Waterford Produces First Time Winner, First Time Champion for NEMA
WATERFORD, CT (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.
[Photo Gallery] by Crystal Snape
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 SantaMaria of Burlington, CT. SantaMaria 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 SantaMaria jump into the lead ahead of Doug Cleveland of Sudbury, MA, Bigelow and Paul Scally of Raynham, MA. After a few laps, SantaMaria was in a comfortable lead with Bigelow in second.
At the halfway mark SantaMaria’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 SantaMaria, 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 an 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 checkered flag, 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.
Sources: Pete Falconi/NEMA PR