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Tax Bracket Racing News Vinnie Barely Misses At Numidia Money Races October 5th- Vinnie nearly missed picking up a victory this past weekend at Numidia Dragway, as his quarterfinal finish Saturday and a semifinal finish Sunday while wheeling Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck in the Footbrake class headlined the Cicerale brothers’ weekend action. While Vinnie came oh-so-close, including a stint behind the wheel of Rob DiMino’s Cressman dragster in the Electronics class on Sunday, Frankie piloted his ’68 Chevy Nova to a second round finish Saturday and a quarterfinal finish on Sunday.
Sunday saw both Frankie and Vinnie drive into the quarterfinals, and with them being on opposite sides of the ladder, the table was set for an all Cicerale final. That wasn’t to be the case, however, as Vinnie took a tough double-breakout loss to Ryan Horensky. Once again, Vinnie was better out of the gate, but at the stripe, stayed in the loud pedal too long. The opposite was true for Frankie, as he was also better than his opponent on the starting line, .016 to .034, but at the finish line, missed the win by a mere .007. “I just misjudged the finish line and tried to get too fancy,” Frankie commented. “I was on the tree all day, but just couldn’t get the job done. That win light cost me at least a runner-up because if we had won that round, I had the bye to the final.”
“Ninety-percent of the time, a run like that turns the win light on,” Vinnie remarked. “Unfortunately, I ran into that measly ten percent. It was a great run, and I had a blast, but what can you do.” “Running Rob’s car was fun and definitely an eye opening experience,” he continued. “Neither Frankie nor I have ever been that fast. In fact, I hadn’t been faster than 9.40 before. I guess I figured what the heck, who needs to run in the 8’s. I just bypassed that zone completely, and had a blast doing it. The dragster leaves hard and runs like a champ. It’s cool to go that fast. Hopefully next week I can go a bunch more rounds and make it last.” It will be Vinnie’s time to shine next week, as with Numidia holding two Electronics money races Saturday and Sunday, he will strap into the DiMino rocket for the weekend. “I did pretty good on Sunday, so I am looking forward to doing well this weekend,” he said. In addition, Frankie will compete in the Street money race on Sunday. “With there being no Footbrake races this weekend, I was happy Numidia put up the Street race,” Frankie said. “There are going to be some hitters there, so we will have to be on top of our game, but if I can hit the tree like I did this past weekend, the car is predictable like it was, Dad and I pick the right number, and we get a little bit of luck, maybe we can come home with the big check.” Frankie Drives To Race Of Champions Victory Photos Courtesy of Phil Hutchinson September 28th- With rain looming on the horizon and the race having already been pushed off for two days, Frankie Cicerale, piloting his ’68 Chevy Nova, weathered the Street Race of Champions storm and took home the victory with a final round triumph over Salvatore Capizzi. The win in the RoC ended the weekend on a high note after Frankie lost in round two of the Division 1 Summit ET Racing Series Bracket Finals, and Vinnie in round one of Pro behind the wheel of Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck.
“Losing second round was tough, that’s for sure,” Frankie said afterwards. “Both Dad and I felt really good about our chances this weekend, especially after we went four round last year at this deal in Pro going to the eighth mile. We missed the number a bit, and just got flat-out beat. I could have driven the finish line a little different, but what can you do. Compounding the loss was having to sit around all day afterwards until they decided what they were going to do with the Race of Champions. I had all day to dwell on it.” Vinnie’s weekend ended on Friday when he lost on a breakout in round one. Vinnie was behind at the start, .022 to .044, and at the finish line tried to make up for it, but broke out by three-thousandths of a second in the process with a 9.937 (9.94 dial). “This race has been so frustrating for me the past few years, and this year only added to it,” Vinnie commented afterwards. “I thought I had a really good chance at going some rounds this year, but I guess it wasn’t in the cards. Hopefully next year I can qualify and make up for the early round exits and win the deal and get back out to California.”
“The Race of Champions deal was like the race that never ended,” Frankie joked in the Winner’s Circle afterwards. “It was supposed to be Friday, then it got pushed off until after the big show was over, and pushed off again until today. I think overall I had like four first rounds this weekend.” “When the win light came on in the final, I was excited, but a bit shocked,” Frankie continued. “I have come so close to winning something on the divisional level with the Nova, I think I kind of expected it to never happen. When I saw the win light wink on, I just shut the car off, coasted through the shutdown area, pulled off, and sat in the car for a bit just taking it all in. It’s a special win, and something I have dreamed of for a long time.” For the win, Frankie gets a trip to the Division 1 banquet in January, where he will accept his champion jacket and the coveted Wally. “It has been a while since I have had the chance to hoist some hardware, so it's going to be cool,” Frankie said. “You never take a Wally for granted. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first one or the fifth one. They are all special.” In the meantime, both Frankie and Vinnie have some unfinished business at Numidia, as October showcases three straight weekends with big money events. “Hopefully Frankie and I can finish the season strong and take home a couple of wins at these money races,” Vinnie said. “We have both had a good year, but it would be really nice to go into the off season on a high note.” Early Exits For Frankie And Vinnie At Numidia Money Race September 13th- After going back to back in both Street and Pro the past couple of weeks, the Cicerale brothers were handed early exits at this weekend’s money race at Numidia Dragway. Frankie, wheeling his ’68 Nova, took a tough first round loss to Walter Morgan, while Vinnie became a victim of Kurt Holland in the second frame. Frankie’s day started and ended quickly as Morgan handled the challenge of the newly crowned Street champion in the opening frame. Frankie was a bit behind on the tree, .016 to .023, and at the finish line, Morgan’s 10.95 (10.94 dial) out dueled Frankie’s 11.90 effort on his 11.87 dial-in. He then came back for the buyback round, where he lined up against Brock Moshier. As was the case in the opening round, both drivers were spot-on at the starting line, with Frankie scoring the slight holeshot advantage, .016 to .020. Unfortunately for Frankie, the result was the same as the first round, as he dipped under his 11.88 dial-in with an 11.852. That gave the double-breakout win to Moshier, who ran a 9.492 on his 9.51 dial, giving him the win by a mere .010. “Talk about going from hero to zero in the span of seven days,” Frankie joked afterwards. “It was a bit difficult dialing the car today, and it bit us. I was driving well, but things just didn’t go my way. The car fell off in round one, but picked it back up for the buyback round, and I have an early day. It happens.” “I hate losing, especially when it’s early in the day, but there is a silver lining to every cloud,” he continued. “While the car wasn’t as consistent as I would have liked it to be today, I drove the finish line well, and I had four really good lights. We have a week off before the Bracket Finals, so I get a chance to relax, get some maintenance done on the car, and get ready for Maple Grove.” Vinnie fared one round better than Frankie, as he drove Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck to a second round loss. In the first round, Vinnie got the nod over the Chevelle of Bill Good. Vinnie was near-perfect on the starting line with a stellar .002 light, giving him a manageable holeshot advantage over Good’s respectable .036. Vinnie got the win when his 10.19 (10.14 dial in) bettered Good’s 9.54-second effort on his 9.50 dial. In the second frame, Kurt Holland and his Camaro uncorked a .008 light and an 11.418 on his 11.41 dial-in, equating to an .016 package and a loss for Vinnie, who was .057 on the tree and ran a 10.16 on his 10.14 dial. “I missed the tree a bit in round two, but Holland put together a great run, so it would have been extremely tough trying to get the win regardless,” Vinnie said afterwards. “I am disappointed for sure, but hopefully I got my bad luck out of the way this weekend and I can do well at Maple Grove in two weeks.” The Tax Bracket Racing team will have a weekend off before heading down to Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania for the Division 1 Summit ET Racing Series Bracket Finals, where Frankie will run in Street and Vinnie in Pro. Cicerale Brothers Double Up, Frankie Captures Street Championship
Frankie started his day off with a first round victory over Jared Hafer before handling the challenge of Shawn Earnest in round two. That set up the pivotal match up with Harhart. Frankie spotted Harhart the handicap head start, 14.31 to his quicker 11.69. When the tree fell, Frankie earned the advantage, .030 to .053, and at the finish line, Frankie’s 11.73 was enough against Harhart’s 14.37 effort. “I have had some big rounds in my life, but that was one of the biggest for sure,” Frankie said afterwards. “When I saw the win light come on, I have to admit, I was flabbergasted. I think I am still going to be wondering if this all really happened days from now.”
Joining Frankie in the Winner’s Circle was Vinnie, who took home the Pro win. Vinnie had a chance at getting past John Reklaitis for the Pro championship, but a tough first round loss to Brian Hoover ended his title bid. After winning his buyback round, Vinnie made his way to the final by getting around Kim Morris, Rob Reinert, Reklaitis, and John Debalso, respectively. That set up a final round match up with Tom Favata. Vinnie was afforded the handicap head start with his 10.01 dial, and earned the small holeshot advantage, .009 to .011. At the finish line, Vinnie was able to hold off Favata’s hard-charging Nova for the win, as his 10.03 was closer to his prediction than Favata’s 9.48 (9.38 dial-in).
Almost hidden behind Vinnie’s second place finish in Pro points and Frankie’s Street championship was Frankie nearly sneaking into the top five in Pro, as he ended up sixth in the final standings. “I am happy with the Street championship, without a doubt, because I had to go on a tear at the end of the season and it came down to a race in which I had to take care of business myself,” Frankie remarked. “To be honest, though, I am also extremely happy with where I ended up in Pro. For most of the year it has been hit or miss in that class where I would go a bunch of rounds one week and get busted up early the week after. I was able to come from pretty far back and almost get into the top five by going a bunch of rounds late in the season.” With the points season over, the Cicerale brothers are looking forward to the Division 1 Summit E.T. Racing Series Bracket Finals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania. “Hopefully we can keep our momentum going and get the job done at the Bracket Finals,” Vinnie said. “While the points deal is over, we still have a lot left to do,” Frankie commented. “First thing on the checklist is the Bracket Finals, and for me, the Race of Champions. Hopefully by the time the weekend is over at Maple Grove, Vinnie and I can be standing there with three wins and the chance for both of us to take a trip out to Pomona. Only time will tell. The name of the game is to go to the Grove, enjoy the weekend, and do what we have done all year, and that is enjoy racing. When you enjoy it, miracles happen.” Frankie And Vinnie Double Up At Numidia August 29th-30th- For the first time this season, Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale pulled off a double-up win as Vinnie wheeled Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck to victory in the Pro category on Sunday while Frankie piloted his ’68 Nova to the Street win as well as a semifinal finish in Pro. The weekend started off in fine fashion on Saturday, as Vinnie was the runner-up in the $5,000 Footbrake race, while Frankie ended that race in the third round. “I have been so close to winning a race these past few weeks, I am glad to finally get the job done,” a triumphant Vinnie remarked afterwards. “It started off with the money race, and I was able to carry the momentum into the points race on Sunday.” Vinnie lost a close final round in the money race to the Corvette roadster of Jeff Krushinski. Vinnie had the reaction time advantage, .022 to .044, but at the stripe dipped under his 10.10 dial-in with a 10.093. That gave the breakout win to Krushinski, who was dead-on his 9.01 prediction with a 9.013. This was after rain pushed completion of the money race off to Sunday morning. “I am still bummed a bit about the final in the money race, but I did pretty well regardless,” Vinnie said. “It was interesting finishing the race Sunday morning, as it made for a long day, but I made it worthwhile.” That was certainly the case, as Vinnie backed up his final round finish in the money race with a clutch performance in Pro that resulted in a final round triumph over the ’62 Impala of Tom Harhart. As was the case most of the day, Vinnie was better on the tree, hitting an .019 light that out shadowed Harhart’s .055. At the finish line, Vinnie’s hard-charging truck pushed Harhart under his 14.35 dial-in with a 14.33, giving Vinnie the win light with a 10.07 on his 10.06 prediction. With the win, Vinnie to moved within 26 points of Pro points leader John Reklaitis with one week remaining in the points season. “I really haven’t been counting points for a while,” Vinnie said. “The goal has always been to go out there and try to win races and qualify for the Bracket Finals. I have done the latter, and I feel good about my chances this weekend. If I can get the title, great, but I am not going to worry about it. The goal still remains the same, and that is to end the season in the top five and have a good showing at the Bracket Finals at Maple Grove.”
“I am thrilled with how the weekend turned out,” Frankie commented afterwards. “I mean, I am obviously bummed about the third round race against Shorty and the semifinal round against Harhart, but I still won one class and went deep in the other, so in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that bad.” The win in Street, coupled with Harhart’s second round loss, brings Frankie to within 12 points of Harhart in the fight for the Street championship with one weekend left, while the semifinal finish in Pro moved Frankie into a tie for fifth with Jim Butera in that category. “We missed taking advantage of Harhart’s early round loss last week, but we were able to capitalize on it this week,” Frankie said. “Like I have said since the beginning of July, I really haven’t been to worried about points. I have been just focusing on going out there and winning races, knowing that the points would take care of themselves. To even be in this position is a miracle, but we have one weekend left. If we get the job done, that would be awesome, but at the very least we will finish second in points this year and probably qualify for the Bracket Finals in both Street and Pro. Regardless of what happens next week, if I finish in the top five in both classes, that would be a major accomplishment.” The weekend’s action starts out on Saturday, as Frankie and Vinnie will compete in a money race at Numidia before going at it in Sunday’s final hurrah. “Hopefully Vinnie and I can do well on Saturday and use that momentum to do some damage on Sunday,” Frankie said. “Who knows, maybe Vinnie and I come close to what we did this weekend next weekend. That sure would be cool.” Season Winding Down At Numidia for Cicerale Brothers August 23rd- With three weekends left in the points season at Numidia Dragway, the end is closing in, with points, rounds, and time itself as a premium. After this weekends action, it is getting to crunch time for the Cicerale brothers, as Frankie recorded a quarterfinal finish in Street and a fourth round ending in Pro, while Vinnie took a tough first round loss piloting Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck in Pro.
“The round against Shane hurt us big, that’s for sure,” Frankie said afterwards. “With Tom Harhart going out in round one and there being three weekends left in the points season, the table was set. We just couldn’t capitalize on it. The car picked up some in 60 foot, and I didn’t drive the race all that bad, but breaking out by .001 in a round you know you need with a bye run into the final coming after it, it’s a definite bummer. I can’t make any excuses, though. The car was there all day, but picked up a bit that run, and I took a bit too much at the stripe. It was our race to win, and we just didn’t get the job done. As for Pro, I just pushed the tree too hard and gave it away. He gave me a ton to work with on the starting line, but it doesn’t matter when you give it away right out of the gate.”
With two weekends left in the season, Vinnie is still solidly in the top five in Pro points. “The goal of qualifying for the Bracket Finals is all but a done deal,” he said. “If I can stay in the top five, that would be awesome. The main thing is to go to Maple Grove and do some damage with the truck for Numidia.” The past few weeks have seen Frankie close on Street points leader Tom Harhart, along with jumping into the top ten in Pro points. “We have a couple of weekends left, and we are within striking distance of Harhart, but we need a lot of things to go our way. The only thing I can control is the race that is in front of me, and that is all I am concerned with. If I keep turning the win light on and come home with a win or two to close the season, then I know I did all I could. The rest is in the hands of someone with a lot more pull than me.” Frankie’s Runner-Up Headlines Cicerale Brothers At Numidia August 17th- Both Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale made their way deep into the Street and Pro fields, with Frankie coming up one round short in his latest quest for a win, taking the final round loss in Street. In Pro, Vinnie led the charge for the Cicerale brothers, going all the way to the quarterfinals along with Frankie before the duo bowed out.
Frankie also went to the quarterfinals in Pro, but his best finish of the day came in Street, where he lost in the final to Shane Moore. Frankie, who got around points leader Tom Harhart in round two, was good on the tree in the final, hitting an .020 light, but was still a bit behind as Moore sawed the tree down with a near-perfect .004. At the finish line, Moore’s 13.67 run on his 13.65 dial was more than Frankie could handle, as he took the loss with an 11.77 (11.72 dial). He then came back for Pro, where he lined up against the Corvette roadster of Jeff Krushinski. Krushinski scored the slight holeshot, .027 to .036, and got the win with a 9.20 (9.16). Frankie gave it his all, but his 11.79 effort on his 11.75 dial came up just a bit short.
The quarterfinal finish in Pro moved Frankie into the top ten in points, while the runner-up finish, combined with Harhart’s second round loss, allowed Frankie to close the gap between first and second in Street to under 100 points. “We have three weekends left, but it is going to be extremely tough,” Frankie said. “Trying to gain that many points on a guy like Harhart is tough. We are going to need to keep doing what we have been doing and hope for a little luck. Either way, we have had a great season, and if we can at least hold on to second, that’s a big accomplishment.” Hit And Miss Weekend For The Cicerale Brothers At
Numidia Dragway August 2nd- After an abbreviated start time due to inclement weather, the Tax Bracket Racing team braved the cloudy skies and came away with a semi-final finish in Street August 2nd at Numidia Dragway. Frankie took the tough semi-final loss to the man leading the points and squarely in his sights, Tom Harhart. Frankie, who got around Dave Hock in round one, was out of the gate first against Harhart, .026 to .054, but at the stripe dipped under his 11.91 dial-in with an 11.904. That gave Harhart the breakout victory with his safe 14.70 on his 14.68 dial. Vinnie, piloting Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck, had a tougher day, losing in the opening round of Pro.
Vinnie also had a tough day, as he lost in the opening round of Pro. Vinnie was on the losing end of a tough race with Ray Thurston. Thurston scored a slight holeshot, and at the finish line nailed his 12.03 dial-in dead-on with a 12.030. “Pro was just a tough deal today. I missed the tree a touch and couldn’t make it up at the finish line. Then again, when the guy in the other lane is .019 in the tree and dead on the number he isn’t leaving you much to work with.”
With the double points weekend August 8th and 9th being rained out, four weekends remain on the Numidia Dragway points schedule before that season ends. “All we can do is go out there and try and win as many races as we can,” Frankie said. Cicerale Brothers Almost Double At Numidia July 19th- It was almost a memorable weekend as Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale came within one round of doubling up at Numidia Dragway as Frankie came home victorious in Street, while Vinnie was the runner-up in Pro. Adding to the weekend’s drama was the fact that Sunday’s action was Numidia’s King of the Track race, pitting the four category winners against each other for a Wally at the end of the day. After making it to the quarterfinals last week, Vinnie came up just a bit short in his bid for his second win in Pro this year. Sitting at the controls of Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck, Vinnie was on the short end of a final round contest with the silver Nova of Ryan Geyer. Vinnie spotted Geyer the head start via the 10.09 to 10.69 handicap difference, and it was Geyer getting the starting line advantage as well, .017 to .048. At the finish line, Vinnie was closer to his prediction with a 10.11, but it was Geyer’s 10.73 nabbing him the win by .012. “I was hitting the tree well all day, and in the final, I felt like I hit the tree pretty good, but it wasn’t meant to be I guess.” With the runner-up finish, though, Vinnie moved up to third place in the Pro points standings, just twenty points behind Geyer for second.
While Vinnie was mowing them down in Pro, Frankie was one his way to his third win of the season in Street. After getting past Brandon Wentzel’s Camaro in round one, Frankie got the bye in round two to set up a pivotal match up with points leader Tom Harhart in round three. After getting the nod, Frankie got around Jared Hafer’s Chevelle in the semi-finals before squaring off against the Nova wagon of Dave Hock for the trophy. Frankie was behind out of the gate, .036 to Hock’s .023, but was able to come away with the win in a very close double breakout race. Hock, dialed a 13.05, ran a 13.045 that was a mere .002 more of an infraction that Frankie’s winning 11.617 on his 11.62 dial. In addition to taking home the win in Street, Frankie also made it to the quarterfinals in Pro before dropping that duel with the Dodge Dart of Bob Mackey. “I definitely had some close races today, but thankfully they seemed to go my way more often than not,” Frankie commented afterwards. “The final against Hock was a nail biter for sure. I wasn’t great on the tree, and when we got to the stripe, I did the best I could and hoped the win light would come on. As for Pro, I was doing well until I just flat-out missed the tree bad against Mackey in the quarters. He is .001, I am .060, and it was pretty much over from there.” With the win in Street, Frankie was eligible to compete in the King of the Track competition, which pits the four winners in their respective categories (Super Pro, Pro, Street, and Motorcycle) against one another. Going off of reaction time, Frankie, the number four seed, drew Super Pro winner Debbie Moses and her Ed Quay dragster in the opening round. Frankie was out of the gate first, .019 to .022, and then hit his 11.59 dial-in dead-on with an 11.594, forcing Moses under her 8.90 index with an 8.85. Frankie then fouled away his chance of victory against Motorcycle winner Mark Schwaln in the final, as he left prematurely by .008. “We did what we needed to in Street and Pro, which was go rounds and try and make up some ground in the points standings, but this deal was fun for sure. To be honest, I figured out of all of the cars I could draw, Schwaln and the bike would be the toughest, but by no means would Moses be a cake walk either. I have raced both her and her husband, Ken, numerous times in Super Comp with the dragster, and I know how tough they can be. When I saw the win light come on, it was a big relief.” “In the final, I just flat out tried to mow the tree down and came up on the wrong end of it. I knew that trying to stay out in front of the bike would be tough because, obviously, I don’t race them at all. Either way, even if I was green it would have been tough to win the race, but I still hate shooting myself in the foot right out of the gate.”
Cicerale Brothers Nearly Come Up Big At Numidia July 12th- It was a case of what could have been for the Cicerale brothers at Numidia Dragway this week as both Frankie and Vinnie came up a few rounds short of winning their respective categories. In Pro, Vinnie lost a tough race to Bill Good in the quarterfinals, while Frankie came up on the wrong end of a double breakout race against Karla Fitchner in the Street final.
“The car was pretty deadly all day, and I was driving okay,” Frankie said. “As for the race against Karla, we both picked up in the final round, and I drove the race pretty well, but we came out on the wrong end of the deal. I needed to do some fancy driving at the finish line to squeak it out, but it isn’t like I haven’t done it before. It’s all should have, could have, would have. It was a good points day, though, with a couple of people around me in points going out early.” With the runner-up finish, Frankie moved into a tie for second place in the Street standings with Fitchner. “With Tom Harhart going out in round two and George Petruski in the opening round, we needed to go deep today and take advantage of it. We came up one round short of going all the way and capitalizing on it fully, but it was a good day overall.”
“I did the best I could with that one, but he really didn’t leave me a lot of room to work with,” Vinnie commented. “I was feeling good in the truck all day, and with most of the guys ahead of me in points going out early, I was hoping to make up some ground. Unfortunately for me, though, Good had other thoughts about it.” With the quarterfinal finish, Vinnie made up some ground in the points standings, though not as much as he would have liked. “Any time you have the top three or four guys go out in round one, you have to take advantage of it,” he said. “I did a good job of knocking some of the deficit down, but days like this don’t come all that often. After this weekend, though, I really like my chances to stay in the top five at least.” Vinnie will give it another shot this weekend as he will try and drive the DiMino S-10 into the Winner’s Circle, as will Frankie in his Nova. Frankie Nabs Second Win Of Season July 5th- The Fourth of July saw more than fireworks and jet cars at Numidia Dragway as Frankie Cicerale scored his second win of the season in Street with a final round victory over George Petruski. Frankie also made it to the fourth round of Pro, the same round that brother Vinnie piloted Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck to on the first day of a double points weekend. “After last weekend and getting beat early in both classes, it is real nice to rebound like we did and take home the win,” Frankie commented. “It was also nice to have Mom and Dad there. When I won back in May, they were home, but this time they were there. That makes it even more special.”
In addition to taking home the win in Street, Frankie was also going rounds in Pro, making it to the fourth round before taking a tough loss to Denny Marunich and his Chevelle. “I was feeling good behind the wheel of the Nova,” Frankie said. “I was driving both ends of the track well, and when I got around Tom Harhart for the first time this year in round three, I really thought we had a chance of doubling up in both classes.” It wasn’t to be, as Marunich unloaded a great run to down Frankie in round four. Frankie scored the slight holeshot, .017 to .020, but Marunich’s dead-on 10.201 on his 10.20 dial-in forced Frankie to dip under his 11.68 dial with an 11.677. “I really couldn’t do much more in that round,” Frankie said afterwards. “I did everything I could driving wise, but Marunich put together a great run. You just have to get out and shake his hand.” Vinnie also took a close fourth round loss, fouling out by .008 in his contest. Vinnie, looking to back up his quarterfinal finish the week before with another good result, missed the green light by a slim margin. “Every now and then you come up with a close red light, and that was the case for me,” Vinnie remarked. “I was feeling good so it is a bummer, but hopefully we can do better on Sunday.”
Frankie, who ended up being in the loss column twice in Pro, as he lost in the first round and then in the buyback round, made it to the quarterfinals in Street before losing to the guy he beat the night before in the final, George Petruski. Frankie was behind at the start, .043 to Petruski’s killer .005, and took the loss as his 11.79 came up .005 short against Petruski’s 11.88. “Maybe I was feeling the effects from the late night the round before with us running until almost 1:00 AM, but I wasn’t as good on the tree today as I was yesterday,” Frankie said. “I was consistent, but consistency in the high .030s to the mid .040s isn’t going to get the job done.” “I knew George was going to be up for me, and he certainly made up for his .005 red light the night before by being that far away on the green side today,” Frankie continued. “I missed the tree again, but it really didn’t matter. The car went all of 10 feet before it blew the tires away. The starting line kind of went away a bit, and Dad tried to get me out of the bald areas, but it was bald further out from the launch point. I did everything I could, and we almost nabbed the win, but it just wasn’t to be.” Frankie had a tougher day in Pro, where he took a first round loss in round one, and then a tough loss in the buyback round against Stan Levan. “For some reason the car slowed up a bit in the opening round of Pro,” Frankie said. “I gave up a bit of time on the tree, but it didn’t matter. We missed the number a bit, and it bit us. As for the buyback round, that’s another case of putting together a good run and getting beat by someone who put together a better one.” Frankie had his best light of the weekend in that round, an .006, with Levan not too far behind with an .012. At the stripe, Frankie dipped under his 11.76 dial with an 11.758, handing the win to Levan, who ran an .01 over 10.87. “That race was like the one I had with Marunich the day before,” Frankie commented. “I drove it well, but came out on the losing end. That seems to be the story of my life in Pro this year.” Frankie moved up to third in Street points following his win and quarterfinal finishes, and all the way up to 15th in Pro, while Vinnie stayed fourth in Pro. “I made some headway Saturday night, but gave it back on Sunday,” Frankie said. “It’s a bit frustrating because each time I take a step forward, I get pushed back a step the week after, but the game plan remains the same. I just need to keep going deep into the field each week and let things work themselves out. As for Pro, I didn’t think I would make that big of a move this week, going from like 26th to 15th, but I will take it. The key is to keep the momentum going.” “By no means am I out of this points fight yet,” Vinnie said. “Obviously qualifying for the Bracket Finals is on the mind of everyone in the points chase, but so is winning the track championship. If everyone above me runs into a bit of bad luck and I can capitalize on that, things are going to get real interesting.” The season continues on July 12th where the Cicerale brothers will once again give it a go at Numidia Dragway. Rain Ends Vinnie’s Bid In The Quarters
June 28th- It wasn’t much, but it was enough to end Vinnie’s day and a
chance at winning his second Pro event of the year this weekend at Numidia Dragway. It wasn’t a couple of thousandths of a second, but a never-ending light
drizzle that forced Numidia track management to pull the plug with seven cars
left in Pro. Cicerale Brothers Miss Father’s Day Present By A Round
June 21st- It was almost a Father’s Day to remember as Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale came within one round of making it an all Cicerale final round in Pro
at Numidia Dragway. Sitting on opposite sides of the ladder, the Cicerale
brothers both took losses in the semifinal round. Vinnie Takes Home First Victory of 2009 April 19th- It didn’t take Vinnie long to score his first victory of the fledgling 2009 racing season. Seeing as how he scored a win in only his second time behind the wheel of Bob DiMino’s 2003 S-10 truck last year, it comes as no surprise that the number two comes into play yet again, as Vinnie scored his second win in the truck at the second points event of the year with a final round triumph over Dan Swank in Pro. Vinnie, who is on sabbatical to our New York family, the DiMino Racing Team, drove six hard rounds to take home the win. Only running in Pro at this race instead of the usual Super Pro and Pro, Vinnie made his time in the truck count. “Before the day, me and Mr. DiMino decided to concentrate just on Pro for the time being,” Vinnie said. “We took the delay box out of the truck, and I just went into the day with the mindset of settling for nothing less than a good showing. When I saw the win light in the final, it was awesome. Any time you win is great, but I won today with no help. I didn’t have a bye run nor a red light against me, and when you win a race having to earn all of your wins, it makes you that much more proud to stand in the Winner’s Circle.” Vinnie opened the day with a first round win light over Tom Campanicki, before slipping past the ever-tough Bryan Sorce in round two, Jim Butera in the third frame, and Amy Tate in the quarterfinals. After missing the tree a bit in the previous couple of rounds, Vinnie returned to form in his semifinal race with Steve Singley. “For some reason, I missed the tree in round three and in the quarters,” Vinnie said. “I have no idea what caused it, but in the semifinals against Singley, I just went up there with a clear mind, refocused, and found my spot on the tree again.” An .022 light against Singley helped him in the double-breakout race, and earned him the win. “The truck kept getting quicker, and I kept up with it with the dial, but everyone else was getting quicker also,” he said. “I figured a lot of the remaining races would be won or lost on a breakout, so I tried to race accordingly.” In the final, Vinnie was behind on the tree to Swank, but not by much, as Swank’s .017 was only six-thousandths of a second quicker than Vinnie’s .023. At the finish line, it was another double-breakout race, with Vinnie getting the nod with a 10.17 (10.19 dial) when Swank went under his 10.15 prediction with a 10.10. Combined with his quarterfinal finish on April 5th, Vinnie now sits atop the Pro points standings. “I have had a couple of late round finishes, and that is what it takes to win a championship, just going rounds,” Vinnie remarked. “I try not to count points though. I just go out there, do what I do, and let the cards fall where they may. Besides, it’s really early in the season, and there are a lot of things that can happen. I just have to keep my head down and keep grinding it out.” While Vinnie was mowing them down in Pro, Frankie had a tough go of it as he didn’t get out of the opening rounds of competition in either Street or Pro. In his first round match up with Shane Moore in Street, Frankie wasn’t able to get his ’68 Nova staged in time, and was timed out. “I honestly have no idea what happened,” he said afterward. “Dad and a couple of people said that Moore pre-staged and staged, and as I lit the pre-stage bulb, he backed out and it kicked the Autostart timer off. I had no idea what was going on personally. I was just looking at my side of the tree and going through my normal routine. It’s unfortunate, because I was feeling really comfortable in the car, but there was nothing I could do.” Frankie then came around for the first round of Pro, where he lined up against Ryan Geyer. Frankie was afforded the head start, but left a mere .001 too soon, handing the automatic win to Geyer. “I was a bit frustrated after the Street deal, but I knew I had a shot at doing something in Pro, so I just had to clear my mind and get after it,” he commented. “I wasn’t shooting to be that close to perfect, and unfortunately it went the wrong way this time. I spin the tires a bit or whatever, and I am killer green, but what can you do. I knew when I saw the red light come on it was going to be wicked close, but it doesn’t matter if it is .001 or .010, it is still red.” Even though he lost in the first round in both classes, Frankie only fell to third in Street points and seventh in Pro. “Seeing as how we came in sitting second and fifth, respectively, dropping only a couple of spots isn’t all that bad with how the weekend turned out,” Frankie said. “Sometimes you get the bear, and other times the bear gets you. He bit me pretty hard on the rear end this week, but we will come back strong next week and see if we can make up some lost ground and nail down my first win of the year. The season is going to have ups and downs like this. It’s how you rebound from them that makes you either a champion or a runner-up.” The Tax Bracket Racing team will go at it again at Numidia this coming weekend. Cicerale Brothers Go Deep at Numidia Season Opener April 6th- While neither Frankie nor Vinnie Cicerale walked away with a win at the season opener at Numidia Dragway, the Cicerale brothers made their presence known as both went deep into the fields, with the highlight being Frankie’s runner-up in Street. Frankie, who double entered the Tax Bracket Racing ’68 Chevy Nova in Street and Pro eliminators, made it to the final round in Street, where waiting for him was Mary Ellen Watkins and her ’56 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon. Frankie spotted Watkins almost a second in elapsed time, but gave it away on the starting line when he left .014 too soon, turning on the red light and handing the automatic win to Watkins. “I am really kicking myself after this one,” Frankie said afterwards. “Not that I would have beaten Mary Ellen, who would have been tough seeing as how she was .028 on the tree and dead-on her dial, but I didn’t give myself a chance. I was late the round before, and I think I just subconsciously went up there and hit it harder. I am usually pretty good in final rounds with the Nova, so to drop one and do it with a red light is really disappointing.” Frankie also made it to the quarterfinals of Pro, where eventual class winner Tom Harhart gunned him down. In what turned out to be a close race, both drivers uncharacteristically missed the tree, Harhart with an .046 and Frankie with an .059. At the finish line, Harhart ran dead-on his number to Frankie’s .01-over 11.59 (11.58 dial-in). “I had a couple of runs where I missed the tree a bit, but against a guy like Harhart, you can’t miss it at all,” Frankie commented. “He missed it with me also, and when he gives you something to work with, you need to take advantage of it. I did all I could at the finish line, but when the guy beats you on the tree and is running dead on his number, the only thing you can do is just put your head down, drive the car back in the trailer, and come back next week.” “Overall, I am happy with how the weekend went,” Frankie continued. “I opened the season with a good finish in Pro that has me sitting fifth in points behind Vinnie, and obviously the runner-up has me slotted second in Street. It was a good points weekend, so I need to build on the momentum I got from it, adjust and fix the problems I ran into, including my driving as well as some little things with the car, and come back after Easter weekend and see what I can do. If I can continue to be consistent on the tree like I was this weekend, the car continues to be as consistent as it was, and I drive the finish line well, then I should be in good shape for the season.” While Frankie was racking up one round win after another, Vinnie was doing the same thing in Super Pro and Pro behind the wheel of Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck. After having to scramble to fix a broken fuel pump fitting before the first run of the day, Vinnie got out of the opening frame in both classes before fouling out in round two against Rob DiMino. In Pro, Vinnie, who benefited from three straight red lights, got caught in the quarterfinals against Rick Morris. “For some reason, the truck spun the tires against Rick,” Vinnie explained. “I realized it, and I should have kept my foot planted at the finish line, but I didn’t. I kind of messed up the finish line, and if I didn’t I might have come away with the win. Either way, I had a good weekend and hope to do better next week.” Vinnie’s finishes in Super Pro and Pro place him tenth and fourth, respectively. The Tax Bracket Racing team will attack the track next on April 19th at Numidia Dragway. Tax Bracket Racing Ready to Roll on 2009 March 27th- After taking a year hiatus before making a return to the track late in the 2008 season, Tax Bracket Racing and drivers Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale are geared up and ready to roll in 2009. With the ’09 season nearly a month away, the Piscataway New Jersey natives are set to improve on the success they had in their shortened ’08 campaign.
For 2009 Frankie will once again campaign his 1968 Chevy Nova in both Sportsman and Pro at Numidia Dragway, though more predominately so in Sportsman. In addition, Frankie will strap into Tax Bracket Racing’s Ed Quay Super Comp/Super Pro dragster for the first time since 2007. "Dad and I talked over the winter, and he had an unyielding desire to get the dragster back out where it belongs, which is on the track.
Joining Frankie on track is younger brother Vinnie, who for the second straight year will wheel the S-10 truck owned by Numidia Dragway owner Bob DiMino. “Mr. DiMino asked me to drive the truck for him towards the latter part of last year, and we did really well with the $5,000 win in August, so he asked me to come back again this year,” Vinnie says. “I felt really comfortable in the truck and went a bunch of rounds in both Super Pro and Pro, so hopefully this year I can rack up some more round wins, come home with a couple of big victories, and have some fun.” Vinnie will pilot the truck in both the Super Pro and Pro categories, the same two in which he competed last year.
Minus from the stable is Tax Bracket Racing’s ’94 Pro Start Super Comp dragster, 1987 Super Street Ford Thunderbird, and 1981 Chevy Monte Carlo. The Pro Start dragster was sold during the ’07 off season to make way for the new four-link Ed Quay dragster, while the Thunderbird was sent to Race Car Heaven following a meeting with the concrete retaining wall at the Atco LODRS event in 2007 after a right front shock broke. The Monte Carlo, on the other hand, remains, though it will change hands in the driving department. “Both my mom, Marian, and my wife, Robin, showed interest in getting behind the wheel these past few months, so Dad and I are going to see what we can do to get the two Cicerale women behind the wheel,” Frankie says. “We are up in the air whether we will keep the 383 that’s in the Monte and unhook the secondaries to the carburetor and have the engine run on just two barrels, or yank the 383 out, refreshen the motor that was in the car when Vinnie and I won the Bracket Finals in ’02 and ’03, and put that in the car. It all depends on how much work Dad and I want to take on.” Tax Bracket Racing opens the season April 5th at Numidia Dragway.
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Vinnie
lost to eventual Saturday winner Tom Harhart in the semifinals, breaking out
with a 10.01 on a 10.02 dial-in. Vinnie had the reaction time advantage, but
couldn’t turn the win light on. “That race against Harhart was tough,”
Vinnie said afterwards. “I am in a low 10-second truck, and he is in a mid
14-second street car. I drove it the best I could, but I took a bit too much
at the stripe and it bit me.” Brother Frankie had the same fate against
Harhart in round two. Frankie was behind out of the gate, .037 to .027, and
at the finish line, dipped under his 11.77 dial-in with an 11.769. “I didn’t
drive all that bad against Harhart, but the race just didn’t fall my way,”
he said. “One thousandth is still one thousandth when it is in the loss
column. That was just another typical race between me and Harhart; close and
decided by an eye lash.”
In
addition to running the truck, Vinnie strapped into Rob DiMino’s Cressman-tooled
rear-engine dragster. With this being his first time behind the wheel of an
open cockpit car since his Jr. Dragster days, Vinnie made his required
upgrade runs for his Super Comp license Saturday to get himself ready for
Sunday. Vinnie, who ripped to a 7.63, 172 mph rip in time trials, got the
first round win light over Jack Ostrowski before taking an extremely tough
loss in round two to John Bichon. Vinnie, dialed in at a 7.65, hit a stellar
.009 light, and nailed the number head-on with a 7.656. That .015 package
wasn’t enough, though, as Bichon was near perfect with an .002 light and ran
a 7.199 on his 7.19 dial, beating Vinnie out by .004 at the big end.
With the Race of Champions originally scheduled for
Friday afternoon, the Division 1 staff decided that with inclement weather
on its way in Saturday, they would push off the RoC event until after
eliminations for the Division 1 Summit ET Racing Series Bracket Finals was
completed. Frankie got the first round nod on Friday with a great .017 light
and an 11.77 pass on his 11.66 dial-in. Frankie then took a tough second
round loss to Mason-Dixon Dragway’s David Toms in the second round held
Saturday morning. Frankie was out of the gate first, .031 to .042, but at
the stripe his 11.68 (11.66 dial) wasn’t enough against Toms’ dead-on 12.804
on his 12.80 dial.
Saturday afternoon saw the end of the big race and the
beginning of the Race of Champions. Frankie drew the Quarter-Aces
representative, Randy Brownawell, in the opening round. Brownawell, who lost
in the Street final a bit earlier in the day, left slightly ahead of
Frankie, .025 to .027. As the duo hit the quarter-mile mark, it was Frankie
getting the nod as his 11.68 (11.67 dial) was safe against Brownawell’s
breakout 11.86 (11.88 dial-in). After getting the bye run in round two,
Frankie tangled with Island Dragway’s Bill Hakucsa in the semi-finals.
Frankie left first, .051 to .064, and kept things rolling, winning the
double breakout affair with an 11.63 (11.65 dial-in) that was less of an
infraction than Hakucsa’s 11.47 (11.50 dial-in). With weather closing in and
eventually dousing the remaining competitors, the final was held over to
Sunday. After a morning rainstorm, the track was dried and Frankie lined up
against Spencer Speedway’s Capizzi for the trophy dash. Capizzi gunned
Frankie on the tree, .017 to .032, but at the finish line, it was Frankie
getting the nod as his 11.83 (11.80 dial) was closer than Capizzi’s 12.86
(12.80).
September
5th-6th- For Frankie, the season and his title
hopes all came down to this, a one-run, winner-take-all quarterfinal match
up with Tom Harhart. Behind him by 12 points in the standings, it was a
13-point difference between winning the round and losing it. A loss would
toll the death bell in his quest for the championship, while a win light
would guarantee at least a one-point triumph in the season standings. A
little over 14 seconds after Harhart left the starting line, the decision
was in, and it was Frankie turning on the win light, winning the round and
the 2009 Numidia Dragway Street Eliminator championship. He went on to take
home the win in the class for the second straight week, while brother
Vinnie, piloting Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck in Pro, went back-to-back as well,
taking home the Pro win for the second time in as many weeks.
The
win over Harhart gave Frankie the semifinal bye run, putting him into his
second straight final round, where waiting for him was the Mustang of John
Bonk. Frankie once again was away first, .042 to .073, and got the win with
an 11.71 (11.64 dial-in) as Bonk ran under his 11.50 dial with an 11.41.
“After the quarterfinal win over Harhart, I have to admit, I was wiped out
emotionally,” Frankie commented. “It’s a good thing I had the bye into the
final, as I was able to get my mind back into the race as we still had two
rounds to go. There is no better way to celebrate a championship than to win
the race, and when we did that, it was the perfect ending to the perfect
weekend, minus the first round loss in Pro of course.” 
“I
am bummed about the first round loss for sure, but it didn’t turn out to be
that bad of a day after all,” Vinnie said afterwards. “It hurts because if I
had done everything I did today minus losing first round, I would have won
the championship, but what can you do. I won two weeks in a row, finished
second in points, and have a lot of momentum going into next week’s money
races and the Bracket Finals at the end of the month. If I can keep this
roll going, who knows what happens in the next few weeks.”
Frankie completed the double-up win by handling the
challenge of Karla Fitchner in the Street final. Frankie spotted Fitchner
the slight head start in the money round, 11.89 to his 11.72, and made up
some time when the tree fell as he was away first, .047 to .069. As the duo
flashed through the finish line beams, both went under their respective
dial-ins, with Frankie getting the nod as his 11.716 was closer to his
prediction than Fitchner’s 11.885 by a mere .001. Frankie also had a good
day in Pro, recording his second semifinal finish of the year in the class
when he dropped a close race in that round to eventual runner-up Harhart.
Frankie had the holeshot advantage, .028 to .046, but at the stripe missed
the win by .007 as his 11.77 (11.70 dial-in) was a touch slower than
Harhart’s 14.41 effort on his 14.37 dial-in. It was the same result the day
before in his third round race against Paul Thimm in the $5,000 Footbrake
race, where he missed turning the win light on by the same margin. Both
Frankie and Thimm were dead even on the tree, hitting a pair of .016 lights,
but it was Thimm running dead-on his 9.24 dial with a 9.245, while Frankie
came up a tad short with an 11.852 effort on his 11.84 dial-in.
Frankie,
wheeling his ’68 Chevy Nova got around the always tough Mary Ellen Watkins
in the opening round of competition in Street, before downing the Camaro of
Brandon Wentzel in round two. That set up a quarterfinal match up with last
week’s winner, Shane Moore, whom Frankie lost to in that round. Frankie was
better out of the gate, .041 to .069, but at the finish line, dipped under
his 11.84 dial-in by the slightest margin, running a breakout 11.839. That
gave the win to Moore, who ran dead on his 13.80 prediction. Frankie then
came around for Pro, and after downing Sean Steffey in round three, fouled
out by .010 against Jerry Walter’s Chevelle in round four.
Vinnie
had a tough day, losing to the Chevelle of Denny Marunich in the opening
round of competition. Marunich got the advantage on the starting line, .010
to .049, and as the pair made it through the lights, it was Marunich getting
the nod, as his 10.34 (10.33 dial-in) was enough to push Vinnie under his
10.23 prediction with a breakout 10.19. “The truck was really consistent in
time shots, and I felt good about the day,” Vinnie commented. “Marunich put
together a great run with the .010 light and the .01-over 10.34, and I did
the best I could.”
Vinnie
rebounded from a first round loss two weeks ago with a quarterfinal finish
behind the wheel of Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck, where he lost to eventual
runner-up Ryan Horensky. Vinnie was out of the gate first, .020 to .092, but
was further off his dial in than Horensky. “The run before, the oil pressure
gauge was reading zero,” Vinnie commented afterwards. “I come to find out it
was the gauge that was broken, but I didn’t know if there was a problem with
the motor or not. I did what I could, but it just wasn’t meant to be.” With
the quarterfinal finish, Vinnie remains in the top five in Pro points. “My
chances of finishing the year and going to the Bracket Finals in the top
five is looking good,” he said. “I just have to keep going rounds these last
few weeks and get ready for Maple Grove."
“Overall,
we had a good day, but man, I hate dropping final rounds,” Frankie said
afterwards. “When you get that far, you want to close the deal, but you have
to give Shane credit. He cut the tree down and put together a good run. I
did my job on the starting line, but the car was a bit off. As for Pro, all
I have to say is man those nine-second cars come up on you quick!”
“With
the rainout last week, we needed to go rounds this week, which we did,”
Frankie commented afterwards. “It is just a bummer that we got put on the
trailer by the guy who is leading the points and we need to catch. I did my
job on both ends of the racetrack, I just came up a bit short. I mean, four
thousandths of a second is a heartbreaker when you are confident in how you
drove the entire race, but it happens.” Frankie didn’t fare so well in Pro,
taking a first round loss to Jerry Walter, and losing his buyback round
race. “Pro has been feast or famine all year,” Frankie said. “I either go a
bunch of rounds, or struggle to get into round two. I am not doing anything
different in Pro than I do in Street, it is just my luck has been a bit
tougher in Pro. I wasn’t bad on the tree in round one of Pro, but I got bit
at the big end, going under by eight thousandths. Overall, I lost in both
classes by a combined margin of twelve thousandths of a second. If that
doesn’t tell you how tough the competition is, I don’t know what will.”
“There
are only a few weeks left, and this loss kind of hurt my chances as far as
getting the track championship,” Vinnie remarked. “The goal for the rest of
the season is to got out there, try and win some races, and get into the top
five in points. I am pretty solid in Pro, so I shouldn’t have a problem
qualifying for the Bracket Finals. I am looking forward to going to Maple
Grove and representing Numidia Dragway at the Bracket Finals.”
“A
lot of guys that were ahead of me got taken out in round one, and I was able
to kind of help myself by getting around Rick Morris in round two,” Vinnie
commented. “If we can keep going like this, I like my chances to close the
gap on the points leader. Like I said, though, the name of the game is to
keep doing what I have been doing the past few weeks, which is go a bunch of
rounds and take advantage of when those above me go out early and try and
win some races. It is disappointing because when you get that far, you
really want to end up in the Winner’s Circle, but it was a good points day.
I moved up a couple of spots, and closed up some gaps."
With
the win in Street, Frankie moved into sole possession of second place, 101
points behind leader Tom Harhart with eight weeks left in the season. “The
name of the game all year has been to go rounds and make it difficult on
everyone else, and it feels like Dad and I have been able to do that these
past few weeks,” Frankie said. “We put up a couple of wins, and combined
with a couple of other late round finishes, we have been closing the gap a
bit. I have to admit, though, that getting around Harhart in the
quarterfinals was pivotal. That round right there could have been the
championship, and we were able to turn on the win light. There is still a
ton of things that can happen, especially with us having more than two
months left to the season, but if we can keep the momentum going, things
might get interesting come the final weekend in September.”
“Any
time you lose, it hurts, but the final does more so than other rounds
because when you get that far, you want to finish things off and close the
deal,” Frankie said afterwards. Frankie was out of the gate first in the
final, .028 to Fitchner’s .039, but both racers went under their respective
dial-ins. When all was said and done, Frankie’s 11.676 on his 11.71 dial-in
was .010 more of an infraction than Fitchner’s 11.966 (11.99 dial-in),
handing her the double breakout win. Earlier in the day, Frankie lost to
eventual Pro winner Mary Ellen Watkins in that class when he broke out by
.003. “I was .043 on the tree, she was .080, and I got there first by way
too much,” he commented. “Mary Ellen is usually never that late, and when
she gives you room on the starting line, you have to take advantage of it. I
broke out by three thousandths of a second. I sneeze and we are into round
two, but that’s the breaks. My hat is off to her.”
Vinnie,
meanwhile, was on a roll in Pro until he ran into Bill Good’s Chevelle in
the quarterfinal. Vinnie, wheeling Bob DiMino’s S-10 truck, was spotted the
head start, and after Vinnie hit an .023 light, Good was off chasing with an
.010 reaction time. At the finish line, Vinnie’s 10.097 dipped under his
10.10 dial-in by three thousandths of a second, handing the breakout victory
to Good, who ran a 9.55 on his 9.54 dial.
Frankie’s
march to the final culminated in a final round win over Petruski and his ’73
Corvette. This one was over right at the start, as Petruski fouled out by a
scant .005. That handed the automatic win to Frankie, who was a bit
surprised at how the win came about. “To be honest, I never expected George
to come up red in the final,” Frankie said. “He was good on the tree all
day, so I knew he was going to be there. When I saw the red light wink on
out of the bottom of my eye in the final, it threw me off. I think I was
late because I was wondering how it could be he fouled out, but I will take
it.”
Following
the Saturday nights points program was Numidia Dragway’s normal Sunday
points program, which saw Vinnie get into the third round of Pro and Frankie
the quarterfinals in Street. Like the day before, Vinnie came up on the
wrong side of the tree, this time in round one, as he was .007 too quick on
the starting line. “Like last night, I wasn’t really trying to push the
tree,” Vinnie said. After the first round red light, Vinnie won his buyback
round, and continued on until the third round, where the red light once
again appeared in his lane. “All three losses this weekend came by a red
light that was less than .009. Either way, each time I came up red by a
little bit, and my day ended. It is disappointing, but I have to come back
next week fresh and go back at it again.”
