Vince Porcelli Racing

The 2005 season was very eventful for the team and ended with a chance to race for the State Championship against the 6 other Michigan State Track Champions. We came up short but still had a great season during which we were instrumental in helping to raise $5000.00 for the Western Wayne Skill Center.

The team made many appearances at local tracks, car shows, benefits and schools where we talked to students about the importance of staying in school and continuing their education. As many of our sponsors know, Aztec Manufacturing Corporation allows me to take time to visit vocational and public schools as a community service representative and taking the racecar has been very beneficial as an attention getter for the students.

The 2006 season will be our 15th year drag racing and I feel it’s time I put a succession plan in place to continue the teams efforts to raise money for the different organizations we are involved with. This year my nephew Thomas Phillip Porcelli III will begin training to someday take on the duties of Driver/Mechanic as I will one day step down and become the Mechanic/Chassis Tuner and strategist for the team.

Over the last year Tommy has spent quite a few hours at the track helping with miscellaneous duties such as, warming the car up, checking tire pressure, adjusting the chassis, tuning the motor, cleaning the car and pulling general maintenance. This was all a learning experience to help him appreciate and respect the power of a car that will go from 0 to 150mph in less than 9 seconds! Not only has he learned well, he is eager to start competing himself.

This season, 2006, he will be responsible for loading and unloading the car from the trailer, checking all fluids, tires, brakes and other safety equipment and warming up the vehicle with short trips thru the pit area to become comfortable driving the car in populated areas. The process will be slow because nobody steps into a car of this caliber and just becomes a driver. Things happen fast and without warning in a car that will go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds and is already going 125 mph in 5 ˝ seconds and if that person isn’t experienced enough to make the right decisions it can spell disaster!

Tommy’s credentials are extensive for such a young man, 34 years old, and he continues to pursue his career in the automotive arena. At the age of 4 years old he started working with his father, Thomas Phillip Porcelli Jr., in the garage painting and bumping cars. He was being taught by one of the best in the industry and learned that there are no short cuts to perfection. At 5 years old he was going to the body shop on Saturday’s to help sand and prime panels in preparation for paint. By the age of 12 he had two cars in the auto show and was painting, blocking and striping the Tra Tech Conversion Vans that were so popular in the 80’s. When Tommy turned 18 he was a professional painter at Bowman Chevrolet and was attending Northern Oakland Vocational Tech school for Body I & II so he could become an assistant teacher/instructor. He went to GM Tech Center to get his Tinting Certification and after another 4 to 5 years of painting went on to learn automotive mechanics and became certified.

He worked as a certified mechanic for 12 years and went on to become certified in Collision Mechanical, Uni-structure and Frame repair and was a developmental technician at the GM Proving Grounds. Tommy has now worked as a body technician for 5 years and is a Body Shop Collision Mechanic. In 2005 he put his 3rd car in the Autorama and also does restoration and custom paint work. Add to that resume the fact that he has 11 I-Car certifications and is using his experience to put the paint gun to the Flyin Falcon with a new paint scheme for 2006! He says he wants it to “POP” when the sun hits it.

Tommy says, “All I know is hands on and I was taught by the best, My Dad!”

Welcome aboard Tommy!!!

Vince Porcelli Racing