"Where it all began..."

JOE BIONDOLILLO SR. JOINS SAFER HALL OF FAME
by Joe Larsen

     Joe Biondolillo Sr. will be inducted into the S.A.F.E.R. Hall of Fame tonight. Joe, who started racing shortly after the invention of the wheel, started his career as a drag racer. After a couple of violent crashes, Joe decided it was time to do something else.

     Let's go back some 30 years. It's 1968 and Joe is walking around the yard and Whitey Voelker stops by with his Figure 8 car in tow.  Whitey, who went on to become a successful Figure 8 driver and S.A.F.E.R. Hall of Fame member himself, shows Joe his car and tells him to come see the Figure 8's at Islip Speedway.  The rest as they say is history.

     Although Joe never won a feature event, he will always be considered a winner by all who had the opportunity to compete with and against him.  Joe was always there to help and many drivers, whether they needed a ball joint or an entire car. One year Joe sponsored almost a dozen cars in the Figure 8 division; two owned by Richie Shea, two owned by Whitey Voelker, Don Royce, Jimmy Jackson, Bobby Slavic, and Bobby Mason, just to name a few.

     In addition to racing Figure 8 cars, Joe also ran a Late Model at Riverhead Raceway and Modifieds at Wall Stadium and New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey, as well as Islip Speedway and Riverhead Raceway back in the late 70's and 80's. Joe even finished 5th in a 200-lap Modified race at Islip Speedway.  Joe has owned and driven over 20 cars in various divisions over the years, and twice earned Best Appearing Car Awards in the Figure 8 division.  One notable was in 1971 when Joe was one of the first Figure 8 drivers to abandon the '56 Ford body and run a late model Ford Mustang.

     Joe also ran Pezner Auto Wreckers over on Suffolk Avenue in Islip for many years.  His office there could have been considered as the race track annex due to the many drivers who used to spend time there talking about the races.

     Joe is also the father of one of the most successful Figure 8 drivers of all time, Joe Biondolillo Jr.  Joey Jr. was only 16 years old when his father let him take the Figure 8 car out in warm-ups.  Joey was hooked and they raced together for many years.  As the years passed the 'fire and desire' that Joe Sr. has was waning.  Joey Jr. was becoming more and more successful, and it was time to take a less active roll as a driver.

     "It was fun racing with my father," Joey Jr. said in a conversation.  "When the time came, my father left it for me to do."

     He sure did.  A family operation from the beginning, wife Barbara is always at Joe Sr.'s side as their son Andrew turns the wrenches on his brother's car.

     Papa Joe as he is affectionately called, has always been there fir the Figure 8 division and any driver who needed help.  Not just for parts, but for words of encouragement, a pat on the back, and maybe a joke to break the tension.  He was always there and hopefully will be for a long time to come.  Joe, welcome to "The Hall".  You deserve the honor.