At the early age of 5 Tony followed Tony’s father, Tony Formosa Sr., started the family racing legacy in 1954 at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

His father in his shop and recalls watching his dad work on the early model coupes - 1934 Fords and 1937 Chevy’s. As a young boy it did not take long for Tony to fall in love with race cars. As he grew older, his passion increased even faster, and there was no doubt in his mind what he wanted to do for a living. All he could think about was building a car of his own that he could not just race in, but win in.

Tony Sr. would let Tony Jr. pull the car out of the shop and put it on a trailer when at the age of 11 and let him actually take the car on the track to warm it up (hot laps) at the age of 13. When Tony turned 14 years old he had worked after school delivering newspapers until he saved enough money to buy his very first race car. In 1969 he began his remarkable racing career in a 1957 Chevy – the blue an white # 80.The years Tony has become a very well known race car builder , he has built over hundreds of different types of stock cars in almost every different division, sanction and body. The blue and white colors are a family tradition that Tony’s mother chose for his father because of their Catholic religion. These colors represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tony says what better colors could you possibly display.

It took 2 years for him to win his first race, but once he felt the taste of victory, he never wanted anything less out. Tony has raced every year since 1969, missing only one year due to a recovery from a serious racing accident.

Through 41 years of racing, Tony’s passion has only grown stronger. Tony’s racing career has always been a family affair, just as it was with his father. Tony’s brother and nephew have raced in cars that Tony built. His wife, Dana and daughter Claire also are involved with the team.

Tony has competed in races in 10 states, on 59 race tracks, with 50 different drivers. His teams have won over 400 feature race events and 21 track championships. A few of the drivers Tony has raced with and/or developed include both NASCAR and local track champions, including: Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Bobby Hamilton, Chad Chaffin, Joe Buford, and Casey Atwood.

Tony is 56 yrs. old and still feels like a 17 year old behind the wheel of a race car. In fact, Tony is racing this year in ASA and CRA races. He continues to develop young and not so young drivers that have the desire to win championships.

As Tony reflected on his racing career he found his true desire is to share his passion for excellence, his desire to succeed and the great sport of Stock Car Racing with fans, Aspiring drivers, and anyone who would like to experience what it is really like to ride in a race car at 150 mph on a track.

With The Ride of Your Life anyone can feel what NASCAR drivers experience. According to Tony – “ I have read the book, seen the movie, wrote a chapter, and played a part in the history of stock car racing.” My goal is to leave a legacy of sharing this experience with anyone who has ever wished to share the same desire. After my family, it’s my love, my life, and my true passion.

TONY FORMOSA # 80