NEMA Adds Chemung Speedrome to Exciting 2015 Schedule; Coby to Compete
The Northeastern Midget Association proudly announced on Friday that it has added an inaugural event at the Chemung Speedrome to its schedule for May 22, 2015. Chemung will start an action packed weekend for NEMA, with an event the following day at Evans Mills Speedway. The NEMA Midgets will run extended 30 lap races at both tracks, with the Lites running 25 Laps.
An added bonus for the fans – reigning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Doug Coby will be on hand competing in the #74 Bertrand Motorsports midget. In addition, NEMA will be providing a Lites car and are working with the Speedrome promoters to get Chemung regular Jimmy Zacharias into a car for the Lites event.
The Chemung Speedrome was originally built as a ¼ mile dirt track in 1951 by the Bodine family of Chemung, NY it closed in 1978. As the story goes, in an article written by Bob Johnson, “It was by sheer coincidence that the track came to fruition in the first place. Eli Bodine Sr. was in Ithaca having his car repaired. The mechanic working on the car asked him if he liked stock car racing. Mr. Bodine’s reply was that he indeed did. This led to a conversation about racing. The mechanic, Karl Beilou, brought up the fact that the local racers from the Finger Lakes racing club had become disenchanted with the track they were running at. The possibility of building a track on the Bodine farm was discussed. Bodine jokingly agreed to the request not thinking it would ever come to fruition. The next day was Saturday. Much to Bodine’s surprise, members of the racing club came calling on the farm – and from there, the track was born.”
After buying the track in 1985, the Stapleton family started to rebuild the track in 1997 and in October of 2000 had its inaugural race event. The track is currently owned by the White family, run by John White. Events at Chemung since its re-opening include The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ISMA Super Modifieds, Race Of Champions Modified Tour, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, SST Modified Tour, Cup Lite Racing Series and USAC Ford Focus Midget Series. The 3/8 mile Speedrome features all new TV-quality Musco lighting, a 3000 Seat Main Grandstand, a 28 stall paved pit lane and much more. The facility is situated on over 38 acres and is one of New York’s finest paved oval tracks.
“I grew up watching guys like Johnny Coy run midgets on Long Island. Chemung should be a perfect track for the midgets, plenty of room, long straightaways – it should be a good night of racing,” said John White, owner.
The Northeastern Midget Association is the oldest pavement midget racing club in the Nation. Midgets are typically four cylinder, pure bred open wheel racecars. They do not use starters, flywheels or clutches. If it is bolted into a midget, it serves one of only two purposes: safety or speed. The mighty midgets of NEMA are that and more. With their nearly four hundred horsepower motors, large wings, and wide Hoosier tires – the NEMA midgets are the fastest asphalt midgets in the world.
Sources: Tim Bertrand/NEMA PR