NEMA’s “Boston Louie” Saturday At Seekonk
Brockton, MA — Officially it’s the “Boston Louie Memorial Classic.” Over the year’s it’s become “The Louie” and without doubt it is now the premier event on the Northeastern Midget Association schedule.
Seekonk Speedway hosts the 13th annual “The Louie” Saturday night. Defending champion Randy Cabral, looking to become the first back-to-back and three-time winner, heads up what should be a banner field.
The NEMA Lites will be part of the action as well.
Dating back to 1997, “The Louie” memorializes “Boston” Louie Seymour, a legendary car owner who towed out of Marlboro, MA to compete and win in USAC Sprint, Champ Car and Midget events across the nation. The Seymour family hosts and sponsors the event.
NEMA brings a close point race into the 29-lap feature – Cabral (and car owner Tim Bertrand), Adam Cantor (Cantor Racing) and Nokie Fornoro (Jarret Racing) all looking to emerge with the lead. Fornoro, the ’06 Louie winner, has had the fastest feature lap in the last three races, two of which he has won
The field will also include USAC regular Cole Carter in the refurbished Bertrand #47 and young Jeff Abold in the Seymour 29. Abold had a win and a second at Seekonk last year, the latter in “The Louie.” Carter, will have the same motor that carried Ryan Newman to a second earlier this year at Lee. He tested earlier at Seekonk and, according to Bertrand, “turned speeds more than capable of winning.”
Two other “Louie” winners – Russ Stoehr (’97) and Jeff Horn (’01) are contenders as well. Stoehr‘s Angelillo 45 has two straight second place finishes. Greg Stoehr is more than familiar with the route to Seekonk’s victory lane. Jim Miller, John Zych Jr. (off a strong effort at Monadnock last week), Chris DeRitis and Erica Santos are possibilities as well.
“The Louie” has not been without surprises. Cabral’s first-ever NEMA win came in the 2000 Louie in his dad’s car. He now has 24 wins. Bobby Santos III, currently one of the hottest drivers on the USAC circuit, includes 2002 Louie on his list of favorite wins. Just 16, he drove a Seymour family car.
Cabral, who has six career wins at Seekonk including one earlier this season, points out the historic oval is a true test in that power alone doesn’t always prevail. “Traffic,” he offers, “is always a factor.” Fornoro, NEMA’s all-time Seekonk winner with eight, says “taking care of the car” is the key at Seekonk. Cantor carries a streak of six-straight top-five finishes in “The Louie” including a win at Waterford.
Shawn Gooselin will be looking to make it two straight “Louie” wins in the Lites feature.
The Seymour and Bertrand teams will be looking for sweeps. Anthony Nocella will be after his third win in the Seymour 29 Lite while Todd Bertrand will be in the #48. Other Lites contenders are two-time winner Jake Stergios, Eddie LeClerc Jr., Paul Luggelle, Anthony Marvuglio, Russ Wood Jr. and Chris Haskell.
BOSTON LOUIE MEMORIAL HISTORY
1997 1. Russ Stoehr (Beane 26), 2. Nokie Fornoro, 3. Mike Seymour
1998 1. Drew Fornoro (Angelillo 45), 2. Bobby Seymour, 3. Mark Buonomo
1999 1. Bobby Seymour (Seymour 9), 2. Mike Seymour, 3. Drew Fornoro
2000 1. Randy Cabral (Cabral 35), 2. Nokie Fornoro, 3. Joey Payne Jr.
2001 1. Jeff Horn (Shaw 1s), 2. Russ Stoehr, 3. Drew Fornoro
2002 1. Bobby Santos III (Seymour 9), Tim Bertrand, 3. Randy Cabral
2003 1. Joey Payne Jr. (Angelillo 45), Ben Seitz, 3. Sean Caisse
2004 1. Ben Seitz (Valeri 17), 2. Joey Payne Jr., 3. Randy Cabral
2005 1. Joey Payne (Angelillo 45), Jeff Horn, 3.Ben Seitz
2006: 1. Nokie Fornoro (Jarret 4), Joey Payne Jr., Bobby Santos III
2007 1. Ben Seitz (Valeri 17), Joey Payne Jr., Nokie Fornoro
2008 1. Randy Cabral (Bertrand 47), 2. Jeff Abold, Bobby Santos III.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR