Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Tony Bartone breeds success in many facets of life. Whether it's with
his New York construction-industry based business, spending time with his family in Florida, or on
the track, Bartone usually finds himself on the winning end of the stick.
As the driver of Rick Jackson's Valencia, CA based 'Flopper', Bartone will look to notch another
victory this weekend at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals held at Bill Bader's Summit
Raceway Park in Norwalk, OH.
Driving for Jackson, the owner of Centre Pointe Collision Center and legendary Top Alcohol tuner
Steve Boggs, Bartone has surrounded himself with a cast of characters who share his passion for
winning.
"Rick Jackson is a quality person who loves to win and has assembled a team who share this passion
for success," remarked Bartone. "Stevie (Boggs) has been tuning over here with Jackson's team for a
few years. We (Boggs and Bartone) have enjoyed many levels of success in the past and the magic is
coming back."
The team kicked off the 2009 NHRA season in style, tasting victory in February at the season
opening Winternationals in Pomona, CA. Followed up by a win in April during the running of the
Summitracing.com Nationals held on "The Strip" at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NV.
Although the car and driver have been competitive, the team has not reached the top of the mountain
since.
"We started the season off very well," noted Bartone, a previous winner of 29 total NHRA National
event titles. "It's the old adage - you never say die, you never give up, you keep plugging and
good things are likely to happen."
Team owner Rick Jackson agrees. "Our team ran exceptionally well at our last race in Englishtown,
NJ. The car is showing signs of entering a dominating stage. I am very happy with the progress our
team is showing."
The Rick Jackson Racing team of Boggs, Chris Perl, Mike Pavia, Pat Feely, Lew Larson and Javier
Gonzales along with their charismatic flopper pilot will begin their quest to return to the
'summit' in Norwalk on Friday with two qualifying sessions. The first round of qualifying for Top
Alcohol Funny Car category is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m., with a second session starting at
5:30 p.m. local time. Qualifying will conclude on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Eliminations for
the sixteen-car field will begin after the final professional qualifying session later that
evening.
