Seekonk Trio Ready For NEMA Challenge
Seekonk, MA — Hometown heroes Vinnie Annarummo, Rick Martin and Fred Astle, Jr. are ready, willing and able to defend their turf in the NEMA Lites Showdown of Champions at Seekonk Speedway during Open Wheel Wednesday on July 21. From 1973 to 2009, the trio won an astounding 16 track championships and nobody knows how to get around Seekonk Speedway quicker than they do.
Yet none of the Seekonk champs have much Midget experience. Annarummo recently raced in a single NEMA Lite event, Astle recalls a lone effort in a Hop Harrington owned Midget at Seekonk in the last century and Martin has only been in a NEMA Lite Midget to have the seat fitted.
The talented trio will compete against an array of other champions, including Modified mavens Ted Christopher and Mike Stefanik; Supermodified superstars Chris Perley and Russ Wood; open cockpit switch-hitters “Liquid” Lou Cicconi and Joe Payne, Jr.; and Midget masters Drew Fornoro and Jon Heydenreich. Every champion will be in an identically prepared NEMA Lite and each wants to walk away as first among equals.
“It’s an honor just to race with these guys,” says six-time track champion Annarummo. “They’re the best of the best. Sure, I have a lot of laps around Seekonk in Pro Stocks and Modifieds, but this is something completely different. I’m a rookie when it comes to open cockpit racing in cars with wings. I can’t wait, because if you can beat the best of the best, there’s nothing like it.”
Four-time track champion Martin is looking forward to his first time racing with a wing. “I know they give the cars lots of down force and I’ve heard that at some places, the guys can flatfoot all the way around, using just a little bit of brake in the corners. I’m going to try it wide open and see what happens. I know the cars are radically different than what I’m used to, but they still have four tires and a steering wheel.”
Astle, who has four Seekonk championships and one at Thompson, is expecting to have a great time. “We’ll be running against some very talented people and it’s humbling to be asked to defend the honor of Seekonk. I know Ted Christopher well enough to know that he plans on going right to the front, so it should be a very interesting race. I’ve always wanted another chance in a really competitive Midget and I guess my time has finally come,” Astle said.
Open Wheel Wednesday features a full card of NEMA Midget racing and is headlined by a 100 lap Open Competition Modified race. Details are available at www.seekonkspeedway.com and www.nemaracing.com.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR