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Local driver trying to renew interest in Sprint cars
By LARRY BUGG | Special Correspondent
Published: April 20, 2011
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There are those who are seeking to preserve manatees, the bald eagle and other wildlife.
Then there’s Tony Careeno.
Carreno is also trying to preserve what he thinks is endangered.
The 49-year-old Lutz driver is trying to preserve Sprint cars.
He promoted the Sprint car races April 16 at the Citrus County Speedway. Careeno finished third in the Wingless Sprints feature. He normally drives open wheel modifieds.
He is ringleader of Independent Pavement Sprint Car Alliance.
“I had the opportunity to drive a Sprint car here in November,” Careeno said. “We started 20th and ran 11th. I am quite happy. Me and another boy went and got a car.”
Careeno feels that Sprint cars don’t get enough love.
“A lot of people don’t get to get next to these cars,” he said. “We have had a lot of people looking at the cars. We want to get people out to support it. We want to show promoters that they want to see these cars.”
These cars are racing monsters.
“Sprint cars have 700-plus horsepower and, with driver in the car, they weigh 1,500 pounds,” Careeno said. "There is power and thrill of the speed. Open Wheel racing is awesome.’’
Careeno drives a 2009 Hurricane Chassis powered by a K and K racing engine out of Brooksville.
Careeno was born and raised in Tampa and attended Tampa Bay Tech High.
He has owned a site preparation company for 30 years. He has been married to his wife, Cheryl, for 27 years. They have two daughters - Amber, 25, runs a day care center and Brittany, 22, who works at a hospital in Orlando, graduated from Hillsborough Community College last year.
He has only been racing for three years, but the need for speed burns within him.
“It’s the thrill of the speed and competition,” Careeno said, explaining his attraction to racing. "It is a good thing. I have met a lot of great friends in racing. I have always been a race fan. It took me until I was 46 years before I had the courage to buy a car. I was at Citrus County Speedway. The wife looked at me and asked if this was something I might want to do. I said absolutely.
"That night I bought Robbie Cooper’s car. He’s from Bronson.
"Sprint cars are on the endangered species list. We are trying to work out the issues.’’
The Sprint cars haven’t disappeared.
“There are plenty of them out there,” Careeno said. “It’s getting them all on the same page. That’s all. We will run Sprints as often as we have race tracks that want us to come. We are trying to get everybody together.”