| Top NEMA Rookie
Chris DeRitis Gets Cicconi Ride |
Brockton, MA – Chris
DeRitis, the Northeastern Midget Association’s
2009 Rookie of the Year, will be driving Lou
Cicconi’s #75 Esslinger-powered Drinan chassis
in 2010. The three-year old car will be housed
at Bertrand Motorsports, Tim Bertrand serving as
Crew Chief.
The car will be ready for NEMA’s opener March
27-28 at Waterford Speedbowl. “We tested there
in October and it was damn cold,” said Chris’
father Dan. “Chris turned times that compare
favorably with those set by the fastest cars
during the warm months.”
DeRitis, 22, made his
full-midget debut last summer in the Chris
Desrosiers’ Power Point car, finishing fifth in
points with eight top tens in 14 starts. He had
a fourth at the Speedbowl.
“Power Point is a great team and we enjoyed it
very much,” continued DeRitis. “We now look
forward to input from both Lou & his Dad and Tim
& his Dad.”
Bertrand, no stranger to Esslinger or Drinan, is
NEMA’s two-time defending owner champion.
Cicconi drove the car a couple times in 2008.
The move continues the tight relationship
between Cicconi and DeRitis. “Lou got us
involved with the TQs,” DeRitis said, “and he
was instrumental in Chris’ ride with Power
Point.”
Young DeRitis brought a strong ACTQMRA resume to
NEMA beginning with a Rookie of the Year effort
in 2006. He was second in points in 2007, third
in 2008. Dan was the 2008 owner champion.
“No doubt he proved himself in ’09,” said
Bertrand, part of a very successful team with
two-time driving champion Randy Cabral. “Chris
is a talented driver and it is a good car. I am
looking forward to an exciting season.”
Albany-Saratoga Speedway on May 9 is the only
newcomer on the 2010 schedule – the Speedbowl,
Lee USA, Monadnock, Lee, Stafford and Thompson
Speedways all returning.
|
|
 |
 |
|
NEMA Champ Bertrand Installs Honda Power for
2010 |
Brockton, MA - Two-time Northeastern Midget
Association champion Bertrand Motorsports will
march to a different beat in 2010. Honda will
power the #47 when Randy Cabral begins his quest
for a third straight driving title in the season
opener at Waterford Speedbowl
on March 27-28.
“It is, of course, a major change and challenge
for us,” says owner Tim Bertrand of the enhanced
Dual Overhead Cam Honda “K series” motor.
Engineered by Stewart Racing Engines of
Indianapolis, it is found under the hood of the
Honda CRV SUV.
Over the past 50 years no Midget group in the
country has been more forward thinking than
NEMA. Bertrand, after a third straight owners
crown, sees a movement that could be the equal
of the “stock block” revolution of the 1960s
when, among others, the Falcon, Pinto and Chevy
II motors were dominant.
“It utilizes a block and a head directly out of
a street car and has incredible reliability,”
says Bertrand of the new motor. He points out
Greg Stoehr’s similarly powered Circle
Performance Mazda #26b has already provided an
example of stock block reliability.
“There have been no failures attributable to any
major component in better than 1000 miles of
both racing and testing,” Stewart says of its
“USAC/NEMA” motor.
The Bertrand endeavor will bring added luster to
the 2010 season, a 15-race (six tracks) journey
that will run into October. Only Albany-Saratoga
Speedway, back for the first time since 1977, is
not well known. There are few secrets left at
Waterford Speedbowl and at, Monadnock, Lee USA
Speedway, Seekonk and Thompson Speedways.
“We fully expect to run well with the Honda but
we also expect a very competitive season,” says
Bertrand. “Considering the equipment and the
talent, the mix of veterans and youngsters, and
the speeds we achieve, this is as good as NEMA
has been in a while.”
The owners championship went to the final laps a
year ago. “However it may appear, nothing is
easy in NEMA,” says Bertrand.
The competition includes motors. Honda will be
doing battle with some established powers.
Esslinger was the number one winner in ’09 but
Gaerte, Autocraft, Mopar and Mazda sat in
Victory Lane as well.
Bertrand is quick to point out that he is still
committed to the Esslinger Engineering, as a
second and possibly third car will still carry
that power plant. “This was a great opportunity
for Randy and our team to expand our horizons
with a new opportunity, but we will still
regularly run the Esslinger power plant in our
team cars,” said Bertrand.
He again plans on a series of guest drivers for
the #39. Last year, Ryan Newman and Cole Carter
were among the nationally known drivers
competing for Bertrand in NEMA races. |
|
NEMA 2009 BANQUET - WHITE'S OF WESTPORT -
NOV. 21st
.
THE 2009 CHAMPIONS
.
|
Champs Honored At NEMA Banquet
|
NEMA Press Release - Westport, MA - Repeat
champions Tim Bertrand (owner) and Randy Cabral
(driver) topped the award winners Saturday night
at the Northeastern Midget
Association’s Awards Banquet at White’s of
Westport.
Cabral, noting the “crazy changes” his life has
taken over the past two years, dedicated his
championship to Marvin Rifchin and his
grandfather Henry, both of whom passed away in
2009, and to the soldiers “fighting the wars.”
“I go to the races not to win races or
championships but to hang out with people, with
my friends,” said Cabral who thanked a number of
people including his and the Bertrand family.
“My biggest secret is my crew,” added Bertrand,
adding, “we’ll definitely be back next year.”
2009 Banquet on the NEMA
site HERE |
|
|
Bertrand, Carter Team at Phoenix for Copper
World Classic Nov. 12th |
Bertrand
Motorsports, the 2009 Northeastern Midget
Association owner champion, and driver Cole
Carter will team up for next Thursday’s 25-lap
USAC Midget race at Phoenix International
Speedway’s Copper World Classic. Carter’s Beast
will be powered by Bertrand’s Circle Performance
built Esslinger motor. Bertrand and his wife
Cara will be providing some sponsorship as well.
The Carters took the motor out of Bertrand’s
#47 after the NEMA final race at Thompson
Speedway. The motor, which carried both driver
Randy Cabral and Bertrand to their second
straight respective championships, did not
suffer a single breakdown throughout the season.
“Cole qualified sixth and finished third in
last year’s race and he did that with average
equipment from an engine perspective,” said
Bertrand. ”We are excited about being with the
Carter family again especially on this level.”
Carter was part of the Bertrand’s “guest
driver” program in 2009 earning two top fives,
including a second, in three starts. Sprint Cup
star Ryan Newman and NASCAR Modified standout
Ted Christopher also drove for Bertrand over the
season.
RACE UPDATE: Cole in
his #7 qualified 19th & finished 27th, forced to
pull off the track on lap 16 with overheating. |
|
THE 2009 NEMA DRIVER
& OWNER CHAMPIONS |
 |
Cabral,
Bertrand are 2009 NEMA
Driver and Owner
Champions
Since the 2009 Drivers Championship was won just
by passing under the green at the NEWA season
finale at Thompson World Series, Randy was now
focused on securing the Owners Championship for
Bertrand Motorsports over the 25 lap feature.
With the Mike Jarret Motorsports #4 trailing by
only 26 going into Thompson, Randy could only
finish two positions back if Nokie Fornoro took
the win for Jarret.
When a lap 16 yellow for the #44 of Erica Santos
eliminated the large lead that the #A1 of Jeff
Horn held over the field, Nokie ran hard into
turn one on the restart and took the lead from
Horn. Randy used that restart to move around the #3m
of Jim Miller to take 3rd. Cole Carter in the
Bertrand #39 took over 4th place.
“It was the
only time I went into one and the car actually
stuck,” said Cabral on the pass for third that
wound up giving Bertrand the owner crown. “Once
I realized how bad my car was and how good he
was, I knew I had to keep Nokie in view.”
That 3rd gave the Bertrand Team a super slim 4
point margin for the
Owners Championship and captured both
titles for the second time in the last two
seasons. |
|
|
|
|
Cole Carter Back
in the #39 for Thompson
|
Cole Carter, a
USAC Midget, Sprint Car & Silver Crown driver
and part of one of American's greatest auto
racing families, will return to the Northeastern
Midget Association at Thompson Speedway's World
Series (Oct. 24-25).
Carter, the son of Midget legend Pancho Carter,
will again be part of the Bertrand Motorsports
stable. He had a second at Seekonk Speedway's
Boston Louie in August. This time he will drive
the No. 39 car that Ryan Newman drove to a
second place at Lee earlier this year.
"He was really impressed with the winged Midgets
and told us he would like to return," said owner
Tim Bertrand. "We've been working on it ever
sense." Carter led the first half of the Seekonk
race.
The Carter and Bertrand families will "team up"
for a trip to Phoenix International Speedway's
Copper Classic in November. Carter, who finished
third in Phoenix a year ago, will drive his own
Beast chassis powered by one of Bertrand's
engines.
The team, currently ahead in both the driver
(Randy Cabral) and owner standings, has been
busy throughout the season with "guest" drivers,
the list also including Pete Skias and Teddy
Christopher. |
|
 |
Bertrand Motorsports
Announces
K&N Engineering,
Inc.
as Corporate
Sponsor for 2009 Season |
Team owner Tim Bertrand announced a relationship
with K&N Engineering for the 2009 season, as the
team’s Corporate Sponsor. The team’s three NEMA
midgets, along with the team’s NEMA Lite Ford
Focus powered midget, and two Micro-Sprint cars
will all carry the K&N Logo in 2009.
“We’re extremely excited to be welcomed as a
part of the K&N racing family,” said Tim
Bertrand. “To associate ourselves with a brand
leader such as K&N, and be able to take
advantage of the latest technology advancements
in this field is very exciting to us.”
K&N Engineering, of Riverside, California, is
the inventor and leading innovator of reusable
cotton gauze filter technology for automotive
applications. From humble beginnings as a family
run business over 40 years ago, K&N Engineering,
now a truly global company with offices in the
U.K. and the Netherlands, continues to exist as
a family owned business with an enthusiast
mindset and a direct connection with motor
sports that carries over throughout all levels
of management and manufacturing.
Today, K&N exists as both the sales and brand
leader for performance filters, and maintains a
stocking catalogue of over 3,500 part numbers,
including an extensive line of both factory
replacement drop-in filters, FIPK (Fuel
Injection Performance Kit) applications, and its
line of innovative Performance Gold oil filters.
www.knfilters.com
“We’re looking forward to working with Tim and
the Bertrand team. The many avenues of exposure
that this relationship gives us – asphalt, dirt,
NEMA and NEMA Lites, as well as the opportunity
to be associated with the team’s drivers such as
Ryan Newman and Randy Cabral is a great
opportunity for K&N,” said K&N’s Corporate Race
Accounts Manager, Bob Harris.
A quiet off season from a PR perspective for the
2008 NEMA championship team Bertrand Motorsports
will see many exciting announcements coming
forward in the next four weeks. The team gears
up for their first test session on Friday, May
1. |
|
|
|
x
