Wed, 22 Sep 2010, 11:32 PM A One-Two.... Three Punch

By Kelly Wade Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc.

Lisa's F/SA '70 Nova at the 2010 Supernationals in Englishtown.

The Northeast has produced some of drag racing's finest sportsman racers, and the mention of names like Manzo, Fletcher, Newberry, Bartone, Biondo, and many, many more often illuminate a vision of a bar set mighty high. The challenge is enticing for savvy racers across the land, and the ladies and gentleman of NHRA's Division 1 come out in full force to throw a hat into the ring and hopefully nab a little bit of that Northeasterly splendor. For ambitious fellas like Joe Lisa, though, one hat in the ring just isn't enough.

Lisa, who hails from Vernon, N.J., is a typical dad who regularly attends the sporting events of his two sons, Joe and Matt, along with his wife, Pam. During the week, Lisa keeps plenty busy as the owner of A-Tec Tire and Auto Center in Vernon, and despite the hectic schedule, he manages to squeeze in a plentiful assortment of drag races in not just one class, but two.

Lisa with driver Anthony Fetch, celebrating 2008 Reading win.

"It's great," said Lisa, who drives his Stock F/SA '70 Nova and Super Stock GT/FA '87 Camaro in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. "You know what they say: if one doesn't butter the bread, the other will. You have two shots of winning when you drive two cars, and it keeps you occupied and focused."

That would be a sentiment shared by many a racer these days, but Lisa sees the other racers' two-car efforts and raises the stakes; he also owns the G/SA '68 Camaro driven by four-time national event winner Anthony Fetch, who is the defending Division 1 Stock champion.

"I wanted to race Super Stock, and when I bought my car from [Michael] Iacono, I couldn't travel with two cars," said Lisa. "So I put Anthony in one. I've been friends with Anthony a long time; we bracket raced together and I knew he was a good driver, and he hopped right at the chance to drive for me."

In his GT/FA '87 Camaro at the U.S. Nationals

The union proved successful and enabled Lisa to focus on getting his Nova ready for competition in the Stock category as well. Getting the Nova set up as a Stocker was a real thrill for the 1,320 enthusiast who bought the car when he was 16. Lisa has a lifelong appreciation of American muscle and racing. He grew up helping out in his father's repair shop and was taken to his first drag race when he was about 10 years old by his uncle, Gerry.

"Oh, I was hooked," recalled Lisa, who eventually went from being a fan to being a bracket racing regular at local tracks like New Jersey's Island Dragway and Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown. "We did pretty good when we bracket raced, and we raced a lot of people that race Stock now. It was great."

Lisa, who has competed at nine NHRA events this season, still fills his weekends with bracket racing whenever he has a chance, but the available weekends are becoming few and far between with the budding racing career of his son, 14-year-old Matthew.

Driving the '68 Camaro in E/SA at the 2006 Richmond national event.

"Matt races Jr. Dragsters, and that keeps me busy," said Lisa. "But he also comes along and helps out when I race. He's really getting into it now. We were at the race in Atlanta - Anthony won that race - and every time we came back, Matthew had the battery chargers hooked up, the tires done, the fuel done. He was a big help. His goal is to drive Stock or Super Stock."

Matthew's contributions during the Atlanta race were helpful, especially because Lisa does the maintenance on his own car and the Stocker driven by Fetch. But the maintenance is where Lisa's duties end, for the most part, when it comes to Fetch's program.

"I don't interfere with Anthony at all," said Lisa. "He does his own thing, he does his own dials, and he does things the way that he wants. That's worked pretty well for us so far."

Lisa has enjoyed success of his own behind the wheel, and he enjoyed it early. In just his third time competing at an NHRA national event - the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading - he drove his way to the final round, where he finished second to Mickey Whaley.

Lisa went to the final round at the 2005 event at Maple Grove Raceway.

"I got to that final and I was like, wow, this is going to be easy," laughed Lisa. "But I've been getting my ass kicked ever since. It got tougher. It kept me going, though. Dave Mohn, another Division 1 guy, said, 'You know Joe, there are some guys that have been doing this for 30 years and have never been to a final, and you got it in your third race. There is nothing to be disappointed about.' It's true, getting to that final was a pretty good feeling."

Lisa would like to be a world champion one day, but for now, he says he's doing it for fun and just because he likes the competition.

"Getting to that final was a big deal, and I've also won a national open," said Lisa. "But watching Anthony do well in my car, that gives me a great feeling of success, also."

Keep an eye out for his trusty stable of race cars at the upcoming NHRA divisional event at Atco Raceway and then at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, though.