Lou Modestino

After 30 laps of tight racing on the banks of Monadnock Speedway, Kingston, MA. resident Randy Cabral (#47) claimed the Northeastern Midget Association’s checkers in a race slowed by four cautions on a loose race track. This race makes it two in a row for the #47. Jim Chambers (#21) was second with 2013 NEMA champ John Zych Jr. (#9) third.

This event was to honor and remember “Iron Mike” Scrivani, the legendary car own from NEMA’s past who claimed feature wins and championships during his time with the club.

The special evening kicked off with a unique driver introduction as the top ten starters presented select fans with a souvenir gift bag filled with an official NEMA fan tee shirt and other gifts.

At the drop of the green, Chambers let his presence be known as he jumped out to a early lead followed by Ryan Bigelow (#13), Bethany Stoehr (#5b), Todd Bertrand (#39), and Avery Stoehr (#15a). Chambers would stay in the top two all day with an impressive run.

Picking his line carefully through traffic, winner Cabral would break into the top five on lap seven after starting tenth. Bethany Stoehr would run in the top three until lap eleven when both Bertrand and Cabral would move her back to the fifth spot. Bethany would then become the first caution on lap eighteen with a spin in turn four. The running order at the caution was Chambers, Bigelow, Bertrand, Cabral and Zych, who had quietly moved into the top five from his ninth stating spot.

A shuffle occurred on the restart as Cabral powered past Bigelow for second and Avery Stoehr moved by Zych for fifth.

Cabral was then able to get past Chambers for the lead with Bigelow, Bertrand and A. Stoehr in the top five.

Bethany again lost the handle on the 5b in turn four with a second spin bringing out the yellow on lap twenty two.

On the restart, Cabral held point and soon after, defending NEMA champ Zych, made his move to once again enter the five on lap twenty four, moving to forth on lap 26, and break the top three on lap twenty eight where he would finish.

It was at this late stage of the race that Long Island driver Pete Pernesiglio spun on lap twenty four and twenty six for caution number three and four.

At the checkers, it was Chamber’s strong run that netted him second. Zych took third with Bigelow just able to hold off Bertrand for forth by a bumper.

During the trackside interview, winner Cabral thanked the enthusiastic crowd for their support, and with friend and son of “Iron Mike”, Mike Jr., by his side, thanked young Mike for all his help over the years and for being a mentor.

Cabral went on to say after the race, “I was able to pass high and low, but the car worked best on the bottom. I was just careful where to pick my lines.”

Second place Chambers thoughts post race. “Everyone was loose as the race went on but at the green I just stuck it down low and went on from there.”

John Zych Jr., after his third place finish, “Car was loose at the end and could not make up any more ground.”

NEMA’s next stop on the 2014 tour will stay in NH, at the Twin State Speedway in Claremont on June 28th. It’s the “Whelen Engineering Family Night” featuring the NEMA and NEMA Lites, along with the Wildcats, Sportsman, Super Streets and Late Models. The track and NEMA have partnered to display a number of midget race cars in the Claremont area for the fans to sit in and also receive give-a-ways.

In the NEMA Lites at Monadnock, after damaging and replacing a shock just before the feature, P.J Stergios (#11) from Candia, NH, “Just guessed on the set up for the race.” It paid off as he claimed his second feature of the 2014 season. Kevin Hutchens (#27) followed in second and two time 2014 winner, Scott Bigelow (#32) was third.

After a string of four Team Bigelow wins in 2014, the streak was snapped as Stergios took a very good handling machine to the front on lap fifteen after starting twelfth.

On lap one, Richie Morrocco (#25) took the point followed by Christian Briggs (#44), Jake Smith (#93), Anthony Payne (#21), and Hutchens.

Hutchens, showing early strength, moved steadily from his sixth starting spot to the point in 6 laps and held it until lap 15 when Stergios took over.

A lap eight caution from a Christian Briggs spin slowed the field for the first of two yellows caused by the #44. The shuffled running order at the restart was Hutchens, Ryan Krachun (#29), from his ninth starting spot, Stergios, Smith and Morrocco.

The next lap had Bigelow move into the top five setting Marrocco down to sixth. After running third a number of laps, Stergios powered past both Krachun and Hutchens for the final lead change of the race on lap fifteen.

Also on lap fifteen, Bigelow was able to move past Smith for forth. The second Briggs spin happened on lap sixteen and on the restart, brother Paul Bigelow (#31), also passed Smith for fifth.

The order stayed the same save for the #51 if Danny Cugini moving into the top five on lap twenty-three and Scott Bigelow slipping by Krachun for third.

At the checkers it was Stergios, Hutchens, S. Bigelow, Krachun and Cugini.

Winner Stergios was happy with the “set-up guess” after the shock change and said he was “very mindful of what line to pick going through traffic.”

After Kevin Hutchens finished second, he said the car “was on rails at the beginning, but developed a push at the end.” He added, “Had so much fun running side by side lap after lap, I really enjoyed it.”

Third place Scott Bigelow and a constant push off turn four all day but said, “You need a lot of patience here, and I used a lot today.”

The next Lites event will be at Twin States Speedway in Claremont, NH on June 28th for the “Whelen Family Night.”