Coutu and Scally Take the Checkered Flags for the Shane Hammond Memorial

Waterford, CT- This past Saturday, the Mighty NEMA Midgets and Lites gathered at the New London- Waterford Speedbowl in honor of Shane Hammond.

The Shane Hammond Believe Foundation, has changed the way drivers, clubs & tracks think about safety. Restraints, helmets on track officials, full containment seats, extra cushion in the walls just to name a few. Deb Glockner Marvuglio, Shane Hammond’s mother, commented, “I need to thank my family, Shane’s friends and racing colleagues who continue to support me and my safety mission and who remind me how special Shane was…I was overwhelmed by the love and support at the track and excited to witness new winners this year with exciting racing! Thank you to Dylan who designed the memorial t-shirts. Just feeling blessed, Thank you all.”

The NEMA Lites took the track as the sun began to set. Tiana Kibbe in the Kibbe Racing #94 alongside Ethan Dion in the #8 composed the front row and led the field to the green flag for 37 action packed laps around the Speedbowl. Kibbe and Dion raced side by side for the first lap but would maintain the lead with Dion and Ben Mikitarian in the #9 on her back bumper. On lap three, going into turn one, Mikitarian took the low line to take over the first position and began to extend his lead by a few car lengths. Then going into turn three, Joey Bailey in the Matt Seymour Racing #2 took the low line to take over second.

On lap 4, going into turn one, Dion took the low line to take over third. On the same lap, entering into turn three, Dylan Coutu in the Redline Motorsports #53, navigated his way into the 4th position.

An early race caution was thrown on the track on lap 5, as the field restacked and racked for a double file restart. Mikitarian alongside Bailey led the field back to the green flag. Mikitarian, jumped to the lead followed by Bailey, Coutu, Ryan Macartney in the #9M, and Dion to round out the top 5.

On lap 8, starting from his 12th place starting position, Randy Cabral in the #47, worked his way into the top 5 over Dion. Over the next several laps, Mikitarian continued his lead by nearly half a straightaway over Bailey. Coutu, running in the 3rd position, was now on the back bumper of Bailey setting up to take over second when he took the low line going into turn one. The two raced side by side going down the backstretch and going into turn three, but Coutu was able to get a drive coming out of turn four to take over second on lap 11. Coutu now had his eyes set on Mikitarian and worked to close the half a straightaway gap between the two.

As the laps began to tick down, on lap 19, Coutu was able to reel in Mikitarian and was now on his back bumper. While going into turn three, Coutu showed Mikitarian his nose and was able to take the low line from Mikitarian to take over and lead lap 20. Once Coutu took the lead, he never looked back, as he began to drive away from the rest of the field to create nearly half a straightaway lead.

On lap 23, as Coutu retained his lead, Bailey took 2nd over Mikitarian and began to work at closing the gap between him and Coutu. As a battle for fourth began between Macartney and Cabral, going down the backstretch. On the following lap, Cabral was able to get a run going off turn two to take over fourth. Soon after, unfortunately, a caution was thrown for Mikitarian, running third at the time, for a flat tire that would end his race.

The field then re-racked for a double file restart with Coutu leading the field back to the green flag for 13 laps remaining. Coutu once again jumped to the lead over Bailey and Macartney. But continuing on his charge through the field, Cabral was determined to take over third as he kept Macartney within striking distance. While coming out of turn two on lap 26 Cabral drove up alongside Macartney to take over third. Cabral now set his eyes on second place Bailey as he worked to close the five car length gap between the two.

Over the next several laps, Coutu stretched his lead over Bailey by nearly a straightaway. With two laps remaining, Cabral was able to work the highline of the track to close the gap between him and Bailey and was now on his back bumper.

On lap 37, as the checkered flag flew for Coutu, who dominated the race from lap 20, Cabral drove up alongside Bailey at an attempt for a last corner pass but Bailey edged out Cabral to take second by his front nose.

After an action packed race, in a victory lane interview, Coutu commented on his win, “I really wanted to win this one, at my home track, Waterford. After a lot of upsets here, to finally win here is truly amazing.”

Starting from his 12th place starting position, to round out the podium for 3rd was hard charger Randy Cabral. After his race, he commented, “I have to thank Deb and everything she does for keeping Shane’s memory alive, Shane was my best friend and this is very important to me.”

To round out the top 10, were strong finishes by Dylan Coutu #53, Joey Bailey #2, Randy Cabral #47, Ryan Macartney #9M, Kyle Valeri #17, Mike Pernesiglio #28, Tiana Kibbe #94, Brayden Egan #59, Tyson Adamik #88, Ethan Dion #8.

In the NEMA feature Doug Cleveland in the #87 alongside Paul “Dangerous” Scally in the #30 led the field to a continuous 25 green to checkered flag race.

On lap one of the 25 lap feature, Scally jumped to the lead going into turn one followed by Dylan Rock in the Rock Racing #49 and Randy Cabral in the Bertrand Motorsports #74.

Over the next several laps as the field started to spread out amongst themselves, we saw a battle shape out between fourth place, Mike Horn in the #93 and fifth place, Avery Stoehr in the Bertrand Motorsports #39. On lap 5, Stoehr, now on the back bumper of Horn going down the front stretch, took the low line from Horn to take over the 4th position. Stoehr now set his eyes on Cabral and began to reel him in and close the half a straightaway distance between the two.

While Scally extended his lead over Rock by a straightaway, Stoehr worked the high groove to close the gap between him and third place Cabral. On lap 13, Stoehr took the low line going down the front stretch but Cabral was able to keep his momentum going into turn one where the two raced side by side. Going down the backstretch, Cabral was able to hold off hard charging Stoehr to hold onto 3rd. But the battle was not over yet, Cabral took the low line from Stoehr going into turn one on the next lap, while Stoehr took the familiar high line where he was able to get a drive off of turn two to take over third going down the back stretch.

Over the next 11 laps, as the field spread out amongst themselves, in a dominating and skillful performance, Scally was able to extend his lead by half a lap to take the checkered flag over Rock and Stoehr.

In a victory lane interview, Scally commented on his win. “I couldn’t do this without my family and friends here tonight. I was motivated after not being able to take the green flag in the Lite race earlier, and just wanted to run from these guys.”

Hard chargers in the NEMA midgets was a tie between Dylan Rock and Avery Stoehr who both advanced two spots from their starting positions.

To round out the field, strong finishes by Paul Scally #30, Dylan Rock #49, Avery Stoehr #39, Mike Horn #93, Randy Cabral #74, Doug Cleveland #87, Jack Dumas #77, and Derek Robbie #A1.

The NEMA Lites are back in action this coming weekend on Saturday at Wiscasset Speedway for the Ames True Value Night. The green flag drops at 5pm! We hope to see you there!

Photos by John DaDalt