NEMA’S Headliner ‘The Louie’ Looms
Brockton, MA — Three former winners including defending champion Jeff Abold will be among the entries for Northeastern Midget Association’s 14th annual Boston Louie Memorial Saturday night, Aug. 28 at Seekonk Speedway.
The event memorializes the memory of the legendary car owner Boston Louie Seymour. Hosted by the Seymour family, headed by matriarch “Miss Ellie,” the 29-lap feature has become the most coveted prize in New England Midget racing.
In addition to Abold, Russ Stoehr, who won the first “Louie” in 1997, and Randy Cabral are the other former winners. Two-time defending NEMA champion Cabral, who prevailed in 2000 and 2008, hopes to become the first three-time “Louie” winner.
The NEMA Lites are on the agenda as well. Anthony Marvuglio’s Lites win was one of 2009’s emotional highlights.
Emotion has always been part of “The Louie” starting with the number 29. It belonged to Louie Seymour, “the man who towed a million miles” out of Marlboro, MA to success on USAC’s Sprint Car and Silver Crown circuits.
It was at the 2000 Louie that Cabral, in a family car older than himself, won his first-ever NEMA race. Two years later, at the Waterford Speedbowl, a then 16-year old Bobby Santos, part of a Scrivani/Seymour effort, grabbed his first Midget checkered.
Abold was the first to put the #29 into Victory Lane but it is hardly the first “Louie” success for the Seymour family. It got no better than 1999 when Louie’s boys Bobby and Mike finished one-two at Seekonk.
While Abold hopes to become the first back-to-back winner and Cabral the first three-time winner, Stoehr eyes a spot on the two-time list with Cabral, Joey Payne and Ben Seitz. Stoehr, who won with Bruce Beane in ’97, hopes to give the Angelillo team its fourth Louie.
There are a number of drivers looking to join a Louie win list that includes Drew and Nokie Fornoro and Jeff Horn. That group includes last season’s DAV winner Adam Cantor, Greg Stoehr, Jim Miller, Waterford Wings & Wheels winner Chris deRitis, Erica Santos, Mike Horn, Aaron Wall and John Zych Jr.
Lite contenders include Cabral, Anthony Nocella, Russ Wood Jr., Eddie LeClerc Jr., Bethany Viets, Paul Luggelle and Jim Santa Maria.
Boston Louie Results:
1997: 1. Russ Stoehr (Beane 26), 2. Nokie Fornoro, 3. Mike Seymour, 4. Drew Fornoro, 5. Babe Shaw
1998: 1. Drew Fornoro (Angelillo 45), 2. Bobby Seymour, 3. Mark Buonomo, 4. Russ Stoehr, 5. Ed Breault
1999: 1 Bobby Seymour (Seymour 9), 2. Mike Seymour, 3. Drew Fornoro, 4. Russ Stoehr, 5. Rudy Boetticher
2000: 1. Randy Cabral (Cabral 35), 2. Nokie Fornoro, 3. Joey Payne, 4. Jeff Horn, 5. Ryan King
2001: 1. Jeff Horn (Shaw 1s), 2. Russ Stoehr, 3. Drew Fornoro, 4. Mark Buonomo, 5. Kevin Weeks
2002: 1. Bobby Santos (Scravani 9), 2. Tim Bertrand, 3. Randy Cabral, 4. Howie Bumpus, 5. Russ Stoehr
2003 1 Joey Payne (Angelillo 45), 2. Ben Seitz, 3. Sean Caisse, 4. Tim Heath, 5. Glen Cabral
2004 1. Ben Seitz (Valeri 17), 2. Joey Payne, 3. Randy Cabral, 4. Bobby Santos, 5. Mark Buonomo
2005: 1. Joey Payne (Angelillo 45), 2. Jeff Horn, 3. Ben Seitz, 4. Chris Perley, 5. Erin Crocker
2006: 1. Nokie Fornoro ( Jarret 4), 2. Joey Payne, 3. Bobby Santos III, 4.Jeff Horn, 5. Randy Cabral
2007: 1. Ben Seitz (Valeri 17), 2. Joey Payne, 3. Nokie Fornoro, 4. Adam Cantor, 5. Shane Hammond
2008 1. Randy Cabral (Bertrand 47), 2. Jeff Abold, 3. Bobby Santos, 4.Jeremy Frankowski, 5. Joey Payne
2009: 1. Jeff Abold (Seymour 29), 2. Cole Carter, 3. Nokie Fornoro, 4. William Wall, 5. Randy Cabral.