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Capaldi Racing and Wolverine Bronze to Start the Season at Daytona
January 17, 2012
After an up-and-down beginning to the 2011 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) Series for Capaldi Racing, the team got hot in the final two races with the arrival of theirnew Mustang Boss 302R. With their first pole, a track record, and a top 10 finish in the last two races, Team Principal, Leo Capaldi, was excited about the momentum heading into the off-season. "We learned a lot as a team in 2011", Capaldi said, "and I am confident we are well positioned for more success as we head into 2012!"
During the off-season, Capaldi Racing has been working diligently with marketing partners to secure 2012 funding for the #68 entry. These efforts have started paying off. Dick and Rob Smith from Wolverine Bronze have signed on as an associate sponsor, allowing Capaldi Racing to start the season while continuing its search for the additional funding required to campaign the remainder of the year. Wolverine Bronze is an internationally renowned fabrication and castings company serving the automotive, aircraft and aerospace industries. Wolverine got their first Grand-Am experience at the 2011 season finale at Mid-Ohio supporting Craig Capaldi's #16 Boss 302R.
Piloting the familiar silver and orange #68 Boss 302R will be 2nd year man, and 2011 New Jersey pole winner, Tony Buffomante, and Craig Capaldi, who hopes to add Grand-Am "rookie of the year" honors to his already impressive driving resume of club racing national championships and Mustang Challenge accolades. "I can't thank Wolverine Bronze enough for stepping-up to support our program", Buffomante said. "It was hard enough missing the off-season testing this year. I certainly didn't want to watch the first race on TV, especially since we proved at the end of last year that we can run with the best of them in Ford Racing's new Boss 302R!"
"Daytona is one of the most historic tracks in America, if the not world", continued Craig Capaldi. "I've watched my father and many others experience this place first hand. I'm excited to take off the mechanics gloves and put on the driving gloves this year - sharing the seat with Tony."
The Capaldi Racing team will have to get up to speed quickly upon arrival at the track for the January 26th-27th Grand Am 200. "We're up for it", Leo Capaldi said. "Our crew has the experience of running in this series and setting up for the high banks of Daytona. I have high expectations for the race with Craig and Tony and I think they will represent Wolverine Bronze very well on-and-off the track."
After an up-and-down beginning to the 2011 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) Series for Capaldi Racing, the team got hot in the final two races with the arrival of theirnew Mustang Boss 302R. With their first pole, a track record, and a top 10 finish in the last two races, Team Principal, Leo Capaldi, was excited about the momentum heading into the off-season. "We learned a lot as a team in 2011", Capaldi said, "and I am confident we are well positioned for more success as we head into 2012!"
During the off-season, Capaldi Racing has been working diligently with marketing partners to secure 2012 funding for the #68 entry. These efforts have started paying off. Dick and Rob Smith from Wolverine Bronze have signed on as an associate sponsor, allowing Capaldi Racing to start the season while continuing its search for the additional funding required to campaign the remainder of the year. Wolverine Bronze is an internationally renowned fabrication and castings company serving the automotive, aircraft and aerospace industries. Wolverine got their first Grand-Am experience at the 2011 season finale at Mid-Ohio supporting Craig Capaldi's #16 Boss 302R.
Piloting the familiar silver and orange #68 Boss 302R will be 2nd year man, and 2011 New Jersey pole winner, Tony Buffomante, and Craig Capaldi, who hopes to add Grand-Am "rookie of the year" honors to his already impressive driving resume of club racing national championships and Mustang Challenge accolades. "I can't thank Wolverine Bronze enough for stepping-up to support our program", Buffomante said. "It was hard enough missing the off-season testing this year. I certainly didn't want to watch the first race on TV, especially since we proved at the end of last year that we can run with the best of them in Ford Racing's new Boss 302R!"
"Daytona is one of the most historic tracks in America, if the not world", continued Craig Capaldi. "I've watched my father and many others experience this place first hand. I'm excited to take off the mechanics gloves and put on the driving gloves this year - sharing the seat with Tony."
The Capaldi Racing team will have to get up to speed quickly upon arrival at the track for the January 26th-27th Grand Am 200. "We're up for it", Leo Capaldi said. "Our crew has the experience of running in this series and setting up for the high banks of Daytona. I have high expectations for the race with Craig and Tony and I think they will represent Wolverine Bronze very well on-and-off the track."
Capaldi Racing Focus takes the Stage at SEMA
November 1, 2011
Racing in both the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the Pirelli World Challenge this year has left Capaldi Racing with very little down time. Even though the racing season is over, Capaldi Racing hasn’t slowed down a bit. Since the team’s last race at Road Atlanta in early October, they have been working non-stop getting their latest build ready for display as a feature vehicle in Ford Motor Company’s major indoor exhibit in this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Capaldi Racing applied their unique perspective gained over their 30 years of racing experience to their first street car build. They started with a 2012 Ford Focus sedan with Ford’s 2.0L Ti-VCT I-4 engine and 5-speed manual transmission and made the following upgrades:
Exterior
Chassis
Interior
“Building a street car for SEMA was a great experience,” said Leo Capaldi, team principal. “Because we didn’t have to follow a series rulebook, we were able to get creative and think outside the box with this car. We worked with a great group of people on this project and I’d like to thank everyone listed above for their support. I can’t wait to build another car like this.”
Along with their new Focus, Capaldi Racing’s 2012 Boss 302R Grand-Am race car is also on display at SEMA – this one in Ford Racing’s outdoor exhibit. If you’re at the show, stop by both Ford displays to see the Capaldi Racing cars. If you’re unable to make it, go to our Facebook page for updates from the show.
Racing in both the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the Pirelli World Challenge this year has left Capaldi Racing with very little down time. Even though the racing season is over, Capaldi Racing hasn’t slowed down a bit. Since the team’s last race at Road Atlanta in early October, they have been working non-stop getting their latest build ready for display as a feature vehicle in Ford Motor Company’s major indoor exhibit in this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Capaldi Racing applied their unique perspective gained over their 30 years of racing experience to their first street car build. They started with a 2012 Ford Focus sedan with Ford’s 2.0L Ti-VCT I-4 engine and 5-speed manual transmission and made the following upgrades:
Exterior
- Custom vinyl wrap from Competition Graphics
- Custom front splitter from Capaldi Racing
- Custom rear fascia with dual exhaust outlets from Capaldi Racing
- European Focus headlamps with HID and LED technology from Visteon
- Cat-back performance exhaust with dual outlets from Borla
- Torsen Limited Slip Differential from Ford Racing
- Custom air intake from Green Filters
- Centerforce Dual-Friction performance street clutch
Chassis
- AST 4100 Performance Suspension
- 4-piston Brembo calipers with 310 x 28 mm one-piece drilled rotors
- Stainless steel brake lines from Goodridge
- Ford Racing Tuned front and rear sway bars
- Ford Racing 18” Wheels
- Continental High Performance ContiSportContact tires (235/40-18)
Interior
- Custom interior dash accents color matched with the exterior
- Custom seat accents color match with the exterior
- Ford Racing short throw shifter
“Building a street car for SEMA was a great experience,” said Leo Capaldi, team principal. “Because we didn’t have to follow a series rulebook, we were able to get creative and think outside the box with this car. We worked with a great group of people on this project and I’d like to thank everyone listed above for their support. I can’t wait to build another car like this.”
Along with their new Focus, Capaldi Racing’s 2012 Boss 302R Grand-Am race car is also on display at SEMA – this one in Ford Racing’s outdoor exhibit. If you’re at the show, stop by both Ford displays to see the Capaldi Racing cars. If you’re unable to make it, go to our Facebook page for updates from the show.
Capaldi Racing Wins World Challenge Season Finale
October 10, 2011
Capaldi Racing traveled to Road Atlanta for the Pirelli World Challenge season finale looking to end the bad luck streak that plagued them for the past two races at Infineon Raceway and Laguna Sega. Road Atlanta is the home track for team driver, Eric Foss, and Eric has a lot of experience there. Needless to say, the team was hopeful going into practice.
Eric put his experience to good use in both practice sessions and came back with the fastest time for both sessions, following which the team made adjustments to the car for qualifying. During qualifying, Eric continued using his knowledge of the track and put the #73 Traxxas/St. Jude’s/SPX Ford Mustang FR500S on the GTS pole for the 60-minute race, his second pole of the season. When the green flag dropped, Eric charged into the lead and never looked back. He led the race flag to flag to take his second win of the season.
“What a great way to end the season,” said Eric. “I used to instruct at the Panoz School here (at Road Atlanta) and I’ve logged thousands of laps here. After practice, we made a couple changes and they really paid off. The team did an awesome job all week, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. This year is the first time I’ve driven a Mustang and it’s been a blast. It was an honor to race with Traxxas and SPX to raise money for St. Jude’s.”
Eric went into Road Atlanta 4th in GTS points and because of his strong performance, he moved up two positions, ending the season 2nd in the GTS Championship. Tune into Versus on Saturday, October 29 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time for coverage from Road Atlanta.
Photo by Mark Weber, Pirelli World Challenge
Capaldi Racing traveled to Road Atlanta for the Pirelli World Challenge season finale looking to end the bad luck streak that plagued them for the past two races at Infineon Raceway and Laguna Sega. Road Atlanta is the home track for team driver, Eric Foss, and Eric has a lot of experience there. Needless to say, the team was hopeful going into practice.
Eric put his experience to good use in both practice sessions and came back with the fastest time for both sessions, following which the team made adjustments to the car for qualifying. During qualifying, Eric continued using his knowledge of the track and put the #73 Traxxas/St. Jude’s/SPX Ford Mustang FR500S on the GTS pole for the 60-minute race, his second pole of the season. When the green flag dropped, Eric charged into the lead and never looked back. He led the race flag to flag to take his second win of the season.
“What a great way to end the season,” said Eric. “I used to instruct at the Panoz School here (at Road Atlanta) and I’ve logged thousands of laps here. After practice, we made a couple changes and they really paid off. The team did an awesome job all week, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. This year is the first time I’ve driven a Mustang and it’s been a blast. It was an honor to race with Traxxas and SPX to raise money for St. Jude’s.”
Eric went into Road Atlanta 4th in GTS points and because of his strong performance, he moved up two positions, ending the season 2nd in the GTS Championship. Tune into Versus on Saturday, October 29 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time for coverage from Road Atlanta.
Photo by Mark Weber, Pirelli World Challenge
Capaldi Racing Finishes in the Top 10 at Grand-Am Season Finale
September 23, 2011
Capaldi Racing traveled to its home track, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, for the EMCO Gears Classic - the final round of Grand-Am's 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) season. The team finished preparing the #68 Capaldi Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302R just days before team drivers Tony Buffomante and Kyle Gimple got behind the wheel for practice. Tony and Kyle spent the weekend's practice sessions working with the team to get the new car dialed in. Tony took the car out for qualifying and set the 6th fastest time for a spot on the 3rd row of the grid for the 2.5-hour race.
Because he qualified the car, Tony had the privilege to drive the first stint of the race - approximately one hour. The race featured a very crowded field of 71 cars, representing two classes (GS and ST) on Mid-Ohio's 2.2 mile course and Tony's stint was full of cautions. Tony was able to stay out of trouble, and pitted at the 30-minute mark for fuel and reentered the race. At the 1:15 mark, running in 12th place, Tony brought the car in for tires, fuel, and a driver change. Kyle jumped in and worked his way through the 39-car GS field. With eight minutes to go, the final caution came out and Kyle, running in 10th, was able to make one more pass to finish the race in 9th overall and in class.
"The Boss 302R is an awesome car," said Tony. "Because we had a brand new car, it took us some time to get everything dialed in during practice, but the Capaldi Racing crew never stopped working and as a result, we ended up 6th on the starting grid. The race was crazy with 71 cars on the track. I did my best to keep my head down, and concentrate on a clean race. As usual, Kyle did a great job in the final stint and we're thrilled to have another top 10 finish this year.
"Running the past two years with Capaldi Racing has been great. They've become like a second family to us and I am really looking forward to working with them again in the future. I had a ton of fun running with Kyle this year, and can't wait to see what the future holds for him. I also want to thank Wolverine Bronze for supporting Kyle and me in the #68 car and Craig Capaldi and John Graham in the #16 Wolverine Bronze Boss 302R."
"That was a really crowded race," remarked Kyle. "Overall, we had an extremely strong weekend. It took us a little bit to get the car up to speed, but that's normal for a new car. The team never missed a beat and delivered us a great car for qualifying and a great race. It's been a fantastic experience working with Tony and Capaldi Racing. Between them, they have almost 60 years of racing experience and I learned a lot from them."
Capaldi Racing traveled to its home track, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, for the EMCO Gears Classic - the final round of Grand-Am's 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) season. The team finished preparing the #68 Capaldi Racing Ford Mustang Boss 302R just days before team drivers Tony Buffomante and Kyle Gimple got behind the wheel for practice. Tony and Kyle spent the weekend's practice sessions working with the team to get the new car dialed in. Tony took the car out for qualifying and set the 6th fastest time for a spot on the 3rd row of the grid for the 2.5-hour race.
Because he qualified the car, Tony had the privilege to drive the first stint of the race - approximately one hour. The race featured a very crowded field of 71 cars, representing two classes (GS and ST) on Mid-Ohio's 2.2 mile course and Tony's stint was full of cautions. Tony was able to stay out of trouble, and pitted at the 30-minute mark for fuel and reentered the race. At the 1:15 mark, running in 12th place, Tony brought the car in for tires, fuel, and a driver change. Kyle jumped in and worked his way through the 39-car GS field. With eight minutes to go, the final caution came out and Kyle, running in 10th, was able to make one more pass to finish the race in 9th overall and in class.
"The Boss 302R is an awesome car," said Tony. "Because we had a brand new car, it took us some time to get everything dialed in during practice, but the Capaldi Racing crew never stopped working and as a result, we ended up 6th on the starting grid. The race was crazy with 71 cars on the track. I did my best to keep my head down, and concentrate on a clean race. As usual, Kyle did a great job in the final stint and we're thrilled to have another top 10 finish this year.
"Running the past two years with Capaldi Racing has been great. They've become like a second family to us and I am really looking forward to working with them again in the future. I had a ton of fun running with Kyle this year, and can't wait to see what the future holds for him. I also want to thank Wolverine Bronze for supporting Kyle and me in the #68 car and Craig Capaldi and John Graham in the #16 Wolverine Bronze Boss 302R."
"That was a really crowded race," remarked Kyle. "Overall, we had an extremely strong weekend. It took us a little bit to get the car up to speed, but that's normal for a new car. The team never missed a beat and delivered us a great car for qualifying and a great race. It's been a fantastic experience working with Tony and Capaldi Racing. Between them, they have almost 60 years of racing experience and I learned a lot from them."