(Press Release from Northeastern Midget Association)
Todd Bertrand (center) after winning Saturdays NEMA Midget feature Monadnock Speedway (Photo: Norm Marx/Northeastern Midget Association)
Todd Bertrand dominated the feature event in the Northeastern Midget Association’s Iron Mike Scrivani Memorial, in a race that was only slowed by a single caution. In the Lites segment, Danny Cugini captured an impressive victory, coming from deep in the field to win the event. The race commemorated Iron Mike Scrivani, long time NEMA car owner, and famous open wheel owner in the Northeast.
Proprietor of the legendary “Mike’s Truck Stop” in Wrentham, Scrivani’s car-owning career began in the 1930s with the Big Cars and it included a successful run with the Modifieds in the late 1960s and early ’70s, But Midgets were clearly his first love. Jerry Russo drove the Scrivani midget in NEMA’s first race at Seekonk Speedway on Memorial Day of 1953.
When the NEMA feature kicked off on Saturday night, Doug Cleveland and Paul Scally brought the feature down for the green flag. Quickly, fourth place starter John Zych blasted around the outside of third place starter Mike Horn, and made a daring move around the outside of both Scally and Cleveland for the lead through turns one and two on lap two. Zych cooked off a ultra quick 11.79 second lap, but his night would come to an end as a loose oil filter saw him spinning in his own oil, and the field evaded disaster with no casualties.
After a red flag period, Todd Bertrand, driving his family’s iconic #47 lined up on the outside of Mike Horn. Horn got the jump off of turn four, but Bertrand powered around him in turns one and two and took over the point.
Bertrand began to set a blistering pace, running laps in the 11.7 second range, running the fastest time of the day at 11.74 seconds. As he approached lap traffic, teammate Randy Cabral, who had sliced his way into second, would get within four carlengths, but Bertrand used the traffic to his advantage to again distance himself to nearly a straightaway on Cabral. The third Bertrand teammate, Avery Stoehr, was battling to hold off second place points runner Jim Chambers. As the laps wound down, it was all Bertrand at the point, taking down the win over Cabral and Stoehr for a Bertrand Motorsports podium. Chambers finished fourth followed by Horn, Alby Ovitt, Dan Cugini, Matt O’Brien, Doug Cleveland, and Andy Lunt.
“This is just such a fun track to race at, and our car was phenomenal tonight. To win in this 47 car is so special for me, it is one of the most historic numbers and cars ever to race in this club,” said Bertrand. “I need to thank the Scrivani family for putting on such a great show, Monadnock, and to my brother Tim, Dad and family for putting this deal together for me this weekend,” he said.
In the NEMA Lite feature, Jim Cataldo appeared to be possibly on his way to his first ever victory, as he jumped out into the lead early in the 30 lap feature event, and would put a huge distance on the field. Further back, Randy Cabral in the Manafort 76, Danny Cugini, and Kevin Iannarelli were all vying for the second spot.
A Jake Trainor spin, after a rear end part failure, would bunch up the field, and change Cataldo’s fate for the evening. When the green flag flew, Cugini went quickly to work, rolling around the top side of the track on rails. He picked off Cataldo, and set sail, running some of the fastest laps ever at Monadnock in a NEMA Lite car, in the 12.4 second range.
Further back, Cabral was fighting a tight race car, and Iannarelli would pick off both him and Cataldo, as he raced his way up to second.
When the checkered flag flew, it was all Cugini as he dominated the event, as Iannarelli would finish second, followed by Cataldo, Cabral, Richie Coy, Ryan Locke, Kyle Valeri, Anthony Marvuglio, Avery Stoehr, and Alan Chambers.
NEMA picks back up its schedule on October 6th at the New London Waterford Speedbowl.
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