Tax Bracket Racing -- Vinnie Cicerale

The 2007 racing season will be Vinnie Cicerale’s fifth season behind the wheel of a full size race car. This year will also be the 22 year old’s fourteenth season driving a race car for Tax Bracket Racing.

Quick Stats

Name: Vinnie Cicerale Birthday: December 31, 1984 Height: 5’6” Weight: 190 Hometown: Piscataway, NJ Occupation: Student Career Goals: To graduate college with a degree in cooking and restaurant management; to win a Stock Eliminator championship; to win another track championship. Accomplishments: - 2006 Division 1 Super Street 2nd place points finisher - 2005 Island Dragway Street Elim. Track Champion - 2003 NHRA Sportsman Eliminator National Champion - 2003 NHRA Division 1 Street Eliminator Champion - 2003 Division 1 National Open Series Super Street 7th Place Points Finisher - 2002 Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Jr. Dragster Track Champion - 2001 Division 1 Jr. Dragster Race of Champions Winner - 2001 Island Dragway Jr. Dragster Track Champion - 1998 Island Dragway Jr. Dragster Track Champion - 1997 Island Dragway Jr. Dragster Track Champion - 64 Career Wins

Vinnie, a former, Jr. Drag Racing League competitor, started his driving career in 1994 behind the wheel of the Tax Bracket Racing Jr. Dragster, and won for the first time in his career that year at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. The victory was just the beginning.

In 1995, Vinnie again shared the Tax Bracket Racing 1993 Half-Scale Jr. Dragster with his brother, Frankie, and finished seventh in points at Island Dragway. Towards the latter part of the season, Vinnie was asked to drive another car for a few races, and won the Consolation Race during the Fall Nationals at Island Dragway.

The 1996 season found Vinnie behind the wheel of the Help Our Team Rub Out Drugs (H.O.T.R.O.D.) Jr. Dragster. Vinnie qualified for the 1996 Jr. Drag Racing League National Championships, but went out in the first round. He visited the Winner’s Circle three times that season, and finished fourth in points.

Tax Bracket Racing expanded to a two-car operation in 1997, and Vinnie finally got a car of his own in 1997. Vinnie won the Jr. Dragster track championship at Island Dragway, beating out Frankie for the team’s first ever track title, and went seven for seven in final rounds that year. Vinnie also went to the Ziploc Indy Jr. Dragster Open, and went five rounds in the Friday night bracket race.

1998 was much of the same as Vinnie once again kept Frankie at bay, winning five times en route to capturing the Island Dragway track championship, his second straight. He qualified for his second National Championships, but again went out in the opening frame.

During the 1999 season, Vinnie racked up three wins, and finished number two in the Island Dragway points program, making it the third straight year that Tax Bracket Racing finished one and two in the points standings. He also finished in a tie with Frankie for fourth position in the points at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown New Jersey.

In 2000, Vinnie ended up number two at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in his second year competing there for points, finishing behind Class D and 2000 NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals Champion Joe Santangelo. Vinnie extended his career win total to 36 after capturing the coveted winner's trophy thirteen times during the course of the season. He qualified for the first annual Eastern Conference Finals, but unfortunately went out in the first round. He also made his fourth straight appearance in the Race of Champions event held at the Division 1 Championships, and qualified number one before a blown motor ended his run in the second round.

At the end of the 2001 season, Vinnie re-claimed his title at Island Dragway, knocking down seven wins on his way to the track championship, Tax Bracket Racing’s fourth overall. He also finished second in points at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Class D competition for the second straight year. His biggest win, however, came at the Division 1 event held at Mason-Dixon Dragway. After five years of trying, Vinnie finally went the distance in the Race of Champions event and won the race for the first time.

2002 marked Vinnie's final season behind the wheel of a Jr. Dragster. While it was a disappointing year at Island Dragway, Vinnie made up for that disappointment by taking home Old Bridge Township Raceway Park's Jr. Dragster Class D track championship. Vinnie racked up six wins that year and again qualified for the Race of Champions event held at Mason-Dixon Dragway.

Vinnie made it a career year in 2003; his first year behind the wheel of a full-size race car. Vinnie only won three events that year, but two out of the three were the biggest wins of his career. Vinnie finished seventh in Street Eliminator points at Island Dragway and went on to win the NHRA Division 1 Bracket Finals in his 1982 Chevy Monte Carlo in his first attempt, repeating what Frankie had done the year before. Vinnie separated himself from his brother when he went on to take home the NHRA Sportsman Eliminator World Championship with a win at the NHRA Finals in Pomona California, becoming the first Jr. Drag Racing League graduate to become a national champion. Vinnie also had a solid year in the team’s 1987 Ford Thunderbird. Running the car on the divisional trail in Super Street, Vinnie finished seventh in the Northeast Division Open Series Super Street points chase.

While 2004 might not have been as successful as his 2003 campaign, Vinnie continued to score victory after victory, four to be exact, as he finished second in the Island Dragway Street Eliminator points chase. Vinnie scored a third round finish at the Summit E.T Racing Series Bracket Finals as well. Even though he ran an abbreviated schedule in the team’s Super Street car, Vinnie managed to score a quarterfinal finish at the Atco Raceway Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, and a semi-final finish at the Maple Grove Raceway Dutch Classic.

In 2005, Vinnie was once again a track champion at Island Dragway as he knocked down six win in the class and one win in Pro to take home the Street Eliminator title. Vinnie also qualified for his seventh Race of Champions event, held in conjunction with the Division 1 Summit E.T. Racing Series Bracket Finals. Vinnie also made a few appearances in the team’s Super Street Thunderbird, scoring a semi-final finish at the Dutch Classic in October.

While parts breakage and inconsistency plauged Vinnie's efforts behind the wheel of the Monte Carlo, Vinnie had a great year on the divisional level. Utilizing a pair of quarterfinal finishes and a runner-up finish at the Lucas Oil Divisional event held at Virginia Motorsports Park, Vinnie ended the 2006 season sitting second in Division 1 Super Street points. He also scored a semi-final finish at the Maple Grove Open Series event in May, and went deep into eliminations in Stock Eliminator at the K&N Filters Supernationals in June.

Vinnie plans to carry the momentum he had in 2006 over to the 2007 season, which will find him once again behind the wheel of both the Monte Carlo and the Thunderbird full-time. Vinnie's goal is simple this year: WIN!