By David Whitney
Life’s pretty sweet for 22-year-old Tony Membrino Jr. Not only does he maneuver his way through the crowded halls at CCSU as a mechanical engineering major, but he also pushes the pedal every Friday night around the Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut.
The driver that the race fans like to call “Hollywood”, started his racing career as a teenager in what most drivers call ‘go carts.’ In the racing world, these “go carts”, better known as quarter midgets, have given Membrino the ability to wheel his race car around the track, with ease.
“Racing has been in my family for a long time.” says Membrino.
When some fathers and sons threw a ball around on the weekends, the Membrino family was hard at work at the track. His father, Tony Membrino, along with his uncles, used to race, while his father now serves as the owner to his son’s racing crew.
The Stafford Motor Speedway hosts five weekly divisions that run at the half-mile track. For the past few seasons, Membrino has been getting his experience in the D.A.R.E Stock Division; a series that consist often of lower budget vehicles that produce less horsepower and less handling than other series.
Still, the division proves to be as competitive and aggressive affair when compared to any other higher performance race cars, which keep the grandstands packed every Friday night.
Last season, Membrino was crowned 2010 champion in the division where he ended up in victory lane only once but finished in the top ten in every single race. With that under his belt; he looks at 2011 as being another year of momentum and change.
“We’re moving up,” Membrino simply said.
This season will see Membrino piloting an SK Lite Modified which is two tiers above the previous division he raced in. He’ll now be shifting gears in a race car that delivers more power, more savvy and where limited experience isn’t an option. Knowing the intensity of the move, Membrino still remains confident that he’ll succeed this season.
“There’s definitely a learning curve, but I’m expecting to do good. I’ve taken time to get adjusted to the car and I know you got to drive these cars a bit different.”
His goal remains the same which is finishing every race. Keeping this mentality, Membrino jumped at the chance to get into an SK Modified last year in preparation for this season. The only problem he found while running his test session is that the car ran out of gas a few laps in.
After the quick run, Membrino claimed that “it didn’t phase me at all.”
Membrino is in no short supply of finding help when needed. He credits his family, along a few racing hero’s that have long roots within the sport. Ryan Preece who’s also a winner at the half-mile speedway is his best friend and has always given him words of advice.
“[Preece] has been running these kinds of cars and he’s always there when I need him.”
Membrino also made mention that the car he’ll drive this year, will be the number 44. The same number ran by racing legend and a household name in the modified racing world, Reggie Ruggiero.
“He’s my racing hero.” said Membrino.
As far as the future goes, the CCSU scholar looks forward to continue his success in auto racing. When asked where tomorrow may take him, he happily said his goal is to one day run an SK modified on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour; a highly respected division on the east coast.
“My heart is there, if one day I’m able to have a tour car of my own….I can die happy.”
The 2011 season at Stafford Motor Speedway kicks off with the 40th Annual Spring Sizzler on April 29th through May 1st. Membrino whose lone win came at the same event last year, will be there debuting with his new SK Lite Modified nicknamed “Black Betty.”