Vinny Barone Racing's Sal Biondo Tops Comp Eliminators at New England Dragway

Sep 13, 2011

Barone continues to find success in both racing and real estate investing.

When it comes to drag racing, or life, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more "old school" approach to either than Vinny Barone's. The Dix Hills, New York resident lives in the immediate present. What is, is, what was, isn't any more, so why sweat it? Barone says he's not a regretful man. Yeah sure, being a high school dropout gnawed on him for a while, but Barone chooses to be keenly grateful for the life he has been able to build for himself, wife Camille, daughters Elizabeth, Nicole and Heather, along with granddaughter Sophia Grace.

Vinny Barone Racing campaigns four cars, the car directly behind Barone is driven by Sal Biondo.

"I often regret not completing school," said the 59-year K&N sponsored team owner and driver, "and I wonder sometimes how it would have changed my life from what I have now. But I have a great family and we're happy to have the things we now enjoy."

It's fair to speculate that in Barone's case, the nagging insecurities brought on by not finishing high school acted as a positive catalyst, because life has brought Barone a considerable amount of business and racing success.

"We are leading the World Championship points in competition eliminator, and we are also leading the Division 1 Competition Eliminator Championship, and we are also in the number one spot in the Jegs Allstar points," Barone told K&N Race News.

Barone hasn't raced since earlier this year, opting instead to put all his focus into running his team.

Barone started racing at age 15, his buddy with a drivers license towed him to the track that day, "And I drove it, went 16.72 in L/S, and I won my first trophy the first time I raced," adds Barone. That was 44 years ago and he still lights'em up every chance he gets. However, a few months back Barone redirected all his focus on winning championships, so he put down his helmet for a spell and replaced it with his team owner hat.

Barone Racing campaigns with four race cars driven by several of the sport's top drivers, K&N sponsored Sal Biondo heads that list. In round 5 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Northeast Division, event at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire, Biondo took the victory with an 8.731ET at 123.62 mph. Biondo currently has a 75 point lead in the championship with two races remaining.

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