Ryan Bigelow put his name in the NEMA Midget history book by winning his first race at Waterford Speedbowl’s finale. (Credit: Ryan Bigelow photo)
By Lou Modestino
Some lines were added to the NEMA history book on Sunday when the midgets ran at the Waterford Speedbowl’s Fall Finale. Ryan Bigelow of E. Hampton, CT. became a first time winner in the NEMA Midgets and Ryan Krachun of Neshanic Station, NJ became a first time champion in the Lites. Continue reading
The NEMA Midgets head for Oswego Speedway in Central NY State this weekend, Sept. 13-14 (Credit: NEMA photo)
By Lou Modestino
The NEMA Midgets and the NEMA Lites will be making one of their longest tows of the season to one of most challenging tracks on the circuit tonight. NEMA returns to the Oswego Speedway in central New York State to be part of the track’s Race of Champions Weekend.
The midgets share the card with the Small Block Super-Modified Championship 50 and RoC Sportsman 100 on day 1 of the 2 day race weekend. The Super-Modified championship race and the RoC Modified 200 is on Sunday. The Race of Champions event is the second oldest consecutively run auto race in the country. Only the Indy 500 has been run longer.
The 5/8 mile oval provides for some fast laps for NEMA. Seth Carlson set a blistering pace on the way to his impressive win last year. But the fastest lap was turned in by Greg Stoehr of Lakeville, turning a 17.116 for an average of over 131 miles per hour.
All of the top 5 finishers in last year’s NEMA feature were cranking out laps in the low 17’s. None were faster than Jim Miller’s record setting lap of 16.94 during their 2012 visit to Oswego. Miller was also the feature winner.
Many of the experienced drivers consider Oswego to be a “rhythm track.” If you can set a pace, get out of the groove and do your passing on the outside you can really gain some ground.
Among those that have followed that philosophy is six time champion Russ Stoehr of Bridgewater.. Russ is an 8 time winner there. Joey Payne is a two time midget winner and multi-time Super-Modified victor at the “Steel Palace.” Payne just completed a super fast weekend at the famed Oswego Classic.
Another driver that knows the quick way around Oswego is Richie Morrocco of Plainville. He got his first ever NEMA Lite win in his rookie season last year.
Other past Oswego podium finishers are also threats to end up in victory lane this week including Danny Cugini of Marshfield, Christian Briggs of Mattapoisett, Paul Bigelow in the Lites, as well as Bridgewater’s Bethany Stoehr, Lakeville’s Avery Stoehr and Ian Cummens in the midgets.
Add in any of the other 10 winners from this season and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will bring home the trophy.
Points are in consideration for this race as well. Oswego is the first of the three remaining races of season for the NEMA midgets and next to last event for the Lites. There are even bonus points awarded for this race considering the distance of travel to the venue.
Randy Cabral of Kingston now has a satisfying lead over Avery Stoehr by virtue of his win in the most recent race at Star Speedway. It was Cabral’s fourth of the season. The separation is 73 points.
Ryan Krachun was able to regain the Lites point lead after his first Lites victory at Star Speedway in Epping, NH. He sits a comfortable 82 points ahead of 4 time winner PJ Stergios. The standings are extremely tight from second to fourth.
Practice for cars of Oswego’s day 1 Race of Champions event is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. this afternoon with qualifying at 5 p.m.
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Marshfield’s Danny Cugni hopes to turn things around in his NEMA Lites effort at Waterford after a DNF at Star Speedway. (Credit:NEMA photo)
By Lou Modestino
The NEMA Lites roll into the Waterford Speedbowl this Saturday night for their fifth of a half dozen appearances this season. There has been a different winner in each visit to the “Bowl.” There’s a good chance another new face will grace Waterford’s victory lane in this one, too. Continue reading
Danni Cugni of Marshfield made it to victory lane in the Wings and Wheels NEMA Lites feature at Waterford Speedbowl. Credit: NEMA photo.)
By Lou Modestino
Reigning NEMA champion John Zych was starting to worry that he hadn’t visited victory lane in 2014. A couple of podium finishes was all he could muster more than halfway through the schedule. That stress was relieved Saturday night when Zych of Mendon, MA won the Angelillo Memorial at the Waterford Speedbowl.
Juris Kupris (c) is part of the NEMA Young Lions making the presence know in the NEMA Lite division. Kupris was another first time winner in the NEMA Lites at the Waterford Speedbowl. PJ Stergios (l) with Anthony Payne and Deb Marviglio (r) (Credit: NEMA Midget photo)
By Lou Modestino
The Waterford CT Speedbowl is in the Northeastern Midget Association record books as producing the most first time winners of any track on the circuit. It happened again Saturday night. An elated Juris Kupris of Williamsburg, NY raced to his very first victory in the NEMA Lites series. It only took six and a half minutes in the 27 lap flag to flag main event. Continue reading