Angelillo Set To Begin 30th NEMA Campaign
Brockton, MA — Gene Angelillo’s 30th consecutive season as a Midget owner will begin when the Northeastern Midget Association opens its 58th season March 27-28 at Waterford Speedbowl. He returns with veteran driver Russ Stoehr.
Stoehr and Angelillo “reunited” last season, coming back from a devastating crash in the opener at Monadnock to finish fourth in owner and driver points respectively. “The crash really hurt us and we were frustrated by motor problems all year,” says Angelillo. “And, Russ was back after five years of not driving. We all should be better.”
The opener is part of a 15-race 2010 agenda that includes “old standbys” Monadnock, Lee, Seekonk, Thompson and Stafford as well as Waterford. “That serves us well but it’s good for the others too,” says Angelillo. “We’re preparing the car (Esslinger/Beast) expecting a competitive season.”
They’ll be out to duplicate a success at Waterford last season. It was the teams only ’09 victory but the 107th career NEMA win for Angelillo. The first came on August 2, 1981 with Drew Fornoro at Hudson Speedway in NH. A 14-time NEMA owners champion, Angelillo’s “regular” drivers have been Fornoro (an incredible 20-year relationship), Stoehr, Joey Payne Jr. and Stoehr again.
“Marilyn’s Passion” will again be prominent honoring Gene’s late wife. Crew member Kurt Kiermont came up with Marilyn’s Passion idea. It shares space on the car with two other things associated with Angelillo – “Dumo’s Desire” and the number “45.”
“Marilyn insisted on the other two right from the start,” Angelillo says. Dumo’s Desire acknowledges Angelillo’s dad, a big fan who was constantly trying to convince his son to buy a race car. Angelillo had just turned 45 when, in the winter of 1980-81 he purchased his first midget from Ohio’s Lyle Corcoran. Dumo had passed away by then.
Midget legend Johnny Kay convinced Angelillo, part of a brief sprint car venture a dozen years earlier, to go midget racing.
The biggest heartbreak of ’09 was being forced out of the first Angelillo-sponsored Marilyn’s Passion Race by motor problems last season. The race, honoring Marilyn’s long service to NEMA, will be at Waterford in ’10 (Sept 11) and the Angelillo crew expects to be fully armed.
Angelillo’s resume includes an ARDC championship as well. In addition to his “regulars,” Nokie Fornoro and Ted Christopher have won NEMA features in Angelillo equipment. His cars have won NEMA features on 18 different tracks with six different motors – VW, Datson, Mazda, Pontiac, Gaerte and now Esslinger.