NEMA Announces 17-Race ’09 Agenda
The Northeastern Midget Association heads into its 58th season with a 17-race campaign that includes several “traditional” stops. NEMA, which dates back to 1953, is one of the oldest Midget sanctioning bodies in the country.
The winged wonders will open the 2009 campaign on Saturday night, May 23 at New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway, one of three stops for the New Hampshire quarter-mile. The agenda also includes traditional venues Thompson and Stafford Speedways and Waterford Speedbowl in Connecticut, Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway and Lee USA Speedway in the Granite State.
Twin State Speedway and Canaan Fair Speedway are on the schedule as well. It will be NEMA’s first visit to the third-mile Canaan since 2002. Lee and Canaan share the Sept. 18-19 (Friday-Saturday) weekend.
“We believe we have a solid, well-spaced schedule considering the economy,” said NEMA President Mike Scrivani Jr. “These are good Midget tracks. Guys know what they’re doing.
NEMA will share dates with the International Supermodified Association (ISMA), True Value Modified Series (TVMS) and American Canadian Tour (ACT) over the season.
The NEMA Lites division returns for its second campaign with a 13-race schedule that begins Friday night, June 5 at Seekonk.
The busy schedule includes Stafford’s Carquest Extreme Tuesday (July 7), Seekonk’s Boston Louie (Aug. 8), Waterford’s Wings & Wheels (Aug. 15), Twin State’s Open Wheel Sunday (Oct. 4), Seekonk’s DAV (Oct. 11-12) and Thompson’s World Series (Oct. 17-18).
The NEMA Lites, coming off a very successful inaugural effort, faces a schedule made up of third and quarter miles. NEMA expects as many as a half dozen new teams will join the Lites this season.
Lee’s season-ending October fest (Oct. 24-25) remains tentative for both NEMA and the Lites.
2009 NEMA SCHEDULE
May 23- Monadnock Speedway; June 26 – Lee USA Speedway; July 2 – Thompson Speedway; July 7 – Stafford Motor Speedway (Carquest Extreme Tuesday); July 15 – Seekonk Speedway (rain date July 22); July 25 – Waterford Speedbowl; July 31 – Twin State Speedway; Aug. 1 – Monadnock Speedway; Aug. 8 – Seekonk Speedway (Boston Louie); Aug. 15 – Waterford Speedbowl (Wings and Wheels); Sept. 5 – Monadnock Speedway; Sept. 18 – Lee USA Speedway; Sept.. 19 – Canaan Speedway; Oct. 4 – Twin State Speedway; Oct. 10-11- Seekonk (DAV); Oct. 17-18 – Thompson (World Series); Oct. 24-25 (tentative) Lee USA Speedway Octoberfest).
NEMA LITES
June 5 – Seekonk Speedway; June 19 – Seekonk Speedway; June 26 – Lee USA Speedway; July 10 – Seekonk Speedway; July 31 – Twin State Speedway; Aug. 8 – Seekonk Speedway (Boston Louie); Aug. 28 – Seekonk Speedway; Sept. 4 – Seekonk Speedway Sept. 12 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway; Sept. 18 – Lee USA Speedway; Sept. 19 – Canaan Speedway; Oct. 4 – Twin State Speedway; Oct. 11-12 -Seekonk Speedway (DAV); Oct. 24-25 (tentative) Lee USA.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR