2003 * Event 1
* Event 2
* Event 3
* Event 4
* Event 5
* Event 6
* Event 7
* Event 8
* Event 9
* Event 10
* Event 11
* 2003 Standings Ralph Savarese wins his 3rd East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge
Just one week after we saw our second driver, John Panuzzo, win his third career East Coast
Supercharging Corvette Challenge points race, Ralph Savarese wins his third on July 12, 2003. With his win, Savarese, our 2002 points champion, moved himself into 2nd place. Savarese, previously won the 2001 Event # 7 and 2002 Event # 6 points races as well as the 2002 Event # 9 and 2002 Top 4 non-points races.
Savarese, with permission of the other semi-finalists, sat out the bye into the finals. Competitors are aware of Savarese being the reining "King" of the series as they geared up to cut the tree on him. His opponents in rounds 3 and 4 each went red with round 4 opponent, Lynwood King going .499. In the 5th, 2002 Rookie of the Year, Rob Farley, went .531, but it was not good enough as Savarese cut a .514 running 12.200 on a 12.19 dial, an almost unbeatable package.
George Esposito, in his first career final, got the call against Savarese. Esposito, who in 2002 had only 2 wins under his belt in seven races, has started this year with a bang going to the final here and a 5th round appearance in the first event, finds himself in a tie for 4th in points. Esposito has shown great strides in understanding this sport of bracket racing and has a bright future ahead of him in it.
Esposito, however, caught a huge break in the semi-final round when, also second year and very hot racer, Sheila Murchan, took a huge starting line advantage too far, breaking out after taking way too much strip, handing Esposito the win. Murchan said "once again the car lived up to her name", She Devil, "when it kept getting faster", when it should be slowing down. Murchan studied the sport before beginning her racing by attended many Challenges without a Corvette, asking questions and partaking in the Harrington drag racing school. She finds herself tied for 6th in points thus far.
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| L to R, Organizer Bob Trieschmann, Winner Ralph Savarese, Runner-up George Esposito, Organizer Edgar Perez
| Savarese begins chase on Esposito
| Runner up George Esposito(2002 photo)
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The race wrapped up early and thankfully so as drizzle started just as we kicked off the final round. While taking the photos of the winners, the skies opened up and poured for about 20 minutes. Thankfully, we got the race in and completed before the rain.
Points leader Joe Blass maintains his points lead despite a second round exit. In fact, he event picked up a point advantage as he came in with a 1 point lead, but last events winner and in 2nd coming into the race went out in the first round. Panuzzo broke the cardinal rule of winning, "Don't change anything" when he tried a new strategy for managing the top end. Don't know if the change is what cost him, but he broke out at the top end running 13.097 on a 13.11 dial after giving up the light advantage at the bottom end. Bob Hollingshead continued stellar performance keeping his 1963, C2 in 3rd place with a 4th round appearance when the car did not run the number, bowing to eventual runner-up Esposito. Today's event featured 80 cars making first round with 86 racers present. One of the drivers, John Lawson, from Huber Heights, Ohio, stayed for the race after picking up his C5 Auto from Cartek after getting some tuning on his big cube Cartek motor car and ran some impressive high 10's.
Some statistics from Corvette Challenge Event 3
Congratulations to the drivers that made the ladder in round 4. Making the ladder
means these drivers got down to the final 16 or less of the event by winning 3 rounds. This week's ladder featured 10 drivers. Good job drivers. Congratulations to Lynwood King, who made his first ladder in the Corvette Challenge Drag Racing Series.
Summary of driver Dial-In times
| Time |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
16 |
17 |
Total |
| # |
1 |
5 |
24 |
35 |
13 |
1 |
1 |
80 |
| % |
1.3% |
6.3% |
30.0% |
43.8% |
16.3% |
1.3% |
1.3% |
100% |
Other Awards Handed Out at this Event
- Event winner Ralph Savarese went home with $250 cash, a $100 gift certificate from Pro Torque and the winner trophy.
- Runner-up George Esposito went home with $125 cash, a $50 gift certificate from Pro Torque and the runner-up trophy.
- Semi-finalists included Sheila Murchan, who won $60 cash.
- Al Conner won the 'John Panuzzo Jr. Memorial' trophy and $50 cash presented by Team Panuzzo Racing for the best winning reaction time in the
1st round. Al Conner was quickest on the tree in the 1st round when his RT was
.008.
- Bob Sebrowski won the 'Almost Perfect Award' presented by Marotta Racing when he took
himself out in the 1st round with the red light closest to .500. Bob Sebrowski's light was
0.00 and for that he earned a $25 Tech Card gift certificate usable on a future to
Raceway Park courtesy of Lenny Marotta and Marotta
Racing .
- John Gurierri won the 'Closest to Dial Award' Trophy presented by Boweryboy Racing by only .003 off his dial.
 Danny Rotondo won the 'Ohh so Close Award' presented by Zaino when he was edged out in the 1st
round by the smallest margin of victory of .0064. That number is the MOV number on your time
slip. Although he lost in the 1st round by the smallest Margin of Victory, Danny Rotondo earned a Zaino starter package that includes Z1, Z2, Z6, Z7 and a polish pad.
- All winners of the first round were awarded a trophy sponsored by United Racing. With 86 cars making this event, United Racing gave out quite a few trophies or 1st Round Trophy Upgrade Program credits.
Neither Danny Rotondo nor Bob Sebrowski picked up there prizes and should pick them up at the next race. Drivers, it is very important for you to pick up these prizes as the shot photos of you accepting them and it is a promotional opportunity for our drivers and sponsors which we do not want to miss.
Corvette Challenge Driver, Frank Fiori, wins in GM Hi Tech Performance Magazine Race
Over a dozen Corvette Challenge regular racers enter the morning event put on by GM Hi Tech Performance Magazine. The event had 3 classes, Radial Tire 1, 13.5 and slower, Radial Tire 2, 13.49 and quicker and the Slick class. Challenge racers were entered in all three hoping for a triple one. We came out with 1 out of three as Frank Fiori, who over the winter converted his carb'd C3 to fuel injection just for these events, made the change pay off taking the Radial 2 class win. Congratulations to Frank and be sure and buy GM Hi Tech Performance magazine to read about the entire results of the event.
Don't miss the next race day as it will be huge
Saturday July 26th is the next Corvette Challenge. The gates will open for us at 3 PM. However, it is also the same day of the Vette Magazine Show & Go event. The Show & go is the biggest Corvette Show in the Northeast featuring a judged car show, autocrossing and of course, drag racing. Make plans to spend the entire day that Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ. Show & gate open at 9 AM.
East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge helps Toys for Teens & Tots
The 50/50 raffle was held at the track and the racers and spectators hopeful of
winning the money while helping out a worthy organization put together $241. received $140 while the other $141 was donated to the St. Peters church in
Jersey City to Sister Grace for the Toys for Teens & Tots fund from the East Coast
Supercharging Corvette Challenge. We thank Jaymie Shuleski for making the rounds
to collect the money. The 50/50 will be held at each of the ECS Corvette Challenges
this year. Please see Jaymie or Mariana in the staging lanes if they do not find you
first. You do not have to be a Corvette Challenge racer to participate. Raceway Park
officer, Tim Blair, thanks the Corvette Challenge racers and their fans for
supporting the Toys for Teens & Tots. To date we have donated $409 to the
organization. Thank you for your continued support.
Corvette Challenge Multimedia
Edgar's Pictures - WARNING most of them are a little blurry as the camera is on the fritz just like my tranny:(
George Esposito's Pictures
Jay Fields' Pictures
Over 30 event videos by Aaron and Christina
We couldn't do it without our sponsors
The Corvette Challenge gives thanks to all of its supporting sponsors for whom
without this series cannot be possible. Thanks go out to
East Coast Supercharging |
United Racing |
The Vette Doctors |
Team Panuzzo |
Spectrum Voice & Data
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Simple Man |
EnviroLution |
CCDV |
Mufflex Performance |
CFM Racing |
Tortolani Racing |
Boweryboy Racing |
Marotta Racing |
RMS Racing |
Pro Torque |
Zaino Bros |
Perez Web Design |
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