Forty Years & Counting
By Ron Polimeni (Click Images to Enlarge)
My active participation in motor sport began with the
purchase of a Go Kart 800 powered by a Homelite chainsaw
engine in 1961. I raced the kart at the Patterson NY kart
track for several years. Back then karting was still
in its infancy. New updated equipment was being offered
as fast as the suppliers could put it out. Eventually it
dawned on me that with the escalating cost of kart racing it
wouldn’t cost me any more to race the Volvo PV 544 that I’d
recently acquired.
Through a chance encounter with another local Volvo owner
I was introduced to the British Sports Car Owners Assn. In
the spring of 1964 I attended a competition drivers school at
Lime Rock Park Conn.
I joined the Sports Car Club of America in 1966. Over the
next several years I progressed through regional level to
national and eventually professional level competition
all with my trusty Volvo PV-544.
My active participation came to an end around 1975 due to
outside circumstances (the usual items, marriage, divorce,
relocation, etc.).
By 1985 however, I had a new wife and a new son (my “neat
kid”, #1 son Nick). Looking for something to share with my
son I decided to go with what I know best, motor sport.
Being a life long hobbyist I purchased a radio control model
car kit with the intent of taking Nick racing with it. Although
only seven at the time Nick managed to assemble the car on
his own. He still has that car today in operable condition.
Over the next few years we raced R/C cars. We went from 1
car for everything to separate cars for dirt or pavement, as
well as one or two specialty vehicles. The 10th
scale monster truck dubbed "Bigoof" comes to mind. What
Nick learned about race car prep & development process
with the R/C cars helped him out a few years later when we
took up kart racing. It has always been my contention that
hobbies can be used as educational tools.
To this end I’ve always let Nick do his own work with me
acting in an advisory capacity only.
Since it had never been my intention to leave active
competition in the first place, when the opportunity (a bit of
extra cash) presented itself in 1990 I purchased a race car
in the form of an ITB class, Volvo 142E. I returned to drivers
school with the DC region at Summit Point raceway winning
the five lap novice race after an absence of 16 years. My
return to regular competition however, was inauspicious. I
managed to blow up the Volvo’s engine first time out. In my
exuberance I’d neglected to take a few necessities into
account such as the need for a maintenance facility. The
car was shelved for the time being.
My friend and crew Jerry Ewing had seen a poster at
Summit Point advertising kart racing at the Monrovia MD
kart track. We visited and Nick became the proud
owner/driver of a well used Margay racing kart. We had a
great deal of fun as well as frustration with the kart racing.
Nick proved to be quite adept at both driving and preparing
his kart and was in contention for the track championship in
his first full season (winning 5 feature events) despite
having the oldest kart in the field.
Once again the old buggaboo of a changing life situation
put the motor competition on hold. We purchased a home
of our own in West Virginia. One of the primary reasons
for the purchase of this particular piece of property was the
lack of zoning restrictions and the large concrete shop
building behind the house.
Although starting our auto restoration shop kept competition
on the back burner for a few years it was never off the
agenda. It was during this period that we introduced my
daughter Lydia to racing. Although she’d raced her own
R/C car (built by her and her Mom) this was her first attempt
at actually driving in competition. She wasn’t a winner like
her brother but she stuck with it and overcame her fears.
She proved to herself and everyone else that given some
time she could be a winner too. The experience brought
about aconsiderable change in her self confidence
and self esteem.
By 1999 Nick had prepared a rally car. Again, a Volvo
142S. Unfortunately inexperience took its toll and Nick
managed to roll it into a ball on the first special stage.
Work in the shop precluded building another car right
away. Within a few years though Nick was back at it in Rally
Cross competition with his restored Volvo 142E.
In 2005 Nick acquired his own 142E Volvo ITB car. For the
coming season we hope to finally have my ITB car track
ready after a complete restoration and rebuild over the past
two years. Nick is now running a ’72 Volvo wagon
in Rally Cross competition. #2 Son Alex has been competing
in kart racing for the past few years, and plans to run some
competition training courses this year in hopes of attaining a
competition license next year.
And I may finally make my reappearance in
road race competition. We’ll see what the new year brings.
The adventure goes on.
By Ron Polimeni (Click Images to Enlarge)
My active participation in motor sport began with the
purchase of a Go Kart 800 powered by a Homelite chainsaw
engine in 1961. I raced the kart at the Patterson NY kart
track for several years. Back then karting was still
in its infancy. New updated equipment was being offered
as fast as the suppliers could put it out. Eventually it
dawned on me that with the escalating cost of kart racing it
wouldn’t cost me any more to race the Volvo PV 544 that I’d
recently acquired.
Through a chance encounter with another local Volvo owner
I was introduced to the British Sports Car Owners Assn. In
the spring of 1964 I attended a competition drivers school at
Lime Rock Park Conn.
I joined the Sports Car Club of America in 1966. Over the
next several years I progressed through regional level to
national and eventually professional level competition
all with my trusty Volvo PV-544.
My active participation came to an end around 1975 due to
outside circumstances (the usual items, marriage, divorce,
relocation, etc.).
By 1985 however, I had a new wife and a new son (my “neat
kid”, #1 son Nick). Looking for something to share with my
son I decided to go with what I know best, motor sport.
Being a life long hobbyist I purchased a radio control model
car kit with the intent of taking Nick racing with it. Although
only seven at the time Nick managed to assemble the car on
his own. He still has that car today in operable condition.
Over the next few years we raced R/C cars. We went from 1
car for everything to separate cars for dirt or pavement, as
well as one or two specialty vehicles. The 10th
scale monster truck dubbed "Bigoof" comes to mind. What
Nick learned about race car prep & development process
with the R/C cars helped him out a few years later when we
took up kart racing. It has always been my contention that
hobbies can be used as educational tools.
To this end I’ve always let Nick do his own work with me
acting in an advisory capacity only.
Since it had never been my intention to leave active
competition in the first place, when the opportunity (a bit of
extra cash) presented itself in 1990 I purchased a race car
in the form of an ITB class, Volvo 142E. I returned to drivers
school with the DC region at Summit Point raceway winning
the five lap novice race after an absence of 16 years. My
return to regular competition however, was inauspicious. I
managed to blow up the Volvo’s engine first time out. In my
exuberance I’d neglected to take a few necessities into
account such as the need for a maintenance facility. The
car was shelved for the time being.
My friend and crew Jerry Ewing had seen a poster at
Summit Point advertising kart racing at the Monrovia MD
kart track. We visited and Nick became the proud
owner/driver of a well used Margay racing kart. We had a
great deal of fun as well as frustration with the kart racing.
Nick proved to be quite adept at both driving and preparing
his kart and was in contention for the track championship in
his first full season (winning 5 feature events) despite
having the oldest kart in the field.
Once again the old buggaboo of a changing life situation
put the motor competition on hold. We purchased a home
of our own in West Virginia. One of the primary reasons
for the purchase of this particular piece of property was the
lack of zoning restrictions and the large concrete shop
building behind the house.
Although starting our auto restoration shop kept competition
on the back burner for a few years it was never off the
agenda. It was during this period that we introduced my
daughter Lydia to racing. Although she’d raced her own
R/C car (built by her and her Mom) this was her first attempt
at actually driving in competition. She wasn’t a winner like
her brother but she stuck with it and overcame her fears.
She proved to herself and everyone else that given some
time she could be a winner too. The experience brought
about aconsiderable change in her self confidence
and self esteem.
By 1999 Nick had prepared a rally car. Again, a Volvo
142S. Unfortunately inexperience took its toll and Nick
managed to roll it into a ball on the first special stage.
Work in the shop precluded building another car right
away. Within a few years though Nick was back at it in Rally
Cross competition with his restored Volvo 142E.
In 2005 Nick acquired his own 142E Volvo ITB car. For the
coming season we hope to finally have my ITB car track
ready after a complete restoration and rebuild over the past
two years. Nick is now running a ’72 Volvo wagon
in Rally Cross competition. #2 Son Alex has been competing
in kart racing for the past few years, and plans to run some
competition training courses this year in hopes of attaining a
competition license next year.
And I may finally make my reappearance in
road race competition. We’ll see what the new year brings.
The adventure goes on.
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| Above: The fleet of racing automobiles currently owned by the Polimeni Clan |
Ron's "trusty" vintage Volvo PV-544
A young Nick participating in RC Car racing
Ron's ITB Volvo, as it was 18 years ago and as it is now
Nick competes in Go-Kart racing with his #8 Margay
Lydia engaging in both RC Car and Go-Kart racing over the years
Alex trying his hand at Go-Kart racing
Nick's ill-fated rally-prepared Volvo 142S
Nick's ITB-Prepared Volvo 142E, nicknamed "Sven" at his second
SCCA Drivers School at Summit Point Speedway
SCCA Drivers School at Summit Point Speedway
