Sam talks with race car driver legend and local businessman joe amato about his career and his upcoming speech at the healthy living event. We carry 116, 124 and 19 scale diecast models on most drivers on the nhra drag racing circuit. Joe amato nhra dragster hall fame drag racing bobble head mib w free al unser jr buy joe and get al unser jr for free. If trust is a key to successful marriage, joe amato must be one of the most happily married men in the world. Find everything in one place on joe amato including their biography, latest news and updates, high resolution photos, high quality videos and expert analysis.
Joe amato nhra fan apparel and souvenirs for sale ebay. Built on a foundation of unsurpassed service, professionalism, and loyalty, joe amato properties has become the premier private property development and commercial management company. Amato, 70, gains highschool diploma, wife competition. Big daddy don garlits, joe amato among 8 nhra legends. The sam lesante show race car driver joe amato youtube. Nascar race winner john andretti has died at age 56.
Sure, tom and jerry have a way of bringing back that childhood nostalgia, but theres nothing quite like the racing legends of yesteryear. Joe amato is an american dragster driver, who won the nhra top fuel championship five occasions and scored 52 event victories, most of them with crew chief tim richards. Top fuel driver killed in crash at end of run at gateway. Nhra top fuel great joe amato talks about life after racing nhra. Famous people from pennsylvania, famous natives sons. Joe amato racing is focused on providing highquality service and customer satisfaction we will do everything we can to meet your expectations. Joe amato during his two decades as one of top fuels most. In a whirlwind days last month, the fivetime nhra top fuel champion from eastern pennsylvania turned 70 years old, married longtime girlfriend andrea donten. Joe gained a reputation throughout the nhra as the winningest driver in drag racing history, an achievement that. In four seasons of competition driving joe amato s nhra top fuel dragster, he compiled a record of 106 round wins versus 75 losses. Amato began racing cars as a teenager, when he worked at his familys auto parts.
For the2000 through 2005 racing seasons, joe gave the chance of a lifetime, as the pilot of his dragster,to two young men, both great drivers. A backandforth top fuel battle between joe amato and 1989 champion gary ormsby waged until the final round of competition of the 1990. Black joe amato s driver nick sarillo survived a carbombing attack in 1982. To have john force, kenny bernstein, joe amato and don the snake prudhomme all on one stage is a very rare occurrence, lohnes stated. Nhra will post images of each drivers custom toyota camry which. This will be lucass fourth full season as a professional and the tall 6foot3, slender bachelor continues to shoulder a daunting workload for morgan lucas racing, the team he. Infinite hero team, driver jack beckman look to build on momentum of reading win.
Amato, 70, gains highschool diploma, wife competition plus. Joe amato born june, 1944 in exeter, pennsylvania is an american dragster driver, who won the nhra top fuel championship five occasions and scored 52 event victories, most of them with crew chief tim richards. Five years after his father opened the auto parts store, amato was faced with a. Infelice and delaurentis ordered a string of firebombings of amato s gambling and massage parlors throughout the second half of 1981 and all of 1982, tactics responded to in kind with amato ordering the bombing of delaurentisaffiliated businesses and properties. Beginning in 1991, the event raised money for racing for kids, a national fundraising program benefiting childrens hospitals in long beach and orange. The times leader scrantonwilkes barre joe amato is living an extraordinarily full life with milestone moments not in the ordinary order. The toyota procelebrity race was an annual 10lap auto race held each april since 1977 until 2016 as part of the united states grand prix west, and later the toyota grand prix of long beach weekend at long beach, california. With that car, amato became the first top fuel driver to eclipse the 260mph mark. Stars of the east coast fuel funny car circuit nhra.
Joe amato joined nhra reporter lewis bloom via skype in the wally parks nhra studio delivered by papa johns to talk about what he has been up to since his retirement from drag racing. Before becoming a driver in nhras professional class of top fuel dragster, he competed for several years in nhras sportsman amateur class of top alcohol dragster, a slower version of top fuel. He was the first driver to exceed 260 mph and 280 mph in competition. Joe amato dragster driver joe amato born june, 1944 in exeter, pennsylvania is an american dragster driver, who won the nhra top fuel championship five occasions and scored 52 event victories, most of them with crew chief tim richards. Russell is the first participant to be killed in competition at an nhra national event since blaine johnson died in a crash during a qualifying run at the u. Our company is based on the belief that our customers needs are of the utmost importance. This is a category for racing drivers who were killed while driving a racing car, either in competition or during testing. Joe amato has a nasty incident when he blows up his motor and crashes his top fuel dragster at the nhra matco tools super nationals at houston raceway in 1999. Joe amato and crew chief tim richards revolutionized top fuel racing in 1984 with the first tall, laidback rear wing but they didnt stop there, also experimenting a few years later with ground. For those that want to watch john driving a dragster.
We asked team valvoline about their favorite valvoline racing heroes. Joe amato born june, 1944 in exeter, pennsylvania is an american dragster driver, who won the nhra top fuel championship a record five occasions and scored 52 event victories, most of them with crew chief tim richards. It was displayed and is in good condition with the box box does have shelf wear. After giving up the driver s seat of his top fuel dragster, joe continued to own and operateamato racing, filling the seat of the race car with 2 different rookie top fuel drivers. Louis june 22 as part of the recent crew realignment at joe amato racing after the englishtown event, fivetime top fuel champion and international motorsports halloffame car owner, joe amato is pleased to announce the hiring of talented and veteran crew chief. Joe amato nhra dragster diecast racing cars for sale ebay. Veteran crew chief brings his racing prowess to amato racing. After giving up the drivers seat of his top fuel dragster, joe continued to own and operate amato racing, filling the seat of the race car with 2 different rookie top. Two weeks ago, we heard from former funny car racer jeff foulk, who shared his memories of the east coast fuel funny car circuit, and this week, i heard from fellow era. All i can say is that the nhra extends its condolences to his family, to the joe amato racing team and to the racing community. Get the best deals on joe amato diecast racing cars when you shop the largest online selection at. Joe amato nhra dragster hall of fame inductee drag racing bobble head mib. Joe amato properties nepa commercial properties for rent.
Top fuel driver killed in crash at end of run at gateway kansas city star. He was 20 years old and had just joined the joe amato racing team to replace russell, who on june 27, 2004, at madison, ill. Rest easy john, an all around nice guy and great race car driver. Nhra top fuel great joe amato talks about life after racing. Despite the heavy workload, amato found time to race, and he soon. Darrell russell died today in nhra drag racing accident. Nhra legends gather to share histories joe amato properties. Drag racing was robbed of an up and coming star, the kind of star which shined brightly on and off the track.
Shop from the worlds largest selection and best deals for cars. Joe amato edges ormsby in close finish top ten finals. Eight of the most beloved figures in the sport of nhra drag racing will. Big daddy don garlits, joe amato and six other legends still to be revealed will be back behind the wheel and drag racing during the upcoming 50 th. Amato began racing cars as a teenager, when he worked at his familys auto.
It includes drivers who were killed immediately, as well as those who were not killed immediately but succumbed to their injuries some time later. He was the first driver to exceed 260 mph and 280 mph in competition amato began racing cars as a teenager, when he worked at his familys auto. However, be assured top racing teams around the world use nology products. During his two decades as one of top fuels most successful drivers, joe amato wasnt the flashiest driver in the pits and he was seldom outspoken or controversial, but he did have an. The nhra mello yello drag racing series is a drag racing series organized by the national hot rod association nhra. Joe amato properties was founded by drag racing champion joe amato. On a day where the drag racing conditions were as hot as one could muster, the reality of drag racings inherent danger couldnt have faced a colder reality. Published on oct 18, 2018 sam talks with race car driver legend and local businessman joe amato about his career and his upcoming speech at the healthy living event at the woodlands in. Joe amato joined nhra reporter lewis bloom via skype in the wally parks. It is the top competition series of the nhra, comprising competition in four classes, including top fuel dragster, funny car, pro stock, and pro stock motorcycle the champion of each category is determined by a point system where points are given according.