NEMA’s Louie, Seekonk A Perfect Combination
Brockton, MA — The Midgets at Seekonk Speedway is a love affair that’s been going on for almost 70 years. The Northeastern Midget Association’s 16th Boston Louie Memorial Sunday, June 2 in the latest chapter in the on-going tale.
“The Louie,” honoring the memory of Hall of Fame car owner Boston Louie Seymour and featuring 29-lap features for both the full Midgets and the NEMA Lites, is part of a busy afternoon. A 75-lap SK-Modified race along with the Pro 4 Modifieds and the New England Mini Stock Tour are also on the agenda.
Started by the Seymour family, the Louie is NEMA’s premier event. The 29 lap distance recognizes the number Louie Seymour made famous.
Seekonk’s Midget win list starts with Oscar Ridlon, a controversial victor in the facility’s first-ever race on May 30, 1946. Fred Meeker, the winner in NEMA’s inaugural event exactly seven years later, is also on the list. Meeker ran laps in the low 16s. Last year’s fastest feature lap belonged to Seth Miller who turned an 11.162 en route to victory on what is seen as the ultimate momentum track.
The list also includes current competitors Randy Cabral, Russ Stoehr, Lou Cicconi, Greg Stoehr, Joey Payne and Anthony Nocella. Other contenders include Ian Cumens, Anthony Marvuglio and James Santa Maria, all winners in Lites action at the “Cement Palace.”
The winner of the first Louie, Russ Stoehr hopes to join Cabral and Payne on the two-win Louie plateau.
Waterford winner Todd Bertrand, promising Bethany Stoehr, steady John Zych Jr., and veterans Jim Miller and Paul Scally all hope to put a Louie win on their resume.
Doug Coby and Keith Rocco hope to start a new list – winning both a Louie race and a Modified race on the same day. Coby returns to the Bertrand 74X for the Louie while Rocco, driving the Manafort 76, ranks among the favorites in the Lites race. Car owner Tim Bertrand welcomes back NASCAR Modified champ Coby who, in two starts, has proven he can run with the leaders.
Seekonk’s stock car win list starts with Johnny Rogers on Armistice Day of 1948.
Point leader Carl Mederios Jr., a winner two weeks back at Star, heads up an expected large Lites field. Dylan Duhaime and Avery Stoehr, who finished two-three in last year’s championship run, join Mederios in a group of young firebrands that also includes rookies Kevin Hutchins, Richie Morocco, Jamie Falconi and Megan Cugini, all with the exception of Falconi is family equipment. Falconi drives for Scally.
Other hopefuls in what will be the fourth Louie Lites race are the Bigelow boys(Ryan and Paul), P.J Stergois, Andy Barrows, Brandon Igo and Christian Briggs.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR