NEMA’s Top Rivalry to Continue in 2011
Brockton, MA — Per usual, the 2010 Northeastern Midget Association championship battles went to the final checker. Eventual champions #45 Dumo’s Desire Racing (owner) and Russ Stoehr (driver) stopped a #47 Bertrand Motorsports and Randy Cabral streak at two but couldn’t celebrate until finishing third, behind winner Cabral, at Thompson Speedway’s World Series.
The best news out of NEMA’s annual Awards Banquet Saturday, which celebrated the championship, was the rivalry will continue. “Yes, we will be racing in 2011,” Dumo’s Desire owner Laura Kibbe told the gathering at NEMA’s 2010 Awards Banquet at Whites of Westfield (MA).
“We look forward to racing against them and everybody else next year,” offered Tim Bertrand of Bertrand Motorsports.
The acceptance speeches of both owner Laura Kibbe, who rescued the most successful team in NEMA’s history after her father Gene Angelillo’s passing in March, and Stoehr were testimony to the evening’s emotion. “This was meant to be,” Kibbe said. Although the championship was not the primary objective, Kibbe none-the-less suggested “divine intervention” may have been a factor in what is the 15th championship for the team Gene and Marilyn Angelillo formed in 1980. Marilyn, who passed away in 2007, named it after Gene’s father “Dumo.”
“I just felt the #45 belonged on the track,” Kibbe continued, claiming she entertained no championship hopes until the team’s win at the Angelillo Memorial at Waterford Speedbowl in September.
Pointing out he has “never been a particularly religious person,” Stoehr nevertheless told his crew that he can envision a place where “Gene is with Marilyn and they are so proud of what you did.” En route to his sixth championship, four of them with Dumo’s Desire, Stoehr had three wins among nine top fives, 11 top 10s and no dnfs.
“I had the best season of my life and finished second,” said Cabral, who led the club with four wins among 10 top fives. “That shows you what [the Dumo’s Desire crew] is made of.” In the final reckoning, it was his only DNF that was costly.
Bertrand also bought into the divine intervention theory. “People read on the website what went on and they understand,” offered Bertrand who frequently campaigned two cars in 2010. “We had a great time running against Dumo’s Desire and we’ll be ready for 2011.”
Banquet master of ceremonies Pete Falcone pointed out it was a season filled with excitement including first-time wins for Chris Leonard and Chris deRitis in NEMA and Bethany Viets, Russ Wood Sr. and Jim Santa Maria in the Lites. There were, in total, 17 winners – Cabral, Stoehr, deRitis, Leonard, Adam Cantor, Jeff Abold, Lou Cicconi Jr. and Keith Botelho in NEMA, Anthony Nocella, Cabral, Paul Luggelle, Ed LeClerc Jr., Todd Bertrand and Jesse State joining Viets, Wood and Santa Maria in the Lites.
Among the banquet’s individual winners were president Mike Scrivani Jr. (Johnny Thompson Memorial), Lanson Fornoro (Rookie of the Year), Shawn Torrey (Wen Kelley Memorial). Brian Cleveland (Ray Roberts Memorial) and Jim Miller (Ralph Miller and Shane Hammond Memorials). NEMA’s awards reflect the romance it has for its history.
“There are lots of individual victories out there every race,” summed up Stoehr who suggested “everybody should keep that in mind next year.”
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR