NEMA Winged Midgets Angelillo Memorial Race Results, Thompson,Conn. 8-12-15

         Posted by Wayne G. Barber & Photos from the Wayne.G. Barber Collection

The NEMA Midgets put on quite a show in the Angelillo Memorial race, ending with #9 John Zych, Jr. who hails from Mendon, Mass. blistering the field for his third victory of the season.
 I visited the race teams in the pits on this beautiful New England day in mid week and I was concerned on all the car counts with a mid week show. A solid 14 race teams made the trip.
  I met shoe Todd Bertrand first taking a breather after setting up in the far pit area in turn two and he gave me a great greeting with this being our first meeting since his great victory at Seekonk in the Boston Louie Memorial race. He seemed very relaxed and I remembered him revealing to our listening audience that he just loves racing at Thompson Speedway. His chariot is the #39.
   Bertrand's brother Tim Bertrand is a two car team. His bread and butter is 5 time NEMA Champion #47 Randy Cabral and the #74 has NASCAR Whelen Modified Champion Doug Coby in previous events and tonight the pilot will be local crowd favorite and just one of those drivers who can really get up on the wheel in anything on 4 wheels. Yes we are describing Bobby Santos III who is doing double duty today in the NASCAR Whelen Tour #44. Larry (Leadfoot) Barnett will be spotting for him in the Bud 150 later.
 I shot some amazing pictures and observed the Cabral crew in full mechanical mode with the left rear completely dismantled after their practice and praying to repair the winged rocket ship just in time for qualifying instead of starting at the rear scratch.

The feature was a scheduled 25 lapper and the NEMA Lites were not part of the tour tonight.

The draw had #7 Alan Chambers with a best of 18.986 and 119.746 mph and the outside pole was #30 Paul Scally with a best time of 18.805 and 120 mph.

Zych started in the 9 hole and Cabral received a great starting spot of second row inside.

Photo credit NEMA Norm Marx

 

The 4 wide NEMA parade made the crowd stand and I hollered to everyone to wave their hats to applaud the Winged Warriors. The race started to perfection and would prove to be short lived with the #30 Scally race car stalling on the entrance to turn three to force a caution.

 The new front point race cars were Cabral who posted the second fastest lap on the day at 17.996 and 124mph and a quick #21 Jim Chambers who made their car better in between the heats and got it up to a respectable 18.526 122mph. Meanwhile Zych and #51 Danny Cugini were putting on one of the best race within a race of the entire field. Cugini was coming like a Fantastic 4 member and I clocked him at 18.178 and 124.978 and the American flag was not at his back.

 It only took until lap 7 for the cream to rise and we now had Cabral in the all to familiar 1st place position setting a blistering pace and no ill effects to the repairs on the left rear which I kept eye on for any signs of smoke of burning up a axle or bearing with Zynch and Cugini stalking him and finding the new line with additional rubber now on the pavement.

 The next fatality at lap 11 was #51 Cugini stalling and coming to a abrupt halt at the center grandstand and requesting a push to the pits and then behind the wall. This NEMA Midget one of the oldest forms of racing in the great USA and is a rocket ship that has no starter and runs by a magneto and a methanol fuel type that when you smell for the first time you will never forget. The teams have the additional expense of a push type ATV or other means. The tad smaller NEMA Lites have a starter.

 On lap 12 Zych put on the after burner and took control of the pace of his race to win with Cugini no longer a threat. Green until lap 20 when #74 Bobby Santos III who struggeled with car from lap 9 till the 20th called it a night and was pushed behind the wall. If Cabral had anything left in the tank it had to happen on the re-start. Zych executed a text book in this division single file re-start to perfection and it would be victory #3 in the 2015 racing season in the books if the race car passed post race inspection which of the time of this posting has no DQ'S.
  The 15a piloted by Avery Stoehr had turned a real fast lap of 18.342  and 121.998 and just missed the podium at the 4th spot and will have to be someone to watch as the 2015 racing season comes to a close.
 I had witnessed Bethany Stoehr record a impressive victory at the New London Waterford Speedbowl and also had my ears massaged by Bethany sing her rendition of our great National Anthem at Monadnock in 2014 and this year at Seekonk to a standing ovation and this talented young lady really should think about multi-tasking and booking a audition for American Idol or Americas Got Talent.



Miss Bethany Stoehr captivating the crowd with her version of the

 National Anthem at Monadnock 2014

 NEMA Finish: 1st John Zych Jr, 2nd Randy Cabral, 3rd Jim Chambers ,4th Avery Stoehr ,and my friend Todd Bertrand 5th on this night, Seth Carlson ,Alan Chambers ,Bethany Stoehr ,Russ Stoehr ,Bobby Santos III ,Alex Shlatz, Dan Cugini, Paul Scally, and Doug Cleveland P.S I kept looking for a new NEMA star I witnessed at Seekonk # 99 Jim Santa Maria but his race team did not make the mid-week event. This Tour Group is worth the price of the admission in this scribes Opinion !

Next race will be August 21st a Friday night at the Twin State Speedway in Claremont,NH and the NEMA Lites will also thrill you too !   If you would like more reporting on this great series E-Mail us at waynewnri@yahoo.com   Wayne

Todd Bertrand at Seekonk !
 

John Zych Jr. at Seekonk

Seekonk podium