NEMA Returns to Bowl’s Mod Nats
The Northeastern Midget Association moves to Waterford Speedbowl this weekend for the 12th annual Budweiser Modified Nationals. A 25-lap NEMA feature will kick off the Sunday schedule at 1 PM.
NEMA’s new “Lites” division will be making its debut with a 25-lap feature Saturday evening. All qualifying will be Saturday afternoon.
NEMA shares the busy bill with 10 divisions highlighted by the SK-150. In addition to the Speedbowl Late Model, Sportsman, Mini Stock and Legends divisions, the Pro4 Modifieds, AllStar Race Trucks and Allison Legacy Cars are also due.
The Speedbowl is generally regarded as one of the outstanding Midget tracks in the northeast. NEMA has been part of the Modified Nationals since 1998 when Ted Christopher won the 25-lap feature in a Gene Angelillo car. It remains Christopher’s only NEMA win.
There has yet to be a driver to repeat as a NEMA Mod Nats winner. Angelillo, however, has had three wins, doing it with Russ Stoehr in 1999 and Joey Payne in 2006. Other winners were Rudy Boetticher Jr. (2000), Paul Lawless (’01), Pete Pernesiglio (’02), Bobby Santos III (’03) and Lou Ciccone Jr. (07).
SPEEDBOWL/NEMA NOTES:
There have been 84 Midget races at the Speedbowl, 75 of them under the Northeastern Midget Association banner. The win list starts with the legendary Johnny Thomson, generally considered to be New England’s premier open-wheel driver. Thomson won the first Midget events, both Triple-A races in 1951, the Speedbowl’s initial season.
Bill Eldridge won the first NEMA race at The Speedbowl on May 31, 1953, the second race in the club’s history. It came a day after the first race at Seekonk Speedway … Randy Cabral won the 75th NEMA race, a 25-lapper at last year’s Finale.
Drew Fornoro is NEMA’s top winner at the Speedbowl with six. Bobby Seymour has five while a quartet of currently active drivers – Nokie Fornoro, Cabral, Bobby Santos III and Ben Seitz – have four apiece.
Art Cross won a 100 lap AAA Midget event in October of ’51. George Tichenor won the pole with a 17.920 seconds run which was considered very quick. NEMA’s best now run in the low 13s. Three times in the past five years NEMA has covered 25 laps in under 6:40.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR