On Saturday, November 17, 2001, the Cartek Corvette Challenge Drag Racing Series came to a close.  The day was set to be an exciting one.  Not only did we hold the regular event, which started 38 drivers, but also we held a special elimination event that ensured the Top 16 racers squared up against each other in an NHRA style ladder.  That brought the total round 1 drivers to 54.  The Top 16 would determine the overall points winner for the season and the Top 5 point getters that each earn a racing jacket.  The weather was beautiful and the density altitude hovered below zero ensuring many drivers new personal bests in ET and MPH.  More on the points champion later.

Bob Trieschmann Corvette Challenge Points Champion

Bob Trieschmann of Union, NJ is proof that consistency pays off.  Bob scored the most points for the season that featured 138 drivers who earned at least 1 point.  Trieschmann came in second in two events this year.  Though the event title managed to escape him, he managed to collect the points needed to edge out Bill Martinson of Fairfield, CT by 1 point to become the first Corvette Challenge Drag Racing Series Points Champion.  This is the same Trieschmann that finished second in the Raceway Park Real Street points series.  The door was open for Martinson to take the championship when Bob went out in round 1 of the Top 16 event going too fast and breaking out with a 13.91 run on a 14.00 dial.  Bob races a convertible Corvette with no rollbar.  As you know, NHRA rules require a convertible faster than 14.00 to have a rollbar so Bob runs the car as close to 14.00 as he can.  Our hats off for managing to keep the car above 14.00 enough times to be the Champ.  He is usually right on but was just under in this race.  Martinson needed another win to tie and force a run-off or two wins to take the championship in his first year of drag racing.  Martinson lost to sixth place points finisher Ioannis Hadjiioannou of Brooklyn, NY in round 2.  Martinson was up against the wall as Ioannis put together a spectacular .048 package (.530 light and 13.888 run on a 13.87 dial) that could not be overcome by the points runner up.  One other driver, Rich Shuleski of Parson, PA driving a 1996 Grand Sport Corvette, came in with a chance to win the points championship.  Rich needed to run the table in the Top 16 combined with losses by Trieschmann and Martinson to overtake them both.  Shuleski could not run the table as he also lost in Round 2 to eventual Top 16 event winner Vetter.  Shuleski held on to third place overall in the points standings.  Congratulations go out to Trieschmann for a job well done and to the other top 5 points getters who have earned a racing jacket.

Ralph Savarese wins Event 7 Eliminator.

Ralph Saverese of Mahopac, NY had to go through 6 tough rounds to become the 7th different Event winner in as many events in 2001.  Ralph took a competition bye into the finals as he watched the two semi-final drivers, John Trescott and Edgar Perez, line to do battle to determine who gets the right to go up against him in the final.  The race was over before it started as Perez left a tad early with a .488 RT setting the stage for the Saverese v.  Trescott final.  Trescott left first as he dialed in his 1986 Corvette at 14.19 against Ralph’s 1985 Vette dialed in at 11.64.  The drivers left the tree with very similar lights.  Savarese had the advantage with a .536 reaction time versus Trescott’s very decent .579.  Trescott fought to make up the time but in the end it was Saverese to the finish line first by a very close .0303 margin of victory.  Savarese has had a tough racing season but has finally got his car running the number and running it very consistently.  Interestingly, Ralph is a neighbor of one of our track favorites, John Panuzzo.  On their way down to the track Friday night, Panuzzo caught a brick in the transmission cooler and almost did not make the event on Saturday.  Savarese helped with the repair and even offered to let Panuzzo drive his car at the Corvette Challenge on Saturday if they did not get Panuzzo’s car fixed in time.  Thankfully for both drivers, they got Panuzzo running again.  Savarese is a class individual and deserves to be crowned Event 7 winner in the 2001 Cartek Corvette Challenge Drag Racing Series.  This event also featured the first woman Corvette Challenge driver of the season, Nicole Coleman.  Nicole faced a tough first round opponent in Lenny Hall, but was up to the challenge and won with a .542 light and a 13.52 run on a 13.40 dial.  Congratulations to Nicole. 

Fred Vetter wins Top 16 Eliminator

The name is familiar because Fred won Event 6 just the week before.  What else can we say about Fred, he is a focused, accomplished racer that is a threat to win every time he comes to the track.  Vetter went into the Top 16 final with the fifth and final jacket winning spot on the line.  If Vetter wins, he gets the jacket.  Not that Vetter needs any additional motivation but hey, it was there.  His opponent, the aforementioned John Panuzzo in his own 1995 Corvette with the new trans cooler.  This race was almost a heads up race with Vetter barely getting the head start with a 12.65 dial against Panuzzo’s 12.57 dial.  Vetter got the job done at the line with a .582 reaction time against Panuzzo’s unusual .743 light.  Panuzzo finished the season in fourth place in points and missed an opportunity to take third by not winning the final.  By way, Vetter is his real name.  Congratulations to Fred Vetter.

Dave Ramsden wins John Panuzzo Jr.  Memorial Reaction Time Trophy

Dave Ramsden of Montville, NJ won the honored trophy awarded to the driver with the best winning reaction time in Round 1.  Dave dialed in his 1995 Callaway model Corvette at 12.29 and complemented his 12.31 run with a .503 reaction time.  Dave knows the importance of cutting a good light.  A .503 light is phenomenal and is something that will usually guarantee a win provided you can run the number and that he did as well.  Our hats off to Ramsden for the great light.

Wait till Next Season

The 2001 Cartek Corvette Challenge Drag Racing Series was a HUGE success.  A total of 138 individual participants earned at least one point.  Many other Corvette drivers who attended could not be awarded a point due to not making first round call for various reasons.  And yet many other folks came out to watch and support the event.  We hope for continued growth and success of this drag racing series and look forward to additional dates in the 2002 season.  Be sure to check the Corvette Challenge Drag Racing Series web site at www.corvettechallenge.info or the Raceway Park web site at www.etownraceway.com for the 2002 schedule.

Photos

If you took electronic photos and want to share, please email mail to Edgar Perez at edgarperez@corvettechallenge.info
Event photos, pictures and more courtesy of:
Edgar's Pics | Pat's pics | Brian's pics (Scorp) | Mike's pics | Mike's videos |

Thanks to our sponsors who make this possible.
Walden Farms Event Sponsorship
Simple Man Racing
Ocean Cruisers First Round Trophies
John Panuzzo for the Best Reaction time Trophy
SLP Online runner up Trophy
Cartek for overall sponsorship