There’s nothing like winning to erase a bad memory. For Long Island, New York’s Vinny Budano, a three-time champion on the NMCA, his shortcomings at the season-opener were replaced with a Pro Street victory at the 7th annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, held at Bowling Green, KY's Beech Bend Raceway.  
 
"I had to come home and pick myself up by my boot straps and march on", said Budano, as he described his method of recovery from a round one red light in Bradenton, FL over a month ago. The recovery came full circle over the weekend in Bowling Green, as Budano and the entire Scott Shafiroff-lead team, found a sensational tune-up for the company car, a Tim McAmis-built 68 Camaro.
 
Budano’s victory was sweetened by a raceday rebound from a dismal qualifying effort.

"I was honestly bummed out on Sunday morning because the car was simply not right, and I knew it,” said Budano.

Even though he qualified in the top half of the 16 car field, Budano was wrestling with choices.

There’s nothing like winning to erase a bad memory. For Long Island, New York’s Vinny Budano, a three-time champion on the NMCA, his shortcomings at the season-opener were replaced with a Pro Street victory at the 7th annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, held at Bowling Green, KY's Beech Bend Raceway.  
 
"I had to come home and pick myself up by my boot straps and march on", said Budano, as he described his method of recovery from a round one red light in Bradenton, FL over a month ago. The recovery came full circle over the weekend in Bowling Green, as Budano and the entire Scott Shafiroff-lead team, found a sensational tune-up for the company car, a Tim McAmis-built 68 Camaro.
 
Budano’s victory was sweetened by a raceday rebound from a dismal qualifying effort.

"I was honestly bummed out on Sunday morning because the car was simply not right, and I knew it,” said Budano.

Even though he qualified in the top half of the 16 car field, Budano was wrestling with choices.

"That's the worse thing about it when your sitting there asking yourself, "Should I fix something that ain't broken?" Budano added.

Even now, Budano only remembers qualifying somewhere between 3rd and 5th, as his main concerns were chiefly centered around making his Tim McAmis-built Camaro do what he knew it was capable of.
 
Team owner Scott Shafiroff believed Budano’s concerns were unwarranted. He and the entire crew rallied in Budano's corner with positive encouragement, urging him to simply go out there and do his job, promising that the car would be fine. It was then that the entire team put their heads together and came up with a pretty aggressive move in a completely different direction. Round by round the car responded beautifully, beginning with a round one stoppage of Tony "The Sandman" Williams.
 
Budano continued his climb to the finals with round wins over Noel Felton in the quarter finals and Steve King in the semis. Erasing all memories of the Bradenton red light (his first in years) Budano streaked to the finish line against Mark Mickey on the final run of the night, clocking 6.31, 223mph in a Camaro weighing 2,750 pounds.
 
Always quick to credit Shafiroff for an abundant life in drag racing, Budano declared, "Without Scott I'd be racing Matchbox cars."

The friendship of the native New Yorkers is long and storied, and involves 15 years of racing together.

"Scott tried to get me to come work for him when I was 17 years old, but it took me until I was 40,” said Budano, who has served as general manager for Shafiroff Racing Enterprises since 2002.
 
In addition to the entire 7 race roster on the NMCA circuit, Budano and team plan to compete in a variety of events in 2008, including Outlaw Street Car and Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association Events.