Joey Payne Jr. Wins NEMA’s Showdown of Champions
Seekonk, MA — Pulling away from a mid-race restart, Joe Payne Jr. won the 20-lap Northeastern Midget Association Showdown of Champions at Seekonk Speedway’s Open Wheel Wednesday.
Beating back a brief challenge from Chris Perley, Payne scored a convincing win in the Mikitarian #9. Perley (LeClerc #12) held on for second followed by Lou Cicconi (Seymour #29).
Fred Astle Jr. (Sherman #23) and Vin Annarummo (Scally #4) held up Seekonk’s honor completing the top five. The battle was waged in NEMA Lite cars.
Mike Stefanik (Bertrand #48), Ted Christopher (Mucciacciaro #45), Russ Wood Sr. (Wood #51) and Rick Martin (Medeiros #50) followed.
[Photo Gallery] by Adam Fohlin
[Photo Gallery] by Nicholas Teto
“I really wanted this bad,” said Payne who took home the Coastal 181 Trophy and dedicated the victory to the late Gene Angelillo.
Payne drew the pole and then traded starting spots with Annarummo, “a move that worked in my favor.” Coming from eight, he was immediately in a four-way (sometimes four wide), lead-swapping battle that also included Cicconi, Perley and Astle.
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“We were not going to push it and put on a show for the fans,” said Perley, who won the Rich Vogler Award. “At the drop of the hat that went out the window.”
On the outside, Payne pulled away from Astle on the restart with Perley moving from fourth to second. They moved through one and two nose-to-tail, Perley looking low.
“I saw him,” Payne said of long-time rival Perley. “He was going to have to drive his tail off to get by.” Payne “kept the car down in the groove. I didn’t want him [Perley] under me.”
Payne, who replaced Bentley Warren in the field, could put the car “anywhere I wanted,” the result of much work with the Mikitarian crew a week ago (before the rain) and again before the race. “We got the car to be really good,” he added.
NEMA Nuggets:
- “The first half of the race really showed a trust between drivers,” said TV personality Jackie Arute, the event’s producer. “It was like a throwback, something you don’t see a lot of these days.”
- Bobby Seymour, the originator of the event, was especially pleased with the finish involving three of the most accomplished open cockpit drivers in the East. Cicconi went on to win the regular NEMA feature for Seymour as well.
- ”Any race involving the name Rich Volger, the best driver I ever saw, is one you want to win,” said Payne who welcomed the opportunity to honor Angelillo, “the best car owner I ever had.”
- The transponder on Payne’s car was not working. Cicconi did turn an 11.881 lap. Perley’s best was 11.902.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA Lites PR