Cagnazzi Racing Team Owner/Driver Victor Cagnazzi has blended 
unmatched technical, mechanical and business-management skills to ensure
 success as the team enters NHRA Pro Stock competition. Below are 
brief biographies of some of the organization's key players.

Steve Barnes -  Director of Business Development

Barnes is responsible for business development. With over 20 years of experience in motorsports, he has a solid background in planning and executing successful sales and marketing programs for corporations. Barnes’s experiences also include Sales Manager for NEXTEL, VP of Sales and Marketing for Mac Hill Motorsports, Founder of Freedom Racing Products, and President of Promotions Unlimited. 

Barnes majored in Communications at Corner Stone Bible College. He can be reached at 704-663-2673.

Todd Bevis – Manager Race Car Fabrication Group

David Byers – Truck Driver, Crew Specialist

Byers is Cagnazzi Racing’s Road Warrior. He drives the team’s big rig to 23 NHRA POWERade events in 17 states, as well as to a lot of tests, photo shoots and sponsor functions in between. At the track, Byers works on the race car’s clutch and other mechanical components. Byers played a role as Erica Enders’ crew chief from 2000-2004 in the Super Comp and Super Gas divisions. A former motocross racer, Byers successfully competed in the Monster Truck Series Big Foot vehicle for five years. He also drove trucks for the Grave Digger truck team, and for Eddie Hill’s Pennzoil Top Fuel show car program.

Christopher Cagnazzi – Chief Financial Officer

Cagnazzi keeps Cagnazzi Racing’s business model on track. His responsibilities include oversight of the team’s operations, facilities and real estate commitments. Prior to joining the team, Cagnazzi was CFO of ISG Dimension Data, a $70 million company, grown by brothers Christopher, Victor, Robert and Stephen Cagnazzi from their dad’s small company. Christopher Cagnazzi is a member of the Financial Manager’s Association, and studied at Carnegie Mellon Business Schools and New York University.

Joe Cagnazzi – Lead Engineer, Data Analyst

Cagnazzi’s responsibility is vehicle systems engineering and development, data-acquisition design and application, and management of the engineering program. Cagnazzi has a deep technical background that translates to speed at the racetrack. Formerly Director of Development at Northrop Grumman, he has 37 years of experience in top-level aircraft, ship and space systems technical and executive program management. Cagnazzi has undergrad (C.W. Post University) and graduate (Long Island University) degrees in physics. Joe is team owner Victor Cagnazzi’s uncle.

Frank Delamurra – Design Engineer

Delamurra’s responsibilities include design and modification of the race car’s suspension, plus working with Joe Cagnazzi and Tommy Utt on its mechanical and structural designs. Delamurra shares Joe Cagnazzi’s Grumman background. He recently retired from a 35-year career at Grumman where he focused on aircraft projects. He also taught graduate-level Computer-Assisted-Design, mechanical and architectural drafting courses at New York-area technical schools. He holds undergrad and graduate degrees in aeronautical design, engineering mechanics, mathematics and theoretical physics, and did post-grad work at UCLA, Georgia Tech and Island Drafting & Technical Institute.

Bryce Gandy – General Manager

Gandy is responsible for race team operations, plus developing and implementing successful business and marketing strategies for Cagnazzi Racing and its sponsors. Gandy brings a background in sports marketing and public relations with NASCAR championship-winning teams Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports. Gandy’s experience also includes acting as the director of dealer development for Joe Gibbs Performance, where he helped create a nationwide chain of automotive dealerships for a line of high-performance trucks for Joe Gibbs Racing and the Chevrolet Division of GM. Gandy studied communications and marketing at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Email: BMG@VJCR.com 
Ph: (704) 663-0846

Steve Johns – Engine Development

Johns plays an important role at Cagnazzi Racing developing its powerful race engines and serving as mentor to the team’s rookie driver, Erica Enders. Last season in its debut, Cagnazzi Racing, with Johns behind the wheel, finished an impressive 8th place in the POWERade championship, ahead of many far more experienced teams. Johns has won national championships as a driver and a crew chief. The native of Lancaster, Pa., spent decades working with the legendary engine builder Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, before joining Cagnazzi Racing. He brings a potent combination of talents to the team. 

Rich Saulino – Lead Machinist, Car Chief

Saulino is Cagnazzi Racing’s Car Chief. In addition to oversight of race day operations, crew personnel and machine shop operations, Saulino’s job to make sure the car is ready at the starting line. Former owner of a machine shop working in the aerospace industry with Lockheed, Republic and Grumman, Saulino joined Cagnazzi Racing 10 years ago. 

Roy Simmons –  CREW CHIEF Jegs.Com Chevy COBALT 
     driven by: JEG COUGHLIN JR.

Simmons brings a strong technical background and first-class drag racing heritage to the team. Prior to his racing career, He was a research machinist at the University of Denver and head of the machine shop at the United States Bureau of Mines. 

He has worked on several winning NHRA teams, including the 2002 NHRA Pro Stock championship team, and still maintains a license as a NHRA Pro Stock Division driver. Simmons primary duties involve engine design and development. Simmons joined Cagnazzi Racing in November, 2004.

Tommy Utt - CREW CHIEF: CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS
     Chevy Cobalt –  Driven by Dave Connolly

As crew chief for Cagnazzi Racing, Utt  is responsible for the set-up and on-track performance of the team’s Chevrolet Pro Stock race cars. Working with the engineering team, Utt brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the task of going fast. Utt started his professional career at Richard Childress racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck racing series.

Contact Cagnazzi Racing E-mail: info@vjcr.com Phone: (704) 663-0846 
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