Dear Family and Friends,

On Saturday, August 12, 2000 I secured Pole Position for the USAC Jim Russell Championship Series race in the "D" Group. I turned my fastest lap times at one minute and fifty-two seconds averaging around 80 MPH. During my qualifying session I experience what I believed was the clutch slipping resulting in loss of power to the rear wheels. But I was able to secure Pole Position with 1:52.537.

At the start of my race I maintained 1st position and gradually pulled away from the rest of the field with my best time being 1:50.652. This is a career best time for me on this track configuration. However, my prediction about the slipping clutch was correct and got progressively worse. So bad at one point that I had trouble getting full power to the back wheels especially out of turn 11 which leads to a long straightaway.

Well, the clutch stayed together and I began to lap the field just before checkered flag came out. I won the race! This was the biggest moment for me in my entire racing career. I graduated from Jim Russell in 1985, raced in their Championship Series for about 4 years. During that time I captured many 3rd, 4th and 5th place finishes but never a 1st. My last season I qualified to go to England to test with a European Team along with my fellow competitors but chose not to go for personal reasons. Last year I came out of retirement and finished 2nd my second weekend back with Jim Russell and now 1st. Boy what an unexplainable feeling it was to circle the track with the checkered flag waiving during my victory lap. It was quite emotional for me.

On Sunday, August 13, 2000 I qualified 5th with a time of 1:24.306 now on a different track configuration. The start of the race was as I predicted. I was trailing the 3 & 4th place cars for 6 laps when on the 7th lap I made a pass and gained fourth position through turn 1. The car was perfectly aligned with turn 2. When all of a sudden my rear tires lost traction. I think there was fluid on the track because I noticed smoke coming from the rear of the car in front of me. I couldn't turn the car to get it back on line and crashed into the tire barrier nose first. My times before that were again my career best on this configuration with a 1:23.100. If I'd stayed in the hunt I'm confident that I would have brought my time down to around 1:21 which would have secured 3rd position for me.

So in two days I experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat! That's racing!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors S&S Tool and Supply, and Buckles Smith Electric.

Thank you to all my family and friends for your support as I am eternally grateful for your love and friendship.

Thank you Mary for experiencing and begin part of this accomplishment with me. For this and everything else you given me, I love you.

Thank you God for being my co-pilot guiding me to victory on and off the track.

Thanks Mom and Dad for cautious support during my racing career and personal life.

There were once to young brothers watching trophy presentations in winners circle at Laguna Seca Raceway in Montery, CA. During that moment one brother says to the other. "Someday we'll be in victory circle on the podium together, won't that be cool!" The other brother says, "Yeah". Well Joe, all I can say now is that we finally made it! We made it!!! Our dream has come true. Dreams are gateways to happiness and success. Never stop dreaming. Never stop dreaming.

Domenic