Ralph Savarese Survives Broken Car Captures Third Top 16 Invitational Win
by Edgar Perez
03/14/09 - Englishtown, NJ - The 2008 East Coast Supercharging Corvette Challenge was finished today with the running of the Top 16 Gambler's Invitational. After several rainouts in 2008 forced the "all star" race of the series to move to 2009, drivers were left scrambling for seat time to compete in the biggest payout race of the season.
The top 16 points earners for the season are invited to participate in this race. It is run gambler's style which means drivers fund the payout by paying an additional $75 into "the pot" totaling $1,200. The winner receives $1,000 and the runner-up $200. For the 2008 season, however, The Blair Family contributed an additional $500 to this race raising the winner share to $1,400 and the runner-up to $300. Drivers were especially grateful to be competing for the additional funds.
Two of the drivers that qualified for the top 16 were unable to attend. Chris Young broke a toe on his driving foot and had to sit this one out though he was in attendance to watch the action. Don Peppler Jr. also had to withdraw but the hurt was on the 1967 Corvette which had broken a rear and was at the repair shop. Doug Bereczki and Ray Sztabnik filled in for them.
Top 16 Ladder
Raceway Park offered a great deal to our Top 16 contestants. Racers would pay one entry fee and would be allowed to participate in the Corvette Challenge warm-up race and the Top 16. Racers ran two time trials together then first round of the Corvette Challenge Warm-up race before running first round of the Top 16. During the second time trial, three-time Champion of the Corvette Challenge and two-time winner of the Top 16 race, Ralph Savarese had a rear give at the starting line. He was looking like he would miss the opportunity to compete for the big payout having no Corvette to compete in. He decided to talk to some racers to see if he could borrow a Corvette in the hopes of still competing. He was fortunate enough that Vic Gandhi agreed to share his car with him, not only in the Top 16 but also the warm-up race. The two scrambled to get some additional weight into Gandhi's Corvette to keep it above the 11.50 line where a rollbar is required and Gandhi's Corvette is lacking. Savarese had no issue with the car as he ripped off a perfect .000 light in the first round of the Warm-up race taking a win. He was ready for the Top 16.
The first pair on the track are Bob Trieschmann (3) and Tom Smith (14). Nearly heads-up, Smith would get the go light first with a 12.65 dial and would cut a .139 light. Trieschmann dialed 12.60 would catch him instantly with a .071 light. Side-by-side they went and Smith would break out trying to get ahead going 12.648 to Bob's 12.623. The next pair was Louis Calicchia (6) and Ken Rammer (11). Rammer would leave first with a 12.87 dial to Calicchia's 11.38. Almost dead-even on the tree, Louis .040 to Ken-Can's .041, the chase was on to the finish. Rammer was closer to the dial for the win with a 12.904 to Calicchia's 11.452 and Ken was on the way to round 2. Rob Farley (7) was up next against Joe Signore (10). Signore would leave first with a 12.11 dial and Farley would follow with an 11.34 dial. Signore clocked him on the tree. A week worth of smack talk on the forums did him no good when Farley was late with a .071 light to Joe's .027. Signore's run was nearly dead-on going under by a few thousandths, 12.106. He still got the win light as Farley was under by two thousandths more going 11.335. Way to go Joe. Shawn Cavanagh (8) would face Tony Abbruzze (9) next. Tony was dialed 13.08 and ran dead-on, 13.080! But it did not get him the win. Even with the perfect dial, he needed the help of Shawn's red light for the win as he went .164 on the tree. He had the win light when Cavanagh went red, -.070 on his 10.40 dial. Eric Fischer (4) was next versus Al Salanitro (13). "Nitro" would get the early leave with 13.72 dial to Eric's 11.63. Fischer got the tree advantage .087 to .094. Salanitro took the stripe but should have hit the brakes a little earlier. He broke out running 13.557 @ 83.08. Fischer got the win light going 11.648 @ 115.27. Next was Ralph Savarese (2) driving the now-familiar to him Blue Corvette owned by Vic Gandhi. He would face Doug Bereczki (15). Bereczki would get the head start with a 14.17 dial and Savarese would follow with 11.51 on the window. Whoops, Doug leaves red, -.033 and lights Ralph's win light. Savarese goes on to leave .023 green and run 11.620 @ 116.60. The following pair is Paul Bogdan (5) against Edgar Perez (12). This would be the quickest pair with Bogdan leaving first dialed 10.80 and Perez chasing dialed 10.40. Tree comes down and Paul lights the red with a -.064 giving the win to Perez. Good thing as I went red myself, -.008 but he went first so I advance. I run it out going 10.357 @ 129.21. The final pair is 2008 Champion Jeanne Linke (1) vs. Ray Sztabnik (16). Ray would leave first with a 12.88 dial and Linke would follow with 12.24 on her window. It did not take long for Jeanne to catch him as she went .035 on the tree to his .192. She went on to run 12.299 @ 109.90.
In the next round Savarese leads us to the line with Joe Signore being his opponent. Savarese dialed 11.50 would leave the line with a .079 light after Signore, dialed 12.12 and .099 light. The win light goes to Ralph when Signore runs under breaking out with a 12.114 @ 118.04. Savarese runs 11.524 @ 116.69. Next to the line are Eric Fischer and Edgar Perez. Fischer was out first the .084 light and 11.64 dial. Perez follows with .089 and 10.45 dial. While the lights were close it was the ability to run closer on the dial to got Fischer the win. He ran an 11.670 @ 115.00 while Perez ran 10.457 @ 128.93. Halfway through the round next would be Bob Trieschmann and Ken Rammer. Rammer was dialed 13.90 to Trieschmann's 12.62. The tree begins to come down and Rammer is off early lighting the red with a 0.062. Trieschmann would move on to the next round with a .213 light and a 12.573 @ 108.41. The final pair would be Champion Linke and Tony Abbruzze. Abbruzze would move first with the 13.07 dial and Linke would follow with 12.26 dial. Linke took the tree advantage with a .041 to .056 but neither driver let up at the finish and both broke out. Linke broke out least going 12.244 @ 112.68 to Abbruzze's 13.024 @ 102.93.
The third and semi-final round opened with Fischer facing Linke. Linke kept her 12.26 dial and would be out first as Fischer, dialed 11.66, would follow. Linke had Fischer on the tree with a .071 to .110 but could not stop the Corvette from breaking out and lighting Fischer's win light. Jeanne was under by .036 while Fischer was near dead-on going 11.673 on the 11.66 dial taking the win. Next pair was Savarese and Trieschmann, both former Corvette Challenge points Champions. Trieschmann, dialed 12.60 would leave first with a .076 light. Savarese would follow slight better on the tree, .068 and 11.50 dial. Savarese dumps it as he cannot catch Trieschmann and the reason he could is Trieschmann was running too quick. He went 12.549 on the 12.60 dial. Savarese's maneuver resulted in an 11.617 on 11.50 dial. @ 108.41 and a trip to the final.
Runner-up Eric Fischer
Hartman, Vic Gandhi, Ralph Savarese, Eric Fischer, Bill Fischer Jr., Bill Fischer Sr., Bob Trieschmann
Winner Ralph Savarese
Photos by Edgar Perez. For over 5000 Corvette Photos, click here.
Final Round - Yet another Top 16 final for Savarese and he would face Eric Fischer in this one. Fischer dialed 11.64, .02 quicker than the prior round, and would get the tree advantage with a .064 light as Savarese left with a .080 light on his 11.50 dial. With the lead, Fischer attempts to close the gap and Savarese gets around him and takes the win light. Wow, even in a car he has never driven he was able to win the big one. He ran 11.594 on the 11.57 dial for the win while Fischer went 11.687 @ 114.96 on the 11.64 dial. Big win on a strange day for Savarese but he was once again able to prove why he is a three-time champion in the series.
This concludes our 2008 season, albeit in our 2009 season, and the racers are now ready to take on a new season being all reset and tied in the points season. Best of luck to all of our Corvette Challenge racers and good luck getting back to the "Big One" at the end of 2009.
)
)
)
