Challenging Twin State Next On NEMA Slate
Brockton, MA — Nokie Fornoro has won almost 200 races on 57 different racetracks. One of the few places the 30-plus year veteran has not visited victory Lane is Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH.
Unlike most NEMA venues, odds are there will be no former winners in the field when the Northeastern Midget Association returns to Twin State on Friday night, Sept. 4. The visit, rescheduled from a July 31 (rain out), is part of a two-day NEMA weekend which also includes the Sept. 5 “Marilyn’s Passion” at Monadnock Speedway.
The last time NEMA went to a track without somebody having won there previously was 2005 and the track was Twin State.
Other than numbers – his two checkereds this year have brought his career Midget win total to 109 – Fornoro hopes to keep car owner Mike Jarret atop the owners point standings. It has been an eventful campaign for Fornoro and the Jarret team. On three occasions they have come back from practice or heat crashes to post strong finishes including a win at Stafford. Fornoro sings praises to his crew especially unofficial crew chief Mike Scrivani Jr. Fornoro won the 1981 NEMA title driving for Mike’s father.
Defending champion Randy Cabral takes the driver’s point lead into the weekend. He also leads in the win category with three in the Bertrand 47. Cabral, who added Monadnock and Lee to his “vanquished list” this year refused to talk about points. “I’d rather talk about coming to the track and winning races,” he declares.
Adam Cantor, Jeff Abold and Russ Stoehr, have also won. It is shaping up as one of the most competitive NEMA seasons in recent memory.
Cantor, the club’s most consistent finisher before misfortunate at Waterford, sits third in both point races. He has the best Twin State record with a second to Bobby Santos III last year and third back in 2005.
Rookie Chris DeRitis, John Zych Jr., Abby Martino, William Wall, Jim Miller, Greg Stoehr and Erica Santos all hope to improve their positions heading into the weekend.
In addition to Cabral and Fornoro, and Greg and Russ Stoehr know the way to Monadnock’s Victory Lane as well. It is, in fact, Greg Stoehr’s favorite track.
NEMA NUGGETS – Eleven different drivers have had at least one podium finish so far this year. There have been 15 drivers with at least one top five…Randy Cabral has turned the fastest feature lap in four of the eight races. Nokie Fornoro has done it three times and Jeff Abold once…Cabral has not been out of the lead in the driver’s point race since winning the 2008 opener.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR