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Saturday - August 14th, 2004

L to R: Mike Seymour; Randy Cabral, 3rd; Winner Ben Seitz;
Joey Payne, 2nd; and Bobby Seymour

The Boston Louie

Waterford Speedbowl - 8/7

1 - 17 - Ben Seitz***
2 - 45 - Joey Payne
***
3 - 36 - Randy Cabra

4
- 35 - Bobby Santos
5 - 29 - Mark Buonomo
6
- 50 - Pete Pernisiglio
7 - 44 - Ed Breault
8 - 18 - Rich Gerbe
9 - 7ny - Adam Cantor
10 - 15 - Ryan Dolan
11 - 37 - Shane Hammond
12 - 16 -Matt O'Brien
13 - 25 - Sean Dolan
14 - 57 - Bob Bradbury
15 -
22 - Andy Shlatz
16 - 11 - Lee Bundy
17 - 33 - Tommy Spada
18 - 98s - Erica Santos
19 - 54me - Don Zrinski
20 - 81 - Tim Heath
21 -   2 - Howie Bumpus
22 - 48 - Tim Bertrand
23 - 78 - Doug Cleveland ( DNS)

*** - Hard Charger Award

Boston Louie Special Awards of $100.00

For: From: To:
Furthest Distance Travelled Parker Sanitary Pete Pernesiglio
Feature Winner Campanale Bros. Peter Valeri
16h Place Finisher Campanale Bros. Lee Bundy
Hard Luck Award Campanale Bros. George Heath
Hard Charger Award The Race Depot Ben Seitz &
Joey Payne
2nd Finishing Car with an Autocraft Engine Autocraft Engines Bobby Seymour
      Seitz Wins NEMA’s Boston Louie

When Ben Seitz took second away from Pete Pernesiglio with 15 laps remaining, Joey Payne Jr. was almost a halfway straightaway ahead. Still, the Northeastern Midget Association point leader was feeling confident.

“The stagger wasn’t right in the beginning and we sort of guessed at it,” Seitz explained. “Then the car started coming to us and about the time I was getting better and better I noticed Joey [Payne] was getting looser and looser.”

Seitz chased down and passed Payne with nine laps left and then survived a late restart to capture NEMA’s 29-lap Boston Louie Memorial Saturday night at Waterford Speedbowl. Seitz, who called it “without doubt the biggest feature of my career,’ is the eighth winner in as many “Louie” races. He also won the Helping Hands Across America Dash.

The race honors the patriarch of the Seymour family. Randy Cabral was third followed by Bobby Santos III (in the Cabral 36) and Mark Buonomo (in the Seymour 29). It was the third win of the season for Seitz and the Pete Valeri #17.

Payne (Angelillo 45) and Seitz started side-by-side in the sixth row, the former immediately moving to the front. “There were just a bunch of cars everywhere and I just wiggled my way through and before I knew it I was fourth,” said Payne – easily the fastest car in the early going.

When the first caution flew five laps in, Payne and Seitz were fourth and fifth behind leader Pernesiglio. On the green, Payne settled in behind Pernesiglio and Santos, passing the latter on lap 18 and then assuming command heading in one with 16 left.

“Once I got up through the car was really good and I probably should have slowed down, been a little smoother,” said Payne, pointing out he “freed the car up” before the feature. “With NEMA there’s probably 10 cars that can win and you can’t sleep here [the Speedbowl.]”

Seitz, who won earlier this season at the Speedbowl, passed Pernesiglio with 15 left. He caught and passed Payne down the front chute with nine showing. He appeared headed to an impressive win when the final caution showed.

“I had nothing for him,” said Payne. “I knew my right rear was gone. I knew we were done. I was concerned with holding on for second.”

Cabral came from sixth to third in the final laps, passing Santos on the final circuit. He was pleased with the team’s two top-five efforts. “They had a lot more than me,” he said of Seitz and Payne. “I just pulled a third out of the air.” He said Santos’ fourth “proves he can drive this track.”

Mark Buonomo, driving the car Santos drove to four Speedbowl victories including one earlier this year, was fifth. Pernesiglio, the early leader, held on for sixth. Seitz and Buonomo were the heat winners.

Seitz called the win “very special” pointing out that Seymour played a leading role in the Valeri team moving from Legends Cars to Midgets three years ago. “It’s just a real prestigious event because they have such a name throughout the whole country,” he explained. “It’s a big race for everybody.”


It was the eighth race of the season for NEMA and the seventh top-five finish for Seitz including a win at Lee on July 23.

Heat Action:

Photos by
Sheila Somers


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Photos by
John DaDalt

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Victory Circle:

Photos by

Sheila Somers

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Race Action:

Photos by
John DaDalt

Photos by
Sheila Somers

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HEAT 1
29 - Buonomo
45 - Payne
16 - O'Brien
18 - Gerbe
7ny - Cantor
2 - Bumpus
98s - E. Santos
48 - Bertrand
33 - Spada
25 - S. Dolan
57 - Brandbury
54me - Zrinski-DNS
HEAT 2
17 - Seitz
25 - B. Santos
50 - Pernisiglio
36 - R. Cabral
37 - Hammond
44 - Breault
15 - R. Dolan
81 - Heath
11 - Bundy
22 - Shlatz
78 - D. Cleveland
DASH
17 - Seitz
29 - Buonomo
35 - Santos
45 - Payne
7ny - Cantor

Buonomo, Seymour Take Aim
On Louie Win at Speedbowl

Mark Buonomo has moved into the No. 29 and comes to Saturday night's eighth-annual Boston Louie Memorial intent on adding to Seymour family's impressive Waterford Speedbowl resume. The gem of the Northeastern Midget Association, the event honors the memory of Louis Seymour, the patriarch of the Seymour clan.

"I've won five times there," says Bobby Seymour. "My brother (Mike) has one win and Bobby Santos III had three wins there in my car (including one earlier this season). Mark has won four times in his own car. So, I guess we know our way around the place."

Seymour and Buonomo agree that the Speedbowl is close to an ideal Midget facility. "It appears everybody is at their best there," says Buonomo. Laps in the low 13 seconds are commonplace. It's possible as many as a dozen drivers with at least one Speedbowl win could be in the field.

The SK-Modifieds (35-lap feature), Late Models (30), Sportsman (20) and Mini Stocks (20) are on the program as well. In addition to two qualifying heats, NEMA has a special match race.

Russ Stoehr won the first "Louie" in 1997 and there has yet to be a two-time winner driver-wise. Two owners, however, have done it. Gene Angelillo did it with Drew Fornoro in 1998 and last year with Joey Payne Jr. Santos won in a Seymour car in 2002 matching Bobby Seymour's 1999 effort.

Payne can become the first two-time winner and he can put Angelillo atop the owner stats. Buonomo aims to do the same for Seymour.

Randy Cabral joins Payne, Fornoro and Stoehr in hoping to become the first two-time winning driver. A year ago, Cabral appeared to have that honor only to see it evaporate in tech (too wide).

Ben Seitz, a winner earlier this year at the Speedbowl, takes a 37-point edge on Cabral into "The Louie" with defending champ Payne, a winner last weekend at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, 93 back.

Among the other hopefuls are Eric Santos, now driving her own car, veterans Nokie Fornoro, Howie Bumpus and Ed Breault, youngster Tim Heath, Pete Pernesiglio and Tim Bertrand.

Seymour To Be Honored with Annual NEMA Classic on Saturday at Waterford

Marlborough, MA: For the second time this season, the Northeastern Midget Association will compete for an increased payday. This weekend the club heads to the Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, CT for the running of the 8th Annual Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic. There is more than just the nearly $10,000 in purse and contingencies on the line, there is also the prestige of the event that makes a win a coveted prize for the drivers and teams.

The Boston Louie Seymour Memorial was started back in 1997 as a tribute to the man who helped shape Midget Racing in New England. "Boston" Louie Seymour, the patriarch of the Seymour Family of Marlborough, MA, made his name nationally in the open-wheel ranks with drivers like Kenny Schrader. His love for the sport, his knowledge of mechanics, and his genuine personality made him one of racings most endearing car owners. Although a national treasure, it is right here at home in New England where is influence is most keenly felt. Even today, the traditions that he helped to build run strongly through his entire family.

Due in large part to the racing community's support of the race that bears Boston's name, with contingencies and lap money, the Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic continues to be the most lucrative race for the Northeastern Midget Association. Mike Jarrett and Helping Hands of America have once again stepped up their involvement with NEMA by making a generous contribution to the purse for Saturday's race. Helping Hands of America is a private foundation located in Wrentham, MA that solicits tangible goods for donation with portions of all proceeds directly helping associated charities.

Past winners of the prestigious Seymour Memorial event include Russ Stoehr, Bobby Seymour, Bobby Santos III, Randy Cabral, Drew Fornoro, and Joey Payne. Cabral, Stoehr, and Payne are looking to become the first two-time winners of the Classic but they will have their work cut out for them as Ben Seitz, Mark Buonomo, Tim Heath, and a host of other talented NEMA drivers look to put their names in the record books.

As in years past, the Seymour #29 is one of the favorites to win on Saturday night. With a tradition learned from Boston Louie himself, owner Bobby Seymour has once again picked a talented young driver for the seat of his Midget. This weekend Mark Buonomo of Waltham, MA will be aboard the #29 with high hopes of winning his first Boston Louie and the third for the Seymour stables.

Nokie Fornoro of Stroudsburg, PA has made an explosive return to NEMA racing in the Don Barrio owned #2. With a win in his first race at Stafford Motor Speedway and most recently a 6th place finish at Beech Ridge, another Fornoro name could very well be added to the list of Classic winners. So too could a Santos. Erica Santos of Franklin, MA, sister of 2002 winner Bobby, will be in competition in her own car this weekend looking not only for a Classic victory but also to become the first female winner in NEMA's history.

The list of Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic hopefuls continues and the race is anyone's to win. Put the ultra-competitive NEMA roster on the Waterford Speedbowl, possibly the best Midget track in New England, and you have a recipe for a tremendous race and tons of racing excitement.

Companies like Campanale Fishing Vessels and Parker Sanitation of Wrentham, MA have joined the family of sponsors to present the 8th Annual Boston Louie Seymour Memorial Classic on Saturday night at the Waterford Speedbowl. Racing gets underway with qualifying for all divisions, including the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series, at 5:00 PM. Features are expected to go green at approximately 7:00 PM. General admission prices are $14 for adults and youth (ages 6-14) tickets are available for only $5.00. Pit Passes with a NASCAR License are $23.00 and $31.00 without a NASCAR License.

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