A message to the NEMA’s new blood: Know Your Roots!
NEMA sure has changed a lot over the years. What some of you kids out there may not know is that NEMA was originally started for the “little guy.” The guy’s that couldn’t afford the big Offy engines or Kurtis-Kraft chassis of the day, but it was more for guys that worked forty hours a week.
Their “shop” was (and in some cases still is) the garage at home. Now I wasn’t around in those days but I do remember NEMA in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. If there was anything I can tell the new faces of NEMA is learn who these people and events are that made the organization what it is today.
The older gentlemen that just walked past you in the pits could have been Carl Kibbe, who won four NEMA titles as an owner, or maybe Joe Fiore who’s been such in intergral part of the success of NEMA’s greatest team, Gene and Marilyns #45. Sorry boys, but if you had to compete aginst guys like Billy Mann, Joey Coy, Lee Smith, Mike Favuli, Paul Stoehr, Russ Klar, Drew Fornoro, Butch Walsh, Bobby White or Dave Humphrey….you had a long night ahead of you. Not to mention your win percentage wouldn’t be as high.
Ask some of the veteran members of the club about the Stoehr brothers battling for the win in the 93’ World Series where Greg Stoehr in John Zahar’s little VW, pulled (in my opinion) one of the ballsiest moves I’ve ever seen around Russ on the outside to win the race on the final lap. To this day NEMA historians call that one of the greatest NEMA races of all time.
Ask about Drew Fornoro who lapped the field in Gene’s Rotary powered roadster in a USAC/NEMA co-sanctioned event at Seekonk in 1987. Find out why the badgers were outlawed, or why the MAZDA Rotary was grandfathered into the rule book in the late 80’s.
It wasn’t just the drivers, it was the owners too. However back in the day they were an owner/mechanic/crew chief/money spender all in one. Jim O’ Brien recently left us and few people know the power and performance he got out of the Falcon engine. A power-plant he built in his own garage. I can remember many night’s watching Steve Eldridge leading the field in Jimmy’s badger back in the 80’s.
Johnny Evans won for Jim and NEMA’s “Iron Man”, Doug Cleveland who has more main event starts than anyone brought the #16 to victory lane just North of the border in St. Pie Canada in 1978. Is there anyone out there that remembers Dan Blair and his home built V-4? A stock block Chevy 350 he cut in half to fit in a midget. I can remember vividly at Beech Ridge one weekend where that car sounded like a World Of Outlwas sprint car as it came down front stretch with Rick Hart behind the wheel.
What about 1976 Championship car owner, Rollie Lindblad and his beautiful works of art? A man that trail-blazed the badger chassis design into midget racing. After the Badgers were outlawed, he didn’t miss a beat building upright chassis that carried Mike Favuli to many NEMA wins, Drew Fornoro to five titles and Joey Coy to three.
Of course I have to mention my old man, “Mazda” Pete Pernesiglio who’s homemade peripheral-porting for the Rotary inspired Mazda Engineering to revamp their injection system. A design that is still seen today in three and four rotor Mazda engines in SCCA. The idea was simple: Epoxy off the stock injection and bore giant holes in the rotor housings to direct-feed the rotors with methanol. I remember Dad using the same engine for ten years and rebuilding it for $700 bucks every other season in the garage at home. As Dad would say, “it’s a pure case of economic’s” and in my personal opinon an economical option for a NEMA Lite car today…..Just sayin’
The Marvin Rifchin Memorial is coming up. If you ever wanted to learn about the man talk to Russ Stoehr. Russ won many races and titles on Marvin’s M&H Tires. He made tires for everyone in racing from “Big Daddy” Don Garlits to the boys on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and it’s NEMA that honors him with his own race.
“Boston” Louie Seymour won the 1976 USAC Silver Crown Championship with Billy Casella at the wheel but you wont find USAC running a “Boston” Louie Seymour Memorial race. How about Johnny Thompson, he cut his teeth in NEMA and went on to sit on the pole for the Indianapolis 500. Now I know Johnny Thompson was way before my time, but I took the time and asked about NEMA’s roots.
Did you know there were many occasions in the 80’s where NEMA, USAC and ARDC all ran co-sanctioned shows together and the NEMA boys spanked them. We’re talking guys like Rich Vogler, Mel Kenyon, Bob Cicconi and Terry Wente to name a few….and we did it topless, no wings, their rules and the NEMA drivers still prevailed.
Understand that this series is ONLY five years younger than NASCAR itself! When a driver wins a NEMA Midget race. It carries as much prestige as winning a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour or K&N Pro Series race. So the next time one of you 25 and under crowd wins a main event, enjoy the moment, they don’t happen often and I think a lot of time’s we take that for granted.
In closing I’d like to thank Chris Romano for help and inspiration for writing this story. Chris was the “voice” of NEMA for many years and before him it was Dick Monahan. He’s a NMPA award wining writer and still to this day a great mentor to me. In the last ten years we’ve lost such people in NEMA like Shane Hammond, Jim Cleveland, Gene and Marilyn, Marvin Rifchin and most recently Jim O’Brien to name a few. I really feel the new guys should ask about the clubs roots and realize you race in an organization that has stood the test of time.
Remember, you guys all stand on the shoulders of the drivers, crewmen and owners that came before you. Show some respect because when you do prevail there’s a greater sense of pride. Please guys, take some time and learn about the club. The old guard of NEMA still attend races to this very day because they love the organization and they love helping out. Don’t be afraid to ask another set of eyes to look at your car if you have an issue, they’d be glad to talk to you. You might be surprised what you learn too.
Sources: Derek Pernesiglio/NEMA