August 12

Tony Buffomante Captures Third Win of the Season

For most racers, a second place finish and a fourth place finish at the previous race would be considered a successful outing. Not so for Ford Racing Mustang Challenge series points co-leader, Tony Buffomante. For Tony, that performance only served to motivate him even further to attack the next race – at Autobahn Country Club. From the moment he arrived at Autobahn, Tony was focused on dominating the event, and returning to the top step of the podium for the third time this season. Being less than an hour away from Tony’s hometown of Naperville, IL, of all the tracks visited by the Mustang Challenge series, this could be considered Tony's home track, which made for extra motivation with many friends and family in attendance.

In the first practice, Tony set the fastest time and repeated this performance in the second practice session, breaking the existing track record by 0.3 seconds. While knowing there was room for improvement in his car's setup, the team modified suspension settings to adapt to the changing track, and Tony drove the #34 Capaldi Racing FR500S to his fourth pole position of the season.

When race day came, the team made final preparations to the familiar blue and white Capaldi Racing entry, and Tony was ready to go for his third win of the season. At the start of the race, second-place qualifier and series co-leader, Jason von Kluge, stuck like glue to Tony’s bumper. Tony was able to hold off Jason and pull away, stretching his lead to nearly three seconds during the middle of the race. When the checkered flag flew, Tony crossed the line first after leading every lap of the race for the second year in a row; making him the only Mustang Challenge driver to lead a lap on this track in series competition.

“It feels great being back on top of the podium,” said Tony. “After a disappointing performance in New Jersey, the team really worked hard to make sure we came out of this weekend with the most points possible and they did a great job. I couldn’t have done it with out them. The fact that the championship is tied going into the last weekend of the season is a testament to the close, competitive racing in the Mustang Challenge. I can’t wait to see how the season turns out at the final race at Miller Motorsports Park”.

The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge returns September 11th and 12th for a double header at Miller Motorsports Park. Visit www.capaldiracing.com for Capaldi Racing team updates.

Capaldi Racing, Inc., is a professional race team with 30 years racing experience that offers a wide range of racing services and products. The team’s goal is to provide the best services, equipment, crew and results to ensure an enjoyable and rewarding experience for the drivers and their guests. Capaldi Racing has extensive experience when it comes to road racing Ford vehicles, and provides a full service racing experience from car build and prep to trackside support to ongoing maintenance for those interested in NASA’s Spec Focus Series, American Iron, the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge series, or the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series. For more information on Capaldi Racing, go to www.capaldiracing.com or call 586-949-RACE.