This Day in NEMA History...
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June 5th
1971... Jerry Wall’s victory in the revolutionary “Yellow Jacket” at Stafford turned NEMA in a new direction. “...the very first time in midget racing that a car with its engine behind the driver... won a feature” the club boasted. The Chevy V4-powered creation was the impetus for major changes in NEMA not the least of which was the Badger. At Stafford, Wall finished ahead of Lou Fray and Len Thrall, both in Pascale entries. Johnny Mann (Stropoli 66) was fourth |
Jerry Wall in his beautiful creation - "The Yellow Jacket" in 1971.
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June 6th
1955...Jerry Russo, in Fred “Meatball” Orlando’s #6, was the winner at The Pines Speedway. Ray Burke and Hank Williams completed the podium. It was the first win for Russo and Orlando, both competitors in NEMA’s first race two years before, and the first of five races the clubran at the Groveland, MA quarter mile. Ray Burke was crowned 1955 NEMA Champion. |
Jerry Russo in the Secundo Offy #33
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June 7th
1981...Bobby White, in his own #63, won at Monadnock with Johnny Evans (Kibbe #14) following. Lee Smith’s third proved vital in Jim Lowrey capturing the owner’s championship. Lee Smith would go on to win both the Driver's and Owner's Championship the following year in his own VW-powered Edmunds. |
Bobby White #63 on the inside of Lee Smith #75 at Waterford Speedbowl.
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June 8th
1968...In the latest on the calendar season opener in club history, Ronnie Evans drove Paul Young’s 7-11 to victory at Oxford Plains. Both are NEMA legends. Young (aka “PY”) was a master Offenhauser mechanic, a club leader and a prankster who left behind a host of stories. Evans, who started sixth, finished ahead of Johnny Kay, who drove Paul Young wrenched cars on the national level, with Bob Hart finishing third. |
NEMA Legand, Ronnie Evans poses in PY's memorable "7-11"
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June 9th
1972...Albany-Saratoga Speedway always seemed to be an ARDC/NEMA showdown and this night was no exception. Dave Humphrey (in John McCarthy’s #47 Badger) held up NEMA’s image beating a strong ARDC contingent in a co-sanctioned event. Behind Humphrey were Hank Rodgers Jr, Johnny Coy, Jerry Stover and Bing Metz - all ARDC regulars. Led by champion Coy, Rogers, Stover and Metz were all in the top five in the 1972 ARDC driver standings. |
Above: A familiar battle in the early seventies between Dave Humphrey and Jerry Wall. Both of these revolutionary cars and legendary drivers could win on any given night.
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June 10th
1964 – King Carpenter drove Mike Sheehan’s #4 to a 25-lap win at Westboro ahead of Bill Eldridge and Bobby Albert. Carpenter was one of several top drivers Sheehan employed in an extraordinary run as an owner. Carpenter also who won again for Sheehan later in the season at Oxford. He replaced Billy Randall in the car. |
King Carpenter in the "Sheehan Special" #3.
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June 11th
2010...Randy Cabral (Bertrand 47) beat a stellar team at Twin State in what was the first-ever win for the Steward Racing Engines Honda. Cabral passed Jim Miller on lap 11 and went on to win for the 27th time. Second through fifth in the 25 lapper were Adam Cantor (Cantor #7ny), Chris deRitis (deRitis #75), Jeff Horn (Horn #A1) and Russ Stoehr (Angelillo #45). |
Randy Cabral battling Adam Cantor for the lead at Twin State.
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