choice.
The 3rd and 7th place in Lites will each be awarded $50 cash
from "The Friends of Mike Rivard"
The NEMA LITES Hard Charger will receive a $25 gift
certificate and $25 cash from MPD Racing.
The new "Future Stars" will be determined before the start
of the season. These participants will compete at each event
for an additional $50 cash award from Seymour Performance.
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NEMA Midgets Feature Winner will receive a $50 gift
certificate from one of the participating sponsors, of their
choice.
2nd and 9th place finishers will receive a $50 gift
certificate from one of the participating sponsors, of their
choice.
The NEMA Midgets Hard Charger will receive a $50 gift
certificate from Valco Wheels. |
At each event SPP, will
have a representative distribute cash and gift
certificates. Certificates will be redeemable at Seymour
Performance Products. |
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FULL IMPORT & DOMESTIC
REPAIRS AND SERVICE Jeff
Horn 182 Pond St.
Ashland, MA
01721
508-881-4540
Hitch & Trailer Specialists
www.a-1automotiveservice.com
|
|
SALES • SERVICE
PERFORMANCE and SUSPENSION UPGRADES
Specializing in
Finer Imports
AUDI • BMW • JAGUAR • MERCEDES LANDROVERS • PORSCHE • SAAB
VOLVO • VW
(508) 697-5921
1460 Pleasant St. (Route 104) Bridgewater, MA 02234
www.motorcarsint.com
|
|
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SERVING ALL MAKES of MIDGET
& SPRINT CAR ENGINES
Jon Andruk
ja@circleperformance.com
69 LOCUST STREET,
BERKLEY, MA 02779
508-580-5844 |
|
174 CID Ford Head
Gaerte - $16,500
INFO SHEET PDF
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hoosiertire.com
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www.rwjm.com |
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Gene Angelillo Memorial
Page
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hoosiertire.com |
NEMA
and Hoosier Tire
Ink Exclusive Deal |
Brockton, MA -
NEMA announced that the
Northeastern Midget Association and Hoosier Tire East have
inked an exclusive, three year deal. Under the deal, NEMA
will have exclusive rights in the Northeast to the current
plated compounds (RR 7, 7.3, RF 5, LR, 5 and LF, 4, 5) and
will be the only series in the Northeast running these
particular tires.
Hoosier will also continue to be a
major contributor to the NEMA point fund, and in addition
have offered fixed pricing for the racer over the next three
years.
“NEMA has enjoyed a long history with Hoosier.
This sport is about supporting those who take care of you,
and supporting each other. We feel that we have the best
product in Hoosier and look forward to a long relationship
with them,” said NEMA President, Mike Scrivani.
As part of the arrangement,
Hoosier tire has selected long time NEMA supporter Seymour
Enterprises to be the exclusive dealer and service provider
to the Northeastern Midget Association. |
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-
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1st,
2025 |
White's of Westport - 66 State
Road, Westport, MA |
|
Full 2024 Banquet Page with
details on ticket orders, banner sponsorship, raffle
items, and purchase of awards if not attending HERE |
|
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19th - 2:00 PM |
|
www.speedbowlct.com |
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|
NLWS SATURDAY 10/19 SCHEDULE PDF |
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|
Gene and Marilyn Angelillo were, for decades, the
backbone of NEMA. Starting in 1983 Gene amassed 107 wins and
14 owner's championships. He also was president of the club
for several years with Marilyn serving as secretary. The
majority of his success came with Drew Fornoro, with Joey
Payne, Jr. and Russ Stoehr also winning championships for
him. Racing royalty drove Gene's cars, including the late
Ted Christopher, who won for him at Waterford, Jimmy
Broderick, a Waterford champion, and Joe Gosek, a Classic
winner at Oswego.
They were a perfect partnership in
NEMA and in life. If Gene was the stern dad of NEMA, Marilyn
was the den mother, looking out for everyone, and every now
and then keeping Gene in line (not an easy task)!
Gene's legacy transcends more than NEMA. Along with way he
picked up an ARDC championship, and his #45 Dumo's Desire
midget raced everywhere from Florida to Arizona. Gene had
the means to field almost any type of race car, even on a
national level, but his heart was forever with NEMA and the
midgets.
While their accomplishments in NEMA are well
noted, their devotion to family was paramount in their
lives. If anyone could mellow Gene, it was his grandkids.
Marilyn and Gene absolutely adored daughter Laura, and
grandkids Tiana, Cami, and Brooke. Marilyn left us in 2007,
Gene in 2010. Laura kept the team going for one more year,
winning a last championship for Gene and Marilyn with Russ
Stoehr. |
ANGELLILO MEMORIAL PAGE HERE |
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13th, 2024 |
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-
www.thompsonspeedway.com |
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World Series PR Recap:
The NEMA Lites returned to Sunoco World Series weekend for
their annual 25-lap main event under the command of Brayden
Egan and Dylan Coutu at the head of the pack.
As if
shot from a cannon, championship hopeful Kyle Valeiri jumped
from the latter half of the top ten to first on lap one and
quickly put distance between himself, Coutu and point leader
Randy Cabral in the opening laps.
Kyle Valeiri took
down the dominant Sunoco World Series win over Randy Cabral
and Joey Bailey in the green to checkered 25-lap sprint. |
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NEMA LITES - THOMPSON
- 10/13/24 |
Pos.
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#
|
Driver |
Hometown
|
Owner |
1 |
17 |
Kyle Valeri |
Monument Beach, MA |
Peter Valeri |
2 |
47 |
Randy Cabral |
Kingston, MA |
Randy
Cabral |
3 |
2 |
Joey Bailey |
Monroe, NJ |
Nick Poe |
4 |
53 |
Dylan Coutu |
Griswold, CT |
Ron Coutu |
5 |
28 |
Mike Pernesiglio |
Ronkonkoma, NY |
Pete
Penesiglio Sr. |
6 |
59 |
Brayden Egan |
Ashford, CT |
Eric Egan |
7 |
94 |
Tiana Kibbe |
Macungle, PA |
Curt Kibbe |
8 |
35 |
Jacob Perry |
- - - - - |
Glen
Cabral |
9 |
44 |
Trent Goodrow |
Carver, MA |
William
Keller |
10 |
21 |
Ava Lombardo |
New Hartford, CT |
Jason Lombardo |
11 |
88 |
Tyson Adamik |
Salem, CT |
Tom Adamik |
12 |
8 |
Ethan Dion |
Oakdale, CT |
Stephen, Dion |
13 |
26 |
Jack Dumas |
Brockton, MA |
Randy
Cabral |
14 |
30 |
Paul Scally |
Raynham, MA |
Paul Scally |
Heats -
Due to the weather & a schedule adjustment, no
heats were run. |
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2024 |
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www.leespeedway.com |
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KYLE VALERI #17, 3rd; WINNER PJ STERGIOS #88;
and RANDY CABRAL #47, 2nd. |
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Photos by
John DaDalt |
Heat 1 >> |
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Heat 2 >> |
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NEMA LITES - LEE USA
- 10/5/24 |
Pos.
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#
|
Driver |
Hometown
|
Owner |
1 |
88j |
PJ Stergios |
Nottingham, NH |
Matt Seymour |
2 |
47 |
Randy Cabral |
Kingston, MA |
Randy
Cabral |
3 |
17 |
Kyle Valeri |
Monument Beach, MA |
Peter Valeri |
4 |
2 |
Joey Bailey |
Monroe, NJ |
Nick Poe |
5 |
88 |
Tyson Adamik |
Salem, CT |
Tom Adamik |
6 |
53 |
Dylan Coutu |
Griswold, CT |
Ron Coutu |
7 |
30 |
Paul Scally |
Raynham, MA |
Paul Scally |
8 |
59 |
Brayden Egan |
Ashford, CT |
Eric Egan |
9 |
16 |
Ryan Locke |
Raymond, NH |
Dennis
O/Brien |
10 |
44 |
Trent Goodrow |
Carver, MA |
William
Keller |
11 |
94 |
Tiana Kibbe |
Macungle, PA |
Curt Kibbe |
12 |
28 |
Mike Pernesiglio |
Ronkonkoma, NY |
Pete
Penesiglio Sr. |
13 |
61 |
Dennis O/Brien |
Deerfield, NH |
Dennis
O/Brien |
14 |
8 |
Ethan Dion |
Oakdale, CT |
Stephen, Dion |
15 |
35 |
Jack Dumas |
Brockton, MA |
Glen
Cabral |
16 |
7 |
Kevin Iannarelli |
Shirely, MA |
Jim
Cataldo |
Heat 1
- 16, 17, 2, 30, 8, 35, 94, 61 |
Heat 2
- 88j, 88, 59, 53, 47, 28, 44, 7 |
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Winner RANDY CABRAL #74 |
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Photos by
John DaDalt |
Heat 1 >> |
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Heat 2 >> |
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NEMA MIDGETS -
LEE USA
- 10/5/24 |
Pos. |
#
|
Driver |
Hometown |
Owner |
1 |
74 |
Randy Cabral |
Kingston, MA |
Bertrand Motorsports |
2 |
39 |
Avery Stoehr |
Assonet, MA |
Bertrand Motorsports |
3 |
30 |
Paul Scally |
Raynham, MA |
Paul Scally |
4 |
49 |
Dylan Rock |
Enfield, NH |
Dan Rock |
5 |
A1 |
Derek Robbie |
Bellingham, MA |
Mike Horn |
6 |
16 |
Matt O'Brien |
Wilmington, MA |
Matt O'Brien |
7 |
93 |
Mike Horn |
Ashland, MA |
Mike Horn |
8 |
87 |
Doug Cleveland |
Sudbury, MA |
Doug Cleveland |
9 |
94 |
Richie Coy |
Haskell, NY |
Dave Shore |
10 |
77 |
Jack Dumas |
Brockton, MA |
Mike Luggelle |
Heat 1
- 30, 39, 87, A1, 94 |
Heat 2
- 49, 74, 16, 93, 77 |
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Cabral & Stergios Take the Checkered Flags
at Lee USA’s Oktoberfest
|
The NEMA Midgets and NEMA LITES traveled to the Lee
USA Speedway for the first and final time this season for
their Russ Conway's Oktoberfest while NEMA honored Marvin
Rifchin, who was a great supporter of midget racing as the
proprietor of M&H tires.
Two drivers that have some
of the most laps driven in NEMA, Doug Cleveland in his #87
alongside Matt O'Brien in the Jim O'Brien and Son's
Engineering #16 led the NEMA Midgets
field to the green flag. Cleveland and O'Brien raced side by
side going into turn one, but coming out of turn two,
Cleveland was able to hold onto the race lead. While coming
out of turn four, Cleveland led the field followed by
O'Brien, and Derek Robbie in the #A1.
Going into
turn three on lap 2, O'Brien looked to the outside of
Cleveland, but Cleveland was able to get a run going out of
turn four to hold onto the lead. While at the same time,
Mike Horn in the #93, was able to make the pass for third
over teammate, Robbie.
On the following lap, as the
leaders raced nose to tail through turns one and two,
Cleveland entered into turn three on the high groove which
allowed for O'Brien to take the low line and drive up
alongside the inside of Cleveland coming out of turn four.
The two raced side by side going into turn one, but going
into turn two, O'Brien took over the race lead. While going
down the backstretch, Horn drove up alongside the inside of
Cleveland to take over second. Then, going into turn three,
Avery Stoehr in the Bertrand Motorsports #39, took the high
groove on the outside of Cleveland to take over third. While
coming out of turn four, Randy Cabral in the Bertrand
Motorsports #74, was able to take over fourth over
Cleveland.
With six laps complete, O'Brien continued
to show the way around followed by Horn, Stoehr, and Cabral,
while a battle for fifth occurred between Robbie, Cleveland,
and The Dangerous One, Paul Scally in the #30. On lap 9,
Scally was able to get a run going on the outside of
Cleveland coming out of turn four to take over the fifth
going into turn one.
At the halfway point in the
NEMA Midgets feature, O'Brien continued to lead over Horn,
as Horn worked to close the two car length gap between the
two followed by Stoehr in third.
On lap 17, as the
leaders started to encounter lapped traffic, O'Brien created
additional distance between him and Horn while Stoehr closed
within a car length of Horn.
Two laps later, as the
leaders cleared the lapped cars, Horn was able to close in
on O'Brien and was now within striking distance for the race
lead.
On lap 20, while going into turn one, Horn
looked to the inside of O'Brien, but O'Brien was able to
hold Horn off and maintain the race lead. But Horn remained
on the back bumper of O'Brien.
While on lap 22, going
into turn three, Horn once again looked to the inside of
O'Brien but O'Brien was able to continue his drive on the
outside groove and hold onto the lead once again.
As
the leaders came to the white flag, Horn now drove to the
outside of O'Brien going down the front stretch and looked
to take the inside groove from O'Brien but O'Brien was able
to continue his drive along the outside of Horn. While going
into turn four, unfortunately, the leaders made contact and
a caution flag was waved on the track. O'Brien and Horn were
able to rejoin the tail of the field.
As the drivers
realigned in a double file restart, Stoehr alongside Cabral
led the field back to the green flag. Stoehr and Cabral
raced side by side going into turn one, but Cabral was able
to work the high groove to take over the race lead going
down the backstretch.
As the field came to the
checkered flag, Cabral took the win followed by Stoehr and
Scally to round out the podium.
In a victory lane
interview, Cabral commented on his win, "I didn't deserve
this win, this was Matt O'Brien's win, he was trying hard.
This really wasn't my race to win, I just happened to be in
the right place at the right time. I saved some for the end
but thought I ran out of a chance with that at lap 20. It is
awesome to win this race in honor of Marvin. I won the first
Marvin Rifchin race in 2006. Marvin was the guy that helped
out the little guys."
To round out the top 5 were
strong finishes by Randy Cabral #74, Avery Stoehr #39, Paul
Scally #30, Dylan Rock #49, and Derek Robbie #A1
As
the season comes to a close with only one race remaining for
the NEMA Midgets, Cabral's win tightens the points lead
currently held by Stoehr. As Stoehr leads the current driver
championship points battle by 30 points going into the final
race of the season at the New London Waterford Speedbowl on
October 19th. While a battle for third shapes up between
Paul Scally and Matt O'Brien. Who will walk away as the 2024
NEMA Champion? Will it be Avery Stoehr who is looking to go
for three in a row? Or will be the 2021 NEMA Champion, Randy
Cabral?
A few races later, the
NEMA LITES took the track as
Ethan Dion in the #8 alongside Tyson Adamik in the #88 led
the field to the green flag. Dion led the field into turn
one followed by PJ Stergios in the Matt Seymour Racing #88J
and Adamik. Coming to the second lap, Stergios took the
outside groove to drive up alongside the outside of Dion
going down the front stretch where the two raced side by
side going into turn one. But going down the backstretch,
Stergios took over the race lead and started to pull away
and create a four car length gap between him and Dion
followed by Adamik. As a battle for fourth occurred between
Randy Cabral in the #47 and Dylan Coutu in REDline
Motorsports #53.
On the second lap, as Stergios
continued to extend his lead, Cabral threaded his way
through the field and took the low line going into turn one
to take over the second position over Adamik, while
following the same line as Cabral, Kyle Valeri in the Valeri
Motorsports #17, worked his way into fourth over Coutu.
Going down the backstretch on lap 6, Valeri was able to
drive up alongside Adamik to take over third.
By lap
11, Stergios held a one second lead over Cabral, Valeri, and
Adamik. While a close battle for fifth occurred between
Coutu and Joey Bailey in #2.
On lap 15, Stergios
began to encounter lapped traffic, this allowed for Cabral
to close the gap between them.
As the laps began to
tick down, Stergios held almost a two second lead over
Cabral and Valeri. While Adamik, Coutu, and Bailey raced
nose to tail in a battle for fourth.
As the
checkered flag waved for Stergios, Cabral, and Valeri to
round out the podium. While Bailey was able to edge out
Adamik and Coutu for fourth.
In a victory lane
interview, PJ Stergios commented on his win, "We had some
luck on our side tonight, we had a fast racecar. I have to
thank the whole team, there are a lot of people that make
this happen. When you have this fast of a racecar, it makes
it a lot easier. We have been working on this car all year
and have been trying things we have never tried before and
it showed tonight."
The LITES top 10 saw strong
finishes by PJ Stergios #88J, Randy Cabral #47, Kyle Valeri
#17, Joey Bailey #2, Tyson Adamik #88, Dylan Coutu #53, Paul
Scally #30, Brayden Egan #59, Ryan Locke #16, and Trent
Goodrow #44.
A tight championship points battle
forms between Randy Cabral and Kyle Valeri, as Cabral leads
the current points standings by 22 points followed by Joey
Bailey currently in third. With two races remaining in the
NEMA LITES season, you will not want to miss out on the
action packed weekends of racing. The NEMA LITES will take
the track on Sunday at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports
Park for the 59th Annual Sunoco World Series. We hope to see
you there!
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Young Pro-4 Ace & Veteran Midget Owner Join
Forces |
Jack Dumas has always wanted the opportunity to sit
behind the wheel of a full-size, mighty, midget. Even though
he's been pounding the pavement in the Pro-4's since 2021,
he is no stranger to the midgets and to the Northeastern
Midget Association. Jack is the grandson of Hall of Fame
flagman Maury Dumas, who graced the NEMA flag stand
sporadically from 1957 until 1993. Jack's Uncle, Steve
Dumas, also flagged for the club throughout the 1990's. His
father, John Dumas is also a veteran racer and mechanic. So,
when Mike Luggelle agreed to dust off his Gaerte-powered
Beast and give Jack the chance to chauffeur it with the big
cars this season, Jack could not be more grateful.
Jack started at a young age in the quarter midgets. Now at
19 years old, he has already earned 5 wins in the Pro-4
modifieds, winning once each year and twice last year, plus
a victory at the lightning-fast Thompson Motorsports Park
this season driving the family-owned No. 4xl. Pulling double
duty with both cars this season, he is quickly adjusting to
the midget. After just three outings, he's already cracked
the top ten.
"Racing a winged, lighter, and narrower
car with more power than I've ever driven before seemed like
a fun challenge - and it has been so far!"
In the
Pro-4, Jack started gaining momentum at the end of last
season and hopes he can gain that back to close out the rest
of this year after having carb issues to start the season.
In the midget, his goal is smart and simple - just keep
improving and hopefully get both the car and the driver up
to speed with the rest of the division.
Long-time car
owner Mike Luggelle, and his famed 77 machine, is a welcome
sight back with the club this year. Mike campaigned full
time on the NEMA circuit as an owner and driver for over 20
years and has only been competing part time as a car owner
since 2010. Prior to this season, Mike's last outing was at
Wiscasset Speedway in 2019 with driver Eddie LeClerc.
Look for Jack, his dad John Dumas, and Mike Luggelle
this Labor Day weekend when the NEMA Midgets and the LITES
invade the Wiscasset Speedway for the Butch Walsh Memorial
on Sunday, September 1st. Pit gates open at 9 am with racing
starting at 2 PM. |
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CHUCK WELLING
June 6, 1960 July 29,
2024 |
Longtime NEMA driver and car owner Chuck
Welling #69 has passed away. |
Chuck D. Welling of Wrentham, MA passed away at home
surrounded by his loving family on July 29, 2024.
Chuck was born in Jackson, Michigan on June 6. Chuck grew up
in Michigan and graduated from H.H. Dow High School in
Midland, Michigan. Chuck went on to graduate from Ohio
Diesel Tech and attended classes at University of Michigan.
He moved to Massachusetts in the 1980’s. Chuck married the
love of his life, Ro, in 2004. The two have enjoyed over 38
years of love and adventure.
Aside from working as a
Tig Welder for the United States Government, Chuck was a man
of many trades. He was a race car driver with Northeastern
Midget Association and a Licensed Auctioneer. He received
his Auctioneer degree in both Massachusetts and New
Hampshire.
Chuck loved riding his motorcycles, going
to yard sales and flea markets with Ro, building things and
racing with NEMA. His greatest enjoyment was spending time
with his family and lots of friends. Chuck was always there
to help anyone in need, he will be greatly missed by all who
knew him.
Chuck is survived by his loving wife Ro
Welling; daughter Nicole Torrisi and her husband Mark; his
two grandchildren Abigail and Fionn McKenna; his parents
Paul and Cly-t (Patton) Welling of Michigan. He is also
survived by many friends that were family to Chuck.
Chuck was predeceased by his sister, Jane Wolf-Welling.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling
hours Thursday, August 15, 2024, from 9:45AM - 11:45AM at
R.J. Ross Funeral Home, 135 South Street Wrentham, MA. A
collation in Chuck’s memory will follow.
www.rjrossfuneralhomeinc.com/obituaries
In lieu
of flowers donations in Chuck’s name may be made to The
Haymakers for Hope at
haymakersforhope.org/donations/new and Hope Hospice
Health Care at
www.hopehealthco.org/ways-to-give/donatenow/donate-to-hopehealth-hospice-palliative-care/.
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2024 NEMA Membership
Form |
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The Big
Cars of the Northeastern Midget Association present the
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$2500 Cash Prize for Top New Owner |
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Chuck
supported NEMA for over two decades, earning victories as
car owner and reviving midget racing in the northeast as
President. His spirit, ingenuity, and passion live on in
NEMA as we are proud to present this award in his honor.
To qualify for this special award, new owners must
meet all of the following criteria: |
Be
a full NEMA registered car owner for the 2024 season. |
Be
a new owner who has never raced with a registered full NEMA
midget in the past, OR a veteran NEMA owner who has not
competed with a full NEMA midget in the last 10 years. |
Compete
in at least 75% of the full NEMA division feature races.
Earn
the most points in the full NEMA championship point
standings among other qualifying new owners.
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Qualified new owners will be at
the discretion of the contest board prior to the start
of the 2024 race season.
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Sponsored by
Vivo Arch —
Bringing Design to Life |
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Dylan and Dan Rock's
podium finish at the '23 Iron Mike Memorial race (John
DaDalt Photo)
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Rock Racing Finds Success with
Investment in NEMA’s Big Cars
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Two years ago, Dan Rock and his son, Dylan, were at
a crossroads. They were only a few parts away from
completing their collection to build their new NEMA LITES
midget when they shifted gears for an even bigger adventure
- the mighty midgets of NEMA's big car division.
Dylan Rock began his racing career like many young aspiring
racecar drivers, by running go karts and mini-sprints in the
hills of New Hampshire with his Dad. The father-son team
earned success and turned heads at both levels, opening the
door for Dylan to chauffeur a modified with VMRS, a series
founded by Dylan's grandfather, Jack Bateman. It wasn't long
before the then-16-year-old found victory lane at Claremont
Motorsports Park in 2016. Their success continued for the
next few years, highlighted by a podium finish in the 2019
MRS point standings. That same year Dylan was named Most
Improved Driver. After a couple more seasons with MRS, the
wear and tear and intense work regimen associated with
racing an open wheeled modified was proving to be too much
for this father/son crew, who pride themselves in doing all
their own work, and most importantly, doing it together.
They struggled with the manpower and the economics of
modified racing. This drove them to make a change.
Since the early days of swinging dirt with the Mini sprints
up at Bear Ridge Speedway, the Rock racing team has had
respect and a curiosity for the pavement series of the
Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA), which is comprised
of two divisions - the LITES and the original, full midgets,
a.k.a. big cars. As spectators, they have always appreciated
the speed, the clean racing, the comradery amongst the club
members, and the history associated with the club that has
been pounding the pavement of New England short tracks for
over 70 years. So that winter, they began their transition
with their eye on the seemingly more affordable division of
NEMA, the Ford Focus powered NEMA LITES.
Dan, an
automotive technician and Dylan, a journeyman electrician,
were under the impression that to compete with NEMA's full
midget division, you had to have super deep pockets. They
acquired a Hawk chassis, a front axle, rear end, tail tank
and even a focus motor plate as they began building their
new LITES midget. While scouring the midget classifieds,
they could not help noticing the trend of used Esslinger and
Gaerte midget motors for sale online for surprisingly little
investment, often less than $10K. After doing the math and
much contemplation, they realize that competing with NEMA's
full series was not out of reach as they originally thought.
A complete used Esslinger motor package, including the
rebuild, would run them less than $20K. This was obviously
more money than the new Focus motor for the Lite, but they
also weighed the cost of tires, fuel, travel, and the wear
and tear of running a 15-16 race schedule with the LITES,
compared to the 8-9 races with the big car series. They
realized that the big picture cost was a difference of
"hundreds" of dollars, not "thousands", contrary to popular
perception. With that newfound knowledge, they sold off
their Ford Focus parts and acquired an Esslinger motor,
freshened it up, and focused on competing with the big car
division of NEMA for 2022.
They spent their debut
season learning the ropes, adjusting to a new driving style,
and absorbing as much knowledge and advice as possible from
the car and from fellow competitors one race at a time. By
the end of the season, they had racked up enough good
finishes to earn a top 10 in the NEMA Championship point
standings. Dylan's steady driving and progression earned him
the prestigious NEMA Rookie of the Year award. According to
the driver, Dylan was not surprised by the learning curve,
but was taken back by the sheer fun and thrill of finessing
the wheel of a 375 HP, 1000-pound, lightning fast, open
wheel race car.
"I couldn't believe how deep I
could drive the midget into the turn and then just blast
down the straight...and because of the size difference,
there just seems to be much more racetrack with the midget
than the modified!"
The following winter they
swapped their Hawk chassis with a Beast to transport their
Esslinger powerplant. They immediately found success kicking
off the 2023 season with a podium finish at NEMA's big
Midget opener, which was the Shane Hammond Memorial at
Waterford Speedbowl. They would go on to earn two more, in
addition to multiple top-five finishes. They even closed out
the season with a second place at Lee USA's Oktoberfest.
These strong runs earned them a very respectful 3rd and 4th
place in the NEMA Owner and Driver Championships point
standings in only their sophomore year. It's safe to say Dan
Rock has no regrets with their switch from LITES to Full
NEMA. Dan was quoted as saying:
"The LITES are a
great division, but ultimately, we wanted to run a full
midget. It just made more sense for us coming from the mods
and for Dylan's development as a driver.... I just really
want other racers to know how doable it is."
Dan
and Dylan Rock admit to feeling right at home with NEMA.
They can't help but thank all the folks who have helped them
get this journey started, including Tim Bertrand, Mike Horn,
Seymour Performance, and Circle Performance - just to name a
few - but most of all they can't wait to hit the track next
spring! |
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Photo by John DaDalt |
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