NEMA Reflections: Stafford
John Zych Jr. will take the point lead into the Northeastern Midget Association’s next event, a 25-lap feature at Lee USA Speedway on Friday night, July 13.
“The late caution definitely helped us,” said Zych after a fourth at Stafford Motor Speedway, including a victory in the season opener at Waterford back in early April. “We do appreciate where we are right now.”
The caution in question showed immediately after eventual winner Mike Horn passed the fuel starved Anthony Marvugleo with nine laps left. Contact immediately after the pass resulted in Marvugleo, Randy Cabral and Russ Stoehr, crashing. Cabral and Stoehr were second and third in points coming into the race.
Horn, incidentally, had “about three laps worth of fuel left.”
Horn joined his father Jeff on the Stafford NEMA win list and hopes to do the same at Lee. “When I raced go Karts at the Pomfret (CT) track I must have learned something that helps me on the big tracks,” Horn responded when asked about his prowess (his other win came at Thompson). He was also filled with praise for the Bertrand crew.
Marvugleo’s misfortune at Safford followed an incident at Waterford. He was dominating there as well, doing much of it with a flat left front. A caution ended that run. Attitude wise, Marvugleo is astonishing. “Two races in a row really do stink,” he admitted but quickly added “leading that many laps at Stafford was so much fun,” he said. “We were racing so hard.”
Marvugleo’s fastest lap, a 17.582, came on lap five. Jim Miller’s fastest lap, a 17.686, was also on lap five. Speeds, for the most part, were faster earlier in the race.
Miller actually rallied to take away podium honors from Zych. He followed Marvugleo for most of the early going. On a lap 19 restart, he tried a darling inside move that came close to a spin. He found the car much of the way down the past stretch losing many spots. Horn, who took second on that restart, was concerned Miller would come around and “take me out. I just stood on the gas. I didn’t dare lift.”
Owner Ed Breault was more than happy with Erica Santos who was subbing for Joey Payne. “Winning a heat and second in the feature is pretty good,” said Breault. Fans reacted positively when, after the last yellow, they realized Erica was in second place.
Andy Barrows and Bethany Stoehr, three and five laps down respectively, were eighth and nine. Stoehr did an 18.369 lap, that coming late. Brandon Igo also represented the Lites. The Lites will run two 25 lappers at Lee.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR