Cabral Continues Speedbowl Mastery
Waterford, CT — Taking command on the only restart on lap 11, Randy Cabral continued his mastery at Waterford Speedbowl winning the 25-lap Northeastern Midget Association’s segment of Saturday night’s Racing Against Cancer Wings and Wheels presented by Foxwoods and Kool 101.
It was his seventh career Speedbowl win and the third in four starts this season in the Bertrand #47. It was his second straight and fifth overall win of “a dream season” and the 17th of his career.
Cabral actually gained a spot on the restart. William Wall, who had led the first 10 laps, was put back to third for jumping the initial start. Cabral moved up outside Mike Keeler (Seamon 63). He then powered around Keeler through one and two jumping into a commanding lead. The fastest lap (a 12.947) came on the 15th circuit.
Keeler held on for second followed by Joey Payne (Angelillo 45), Greg Stoehr (Stoehr 26b) and Wall (Wall 5).
“I new I had a good car and it was working on the outside way better than usual,” Cabral said. It must have been all the rubber the Modifieds put down.” After battling Keeler for several laps before the yellow, Cabral “knew the #63 was fast. I knew I needed something like the restart.”
“[The Bertrand] crew has really got their stuff together,” said Keeler in the understatement of the night. It was Keeler’s best finish yet in the Seamon car.
“I’ve been asked a lot this week ‘what is your secret at the Speedbowl'” Cabral said from Victory Lane. “I honestly didn’t know but now I do. It’s my crew and I don’t mind telling anybody because nobody can steal my crew.”
The #47 lost an oil line in the second practice. While his crew worked on the motor – “actually checking the lower end” – Cabral was part of a group trying to get Erica Santos back in business. Erica, who suffered a bent value in the second heat, had to eventually abandon the Breault #44 replacing brother Bobby in the family #98. She wound up eighth behind Jeff Abold (Seymour 29) and Adam Cantor (Cantor 7ny).
NEMA gets a weekend off before returning to action Saturday night, Aug. 30 at Monadnock Speedway.
NOTES – Jeremy Frankoski drove the Luggelle 77m to ninth…Lee Bundy was back in his own #2 … Cabral is only the second Boston Louie winner (joining Russ Stoehr) to capture the next race…”Every time I see the Speedbowl on the schedule I just smile,” he said after passing Drew Fornoro as the club’s all-time winner on the third mile…Cabral was a key factor in the Speedbowl’s all-out media blitz for the event generally acknowledged to have drawn the largest crowd in many years. Cabral was featured in both New London Day and Norwich Bulletin stories and was on Kool 101 radio.
RESULTS: 1. Randy Cabral, 2. Mike Keeler, 3. Joey Payne, 4. Greg Stoehr, 5. William Wall, 6. Jeff Abold, 7. Adam Cantor, 8. Erica Santos, 9. Jeremy Frankoski, 10. John Zych , Jr., 11. Doug Cleveland, 12. Abby Martino, 13. Lee Bundy, 14. Howard Bumpus, 15. Brian Cleveland, 16. Paul Luggelle, 17. Kelly Farrell, 18. Jim Peruto, 19. Pual Scally, 21. Lou Cicconi , Jr.
Sources: Pete Zanari/NEMA PR