Catalano Celebrates Another Championship
Racer Competes with Family for Special Season
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Being ‘a female in a man’s world’ as she puts it, can be tough enough, but that’s nothing new for Amy Catalano. What’s even tougher than that is competing against your own family.
Catalano, who races against her husband and son each week at Holland Motorsports Complex, was able to walk away with another track championship in 2014 out of the Getzoni Nationwide Insurance Pro Modified division.
2014 NASCAR WHELEN ALL-AMERICAN SERIES TRACK CHAMPIONS
Catalano won her first track title at Holland, as well as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series New York State championship, in 2011. She has also won a track championship at Spencer Speedway in 2009 and is part of the well-known Catalano racing family in New York led by her brother-in-law Patsy Catalano who has eight track titles at Spencer.
She competes at Holland against her husband, David, and against the eldest of five sons, Tommy. Second son Timmy also races in the four-cylinder division and husband David keeps up all the family’s cars in their shop.
“We all have a good time competing against one another but it is competitive for all of us against one another,” Amy said. “I know my son is ready to go up on stage on his own and he keeps talking about wanting to make it up on the stage at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banquet someday.”
”Although she didn’t get as many wins as she would have liked, Catalano was able to get big prize at the end of the season.
“We really had an up and down year this past season,” Catalano said. “It wasn’t one of our best years that’s for sure.”
Catalano was making reference to how her season began and continued with a good finish one week followed by a not-so-good result the next time out.
“We opened up the year and had engine issues in our first race and it was like we were playing catch up the rest of the season,” Catalano said. “I actually had to get in my husband’s car to make the start that night and that helped us stay in contention for the points championship.”
The veteran racer also has a dedicated crew that has been with her winning races and titles for a while. They include her niece Ashley Reissner, sister-in-law Cathy Reissner who is the baby sitter for the little boys, her brother Mike Montgomery, William Eschborn, Chris Bugenhagan and Gordan Petty.
“No driver can do it alone and I just want to thank my family and crew along with sponsors PJ Radiator, Vicari’s Pizza, CP Ward Construction, BRK Engines, and Ron Rigby Photos for supporting me again this season,” Catalano added. “I am very lucky to have the support I have from everyone.”
Among that support is young girls and while Catalano wants to earn respect as a championship race car driver, she also realizes she can and has opened doors for other females to break into NASCAR racing.
“When I first went to Charlotte and walked out on the stage for the banquet, there might have been one other woman out there will me,” Catalano said. “This past year it appeared to be nearly 10 other ones out there with me and that is encouraging to see as a female racer. This sport is open to anyone and it is good to see more women racing and if I had a little something to do with that, then that’s great.”
After celebrating her accomplishments with her family last December in Charlotte, the Ontario, New York, resident is now focusing on the 2015 campaign and where that leads is up in the air right now.
“We still have all of our local cars but we have decided we are going to head down to New Smyrna and compete in the tour-type Modifieds and see how it goes,” Catalano said. “We’ll play it by ear after we race down there a few nights and that might even lead us in to making a few starts on the NASCAR (Whelen Modified) Tour later this year.”
Catalano has already celebrated three times in Charlotte in the NWAAS banquets and if things work out she might have a reason to stay an extra day for the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Series banquet. Only time will tell but one thing is certain, whatever she does she will be successful at it. She has already proven that in her NASCAR career.
Sources: Tim Southers, NASCAR PR