Brother Ricky, runs the 51x car in the Jr and Sr Champ division. Ricky was Track Champion at Speedway Park in Fruitland last year and is currently #1 in Points in the FKA and FDDS series for his class. Ricky owns his own business known as 5 Star Motorsports and sells a wide range of kart parts. You can reach Ricky through his website at www.5starmotorsports.net. Both young drivers need sponsorships to help with travel costs, entry fees and miscellaneous expenses which arise from competing regularly. For exciting go-kart action and great family fun for everyone, come out and see Ricky & Jessie compete almost every Saturday beginning at 5:30pm. For more information on Dirt Devils Speedway, visit www.dirtdevils.com

Drag Racing at Sunshine Drag Strip

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March 1, 2008 - 14

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Lutz Kids hit Drag Strip

... Brother/Sister team from Lutz have been drag racing competitively together for the past five years.

      Matt and Melissa Tramontana, a brother and sister team who grew up and live in Lutz drag race competitively at their hometown track in St Pete weekly. When Matt was just 16, he brought home his first speeding ticket just SIX days after he was given a Drivers License. His parents, Robert and Sheila, of Lutz along with his grandparents, Guy & Betty Hiatt, also of Lutz decided that if he wanted to drive fast, he needed to take his speed to a safe environment where there was no risk of injury to innocent people and he could go as fast as he wanted in a controlled environment. Matt’s grandfather picked up an old ‘80 Mustang 5.0 for $1500 and the family took Matt to the track. Matt began to take real interest in learning the techniques necessary to run what is known as “Bracket Racing” which is basically like a handicap in Golf. Those of you who are familiar with the show known as “Pinks” have a little idea of how this works. Cars compete side by side each round but the one with the slower car speed will get a “head start” over the other…at the Finish Line, the two cars should be very close to crossing at the same time. When I say very close, I mean within thousands of a SECOND.

           Coming from a racing family that raced with names like Don Garlits and Art Malone on the same track that Matt and Melissa now run on has been a great family activity. When other parents wondered where their teenage sons were on Friday nights, Matt was having a blast perfecting his skills, meeting other drivers and getting to know their families. The racing community is a network of some of the best people you will ever run across. When Matt started racing at 16, Matt’s little sister, Melissa was only 11 and was very involved with animals and horses and competed in local Speed Horse events. After losing two horses to illness and injury, Melissa became interested in Racing while supporting Matts racing and asked if she could get seated in a Junior Dragster since she was not able to drive a regular car yet. Kids as young as EIGHT years old run these ½ scale models of the larger cars which run on alcohol engines much like your landscapers lawn mower.

             They are, however, quite a bit faster! Melissa jumped into her first Dragster which was appropriately named “Cowgirl Attitude” and she quickly caught on to the fundamentals of racing competitively with the guidance of big brother Matt. Winning several events through the years and finishing 2^nd by just one round of racing on the final night of competition in her last year as a Jr Dragster competitor, she moved on to a “door” car at 16 which is a ‘93 Ford Mustang 5.0 just like her brother. Both Matt, now 24 and Melissa, now 19 have been racing each weekend in St Pete as well as traveling to Bradenton, and Gainesville and have earned their way to the Eastern Division Finals held in South Carolina and Georgia since their very first year of Racing. Matt is currently leading the Points in the Sportsman class at Sunshine Dragstrip and Melissa was last years High School track Champion for her hometown track representing them at the Finals in GA racing her way into the Final Round of competition in the High School event last October, finishing as Runner Up. Matt will be competing in the Heads Up Madness Event this coming March 1, competing in the 7.50 class.

            Matt and Melissa invite all LUTZ residents to come out for a fun FRIDAY night of racing action anytime to support them. For more information on Sunshine Dragstrip, visit www.sunshinedragstrip.com.  For more information on “Race the Strip, not the Street” or if your business is interested in sponsoring Matt & Melissa’s racing efforts, please contact them at 813-363-7672.

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 Kids Dirt Devils Racing St Rte 52

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Event: 4/8/2006  Contains: 48 photos 20060408-05 374467

April 8, 2008 - 05

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