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Photo ID # I03.18.12_175_GEI_UNK_2012O_1
Car #: #175
Driver (s) : Jeff Geiges (Tony Pietrofitta's #175 410 Sprint)
Location: Lincoln Speedway
Date: March 2012
Photographer: Mike Zortman
Photo provided by: Tony Pietrofitta
Comments: Great shot of a dream making it to the track... 

As a fan of all types of racing when younger, Tony Pietrofitta had fun building and running a late 60's Chevelle at the drag strip in the "Stocker Class" (running a very impressive 10.42)...   At some point, he decided he had enough of going straight and turned to the roundy'round world of dirt track stock car racing... 

His next step would be owning and driving a #175 Sportsman at New Egypt in the early 2000's.  After a time, he would put young Mike Brennan in the car who did a good job and qualified the car on occasions.  After a while, Tony decided he wanted to try something new again.

The next step would see Tony getting out of the full bodied cars and opt for some wing'd fun with an orange #175 SS Sprint car with driver John Romano behind the wheel.  John became quite a wheel man and would take the #175 to victory on a couple of occasions, with lots of smiles along the way. 

The fun and the winning would continue, and because of the success, Tony would put together a 358 for John to drive as they looked to take that next step together... 

They had great plans... we were all witnessing something really special.   Sadly, health issues would prevent this dream from going further as racing's good friend John Romano would leave this earth way too soon...  There were many days of sadness for Tony and Team #175... all that knew John.  (I still remember the day that Tony called me...  He had lost his driver... his friend... a guy that had become "like my little brother....".  It was the saddest day for all.

As a friend of mine told me when finding a way to deal with tragedy, "You never get over it... but you find a way... somehow... to get through it..."  As difficult and as impossible as that seems at the time... it is a mechanism that allows us to continue...over time.. You never forget... the sorrow is still there... but somehow you find a place for everything... you try to make sense of what is unexplainable... and you never really do... but as they say... you somehow get through it... 

That sadness will always be just under the surface as John's short time with us as a friend.. as a racer... was so impactful that he's still "close by...."  We think of John often and he'll always be a part of team #175...  and somehow through the power of healing, much of the sadness that once overwhelmed, has yielded to a realization of just how fortunate we all were to have the time that we did with John... and we do remember the good times... and we remember John smiling... we remember stories...  we remember John as the wheelman...  we remember how much John helped others...  we remember John.

There sat the #175 without it's wheelman.  There was Tony... trying to make sense of it all.  It just was an unthinkable place to be... 

Tony would find a way to get back up on the horse... He found a way to "get through it"... and eventually the #175 would find a way back to the track...  And after much thought, he'd put "somewhat" accomplished on and off again sportsman driver Jeff Geiges in the seat of the #175 SS Sprint.  (No disrespect to Jeff on the use of the qualifier "somewhat" but I think it's safe to say that some were surprised by Tony's choice as although he'd seen some success, Jeff had little to no open wheel experience...)

That didn't stop Tony...  He wanted someone who had shown his ability to win... but he also wanted someone's whose personality would fit in to what Team #175 had become... which was a team that would be successful... and would have fun, and would have a respect for each other along the way...  Anyone who knows Jeff, knows that he's an aggressive racer in the car and a genuine fun spirit out of the car....  It soon became apparent that Tony had made a great choice as the team clicked... not just on the track, but also off.  Tony would also have a light blue #67K added to the SS Sprint stable and would have guest drivers Frank Cozze Jr and others give it a ride on occasion.

With the declining support of the SS Sprint class at the local level, Tony moved away from the SS Sprints and aggressively moved into the newly created Tri State Race Saver Series (TSRSS) 305 Sprint Series where he would field a #175 with Jeff behind the wheel, and would add an orange #67K to the team and would name young Stefanie Palmai as the driver.  Stefanie had tons of experience in open wheel (Karts and Micro Sprints) and soon, Stefanie would be holding her own in the tough 305 class.  Stefanie would go on to win the Rookie of the Year award while Jeff would go on to take the TSRSS Championship in 2010.

In 2011, the team would have an overall successful season with both drivers running up front on many occasions.  The team would also experiment a little... taking in a few other shows... including running a wingless USAC Sprint race at New Egypt with Jeff behind the wheel of the #175.

Never afraid to take on a new challenge, Tony P announced a bold move for the 2012 Season...  "I'm going 410 racing!"

Sure enough... Tony would sell all of his TSRSS 305 cars/equipment and would "step up" to the High $ world of 410 Sprint car racing.... but on a budget... (???)  (Yup, if you know Tony, you know what I mean...  He's one of those "scrap'er kinda guys" that knows how to spend the least amount of money while getting the maximum results...  I call it "spending smart money"  instead of "cubic $'s" which is something not often seen around your local short track anymore....

Tony would again name Jeff Geiges as his driver to take the big step to big time 410 Sprint car racing. 

Over the off season, Tony moved forward on his 410 Racing program and the car you see above... with Jeff Geiges behind the wheel is from that opening day at Lincoln Speedway where I'm pretty sure that the #175 made the starting field in just his first or 2nd time out... 

It won't be easy... and Tony and Jeff aren't expecting it to be.  It's the classic Davey VS Goliath scenario... but Tony and Jeff are up for the challenge.. and they will enjoy the good times..., and they'll also give the belts an extra tug for the challenges that racing... and life... can present along the way.
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Comment:

03.18.12 Dave Bailey Get 'em "Munchin"....  Wish all the best of luck to the entire 175 team ! You guys are making all of us, over in MOD land proud.  With the dedication you guys have shown in the past, success wont be far away!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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