The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 57

muiUMJ Mil mm 1 11 m- 0mmm 1 Confident Renna hopes to take ride to next level The best drivers rise to the top in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, which feature identically-prepared open-wheel cars. 1 RON J. BERARDTribune photo rflLJ AAf 4 l. i By HOLLY CAIN Tribune Staff Writer SEBRING Tony Renna has had success in every race series he's competed in, and just as important all the right breaks. The most recent recipient of the Barber Dodge Pro Series "Big Scholarship Award" Renna, 19, is in position to take it to the next level.

Renna won a pair of national quarter-midget titles by the time he was 15. Eventually the DeLand resident graduated to the Formula Ford ranks where he won the Skip Barber Racing School's Southeast Regional championship in 1995. That title earned him a chance to vie for the unique Scholarship award, a paid half-season in the Barber Dodge Pro Series. Twelve of the country's most-promising Formula Ford racers are invited to compete for the financial backing. A panel of professional racers judge the candidates' driving skills, while a pair of motorsports journalists conduct in-depth interviews and rate the up-and-coming drivers on their public relations potential.

Renna easily won both categories. And to think as a kid he envisioned playing center field for the New York Yankees. "In Little League I found out I wasn't that good at baseball, while in racing I just kept excelling," Renna said. "I guess I've been extraordinarily lucky. My whole family has been so supportive.

I've always had good equipment and in all forms of racing I've done, I've been successful right away." Renna takes that confidence into Sunday's 30-minute Barber Dodge race at Sebring International Raceway, the track where most of his Formula Ford races were run and where he won the Barber Dodge scholarship. He enters sixth in the points standing courtesy of a sixth-place finish at the Feb. 25 season-opener at St Petersburg. Argentine Mauro Fartuszek, Swede Fredrik Larsson and Italian ABOUT THE SERIES The Barber Dodge Pro Series is designed to supply up-and-coming drivers with equally-prepared cars, the focus on the circuit being on driver ability not only strength of equipment. THE CARS The cars are single cockpit, open-wheelers with front and rear wings.

They're powered by a Dodge 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Other than different header fitment and a dry-sump oil system, the engine is the same found in a Dodge Intrepid passenger car. 1995 RACE WINNERS Miami: Geoff Boss Sebrinv Barry Waddell Phoenix: Geoff Boss Umt Rock Park: Barry Wadded Watkmt Glens Jaki Schecter Road America Jaki Scheckter Road America Ih Jaki Scheckter Saart Point: Geoff Boss Mid-Ohio: Jeff Bucknumm Now Hampshire: Jerry Nadeau Texas World Speedway: Fredrik Larsson New Orleans: Jerry Nadeau 1996 POINT STANDINGS Mauro Fartuszek 21, Fredrik Larsson 16, Rino Mastronardi 14, Derek Hill 12, Seiji Ara 11, Tony Renna 10, Bryan Selby 9, Steven Rikert 8, Jakob Sund 7, Skip Streets 6, Andres Gomez 5. Meom Gidley 4, G.J. Mennen 3, Chris Menninga 2, Leandro Larrosa 1.

No. Nanw Hometown 2 Jeff Willoughby East Lansing, Mich. 3 Memo Gidley San Rafael, Calif. 4 Geoff Boss Narragansett, R.I. 5 Chris Menninga Pella, Iowa 6 Joe Vantreese Batavia, III.

7 Rocky Moran, Jr. Coto de Caza, Calif. 8 Fredrik Larsson Falkenberg, Sweden 9 Tony Renna DeLand 10 Thomas Schie Oslo, Norway 11 Brian McCarthy Dayton, Ohio 12 Jarrett Boon Chadler, Ariz. 14 Gary Glanger Dallas, Texas 1 5 Andres Felipe Gomez Bogota, Columbia 17 Steven Rikert Rhinebeck, N.Y. 19 Seiji Ara Chiba, Japan 20 Rino Mastronardl Pistoia, ttafy 21 Bryan Selby Alpine, Cailf.

23 Tim Moser Ventura, Calif. 24 Derek Hid Santa Monica, Calif. 25 Leandro Larrosa Buenos Aires, Argentina 26 Nicolas Rondet Hettange Grande, France 28 JeffBucknum Simi Valley, Cailf 31 J. Mennen New Vernon, N.J. 37 Mauro Fartuszek Buenos Aires, Argentina 51 Skip Streets Manhattan Beach, Calif.

58 Jakob Sund Slagetse, Denmark 60 Nick O'Sullivan Boulder, Colo. 71 Tim Enoch Mission Viejo, Calif. 77 Todd Snyder Sheffield, Mass. Special to the Tribune Tony Renna said he turned to racing once he realized he didn't excel at baseball. Rino Mastronardi lead an international top three in points.

Defending Sebring Barber Dodge race winner Barry Waddell has moved up to IM-SA's World Sports Car series. The international flavor of this series is something that has intrigued Renna, who spent a summer racing in Britain's competitive Formula 3 ranks, winning two pole positions and scoring five top-three finishes in six starts. It's this kind of competition that Renna believes will make him better, and the Barber Dodge series has made a reputation on providing a top-notch brand of racing. IndyCar drivers Bryan Herta and Robbie Buhl are among those who started in Barber Dodge Series, which features identically-prepared open-wheel single-seaters where driving skill is emphasized more than big-budget car modifications. "One of the great things this Pro Series offers is not only the venues we go to, but that we're on television, and the driving coaches we have are seasoned guys that have been to all the tracks we race on," Renna said.

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