NEMA Closes 62nd Season with Awards Banquet
Marlborough, MA – Champions were honored and achievements recognized during the annual awards banquet for the Northeastern Midget Association Saturday night.
Hundreds of competitors, crew members, fans and their families gathered for the gala event held at the Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough, Ma. NEMA’s announcer Pete Falconi was host for the evening assisted by Speed Sport News television announcer Derek Pernesiglio, who made the announcement that the 2015 Boston Louie Classic for NEMA will once again be nationally televised.
The crowd gave a rousing ovation to the night’s special guest, six time champion and multi-hall of famer Dave Humphrey. Humphrey’s first NEMA championship came in 1967 and his sixth in 1978 driving for Mike Scrivani.
The team of driver Randy Cabral and car owner Tim Bertrand picked up their champion awards for the fifth time in seven seasons in NEMA’s top division.
Bertrand was also the recipient of the Wen Kelley Memorial Award, given to a NEMA member that exemplifies outstanding dedication and service to the club, as Wen Kelley did for over 37 years.
NEMA Lites rookie driver Ryan Krachun took home the champion’s hardware and so did Scott Bigelow as the champion owner for 2014.
Bigelow finished third in the drivers’ standings.
Trophies were awarded to the top 15 drivers and owners in both the NEMA Midgets and the NEMA Lites.
Race car owners with perfect attendance, push truck operators and weekly officials were all given awards.
Krachun was also named one of two Up and Coming Young Drivers for 2014, as well as the recipient of the Ed Clothier Memorial Rookie of the Year Award.
Avery Stoehr took the Rookie of the Year honors for the NEMA Midgets.
Long time NEMA supporters Mike and Lu Jarrett were given a special award by club President Mike Scrivani for their tireless devotion to NEMA and its competitors.
After almost 50 years, the final Johnny Thomson Memorial Award was presented.
Given annually by a small group of NEMA members from the Lowell, MA area, the award was given to honor the memory of New England’s greatest open-cockpit racer. Besides an outstanding career in midget and sprint cars, Thomson raced the Indy 500 eight times, winning the pole in 1959. He died in a sprint car crash in Allentown, PA in the fall of 1960 at the age of 38.
Veteran NEMA member Bruce Beane announced that it would be the final time the award was given, as many of the originators of the award have passed.
The final recipient of the Johnny Thomson trophy was Linda Cleveland, long time NEMA official and secretary.
Linda is also the wife of veteran driver Doug Cleveland, who won the NEMA Associate Member Never Say Die Award.
Kevin Park was the recipient of the same award in the NEMA Lites.
Other prestigious awards given at the banquet include the Jim O’Brien Memorial Award, given by the O’Brien racing family. This year’s honor went to Pete Pernesiglio, Sr. The award is given for outstanding contributions to family and racing.
The Ralph Miller Memorial Award for outstanding and continuing perseverance was presented by the O’Brien family and former NEMA President Dick Monahan. This year’s recipient was car owner Jeff Johnson.
The Joe Csiki Most Improved Driver Awards went to Jim Chambers in the NEMA Midgets and Logan Rayvals in the Lites.
The Pat Thibodeau Youth and Determination Awards went to Kenney Johnson and Anthony Payne.
Joe SantaMaria was given the Ray Roberts Memorial Award and Scott Bigelow picked up the Brian Caruso Hard Charger Award.
The Gene and Marilyn Angelillo Memorial Award is given for an outstanding “woman behind the man” in NEMA. This year’s recipient was Rachel LeClerc, who works on the crew of Paul Scally’s #30.
Deb and Anthony Marvuglio, mother and brother of the late Shane Hammond, awarded the annual Sportsmanship Award in his name to Kevin Park and Seth Carlson.
The Mechanic of the Year Awards went to Bertrand Motorsports and Bigelow Motorsports.
The Ronnie Evans/Len Thrall Top Owner-Driver honors went to Paul “Dangerous” Scally in the NEMA Midgets and Scott Bigelow in the Lites.
The award that no one sets out to win, the Hard Luck Award was given to Dennis and Chris O’Brien in the Lites and Jeff and Kenney Johnson in the NEMA Midgets.
Allan Cantor was named this year’s NEMA Lifetime Member.
Sources: Pete Falconi/NEMA PR