Zacharias, Coby Highlight NEMA Trip to Chemung
NEMA kicks off its opening weekend action at Chemung Speedrome this coming Friday night. Two of the headline drivers taking the main stage at Chemung will be 2013 New York State NASCAR Modified Champion Jimmy Zacharias and 2012/2014 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion Doug Coby. Zacharias will be behind the wheel of the Motor Cars International 15B Lites car, and Coby behind the wheel of the Bertrand Motorsports #74 NEMA entry.
“I’m excited about making my first NEMA (Lites) midget start. The cars have always looked fun and racey whenever I’ve seen them run. Being a regular at Chemung should help me and I’m looking forward to the race,” said Zacharias.
In the Lites division, one cannot count out the Bigelow family, brothers Scott & Paul, Scott, was very strong in the Lites season opener at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The Cugini family brings their two strong family owned entries to the Speedrome – Danny proving very strong at Thompson and Anthony Payne in the Scrivani 21. NEMA Champion Randy Cabral will have his family owned #35 on hand as well. Paul Scally has been very strong in early starts so far this season in his new Lites ride, and will be on hand at both events.
In the NEMA field, Coby is looking forward to his return to the midgets. “I like having fun in whatever I’m driving and I have fun driving these cars,” Coby said. “I like challenging myself to do something different and showing people that I can drive something other than a Modified, so it’s fun to go into different divisions and try to win if you can.”
A strong field of midgets heads to Chemung, headed by 2014 champion Randy Cabral. Cabral is joined by Coby & Todd Bertrand as teammates. 2013 Champion, John Zych, has been strong at the New York tracks – finishing 2ndat Oswego, and winning the previous year at Airborne Park. Seth Carlson has been one of the drivers to beat in recent history on the flat New York tracks, winning last year’s race at Evans Mills, and the previous year at Oswego. Bethany Stoehr will be in the Breault #44, and the always strong Avery Stoehr will be in his familiar 15B entry, and always a threat to win.
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