Oktoberfest NEMA Prize to Cabral
Lee, NH — Randy Cabral wasted little time in getting to the front. Taking the lead four laps in, Cabral won the Northeastern Midget Association 25-lap feature Sunday at Lee USA Speedway’s Oktoberfest. It was the second straight Oktoberfest win for Cabral and car owner Tim Bertrand.
Coming from the eighth starting spot, Cabral went around Joey Payne (Pernesiglio 80), the only other leader out of two. He beat back a challenge from Ian Cumens (Seymour29s) and had to do some nifty maneuvering through lapped traffic at the finish to claim his 37th career NEMA win.
Cumens was second with Jim Chambers (Chambers 21) third. John Zych Jr.(Zych 9) claimed fourth with Todd Bertrand (Bertrand 39) fifth. Cabral takes a slim lead over Zych atop the points into this weekend’s World Series at Thompson, the season finale.
Cabral first looked inside Payne. “Almost hit him,” he said. “It kind of got me sideways. I had to do a little back peddling and try the outside.” He had gone from fourth to second two laps before, passing both Chambers down the back and Cumens out of four. He went on to win the caution-free affair in just under six minutes, finishing a couple car lengths ahead of Cumens.
Zych passed Bertrand, after a four-lap battle, on lap 15.
Cabral gave much credit to car owner Tim Bertrand, pointing out “he was all over the car all day.” He called Lee “one of his favorite tracks.”
NEMA NUGGETS – Cumens had the fastest lap, a 13.802 on the 11th circuit…The NEMA feature went off at 6:23 pm, ending a long and frustrating day…Bethany Stoehr, looking for a second straight victory after capturing the Finale at Waterford, did not start, the car refusing to fire…For the first time in anybody’s memory, the Dumo Desire 45 was not on the scene. “I’m here,” responded regular driver Russ Stoehr, who drove the family 26b…Cabral, pointing out the track “is tough to get a hold of,” said he learned to drive Lee in the Mini Cup cars a few years ago.
RESULTS: 1. Randy Cabral, 2. Ian Cumens, 3. Jim Chambers, 4. John Zych Jr., 5. Todd Bertrand, 6. Anthony Nocella, 7. Seth Carlson 8. Paul Scally, 9. Joey Payne 10. Doug Cleveland, 11. Pau Bigelow, 12. Carl Mederios Jr.,
Cugini Gets First; Medeiros Clinches Crown
Lee, NH – Danny Cugini won the 25-lap feature and Carl Medeiros Jr. captured the first “count all the races” championship as the 2013 Northeastern Midget Association Lites Division season came to an end at Lee USA Speedway’s Oktoberfest.
It was the first win for the ever-consistent Cugini who started sixth and passed Andy Barrows, the only other leader, at the halfway point. Barrows held on for second with Jake Stergios, Medeiros and Brandon Igo filling out the top five.
Medeiros, the point leader much of the season, and Cugini had no time to celebrate the crown. Due to the lateness of the feature, there was no Victory Lane ceremony.
Only two cautions, the first before a lap was complete, slowed the race. Taking off from the pole, Barrows ran in front of a tight bunch before he and Cugini began a battle with six gone. Cugini’s winning move came down the front stretch.
It was a long ride for Stergios, a Lee regular, who came back from a second lap spin. A Stergios/Medeiros battle was a late-race highlight.
Results: 1. Danny Cugini, 2. Andy Barrows, 3. Jake Stergios, 4. Carl Medeiros Jr., 5. Brandon Igo, 6. Kenny Johnson, 7. D.J. Moniz, 8. Randy Cabral, 9. Paul Bigelow, 10. Megan Cugini, 11. Anthony Payne, 12. Christian Briggs, 13. Barry Cannon, 14. Logan Rayvals, 15. Avery Stoehr, 16. Richie Morocco.
Sources: Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR