Budano scores Bowling Green victory

(May 08, 2008) New York City - Vinny Budano put his season back on track this past weekend in Bowling Green, Ky, winning the crown in NMCA Pro Street competition. Budano, the 3-time reigning champion of NMCA had a long ride home from Florida after a red light in round one at the Bradenton season-opener in March. "I just had to come home and pull myself up by my boot straps and march on", said Budano. March on, is exactly what Budano and his Scott Shafiroff Racing Enterprises Camaro did in the blue grass state over the weekend.

A picture of progressive consistency on race day, Budano actually struggled in qualifying. "I was honestly bummed out on Sunday morning because the car was simply not right, and I knew it", said Budano. Even though he qualified in the top half of the 16 car field, Budano was wrestling with choices. "That's the worse thing about it when your sitting there asking yourself, "Should I fix something that ain't broken?" Even now, Budano confesses that he only remembers qualifying somewhere between 3rd and 5th, and his main concerns were chiefly centered around making his Tim McAmis-built Camaro do what he knew it was capable of.

With Sunday morning's weight of distress came Scott Shafiroff, who believed that Vinny's concerns were unwarranted. Shafiroff and the entire crew rallied in Budano's corner with positive encouragement, urging Vinny to simply go out there and do his job, promising that the car would be fine. It was then that the entire team put their heads together and came up with a pretty aggressive move in a completely different direction. Round by round the car responded beautifully, beginning with a round one stoppage of Tony "The Sandman" Williams.

Motivated by 738 cubic inches of Shafiroff big block, Budano continued his climb to the finals with round wins over Noel Felton in the quarter finals and Steve King in the semis. Erasing all memories of the Bradenton red light (his first in years) Budano streaked to the finish line against Mark Mickey on the final run of the night, clocking 6.31 @ 223mph in a Camaro weighing 2,750 pounds.

With cameras rolling, Al Tucci's victory interview changed direction when Budano seemed steadfast on introducing the people standing in the shadows of the shut down area. "I finally got to introduce the people that have been around me my whole life", said Budano, as brother Frank, life-long friend Charlie, son Vincent, and brother from a different mother, Sammy, all came into the camera's view, along with the man himself, Scott Shafiroff.

Always quick to credit Scott Shafiroff for an abundant life in drag racing, Vinny declares, "Without Scott I'd be racing Matchbox cars." The friendship of the native New Yorkers is long and storied, and involves 15 years of racing together. "Scott tried to get me to come work for him when I was 17 years old, but it took me until I was 40", laughed Budano, who's served as general manager for Shafiroff Racing Enterprises since 2002.

In addition to the entire 7 race roster on the NMCA circuit, Budano and team plan to compete in a variety of events in 2008, including Outlaw Street Car and Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association Events.

For more information about Scott Shafiroff Racing Enterprises, please visit Shafiroff Chevrolet Drag Racing Engines and Ultrastreet High Performance Crate Engines

Team Shafiroff wishes to thank:
Book Carburetors
CFE Cylinder Heads
Comp Cams
Jesel
Joe Gibbs Racing Oil
Lenco
Manley
Moroso
MSD Ignition
Ross Pistons
Speedtech Nitrous
T&D Machine
Tim McAmis Race Cars
VP Fuels

Photos courtesy of NMCA