NEMA General Membership Meeting Cites Strong Progress for 2015
Thompson, CT — NEMA held its annual membership meeting this past Sunday at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park clubhouse, with a strong showing of general members present. At the top of the agenda was a preview into the 2015 schedule, which will feature 3 events at Thompson, as well as events at Oswego, Seekonk, Monadnock, Evans Mills, Wiscasset, Lee USA and White Mountain – with tentative dates held for Waterford Speedbowl, Twin State, and Chemung, NY.
The club also elected a new President for the first time in over ten years – with Russ Stoehr running unopposed to take over the top seat in NEMA. Mike McCarthy and Mike Chambers were elected to the Vice President spots, Joe Santa Maria as Secretary and Paul Scally returns as Treasurer. A new Board was also elected with Tim Bertrand, Shawn Torrey, Paul Bigelow, Randy Cabral, Mike Scrivani and Dennis O’Brien taking over those seats.
The club also made additional major strides to help increase its membership base including the development of a Rookie Development program. Under this program, the club will secure track time for new drivers joining the NEMA Lite ranks to practice with the club, particularly noted – 12 and 13 year old drivers will be able to participate in the program. In addition, any driver that turns 13 during the competition season who has prior experience, that has passed the Rookie Development Program and has approval by the Board may compete with the Lite series. The minimum age for NEMA was also lowered to 15 years old with prior experience and Board approval.
Next, the club also voted to have 3 “open” events per year – where the current handicapping system will not be used, and a time trial system will be used similar to previous years at the Boston Louie Memorial, with the hopes of encouraging outside participants from other divisions as well as midget racers from the South and Midwest to participate.
A number of technical rules were proposed as well, and the new Board of Directors will be coming forth over the next week with a vote on those rules to be announced on www.nemaracing.com.
NEMA hopes to announce its final schedule by year end, and will also be posted on the website.
Sources: Tim Bertrand/NEMA PR