Twin State, Thunder Road Next Stops for NEMA
Brockton, MA — The Northeastern Midget Association heads “North” in June. A visit to Twin State Speedway (Claremont, NH) on Saturday night, June 11, precedes a return to Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT on Sunday afternoon, June 19.
The NEMA LITES are on both dates as well. Ryan Bigelow, who scored his first-ever Lites win a few weeks back at Waterford Speedbowl, leads the club into two of Northern New England’s most historic ovals.
Randy Cabral and the Bertrand team aim to make it three straight at Twin State. “A demanding place,” offers Cabral who bested Adam Cantor in two of those wins. Now a car owner, Cantor, who was also second to Bobby Santos III back in ’08, will no doubt have some advice for driver Jeremy Frankoski.
Greg Stoehr will be after two straight at Thunder Road. He was the winner when NEMA last visited back in 1992, doing it for car owner Jim Miller. The consistent Miller will be among the drivers this time around. Jeff Horn is also a winner on the speedy quarter-mile, doing it in 1991 for owner Bay Hayes.
”People are really excited about the Midgets going back to Thunder Road,” says NEMA President Mike Scrivani Jr. “The place is so quick and there is so much history. We’re definitely ready.”
A winner in the season opener at Waterford, Russ Stoehr and the Dumo’s Desire team, leads NEMA on its Northern sojourn. Stoehr, a six-time champion, aims to make Twin State and Thunder Road the 12th and 13th tracks he has won on.
Cabral hopes his late-race rush to a second at Waterford carries into Thunder Road. Among the other probable contenders are John Zych Jr., Chris Leonard, Keith Botelho, Chris deRitis and Jeff Abold.
Scrivani expects a strong field of Lites that includes Paul Luggelle, a winner last year at Twin State. ”Ryan Bigelow’s win at Waterford is testimony to the competitiveness the Lites division enjoys,” says Scrivani. We had two shows at Waterford (Anthony Nocella won the opener) and both were outstanding.”
Cabral is also a LITES regular, joining the likes of rookie Seth Carlson, Jim Santa Maria, Joey Mucciacciaro, Anthony Marvuglio, Carl Medeiros Jr. and Lanson Fornoro.
NEMA’s busy June will end at Stafford’s Carquest Extreme Tuesday on the 29th.
NEMA Nuggets:
Thunder Road was a vital part of NEMA in the early 1960s. Legends Len Thrall, Dick Brown, Bill Randall, Jerry Russo, Joe Csiki (twice) and Bill Eldridge were winners there between 1961 and 1965.
Dave Humphrey won NEMA’s first visit to Twin State in 1973 but the club didn’t return until 2005 when Kyle Carpenter prevailed.
Anthony Nocella and Jeff Abold may get some helpful hints from their owners as well. In the last two visits to Thunder Road, Mike Seymour was third both times.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR