Cioppettini tor return to driver's seat with Victoria Motorsports

FAR HILLS, New Jersey (Wednesday, February 28, 2001) -- Frank Cioppettini, the popular Trans-Am competitor from Far Hills, NJ will return full-time to the drivers seat in the 2001 Trans-Am Series it was announced by Victoria Motorsports today. Cioppettini, a veteran of 38 Trans-Am races, competed only once last year.

"Frank tried on the team owner role pretty much full time last year," said June Cioppettini, Victoria Motorsports co-owner and wife of Frank, "but he wasn't quite ready to hang up his helmet. This year, thanks to Ourhouse.com, we'll be able to let him be a racer again as well, so he can continue his long-standing rivalry with Don Sak."

Cioppettini, 50, began racing in SCCA club competition, and competed at the Valvoline Runoffs in 1992 and 1993 in the GT-4 class. He moved up to GT-1 in 1994, and won in that class at Watkins Glen and Lime Rock the following year. Since making his Trans-Am debut in 1996, he has contested the series at least once each year, scoring a career-high 10th place in 1998.

Cioppettini, who will drive the #16 Ourhouse.com Chevrolet Camaro, will be teamed all season with recently signed G. J. Mennen, of Cornelius, NC. Mennen, 28, was runner-up in the Trans-Am Rookie of the Year standings in 1999. In his previous 23 Trans-Am starts, he has two podiums, five top five and 14 top ten finishes. Mennen will be aboard the #6 Motor Check/Onyko America Chevrolet Camaro.

Though two Victoria Motorsports cars will be the new Vanquish RS2M chassis, the chassis Cioppettini will pilot will be a Rocketsports chassis. The Vanquish is Victoria Motorsports' first foray into chassis construction. Victoria Motorsports, whose race shop is in Mooresville, NC, scored more points for Chevrolet last year than any other team. In addition, over the past two years, they have brought more drivers, and more new drivers, to the Trans-Am series than any other.

-Ritch Hanna