Iron Mike Memorial on Tap for NEMA
Bridgewater, MA — This Saturday evening NEMA brings its extreme action to Monadnock Speedway for the Iron Mike Scrivani Memorial, remembering the long time NEMA stalwart and father of long time NEMA President and supporter, Mike Scrivani Jr. The night will feature a 30 lap feature for the NEMA feature and 30 laps for the Lites.
When Saturday rolls around, all eyes will be at the top of the points standings, with John Zych leading Danny Cugini by a narrow margin in the NEMA series – and only sixty points separating first to sixth place Randy Cabral. Eyes will also be on Joey Payne, making his first 2015 start in the Bertrand Motorsports #74 machine. Payne was a winner at Monadnock two seasons ago. In the Lites class, Danny Cugini leads Randy Cabral and Anthony Payne in the standings.
Known as a “driver’s track” – Drew Fornoro holds the all time win record at the NH quarter mile. During the late 80s when NEMA frequented the ¼-mile oval, Fornoro, in the Gene Angelillo machine, dominated with wins at the speedway during the 1982-1986 seasons. He also won during the final two seasons that the Club visited the Speedway with triumphs in 1996 and 1997. Other winners at Monadnock in the modern era include Mike Seymour, Russ Stoehr, Greg Stoehr, Cabral and Payne.
All of that said, the real reason for Saturday night’s race is to celebrate a legend – Iron Mike Scrivani.
Proprietor of the legendary “Mike’s Truck Stop” in Wrentham, MA, Scrivani’s car-owning career began in the 1930s with the Big Cars and it included a successful run with the Modifieds in the late 1960s and early 70s, but Midgets, were clearly his first love.
Jerry Russo drove the Scrivani car in NEMA’s first race at Seekonk Speedway on Memorial Day of 1953. The first of many wins for the Scrivani team came in 1956 at West Peabody with Russo aboard.
Butch Walsh and Nokie Fornoro won NEMA championships in Scrivani cars and are part of an extended list of drivers to have won in Scrivani equipment in both NEMA and ARDC. The group includes Dave Humphrey, Ray Burke, Dick Brown, Leigh Earnshaw, Hank Williams, Al Pillion, Billy Eldridge, Al Herman, Gene Bergin, Bert Brooks and Johnny Coy Sr.
Before Iron Mike’s induction into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in 2008, young Mike was convinced to reminisce about his dad. Coy’s win at Stafford was among the stories.
The family had two cars at Stafford, the upright wrenched by Mike Jr. and a Badger under the care of long-time family confidant Hop Harrington. It amounted to a car in each of two warring camps. They came to Stafford, stockcar ace Geoff Bodine in the Badger and Coy in the upright. Coy passed Bodine on the last lap to win.
“Hop came unglued,” Mike Jr. continues. “’You beat the hometown favorite he yelled. The place would have gone nuts if Bodine had won.’” Coy, however, wanted none of it. Mike Jr. being in the owner’s championship battle (which he won) was also a factor.
At first, Mike continues, “the old man didn’t care. It was a good race. Then he reconsidered. He was always an upright guy. He loved the uprights. He used to call the badgers door wedges. He decided he liked what happened.”
No doubt, the stories will continue to be written when NEMA returns to Monadnock this coming Saturday night.
Sources: Tim Bertrand & Pete Zanardi/NEMA PR