NEMA Thrills large crowd at Wiscassetby Ken Minott
What do you get when you put the world’s fastest asphalt sprint cars on Maine’s fastest track? You get a jaw-dropping display of speed and skill and a constant assault on track records. After missing their visit during the shortened 2020 season, the stars and cars of the North Eastern Midget Association (NEMA) returned to Wiscasset Speedway and one of their favorite stops on their tour for “Ames True Value NEMA Night”. The threat of inclement weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the large contingent of fans packing the coastal Maine track. Brief bouts of light sprinkles throughout the evening kept race officials on edge, but thanks to the great work of the race teams and track staff, the show went on uninterrupted. A trio of Group 2 divisions added to the show, with Late Model Sportsman, Strictly Streets, and Modifieds also in action.
As expected, the NEMA Midgets did not disappoint. Avery Stoehr of Assonet, Ma kicked off the show with a bang, claiming the checkers in the opening 10 lap heat race. On the final lap of the race, he posted a record-breaking lap of 12.875 seconds around the 3/8 mile banked track. The previous record of 12.924 was set by Alby Ovit in 2019. In the 30 lap spotlight feature, former champ John Zych charged to the front from mid-pack and then withheld a late-race challenge from Stoehr to claim the victory, his 3rd career win at Wiscasset. Stoehr settled for a second-place finish to go with his new track record. Nascar Modified star Ronnie Williams of Ellington, CT made his NEMA debut driving the Bertrand Motorsports Team car and turned in an impressive third-place finish.
The NEMA Lite 25 lap feature saw some great 3-wide action throughout the field as they jockeyed for position and a shot at the win. Multi-time NEMA Midget champ Randy Cabral of Kingston, Ma got out to an early lead and then withstood late-race challenges from Paul Scally and Jake Trainor to take the win in his #35 Cabral Family-owned ride. Trainor of Medway, Ma continues to be one of the top drivers in the NEMA Lite ranks. He chased Cabral across the line for second place. They were joined in victory lane by Jim Santa Maria of Burlington, CT. Scally was chasing down Cabral as they approached the final five laps, only to develop engine problems. He wound up 14th.
In the support division action, Liberty’s Josh St Clair continued his amazing season with a victory in the 20 lap feature for the Portland Glass Strictly Streets. To date, the third-generation racer now has 6 wins total (2 Pro Stock, 2 Late Model, and 2 Strictly Street). In Saturday’s Strictly Street feature, he was joined in victory lane by his teammate Kurt Hewins of Turner, and point leader Jonathon Emerson of Sabattus. Ryan Ripley took home the first place trophy in the 30 lap feature for the 88.5FM Modifieds. Point leader and reigning champ Adam Chadbourne of Woolwich took second, followed by Hope’s Mike Brown. The 40 lap feature for the Wood Pellet Warehouse Late Model Sportsman saw 21 cars take the green flag. The race was slowed by just a pair of cautions. Matt Bourgoine of Stetson started 7th and picked his way to the front to grab an emotional victory. Over the final 10 laps he held off 5-time champ Chris Thorne and previous winners Josh St Clair and Tiger Colby to take his first career Late Model win. Thorne took the second place trophy and Colby beat out St Clair for the final spot in victory lane.
Wiscasset Speedway returns to action Saturday, July 3rd with Group 1 Fan Appreciation Night. The special program will also be the track’s annual Independence Day weekend celebration with appearances by the Wreath’s Across America Mobile Education Exhibit along with the Augusta and Brunswick chapters of the Patriot Riders Motorcycle Club. The festivities begin at 4:00 pm with an on-track driver autograph session with all of the Group 1 race teams. Following that there will be kids’ bike races in three different age groups (3-5, 5-7, and 8-12), where the youngsters will get to race their bikes against some of the drivers on the track. The Ward & Son’s Construction Kids Club will also have fun activities including a red-white-and-blue parade in front of the grandstands. The racing action will commence shortly after 5:00 pm followed by fireworks. As always, admission is just $5, with kids 6&under free. More information can be found at www.wiscassetspeedway.com
The Wreath’s Across America Mobile Education exhibit will be set up in the parking lot of the speedway from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm just outside the main entrance. The exhibit is open and free to the public. The interactive exhibit offers patrons the opportunity to learn about the mission of the organization which honors the commitment and sacrifice of our veterans. WAA will also hold a special ceremony in Wiscasset’s victory lane during intermission. For more information, go to www.wreathsacrossamerica.org
WISCASSET SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL FINISH 6/26/21GROUP 2 PLUS NEMA MIDGETS & NEMA LITES
NEMA MIDGETS (30 laps – spotlight)* John Zych 3rd Wiscasset victory
| Pos | No. | Name | Hometown | State | Laps | Diff | Gap | Best Tm | Best Speed | In Lap |
| 1 | 9 | John Zych | Mendon | MA | 30 | 13.382 | 100.882 | 16 | ||
| 2 | 39 | Avery Stoehr | Assonet | MA | 30 | 0.830 | 0.830 | 13.352 | 101.108 | 10 |
| 3 | 17 | Ronnie Williams | Ellington | CT | 30 | 6.105 | 5.275 | 13.558 | 99.572 | 12 |
| 4 | 69 | Matt Merry | Plaistow | NH | 30 | 7.015 | 0.910 | 13.753 | 98.160 | 13 |
| 5 | 30 | Paul Scally | Raynham | MA | 30 | 11.406 | 4.391 | 13.744 | 98.225 | 15 |
| 6 | 74 | Randy Cabral | Kingston | MA | 30 | 11.899 | 0.493 | 13.520 | 99.852 | 9 |
| 7 | 16 | Matt O’Brien | Wilmington | MA | 29 | 1 Lap | 1 Lap | 14.109 | 95.684 | 5 |
| 8 | 87 | Doug Cleveland | Sudbury | MA | 29 | 1 Lap | 1.401 | 14.057 | 96.038 | 4 |
| 9 | 18 | Andy Lunt | Marion | MA | 29 | 1 Lap | 4.138 | 13.997 | 96.449 | 5 |
| 10 | 7 | Alan Chambers | Atkinson | NH | 6 | 24 Laps | 23 Laps | 14.189 | 95.144 | 5 |
..NEMA LITES (25 laps)
| Pos | No. | Name | Hometown | State | Laps | Diff | Gap | Best Tm | Best Speed | In Lap |
| 1 | 35 | Randy Cabral | Kingston | MA | 25 | 14.534 | 92.886 | 7 | ||
| 2 | 29 | Jake Trainor | Medway | MA | 25 | 0.453 | 0.453 | 14.441 | 93.484 | 7 |
| 3 | 97 | Jim Santa Maria | Burlington | CT | 25 | 1.594 | 1.141 | 14.394 | 93.789 | 8 |
| 4 | 3 | Chris Vose | Gloversville | NY | 25 | 5.041 | 3.447 | 14.753 | 91.507 | 5 |
| 5 | 28 | Mike Pernisiglio | Ronkonkoma | NY | 25 | 5.278 | 0.237 | 14.770 | 91.401 | 6 |
| 6 | 21 | Avery Stoehr | Assonet | MA | 25 | 8.588 | 3.310 | 14.555 | 92.752 | 14 |
| 7 | 17 | Kyle Valeri | Monument Beach | MA | 25 | 8.713 | 0.125 | 14.701 | 91.830 | 15 |
| 8 | 19 | Richie Coy | Haskell | NJ | 25 | 9.931 | 1.218 | 14.758 | 91.476 | 14 |
| 9 | 2 | Connor Souza | n/a | 25 | 13.673 | 3.742 | 15.022 | 89.868 | 15 | |
| 10 | 94 | Tiana Kibbe | Fairfield | CT | 24 | 1 Lap | 1 Lap | 15.186 | 88.898 | 15 |
| 11 | 53 | Dylan Coutu | Hopeville | CT | 24 | 1 Lap | 4.683 | 15.288 | 88.305 | 17 |
| 12 | 8 | Ethan Dion | Oakdale | CT | 24 | 1 Lap | 6.621 | 15.597 | 86.555 | 4 |
| 13 | 16 | Dennis O’Brien | Deerfield | NH | 21 | 4 Laps | 3 Laps | 15.199 | 88.822 | 19 |
| 14 | 30 | Paul Scally | Raynham | MA | 19 | 6 Laps | 2 Laps | 14.378 | 93.893 | 13 |
..PORTLAND GLASS STRICTLY STREETS (25 laps)* St Clair 2nd Strictly Street win of 2021
| Pos | No. | Name | Hometown | State | Laps | Diff | Gap | Best Tm | Best Speed | In Lap |
| 1 | 51 | Josh St Clair | Liberty | Me | 25 | 17.411 | 77.537 | 12 | ||
| 2 | 14H | Kurt Hewins | Turner | Me | 25 | 0.912 | 0.912 | 17.424 | 77.479 | 11 |
| 3 | 24 | Jonathan Emerson | Sabattus | Me | 25 | 3.400 | 2.488 | 17.745 | 76.078 | 14 |
| 4 | 14 | Ashton Reynolds | Liberty | Me | 25 | 3.842 | 0.442 | 17.604 | 76.687 | 8 |
| 5 | 08 | Mac Hannan Jr | Washington | Me | 25 | n/a | – | 0 | ||
| 6 | 23 | Zach Emerson | Sabattus | Me | 25 | 9.165 | 5.323 | 17.896 | 75.436 | 2 |
| 7 | 67 | Mike Haynes | Livermore Falls | Me | 25 | 9.687 | 0.522 | 17.962 | 75.159 | 13 |
| 8 | 74 | Keith Drost | Etna | Me | 25 | 9.979 | 0.292 | 17.731 | 76.138 | 18 |
| 9 | 78 | Brady Romano | Livermore Falls | Me | 25 | 10.315 | 0.336 | 17.827 | 75.728 | 17 |
| 10 | 83 | Dan Brown | Peru | ME | 25 | 12.581 | 2.266 | 17.967 | 75.138 | 16 |
| 11 | 3 | Bernie Dinsmore | Hope | Me | 19 | 6 Laps | 6 Laps | 17.968 | 75.134 | 4 |
| 12 | 5 | Brett Osmond | Wiscasset | Me | 19 | 6 Laps | 7.430 | 17.975 | 75.104 | 3 |
| 13 | 64 | Dean Rice | Nobleboro | Me | 16 | 9 Laps | 3 Laps | 18.011 | 74.954 | 13 |
| 14 | 00 | Chad Wills | Oxford | Me | 8 | 17 Laps | 8 Laps | 18.239 | 74.017 |
