NEMA’S Owners Crown Decided At World Series
The owners championship is still a question mark as the Northeastern Midget Association brings the 2009 season to a finish at Thompson Speedway’s rescheduled World Series this weekend. Defending champion Tim Bertrand (47) takes a 26-point edge on Mike Jarret (4) into Sunday’s 25-lap feature.
NEMA has a long relationship with the World Series that was rained out last weekend. Championship battles ending at the traditional season-ending event are hardly unique. It will be NEMA’s only visit to Thompson this season.
Bertrand’s driver Randy Cabral already has his second straight championship in hand. Jarret’s driver Nokie Fornoro is assured of second place in the final standings. Both are seasoned-hands on the ultra-quick five=eighth mile, totaling 11 victories between them.
Cabral, the “unofficial “ record holder with a 17.620 lap turned at last year’s World Series, is the club’s all-time Thompson winner with seven. Fornoro has been winning at Thompson since 1982. Russ and Greg Stoehr have both been involved in classic season ending-races at Thompson in the past as well.
Clearly the fastest place NEMA visits, a victory at Thompson is a perfect ending. Adam Cantor, the winner a couple weeks back at Twin State, makes no secret of his desire to end a strong campaign in Thompson’s Victory Lane.
Other possibilities for the Marvin Rifchin Trophy are Jeff Horn, Erica Santos and Jim Miller. Chris DeRitis, NEMA’s top rookie, Abby Martino and John Zych Jr. are among the drivers seeking to protect top-10 spots in the driver and owner standings.
Cabral, who doesn’t like talking about points, had five wins among ten top-fives in 13 starts en route to the drivers championship. He comes to the World Series in pursuit of his 27th career win, all of them coming in the past 10 campaigns.
In one less start, Fornoro had a couple wins among 10 tops 10s. He’ll be after his 45th NEMA checkered.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR