Meet the 2021 NER BOD Nominees

Every year, as part of our Annual Business Meeting, the New England Region elects members to serve on the Board of Directors. These members oversee the operations of the club, manage the finances, review and approve any changes to by-laws, and facilitate the management of all club events and activities.

This year, we have five members running for election, or re-election, for the 2021 year. There are currently five open spots to fill from these nominees.

Voting for these BOD positions is currently open on Motorsportreg. Members can request a physical ballot if they desire. Winners will be announced at the virtual Annual Meeting scheduled for Saturday, January 9.

Questions on voting or the nominees can be directed to BOD Secretary George Farrar or Assistant RE Wiley Cox.

Andrew Benagh

My name is Andrew Benagh. I have been born and raised just outside of Boston and had a love of cars and racing my whole life. I am a 20 year member of New England Region with a focus in the Clubs Road Racing Program. I am currently a junior at University of Massachusetts Lowell where I am studying History. While at Umass I have spent time on the Formula SAE team where I focused in helping to manage the teams sponsorships.

I look forward to helping contribute ideas to the board to help us continue to be a premier motorsports club in New England for many years to come. Although I have been primarily involved in Road Racing as a volunteer, I am committed to helping support everyone with their #funwithcars and helping the next generation to be able to find their own. I humbly ask for your vote to continue my time on the board.

Rich Currey

My name is Rich Currey and I am a candidate for the NER Board of Directors. Many of you already know me through Solo and my work in Club Racing. I am currently the Regional Executive of the Board of Directors and the Chief of Start for NER Club Racing. I would like to start by saying thank you for the opportunity to serve the club these last 4 years on the Board and to continue my life long love of motorsports.

I have been involved in racing for literally my entire life. My father was an oval track racer all through my childhood years and in to my early adulthood. I spent many nights and weekends with racers throughout the Northeast, and came to learn that the racing community is the largest family I have ever encountered. As an adult, I have been a driver, crew member, car owner, and race official. And of course, a member of the leadership team for NER.

Racing faces many challenges in today’s world. There are many tracks and series available for drivers to compete in and for workers to support. One of the greatest challenges facing our club today is how to attract and retain both participants and volunteers to keep our programs successful. Some of our disciplines, like RallyX and Solo, have strong programs that are filled to capacity or close for most events. Others, like Time Trials and Club Racing, work hard to keep participation rates growing. I feel that we, as a club, need to focus in on how to increase participation across all of our disciplines in a world where the competition for entertainment dollars and time is stiff.

I appreciate the opportunity to continue in this role, and respectfully request your support.

Abhi Ghatak

I am running for relection to the SCCA New England Region Board of Directors. During my term over the past two years, I have learned the workings of our club and hope to continue contributing to the great racing community. If re-elected, one of my focus areas will be to attract new members from different areas of automotive enthusiasts.

During my years as V.P of Operations at the Skip Barber Racing School, I learned the challenges of running a safe, fun and fair race weekend, while balancing a limited budget and increased competition for track days.

My passion for motorsports started at a young age. I grew up rallying in East Africa and competed in the East African Safari multiple times. After getting an Engineering degree at Boston University, I started road race karting at the National level. As a factory driver for an Italian Kart manufacturer, I won seven national championships. I have been racing a Miata in the New England Region club racing for the past 14 years.

I have great appreciation for the efforts that our directors, stewards and volunteers put in, and I ask for your vote so I can continue to serve this amazing team.

Steve Introne

I am a 2nd generation SCCA member. My parents started racing in the 70’s and I grew up at the track. Eventually, I brought his wife into the fold, and my children are now the 3rd generation to continue as part of the SCCA family, teenagers that are already working events.

As a teenager myself, I worked T&S and F&C at club races around the country. I’m proud to have attended more than 30 SCCA Runoffs as a volunteer worker. In my 20’s, I started competing in Autocross, attending the Solo Nationals three different times. In 1999, I bought my first road racing car, an SRF, and have competed with that for the last two decades, attending the Runoffs as a competitor three times there as well. I am now working on building a B-Spec Mini Cooper for the coming 2021 season.

With almost 40-years of experience as a volunteer worker, as well as a Solo and Club Racing competitor, I am ready to bring that knowledge to the NER Board of Directors. I have seen what has worked, and what has not, as a member of different regions throughout the country, from the perspective of both a driver and as a volunteer. In my professional career, I am tasked with senior leadership roles that require coordinating teams and both short- and long-term project management, skill that directly correlate to being a director with the club.

I ask for your vote to let me bring my passion for racing, my love of this club, and my leadership experience to help drive NER in the coming years. My goals as a director will include listening to the membership in order to find ways to improve events, as well as increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of club operations, so that NER can provide the best experiences possible.

Paul Omichinski

I have been chairing the Time Trials program of NER for the past 5 years and in that capacity attending the Competition Board and Board of Directors meetings. I’m hoping to be able to add something constructive to the management of NER by becoming a Board member and representing the interests of members with interests in all disciplines.

I’ve been involved in many aspects of motorsports for longer than I’d like to admit and my greatest interest has been road racing. As well as the Time Trial events I actively participate in Autocross and Racing. I’ve been blessed with having opportunities to race many different cars, classes and race series and most importantly I’ve made many lasting friendships. Several years ago while attending a Division scheduling meeting and learning of the first year successes of the Track Night program, I entered a discussion with one of those long-time friends about the possibility to creatively tie together the Time Trial program I’ve been involved with in a local unaffiliated club, CART. I believed it would complete the linkage between Autocross and Club Racing, creating a clear attainable path for anyone wishing to move between disciplines.

Short story is we made that a reality and I’ve found myself much more engaged at NER. My mission continues to be to make all aspects of this great sport accessible and viable and encourage successive generations to be participants instead of spectators.