Area teen has a grip on his future – on the racetrack and in life
By Heather Ruenz
SLN staff
Tazio Stefanelli, a recent graduate of Elkhorn Area High School, has his sights set on attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall for mechanical engineering.
But for several weekends this summer, his goal is to be the first to reach the checkered flag on the racetrack.
Stefanelli, 17, who graduated from EAHS last week in the top 10 of his class, races Formula Fords in the Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. The fastest track he’s raced at is Elkhart Lake’s Road America, where he’s reached a top speed of 136 mph.
Prior to moving up to Formula Fords last year, he had spent about six years racing go-karts.
“In go-karting you learn how to drive safely in a competitive environment so it’s a good place to start,” Stefanelli said.
But he’s learned most of what he knows about racing from his dad, Tony Stefanelli, who is a former racer himself.
“I did road racing and motorcycles. When Taz started go-karts, I did that, too. When he got faster than me, I told him he deserved to race cars,” Tony said.
The family, including Tazio’s mom, Kathy, are at a track nearly every other week and are members of the Sports Car Club of America and the Midwest Council of Sports Car Club, the sanctioning bodies for the races.
The goal for the current racing season is for Tazio to be in the car 30 days including regular practices to up his game, Tony said.
“More time in the car will help him improve overall because the car keeps data that helps him get faster and more efficient,” Tony said.
Tazio and his dad are hands-on with the racecar including routine maintenance and machining parts when needed, though this year they’re spending a little less time fixing things.
“Last year Taz was in an older car which had some issues. But that taught him a lot about repairing things so was a good opportunity to learn,” Tony said.
The current car Tazio is racing is a 2014 Spectrum F1600.
Young and fast
Tazio has won all six of the events in his class of competition this season, all at Blackhawk Farms in Roscoe, Ill. This weekend he is making his debut in the SCCA June Sprints at Road America.
After winning the opening weekend’s races, April 22 and 23, Tazio said he learned a lot about the new car and how it handles.
“The battle for the lead was a blast. It was a real challenge to overtake him (the leader), he had more horsepower, but getting a good exit out of turn 7 set me up to finally get past him in turn 1,” Tazio said.
In his first SCCA Majors race at Blackhawk, May 6 and 7, Tazio set a new personal best time in qualifying.
“I’m really excited to be able to get down to a lap time of 1.13.22. This weekend I have beaten my previous times and I’m now running laps with the quickest guys out there. I’m learning so much about car handling and how hard I can push it in the corners,” Tazio said following that Sunday’s race.
The races vary between number of laps and time and unlike some racing divisions, they do compete in the rain.
“I don’t take the same line I do when it’s dry because of oil, which makes the track slippery,” Tazio said.
He is generally one of the youngest drivers at the track, according to his dad.
“In one recent race weekend there were about 200 drivers total. Of those, a handful were college kids and two – Taz and another driver – were the only ones younger than 18,” Tony said. “It’s a good group of people we race with. Some of them give him a hard time but in a good way,” Tony said.
Road racecars can range in price from $5,000 to $150,000, Tony said. But the ongoing cost of racing – from a few hundred dollars a day to several thousand – is why drivers seek sponsors, as the Stefanelli’s are doing.
“Taz is showing some talent, he really is. Whether or not he’ll make it to a higher level we won’t know for some time but to take steps from where we are, we need sponsors,” Tony said.
The Stefanelli’s have created several levels of sponsorship packages and said it was important to allow anyone wanting to support Tazio’s racing to be able to do so.
“We have packages and tried to make some affordable enough so people can get involved and support him,” Tony said.
Current sponsors for Tazio are Millenium Forms, of Elkhorn, and Taylor Design, Inc., of Rockton, Ill.
Family support key
Tony and Kathy said they are looking forward to seeing where Tazio’s future takes him.
“When he gets to college, he hopes to be part of a baja car program where they build a car and compete against other colleges from all over the world,” Kathy said.
Tony said the lessons Tazio has, and continues to learn through racing, can be used in many situations throughout life.
“Being able to adjust and react and keep enough mental capacity to make good decisions is a tremendous way to learn risk management. It’s amazing at the track, how many successful people and businessmen are there because they can use those skills in both areas of their lives and be successful,” Tony said.
Tazio said since he was a young child, he’s heard stories about his dad’s racing days.
“Those stories made me want to have the same experiences he has, whether it’s having an exciting race or meeting interesting people at the track,” he said.
“My parents letting me do this exciting and unique sport have given me some of the best experiences of my life, and not just on the track. My dad and me spend a few nights in the garage working on my car. He’s taught me everything I know about cars and how to work on them,” Tazio said.
“Even when I’m not in the mood to work on the car, I still go down and help my dad. Every time we finish and solve one more problem it’s one of the best feelings you can have,” he added.
Tazio said the support and encouragement his parents have given him helped him become the person he is today.
“On the track they give me a reason to try and take a corner a bit faster or attempt to pass going into a turn. Their encouragement has given me the drive to achieve the most I can, whether it’s on the track, or in school,” he said.
For more information, including updates and videos from Tazio’s helmet cam during portions of qualifying and racing, follow PerFormula LLC on Facebook.
