Official Photography: Pete & Mary Taylor
Website: www.petespicks.smugmug.com
By Sophie D. Gabrion, Media Rep / Wiscasset Speedway
WISCASSET – The Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA) is the nation’s oldest race club of its kind, and last weekend, they rocked the house at Wiscasset Speedway! These cars are four cylinder, open-wheel racecars without starters or clutches. As the association states on their website, “If it is bolted into a midget, it serves one of only two purposes: safety or speed.”
To say that the NEMA Lites are impressive to watch would be a colossal understatement. Like surfboards with very severe buzz cuts, these microscopic machines paraded past the grand stands in lines 4-wide, like marching soldiers. Four laps into their 25-lap spotlight feature, Bethany Stoehr of the #15A stalled in the middle of turn two where Jim Cataldo of the #7 made contact and sent her into a violent pirouette. Alan Chambers of the #17 was also caught in the short-notice tangle, which ended the race early for all three.
With the course under a red flag, the track and safety crews reacted quickly to check on drivers, move cars and clean the course. When the action came back with twenty-one laps remaining, Danny Cugini of the #51 held a slight lead but was soon dominated for first by PJ Stergios of the #57. Jim Chambers of the #12 rounded out the leader pack in the third position. At speeds close to 97 mph, the spotlight race ended as fast as it had begun, with the beginning leaders holding their positions throughout the race and across the finish line. Sporting an astounding best lap time of 13.92 seconds, Stergios won first, with Curgini taking second and Chambers third.
With no gear shifting and methanol pumping through their veins, the NEMA Midgets flew like the wind into their 25-lap feature race. Within minutes, the two pack leaders – Todd Bertrand of the #74 and John Zych of the #9 – were barreling around the track at over 102 mph! Spectators throughout the grand stands risked whiplash to keep eyes on their favorite drivers until the very end – which in total took less than ten minutes! Bertrand took first, with Zych in second after achieving the best lap time of the race at 13.189 seconds! Randy Cabral of the #47 rounded out the leaders group in victory lane for third place.
The Thunder 4 Minis were tired of tires through two cautions for their 20-lap feature where drivers kept cutting corners, knocking the corner tires on to the field like ping pong balls. When the field finally made it past the first lap, Michael Golding of the #26 ruled the roost by more than a few car lengths, with Jeff Davis in the #1 not far behind. With the division’s current points leader, Michael Harrison of the #48, still trapped in fifth at the halfway point behind Tristan Shea of the #03 and Joe Katula of the #4J, Golding and Davis had a golden opportunity to even up the competition for the division championship. When only two laps remained, cantankerous lap traffic caused a serious ruckus that sent several cars, including Katula and Spencer Sweatt in the #84, hard into the wall at the top of turn one. Melcher dropped from fourth to the back of the pack for the restart, while Sweatt was towed and Katula was pitted for bumping under caution. Despite the regroup, Harrison ran out of time to advance beyond third place before the checkered flag few. In his season best finish, Davis placed second and Golding took home his third win for the year.
While Zac Poland of the #06 started out the Super Streets 25-lap feature strong, Kenny Harrison of the #85 was soon running away with first. Current points leader, Mark Lucas of the #5, held a close second for the majority of the race, determined not to let a hood-crushing collision during the heat race keep him out of the fun. Josh Bailey of the #2 was keeping a close eye on Lucas from nail-biting distances away in third. Ultimately his cat and mouse pursuit was not enough to close the gap, and Bailey finished in third, with Lucas in second and Harrison claiming his first win of the season.
The 40-lap Prostock feature race started out with a bang when the #23, driven by Brandon Sprague, drifted and was plowed into the infield by Chris Ryan of the #2R. Division leader, Andy Saunders of the #01, made the lead look effortless as he glided gracefully with a full straightaway between his car and the pack. Mike Moody of the #1 diligently held second, with Scott Chubbuck of the 15x in third. At the halfway point, several cars locked in traffic together and spun at the beginning of turn four, which caused the field to scatter. After a caution that left Ajay Picard of the #99 face-first into the front wall, Saunders again glided ahead in first, with Chubbuck in a close second, as Moody fought Kevin Morse of the #29 to hold third. With ten laps to go, the track was again put under caution when a battle waged between Morse and Charlie Colby of the #72 sent both cars careening into the infield. Back in the action, Chubbuck brought the heat so strong and so close, it must have burnt Saunders tail feathers. The leader found some relief when Tim Turner of the #9 collided with the back wall – his entire hood crumpled like a tin can on impact. At the race’s close, Saunders was able to defend his claim on first from Chubbuck, who took home second, with Moody placed third.
The New England 4 Cyl Pros were the final division to compete, with thirteen drivers from every skill level on the field. Brooke Knowles of the #09 took the lead of the 25-lap feature for the first lap until she lost control of her car and crossed over the track through traffic. Knowles ended up over the back ridge of the track and took Cam Corbin in his #54 with her, after t-boning his car in an unavoidable, unintentional direct hit. On the restart, RJ Pinkham of the #48, who has been a 3-time runner up this season, took the lead, followed by Spencer Vaughn of the #7. After Jamie Wright of the #84 passed Vaughn for second, the yellow flag dropped with six laps to go when Wright spun Pinkham, which sent both pack leaders to the back. When the race dust settled, Jeff Prindall of the #24 achieved his third win of the season, followed in second by Kamren Knowles of the #98 – the unofficial division champion for what will be the third year in a row. Third place went to Conner Wenners of the #4.
Clear your schedules next Saturday, September 17th at 6:00pm when fans will also be wowed by the drivers of Group Two, including the Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Model Sportsmen, Strictly Streets, Kennebec Equipment Rental Outlaw Minis, NAPA Modifieds and NELCAR Legends. Kids 6 and under enter for free and admission for everyone else is only $5 – less than the cost of a sandwich! For more information, visit www.wiscassetspeedway.
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Official Finish Results: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2016
Thunder 4 Minis: 20-Lap Feature Race
1. #26, Michael Golding – Pownal
2. #1, Jeff Davis – Woolwich
3. #48, Michael Harrison – Durham
4. #04, Curtis Anderson – Richmond
5. #41, Logan Melcher – Fayette
6. #20, Devan Robinson – Warren
7. #27, Jonathan Golding – Pownal
8. #58, David Greenleaf – Brunswick
9. #80, Donald Mooney – New Gloucester
10. #25jr, Brian Burr – Lisbon
11. #21, Shawn Berry – Livermore Falls
12. #84, Spencer Sweatt – Albion
13. #03, Trystin Shea – Richmond
14. #0, Peter McCaullet – Chelsea
15. #31, Leandre Martin – Richmond
DNS. #007, Destiny McKenzie – n/a
DNS. #10, Jason Trendy – Winterport
DQ. #4J, Joe Katula – Lisbon
NEMA Lites: 25-Lap Spotlight Race
1. #57, PJ Stergios – Newmarket, NH
2. #51, Danny Cugini – Marshfield, MA
3. #12, Jim Chambers – Atkinson, NH
4. #38, Ryan Locke – Raymond, NH
5. #35, Randy Cabral – Kingston, MA
6. #21, Anthony Payne – Fairlawn, NJ
7. #20, Jeremy Decourcy – Richester, NH
8. #9, Ben Mikitarian – Northborough, MA
9. #27, Kevin Fannarelli – n/a
10. #30, Paul Scally – Raynham, MA
11. #16, Dennis O’Brien – Wilmington, MA
12. #3, Chris Vossey – Groversville, NY
13. #52, Kevin Park – Foxboro, MA
14. #15A, Bethany Stoehr – Lakeville, MA
15. #7, Jim Cataldo – Sterling, MA
16. #17, Alan Chambers – Atkinson, NH
Super Streets: 25-Lap Feature
1. #85, Kenny Harrison – Pownal
2. #5, Mark Lucas – Harpswell
3. #2, Josh Bailey – Wiscasset
4. #11, Jason Oakes – Boothbay
5. #38, Cody Buzzell – Madison
6. #9, Sean Johnson – Oakland
7. #06, Zac Poland – Wiscasset
8. #20, Jay Bailey – Wiscasset
9. #27, Barry Poulin – Benton
DNS. #02, Jason Curtis – Hollis
ServPro of Biddeford/Saco Prostocks: 40-Lap Feature
1. #01, Andy Saunders – Ellsworth
2. #15X, Scott Chubbuck – Bowdoin
3. #1, Mike Moody – Topsham
4. #01x, Joe Decker – Chesterville
5. #12, Thomas True – Woolwich
6. #72, Charlie Colby – Newcastle
7. #23, Brandon Sprague – Edgecomb
8. #2R, Chris Ryan – Newburgh
9. #29, Kevin Morse – Woolwich
10. #9, Tim Turner – Freedom
11. #13, Nate Tribbet – Richmond
12. #05, James Osmond – Wiscasset
13. #99, Ajay Picard – Palmyra
NEMA Midgets: 25-Lap Feature
1. #74, Todd Bertrand – Danielson, CT
2. #9, John Zych – Mendon, MA
3. #47, Randy Cabral – Plymouth, MA
4. #7, Alan Chambers – Atkinson, NH
5. #15A, Avery Stoehr – Lakeville, MA
6. #71, Seth Carlson – Brimfield, CT
7. #99, Jim Santa Maria – Burlington, CT
8. #30, Paul Scally – Raynham, MA
9. #77, Doug Cleveland – Sudbury, MA
New England 4 Cyl Pros: 25-Lap Feature
1. #24, Jeff Prindall – Lisbon
2. #98, Kamren Knowles – West Gardiner
3. #4, Connor Wenners – Edgecomb
4. #84, Jamie Wright – Woolwich
5. #48, RJ Pinkham – Hallowell
6. #7, Spencer Vaughan – Canton
7. #70, Taylor Lane – Phillips
8. #55, John Shorey – Alna
9. #42, Mike Kibbin – Lisbon
10. #7d, Dakoda Doolan – ???
11. #5, Barry Morris – Livermore Falls
12. #9x, Brooke Knowles – West Gardiner
13. #54, Cam Corbin – Hallowell