Plenty of Incentives at Hammond Memorial
Brockton, MA – There are plenty of extra incentives when the Northeastern Midget Association returns to Waterford Speedbowl Saturday for the third annual Shane Hammond Memorial. Both NEMA and the NEMA Lites are on the busy agenda.
Defending champion Randy Cabral, NEMA’s all-time Speedbowl winner with eight, hopes to duplicate last week’ s impressive triumph at Star Speedway. Cabral has a couple of Speedbowl runner-up finishes this year but it’s been 11 races since he’s conquered the third mile. Cabral did win the first Hammond Lites race back in 2010.
Carl Medeiros Jr., now 16 years old, will be looking for a fourth straight victory, extending a Lites division record set a week ago at Star.
One of NEMA’s charter members, the Speedbowl is truly a “racy place” as evidenced by Anthony Marvuglio’s 12.91 second lap earlier this season. Many believe the Speedowl to be a near perfect midget facility.
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Cabral, with 32 career wins, is currently one race away from tying Bill Eldridge for fifth place on NEMA’s all-time win list.
Russ Stoehr sits second on the Waterford win list with seven, five of them coming over the last 11 races including the inaugural Hammond Memorial in 2010. Over that span, Stoehr has been on the podium nine times including a third in this year’s opener.
John Zych, Jr. and Greg Stoehr have collected Speedbowl wins this season. They are part of large group who have “checkered” at Waterford. The group includes, in addition to Cabral and the Stoehrs, current competitors Todd Bertrand, Adam Cantor, Jeff Horn, Chris Leonard, Jim Miller, Barry Kittredge and Joey Payne.
Looking to join that list will be Marvuglio, Anthony Nocella, Mike Horn, Matt O’Brien, Paul Scally and rookies Jim SantaMaria and Seth Carlson.
The Stoehr family will be well represented, Bethany, Kathryn (in the Scrivani 21) and Avery all among the group looking to stop Medeiros. Bethany Stoehr has been second in two of the last three races. Ryan Duhaime, very impressive at Star, is another threat as are Ryan Bigelow and Brandon Igo, both Waterford winners this year, and Ian Cumens, twice a runner up at the Bowl. Cabral is a factor as well.
The Bigelow boys will be three strong as well, Paul and Scott joining brother Ryan. Others looking to stop Medeiros will be 2010 Hammond winner Andy Barrows, Danny Cugini, Kevin Park, Alan Chambers, Kevin Park and Brandon Martinez.
NEMA NUGGETS – Avery Stoehr will be in the car that won last year’s Hammond Memorial with Keith Botelho aboard. The car was converted into a Lite for Avery. The Gaerte motor that powered Botelho now sits in the #77 that Bethany drives in NEMA competition.
It will be a busy span for NEMA which returns to Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday Aug. 1 for the rescheduled Open Wheel Wednesday.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR