Fast Times in Millville at Lightning Raceway
By John O'Kane
Press of Atlantic City
pressofatlanticcity.com
Millville, N.J. (July 13, 2008) – Tony Carpanzano will never forget the first day of live racing at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
The 54-year-old New Milford, Conn., resident won the first-ever race, the Eastern Motor Racing Association Open Wheel S2000, at the newest road course in the world.
"It's the inaugural race for this course and that's probably the most exciting part," Carpanzano said. "To come out and win a race, especially this race, was definitely a thrill for me."
The 30-year veteran of EMRA said this was the biggest and most memorable of his 30-35 wins on the circuit.
Driving the No. 125 car, a 1993 Reynard Formula Atlantic Car formerly owned by Patrick Carpentier in the Indy Racing League, Carpanzano bested the field by nearly 21 seconds (15 laps in 16 minutes, 50.830 seconds) and set the course lap record at 1:05.
"The course is gorgeous," Carpanzano said. "I love it because it's so smooth. Great fun, no issues. They did a beautiful job. It's really going to be a world-class facility."
Ann Carpanzano, Tony's mother, was the passenger in the pace car for the opening race. Her smile filled the trailer toting Carpanzano's car from location to location.
The 83-year-old Rocky Hill, Conn., resident said she just loves speed and used to compete in street races herself.
"I think it lets you live longer," Ann said. "It's when you cry, you don't live. When you laugh, that helps."
Ann said she has one rule for her son's racing career.
"I told him he couldn't race unless I was watching."
The Carpanzanos weren't the only winners on the first day at NJMP.
Fans were scattered along the 1.9-mile Lightning Raceway, peppering the edge of the protective fences and barriers on cars and motorcycles. Locals stopped their cars and bikes along the adjacent roads and snuck a peek through the chain-link fence surrounding the property.
Fans unfamiliar with the noise covered their ears as the cars zipped past one after another after another to a chorus of 'ooohs' and 'aaahs.'
Millville resident Jack Calkin came to watch the races with his 10-year-old son, Jake.
"I'm speechless. Both of us are," Jack Calkin said. "He's going on and on and on about the cars and how fast they are. He doesn't want to leave."
He said that the course gives his sons (Jake and Chase, 7) another outlet.
"Now they have the capability to come over and learn how to race," Calkin said. "They can grow up with a little bit of racing experience, and it's something else to do to keep them out of trouble. They play baseball and soccer. Now we can add one more thing to the list."
Calkin's business, RaceCarAdz.com, provided the pace car, a forest green Mustang GT.
Calkin said he would definitely recommend watching a race to fans and non-fans alike.
"It's constant excitement," Calkin said. "This is constant thrills. Anything can happen. Everything is really top notch here."
Racing continues today with practice sessions and qualifying in the morning followed by four 25-lap races.
There is an open wheel race at 1:30 p.m., a small bore race at 2, a big bore race at 2:30 and a S2000 race at 3.
Notes: The No. 24 car driven by Cary J. Nadel was the overall winner of the second race of the day, a one-hour enduro after completing 24 laps in 58:50.603. Carpanzano's average speed was 101.501 mph and said he topped out around 155-160 in the straightaways. There were 17 cars in the OW/S2000 race and 46 in the one-hour enduro.