| A half-dozen years ago, the Hawk chassis showed up in Dan Cugini’s garage. His father (Glenn) and uncle (Don) asked Dan if he wanted to drive it. He said yes.Driving that same Focus-powered No. 51, Cugini captured the 2017 Northeastern Midget Association Lites Division driver and owner championships. He is nothing if not consistent. Working with his father in the garage – “we plan on two nights a week but it usually turned out to be four” – remains his “greatest joy.” Mom Kathy, sister and fellow driver Meg and brother Joey, are part of it too.That consistency carries over to the track. There were 17-point paying Lites races in 2017. Cugini won twice (once in tech) but had eight podium finishes, was in the top five 15 times and fell out of the top seven only once when mechanical woes resulted in a 16th at Star Speedway in July.He puts the championship on the same level with his “full-midget” win at Wiscasset back in 2015. It was not easy, ending up 93 points better than Jim Chambers in the driver’s battle (who missed an event) and a scant 23 over Chambers in the owners rundown. There were 12 different winners in what could be described as the best season for the 10-year-old division. “We had veterans and youth, growing car counts, so many possible winners,” Cugini boasts.
The 25-year old Marshfield, MA resident then capped the season with an incredible weekend, finishing first (without the wing) and second (with it) at Dominion Speedway in Virginia on Saturday (with the same car) and chasing Randy Cabral home to second in a non-point affair at New London Waterford Speedbowl on Sunday.
“We didn’t have a great start,” says Cugini, pointing to crew chief Chris Derosiers passing away after the season opener at Thompson. “Chris was the brains of the operation. Then Matt and Bobby Seymour stepped in and they were there all season. We couldn’t have done it with them. It was such an honor to have them in our pit this year.”
Second at the Icebreaker and a win (in tech) gave Cugini the points lead after two races and he kept it with a streak of strong finishes before losing it with the 16th at Star. The comeback started with a win at Seekonk – “the biggest of the season”- but he didn’t regain it until Sept. 9 with a fifth behind Richie Coy at Waterford. Both title races were in doubt heading into the Icebreaker.
Cugini also drove a Max Zachem car in the Whelen NASCAR Modified Series at the World Series. Starting 25th, he was running seventh when he collected in an accident (“I was walled.”) Still, he was “very happy” with the effort and despite declaring “there is nothing like driving a Midget, nothing more fun,” Modifieds may be in the future.
Zachem dates Meg and was part of the Virginia venture. Family connections, long a NEMA feature, are special for Cugini. “They are everywhere,” he says pointing to father and son Bobby and Matt Seymour with nephew/cousin Ben Mitkitarian.
The Cugini family now owns three Lites titles – An Owner’s champion in 2013. Dan was out of the top 10 only once in 17 races that year with four podiums. Family and consistency is an established Cugini trademark.
2017 NEMA LITES Points
Drivers (Wins)
1. Dan Cugini, 2224 (2), 2. Jim Chambers, 2131 (2), 3. Ryan Locke, 1967; 4. Ben Mikitarian 1794 (2), 5. Randy Cabral 1691 Kingston,MA (1), 6. Paul Scally 1669 Raynham, MA (1), 7. Jim Cataldo 1518, 8. Richie Coy 1482 (1), 9. Christopher Vose 1244, 10. Dennis O’Brien 1202. Other winners: Todd Bertrand, Chad LaBastie, Dylan Duhaime (3), Anthony Payne, Jake Stergois, Ryan Bigelow.
Owners
1. Dan Cugini 2224, 2. Jim Chambers 2201, 3. John Locke 1967, 4. John Mikitarian 1794, 5. Glenn Cabral 1691, (Plymouth, MA) 6. Paul Scally 1669; 7. Mike Scrivani 1490, Brockton, MA)8. Richie Coy 1482, 9. Jim Cataldo 1282, 10. Christopher Vose 1244.
Source: NEMA PR |
