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NEMA Midgets Return to Oswego Speedway August 25^th

OSWEGO, NY (May 15) – For the first time in seven years the Northeastern Midget Association (NEMA) will return to Oswego Speedway on Saturday, August 25.  In an effort to reintroduce Speedway fans to NEMA Midget racing, Jeff Abold’s No. 29 midget racer will be on display at A&P Auto Parts, located at 160 E. Bridge St in Oswego, from Thursday, May 17 through Saturday, May 19. 

Abold, 22, has been a prominent runner on the NEMA stage for several seasons.  In 2011, Abold competed in eight NEMA sanctioned wing midget events, finishing in the Top 5 in each.  The second generation driver, from Baldwinsville, even managed a return trip to victory lane on September 10, picking up his third consecutive Boston Louie Memorial main event win at Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts.

While Abold plans to compete in the first NEMA event at Oswego since International Supermodified Association (ISMA) champion Chris Perley took the win back in 2005, he is focusing his full racing efforts in 2012 on the Novelis Supermodified division at the Speedway.

“Oswego Speedway is our home track, it is right in our back yard, and it is good to be back,” said Abold.  “We’ve kind of been away for a few years, and this is the first time we are going to run weekly here, and I think we are going to enjoy it.”

Jeff Abold,(shown here in his supermodified opening night 2012 at Oswego Speedway), will compete in NEMA competition at Oswego. Photo by RG Design

In 2012, the NEMA Midgets will enter their 60^th season of competition and both NEMA and Oswego Speedway are excited for their return to the ‘Steel Palace.’

“Having the NEMA Midgets back at Oswego is big for our Speedway and for northeast open-wheel racing, especially as a warm-up for Budweiser International Classic Weekend,” said Oswego Speedway co-owner, John Torrese.  “If you have never seen the NEMA cars fly around the ‘Steel Palace’, you won’t want to miss it.”

Accompanying the NEMA Midgets on the August 25 racing card will be the series stepping stone NEMA Lites division.  Entering their fifth season, the Lites have proven to be one of the more successful developmental divisions in open-cockpit racing.  Moving into the division in 2012 will be young Avery Stoehr, the son of NEMA Midget veteran Russ Stoehr, an 8-time feature winner at Oswego which adds into his 48 career NEMA Midget victories on tour.

Joining the NEMA Lites as a first time division in Oswego Speedway’s 62 years will be the U.S. Legend Cars.  Established in 1992 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the U.S. Legend Cars were introduced as a low-cost, budget form of racing for the weekly short track racer.  Since their inception the U.S. Legend Car Series has exploded nationwide, becoming a proving ground for up and coming young drivers, as well as a mainstay for the budget weekly racer.

“We’re very excited to have had the opportunity to put this event together for 2012,” said Torrese.  “With our Novelis Supermodified and Pathfinder Bank SBS Series having the week off on August 25 to prepare for Budweiser International Classic Weekend, we still wanted to be sure to take advantage of the beautiful August weather in Oswego and give our loyal race fans a show.  We couldn’t be more pleased to have the folks from NEMA and the U.S. Legend Cars come on board to help make this happen.”

2011 was an exciting campaign for the NEMA Midget Series as Randy Cabral and Bertrand Motorsports came out on top of the 13-race schedule as champions with two feature wins on the season coming at Seekonk and Twin State Speedways.  Cabral will return in ’12 behind the wheel of the Bertrand No. 47, but will have a host of rivals on his heels throughout the season, including at Oswego.

The Stoehr brothers will once again be in action for the coming year with Russ driving the Dumo’s Desire No. 45 and Greg in the Stoehr No. 26b.  Brother Russ is the all-time leader in NEMA Midget wins at Oswego Speedway with eight.  His first came at the ‘Steel Palace’ in 1995, with the latest coming back in 2001.  Greg managed to pick up a NEMA feature win in 2011 at Lee USA Speedway.

Joining the Stoehr’s as potential threats to Cabral’s championship chances are Adam Cantor, Paul Scally, and Mike Horn.

New to the series in 2012 are NEMA Lites graduates Seth Carlson and Jim Santa Maria.  Each will join former Lites graduates, now full size NEMA feature winners, Todd Bertrand and Anthony Nocella.

The next event on Oswego Speedway’s racing schedule is the Mitchell’s Speedway Press Memorial Day Weekend Tripleheader on Saturday, May 26 featuring the Novelis Supermodifieds, Pathfinder Bank SBS Series, and the Race of Champions Modifieds.

For more information on Oswego Speedway be sure to visit www.oswegospeedway.com.  You can also LIKE the (Official) Oswego Speedway page at facebook.com/OswegoSpeedway, or FOLLOW on Twitter @OswegoSpeedway.  To purchase tickets or order merchandise please call the Speedway box office at (315) 342-0646.

About Oswego Speedway: Oswego Speedway, a sports entertainment company, is a 5/8 mile semi-banked pavement racing oval located off the shores of Lake Ontario in scenic Oswego, NY. Oswego Speedway has been a continuously run weekly racing venue since August, 1951. The premier open-wheel pavement short track cars in the world, Supermodifieds, run weekly at Oswego Speedway making Oswego the only weekly Supermodified racing venue in the world. The Small Block Supermodifieds accompany the full blown Supers on a weekly Saturday night schedule which runs from May through September. Oswego Speedway is mentioned in racing circles as the “Indy of the East,” as no fewer than a dozen past and present competitors have competed at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway including Mario Andretti, arguably the greatest driver of all time, two-time Indy 500 champion Gordon Johncock, along with former International Classic Champions Bentley Warren, Joe Gosek, and Davey Hamilton.

Oswego Speedway is honored to recognize several sponsors and corporate partners that help to bring the racing action to you each Saturday night (listed alphabetically): All Seasons Inn, Alliance Bank, Bacc-Off, Best Western/Quality Inn, Blue Bowl Sanitation, Bonded Motor Sales, Bosco & Geers, Bracy’s Transmission Services, Bridge Street Jewelers, Brioschi Pharmaceuticals International LLC, Burke’s Home Centers, Burritt Motors, Butler Disposal, Cam’s NY Pizzeria, Canales Restaurant, Canales Insurance, Century 21 Galloway Realty, Chris Nelson Insurance, City Electric, CNY CPR, Coca-Cola, Compass Federal Credit Union, Constellation Energy, Corr-Pak, CPS Electric, C’s Beverage Center, Davis Bros. Meats, Days Inn/Travelodge, Dufore’s Jewelers, Dunkin Donuts, Eagle Beverage, Ellsworth Heating and Cooling, Entergy Northeast, Ferris Industries, Gater Racing News, Green & Seifter CPA, G&I Homes, H. Lee White Marine Museum, Hawk Performance, Hofmann’s, GMAC Insurance, Gioia Signs, Hoosier Racing Tire, Hudson Dairy, Jerome Fire Equipment, Johnston’s Propane, John Costello & Associates, K&G Lodge, Lighthouse Lanes, Longley Dodge, Marollo Racing Engines, May’s Country Store, McCaffrey Chiropractic, Mickey’s Magical Vacation, Munski’s Auto and Marine, Novelis, Ontario Orchards, Oswego County Federal Credit Union, Oswego Health, Oswego Inn, OTB/Western Region, The Palladium-Times, Par-K Enterprises, Pathfinder Bank, Outdoor Power West, Performance Harley Davidson, Pizza Villa, The Post-Standard, Ponderosa, Precision Balancing, Press Box, Price Chopper, Pullen’s Plumbing, RE Davis and Son, RJ Caruso Tax & Accounting, Rudy’s Lakeside, S&S Tractor, Scriba Electric, Scriba Meats, Shapiro Motor Sales, Sharon’s Hair Gallery, Speedway Press, Steve Abt Auto, Stop DWI – Oswego County, Sunset RV Park, Supercuts, Terrell’s Potato Chips, Thunder Road Bar and Grill, Universal Metal Works, Vashaw’s Collision Service, Yogi Bear’s Jelly Stone Park

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