Tax Bracket Racing 2005 News Archive

Early End to the Weekend for Tax Bracket Racing

May 7th- It was a pair of early round exits at Island Dragway for the Tax Bracket Racing team and drivers Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale this weekend. Frankie suffered second round losses in both Street and Pro, while Vinnie took a second round loss in Street and a third round Loss in Pro.

“We had a bad day all around,” Frankie said. “I did a decent job driving in both Street and Pro first round, but other than that, I had an off day. The car wasn’t as consistent as Dad and I would have liked it to be, and the second round losses are the result. I guess you can say both the car and I were sick this weekend. I coughed, she sneezed, and we just couldn’t get the win light to turn on.”

Frankie drew Phil Longo in round one of Street, and was behind after the tree fell, .012 to .042. AT the finish line, Frankie was able to pull out the win by a very tight .001. After getting by Joey Longo in round one of Pro, Frankie lost to Tom Henion in round two in a double breakout race. Frankie then lost to Bill Ceralli in Pro when he was caught on the starting line.

“I really had a bad day on the tree,” Frankie continued. “It would have been tough to win today anyway with the way the car was running but my lights weren’t helping me. Like I said, it was just not a good day.”

Vinnie slipped past Blaine Hertzog in round one before falling to Lloyd MacKay in round two. Vinnie went one round further than Frankie in Pro before red-lighting away his chances in round three.

“The car was just all over the place today,” a frustrated Vinnie said afterwards. “Last week the car was deadly, and this week it was like a different animal. It makes it very hard to win when the car jumps all over the place. Dad, Frankie, and I have talked and come up with a plan on changing some things so hopefully this situation doesn’t happen again.”

The Tax Bracket Racing team will try and improve their points standings next week at Island Dragway.

Frankie Scores First Win of 2006

April 29- After waiting until June last year before scoring his first win of the year, Frankie Cicerale made sure that didn’t happen this year as he brought home his first win of the year in Street with a final round victory over John Hedenburg.

“It’s a relief,” Frankie said. “I was able to get the monkey off of my back early this year and get the first win out of the way right off of the bat. It was a tough day with who I had to race, but we capitalized on others going out early and made up a ton of ground in the points.”

Frankie, who was a first round victim in Pro, used a holeshot and an 11.44 (11.50 dial) to get past Chuck Henion in round one. After getting the free pass in round two when Bob Gay turned on the red light, Frankie got the round win in the quarterfinals to move up the ladder and face brother Vinnie in the semi-finals.

The race between the brothers was arguably the best yet between them. Vinnie earned a slight holeshot, his .025 light besting Frankie’s .029. At the finish line, Vinnie got there first by .006, but broke out by two thousandths of a second in the process, handing Frankie the win.

“That was, by far the best race I have ever had against Vinnie,” Frankie commented. “When I saw Vinnie get out of the quarterfinals, and I got the win light in the same round, I knew that the race against Vinnie would be my toughest one all day. That race could have gone either way, and I’m very lucky it went in my favor.”

“Normally, the driving job I did against Frankie would have won the race,” Vinnie said. “It’s alright though, I will keep it in my memory bank for the next time!”

In the final, Frankie was behind Hedenburg on the starting line by almost two hundredths of a second, but at the quarter mile mark, Frankie broke out less than Hedenburg to take the win.

“We started off the season in great shape,” Frankie said. “The name of the game is to go rounds every week. By winning this week, I went from not around the top ten to going all the way up to third place in points, so it just goes to show what a late round finish early on can do. If we can do that, both Vinnie and I will be able to make our lives a lot easier later on in the season.”

Even though Vinnie lost in the semis to Frankie, he had a good day overall as well. Vinnie used some savvy driving to get out of rounds one and two in Street, and moved into the semi-finals in the category when quarterfinal opponent Olin Lyons red lighted. Vinnie also made it to the third round of Pro as well. After winning a double breakout race in round one, Vinnie used an .002 light in round two to get past Nancy Snyder before taking the loss in round three.

“I am disappointed because I felt I had a good shot at winning in Pro,” Vinnie said. “I messed up a little bit on the starting line, and every now and then you can get away with it, but I wasn’t as fortunate this time. Overall, I am happy with how I ran this weekend. I made it to the third round of Pro, the semi-finals of Street, and am sitting in the top ten in points in Street, so I can’t complain.”

Frankie and Vinnie will go at it again at Island Dragway next Saturday, May 6th.

Rain Washes Away Third Straight Weekend

April 23rd- For the third time in as many weeks, rain cancelled racing action at Island Dragway, where Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale are waiting to compete in the Summit E.T. Racing Series.

After rain cancelled the regular points events scheduled for April 8th, April 15th, and April 22nd, the Cicerale brothers are patiently waiting for the weather to clear.

“It’s frustrating because Vinnie and I are ready to go, and so are the cars,” Frankie commented. “Hopefully this upcoming weekend will be clear and we can get some racing in and make up some ground.”

“I can’t wait to get out there and start defending my title,” Vinnie said. “Both Frankie and I have a good feeling about this year. Now if only the weather would cooperate.”

The Tax Bracket Racing team will hope the weather holds out so racing can resume at Island Dragway this Saturday, April 29th.

Weekend Concludes Early for Tax Bracket Racing

April 2nd- It was an early weekend for the Tax Bracket Racing team and drivers Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale at the Division 1 National Open held at Atco Raceway April 2nd. Frankie lost in the second round of Super Street, while Vinnie took a tough first round loss in Stock.

Frankie opened the 2006 racing season behind the wheel of the team’s 1987 Ford Thunderbird in Super Street. Cicerale, who normally races the team’s 1994 Pro Start dragster in Super Comp, scored a first round victory when Judy Perrino red-lighted. Frankie lost in round two with a 10.87 breakout run on the 10.90 index.

“I’m disappointed that we went out in round two, but I had a blast overall,” Frankie said afterwards. “Dad and I put together a great run in the last time trial session (.002/10.903), and I was pumped. I made a small error at the finish line in the second round, but it’s just a matter of getting back into the swing of things.”

Vinnie made his debut in Stock, handling the driving chores of the Landy’s Performance B/SA 1969 Chevy Camaro. After qualifying in the upper half of the field, Vinnie drew Gary Richards in the opening round of competition. Vinnie scored a sizeable holeshot, but was on the losing end of the race with a 10.72 pass on the 10.48 dial.

“I tried to get the win light, and I did everything I could,” a disappointed Vinnie explained. “I had a decent light, but the car was breaking up in second gear. I was primed to do well and go rounds, but the car had other ideas. We will get it fixed and ready for the divisional in Maple Grove, and hopefully we can have some better luck there.”

The Lucas Oil divisional event held at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, PA on Memorial Day weekend will be the next race in which the team will compete in Super Comp and Stock eliminator.

Tax Bracket Set for Season Opener

March 27th- The time has come and the Tax Bracket Racing team and drivers Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale are ready to drop the hammer on the 2006 racing season with the first day of time trials at the Atco National Open series event held this weekend at Atco Raceway. The three-day mini-divisional will feature Vinnie’s debut in Stock eliminator.

“The off season is over and we can get back down to business,” Vinnie said. “The Camaro is ready to go, Ralph and Adam and the rest of the guys at Landy’s Performance have been working long hours getting the cars ready, and now we are ready to go racing.”

Vinnie will make his first appearance in the B/SA Camaro on Friday with the first of four qualifying runs. Eliminations will begin on Sunday.

“The car should qualify very well,” Vinnie stated. “The basic goal of this weekend is to spend Friday and Saturday getting myself acclimated to the car. Once I learn what the car likes and what it doesn’t and get used to the driving style associated with the stocker, I feel we can be competitive. I’m not worried at all about driving the car, I just want to get in there, get the first pass under my belt, and make good runs.”

With the dragster still in the Landy’s Performance shop getting prepped for the season, Frankie will open the season behind the wheel of the team’s 1987 Ford Thunderbird in Super Street. This will be Frankie’s second time running the car, with his first being an appearance in Super Gas and the Lucas Oil division event in July of last year at Lebanon Valley Dragway.

“Plan A is shot, so it’s on to plan B,” Frankie joked. “In all seriousness, we knew that we would be pressed for time in regards to getting the dragster ready. It’s going to be laid up a bit longer than we thought, so I am going to run the Thunderbird. Everyone is doing all they can to get the dragster ready, but you can’t rush re-wiring a car.”

“Running the Thunderbird is going to be cool,” Frankie continued. “There is no pressure as far as points or anything, and the car has run well as of late, so neither Dad or I will get frustrated by a fluke run like we had to deal with with the dragster. In hindsight, it is going to be easier on Dad. He and Vinnie are going to be learning the stocker, and instead of splitting time with that and making sure everything is fixed on the dragster, Dad can concentrate on Vinnie. The T-Bird is the easy part of the weekend.”

The event will start off with time trials on Friday, March 31st. Time trials will continue on Saturday, April 1st, with eliminations starting at 9:00 AM on Sunday, April 2nd.

New Website Feature: Driver Blogs

March 20, 2006- Have you ever wonder how racing is from a driver’s point of view? Well now you will be able to look behind the scenes and see what goes on with the Tax Bracket Racing team and drivers Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale both on and off of the track as each driver will have their own blog on the Tax Bracket Racing website.

“NHRA.com has the blogs of the professional drivers on that site, so we thought it would be cool to have one of our own and have fans and web browsers and everyone else interested in drag racing to see the sportsman side of things,” said Frankie. “We will still post the race results articles. The blogs are more of a behind the scenes type of thing. Those that read the blog entries will be able to see what goes on at the track and during the week.”

“Writing the blog will be cool,” Vinnie commented. “Those who visit the website and read the blog entries will see there is more to racing than strapping into the car and going down the track. There is a lot of maintenance and preparation that goes into a successful race team.”

Links for each blog will be located both on the navigation bar of the website and in the driver profiles of both Frankie and Vinnie. The blogs are scheduled top be updated regularly.

“Hopefully the blogs will help us to raise awareness of the race team and attract a few sponsors,” Frankie stated. “Either way, it is going to be a fun deal and Vinnie and I are looking forward to it.”

View the first blog entries by clicking on the links below:

Frankie's Blog or Vinnie's Blog

Tax Bracket Racing Set for 2006 Season

March 13, 2006- With the snow finally melting and the temperatures rising, the Tax Bracket Racing team and drivers Frankie and Vinnie Cicerale are set to kick off the 2006 season after a successful 2005 campaign.

“I can’t wait for the season opener,” said Vinnie. “It has been a long winter and I am excited to get back in the cars.”

Vinnie will make a category change, as he will start the season behind the wheel of Ralph and Adam Landolfi’s B/SA Camaro in Stock Eliminator. Vinnie will run most of the Division 1 Open Series races, a few national events, and the full Division 1 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule.

“Ralph and Adam expanded the team to a two car operation, and I couldn’t say no when they asked me to drive the Camaro,” Vinnie explained. “The stocker is consistent and fast, and I am looking to win a lot in that car this year.”

In addition to running the LODRS schedule, Vinnie will also try and defend his Street championship at Island Dragway as he will once again compete in the Summit E.T. Racing Series program in his 1981 Chevy Monte Carlo.

“I would love to repeat what I was able to accomplish last year,” Vinnie commented. “I had a great year last year, but repeating will be tough. The competition gets tougher and tougher every year, so I will have to step my game up another notch.”

Brother Frankie will start his thirteenth season once again driving his 1968 Chevy Nova in Street and Pro eliminators at Island Dragway.

“We had a lot of bad luck and parts breakage last year,” Frankie reflected. “I finished sixth in points, and I know if it wasn’t for the little things breaking, I could have had a good shot at making it another one-two finish for Tax Bracket Racing. That’s all water under the bridge now. The goal this year is to qualify for the Bracket Finals and win a track title in either Street or Pro, though it would be nice to take home both championships.”

Along with running his Nova, Frankie will also pilot the team’s 1994 Super Comp dragster and, for a few events, the team’s 1987 Ford Thunderbird in Super Street.

“The dragster has been inconsistent as of late,” Frankie explained. “We are changing some things on the car to try and correct that problem. It was very frustrating to go out there and be driving well and have the car set on kill, and then second or third round, it throws out a psychotic number. We have the chance this winter to make some changes, and that is what we are going to do. The car can win and I know I can drive well enough in the dragster to win. We just need to get the combination back that we had in 2002.”

“The plan is to run the dragster, obviously,” Frankie continued. “I love that car and have done well with it, and would love to get back into the Winner’s Circle with it. I’m also planning on making a few appearances in the Thunderbird at a couple of Open races that are held at tracks we are a bit hesitant to take the dragster out on, and that is going to be cool. I had a blast running the Thunderbird in Super Gas at Lebanon Valley last year. With Vinnie running the stocker, he said to run the car if I wanted to, so hopefully I can make the most of my time in the car and win a race or two. The ultimate goal is to win a few races and hopefully score a top ten finish in the dragster.”

The team will start the season at the Open series event at Atco Raceway in the beginning of April.

“The plan is simple this year,” Vinnie said. “We are going to go out there, make no mistakes, and win as much as possible.”

Vinnie to Run in Stock in 2006

March 9, 2006- Vinnie Cicerale will change car makes and categories for the 2006 racing season as he will pilot the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro owned by Ralph and Adam Landolfi in Stock eliminator. Cicerale, who previously drove the Tax Bracket Racing team’s 1987 Ford Thunderbird in Super Street, joins the Landy’s Performance race team as a part of a two-car assault on the NHRA Division 1 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Stock title. Cicerale will run the B/SA class with the big-block powered muscle car.

“I am thrilled to be driving for ‘the good bad guys’,” the 21-year-old Piscataway, New Jersey native said. “I have always wanted to run in Stock, and when Mr. Landolfi asked me if I wanted to drive the Camaro, there was no way I was going to turn it down.”

“We were looking for a young driver that was eager to win, and Vinnie is that driver,” said “Coney Island” Ralph Landolfi, owner of Landy’s Performance. “We are all confident that Vinnie will do a great job.”

“We picked up a Chevelle over the winter to run in Stock as well, but we still wanted to keep the Camaro out there also,” Ralph’s son Adam commented. “With myself driving the Chevelle, we wanted someone who knew how to win to get behind the wheel of the Camaro, and Vinnie was the first person that came to mind.”

Opening up the original Landy’s Performance in Brooklyn, New York back in the late 1960’s the Landolfi’s have competed in most of the NHRA’s sportsman categories, and ran in Pro Stock for a few years. After getting out of the Pro Stock wars, the Landolfi’s re-opened Landy’s Performance in a spacious shop in Colt’s Neck, New Jersey.

Cicerale, the 2003 NHRA Summit E.T. Racing Series Sportsman World Champion, brings twelve years of racing experience and a winning record to the team. “My dad will still be calling the shots as far as dial-ins, and Ralph and Adam are going to make the car run as well as it can every time, so all I have to do is concentrate on driving,” Vinnie stated. “The Camaro will be different from the Thunderbird, but I am confident that I will do well in the car. I would love to pick up my first LODRS win and finish in the top ten in points, but a championship would be awesome as well.”

Vinnie will make his debut in Stock eliminator at the P.C. Richard and Sons National Open event to be held at Atco Raceway March 31st-April 2nd. Cicerale will also run the entire Division 1 schedule and a few national events as well.