Avery Stoehr, Jim Santa Maria Take AMES True Value NEMA Wins At Wiscasset Speedway


(Press Release from Northeastern Midget Association)

Last Saturday evening, the Northeastern Midget Association rolled into one of its favorite stops of the year, at the Wiscasset Speedway.  2019 Champion Avery Stoehr came back after a wreck at the Hudson Speedway to take down the NEMA portion of the show, and Jim Santa Maria returned to victory lane in an emotional, well earned victory in the 60 lap lites special, his first return to victory lane in 13 seasons.  The evening was sponsored by AMES True Value, a long time supporter of NEMA and the Wiscasset Speedway.

In the heat races, Avery Stoehr took down the first heat, in blistering fashion setting the scene for later in the evening over Paul Scally and Nathan Byrd.  Matt Merry took down an impressive win in heat 2 over Randy Cabral and Doug Cleveland. In the Lites division, youngster Mike Pernesiglio took down heat 1 over Randy Cabral and Paul Scally.  Avery Stoehr took down heat 2 in the Scrivani 21 over Tiana Kibbe and Jake Trainor. 

The night commemorated NEMA legend Dave Humphrey.  Humphrey took his first midget ride in 1946, at the age oftwenty-one, and won his last midget race in 1986, at the age of
sixty-one. In between, he won seventy-two Northeastern Midget association feature events, and six NEMA driving championships.  Both marks are amongst the top ever in the club’s 42-year history.


When the green flag flew in the Lites 60 Lap special, Jim Santa Maria blasted out into the lead in his family owned #97.  Quickly, Santa Maria began to set a torrid pace at the front of the field, clicking off laps of 14.4 seconds consistently lap after lap.  Behind him, the action was heating up.  Paul Scally came from deep in the field, mythodically working his way to the front, as he passed points leader Jake Trainor for second on lap 30.  

In front, Santa Maria was steadily pulling away from the field.  By lap 50, he had lapped up to 4th place Dylan Coutu, who was having his best run of the season, from 12th place.  Trainor would pass Scally back for the runner up spot on lap 53, but was not able to gain ground on Santa Maria.

Santa Maria would go on to take down his first win, followed by Trainor, Scally, Coutu, Richie Coy, Mike Pernesiglio, Drew Eldridge, Brandon Egan, Ethan Dion and Tiana Kibbe.

In the NEMA feature, Avery Stoehr started in the 5th spot, and quickly blasted to the front of the field.  Stoehr was first by the third lap, and was never challenged, enroute to winning by nearly ½ lap. Randy Cabral and John Zych came from 9th and 7th starting positions to finish second and third, followed by Nathan Byrd in the Bertrand 17, Doug Cleveland, Richie Coy, Mike Horn, Paul Scally, Matt Merry and Jake Trainor. 

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