There is one low-buck guy you might not be aware of, a guy I have personally met and seen race on two occasions. His name is Vinny Arcadi, and he is from Lancaster, NY. I know he attempted to qualify at one, or maybe two, NHRA events last year, without success. He was able to qualify and do fairly well against the big buck guys a few years ago, but of course, without that mother lode of cash, well... you know. Anyway, I saw him race Dale Creasy Jr. last year at Lancaster Speedway. Vinny had a small sponsorship from the US Navy, and was driving the same Camaro-bodied FC he drove last year, when it was basic black with flames. This one was, naturally, black with US Navy decals, blue flames and huge American flags on it (see below). Anyway, it was quite an interesting night.

Two friends of mine attended with me, never having seen nitro Funny Cars race before. They enjoyed all the cars, motorcycles and even snowmobiles that were on hand, but when the nitro floppers lit it up, they were truly in awe. Who wasn't the first time they saw those beasts race? This is especially true at a track where both lanes together are about as wide as one lane at any NHRA national event track, and where the crowd is right on top of the cars as they go by. Lancaster, as you probably know, is an 1/8th-mile track, with not-so-great traction, and it has an extremely short shutdown area that makes a hard right turn about another 1/8th mile past the finish line to avoid a farmer's field!

In 2003, when Vinny raced Creasy Jr. (in his then-Sears sponsored FC), Creasy won the first round as both guys smoked the tires. In the "rematch," Creasy was ahead but Vinny blasted past him for the win and then waited too long to get the chutes out at that short-ass, right-turn-in-the-shutdown-area-to-avoid-the-farmer's-field track. Well, here goes Vinny, flying down the shutdown area, straight off into the farmer's field, digging up dirt and putting on quite a show. Well, the crowd loved it, yours truly included, but of course we were all worried about Vinny. Turned out he was fine, and got a nice write-up the next day in the Buffalo newspaper.

What was even more interesting to me was between rounds, when I met Vinny and talked to him at his hospitality suite. I was not alone, as several other people were saying hello to him as well. He said the reason he lost first round was a fuel leak that sent nitro gushing onto the windshield, making it impossible for him to see. He had "lifted," although it sure seemed to me that he legged it almost the full 1/8th mile. Anyway, one of the folks meeting Vinny for the first time asked him if he thought he could beat Creasy second round. Vinny's response was the quintessential racer's answer. Not a tall guy, he looked up at the questioner, looked him right in the eye, hesitated for a split second, and answered, "I'm gonna kick his ass!"

And damned if he didn't do just exactly that, then run off the track and put on quite a show for everyone. Fast forward to 2004 again. Vinny and Creasy are racing again at short-ass Lancaster with the right turn shutdown area, and this time when I talk to Vinny he seems more quiet and subdued, hoping for sponsorship so he can pursue his dream, I suppose. His crew chief from 2004 isn't there this year, but the rest of the crew guys seem familiar.

Anyway, first round he and Creasy burn out together, and my two novice friends start cheering and giving each other high fives. I yell (of course!) and ask what they are high fiving, thinking they just enjoyed the two fabulous burnouts. I started laughing when they say what a great race they've just watched. I pointed out to them the fact that the cars were now backing up, and they looked surprised. Then I told them that was only the burnouts! They both stood there with their mouths hanging open, in absolute awe of the raw power of two nitro Funny Cars.

Then, once they were staged, Creasy left on Vinny (I think). Anyway, Creasy got the lead, and it looked like he might win, but then he started smoking the hides and shut 'er down, and here comes ol' Vinny, smoke billowing from his huge rear slicks, power full on, blasting past him for the win and the track record! And then what happens? You guessed it. Vinny waits too long to hit the chutes, he can't turn right at 125 mph or whatever, so off he goes into the farmer's field again, this time (since it was very wet) digging up tons of mud and sending rainwater flying. Poor guy. Well, they towed back to the pits after they got him out.

Vinny was alright again, but this time the car was a mess and that had only been first round. The body and motor were absolutely covered with mud, and one of the crew guys told me they were worried about mud maybe having gone into the injector, possibly having fouled the engine. Between round I overheard Creasy being interviewed by the local racing reporter. He said something about needing to know what kind of track you were racing on, saving your equipment, not wrecking every time you went down the track, etc, etc. Well damn, racers race, don't they?

Anyway, believe it or not, Vinny and crew made second round, although for safety reasons (and probably budgetary ones as well), Vinny shut it off about three hundred feet out. Creasy won, but the real winner was Vinny Arcadi, a low buck racer who gives it his all whenever he gets the chance. Here's hoping he gets the sponsorship he needs to at least go part-time racing. I know I will always be a fan, no matter what.

LONG LIVE NITRO FUNNY CARS!

John Murnan
Zephyrhills, FL
(formerly Grand Island, NY)