|
 NASCAR
on Fox Sports 1, pit road reporter, Derek
Pernesiglio has a very busy week this week. Friday
morning he’ll drive from his Charlotte, NC home to
report the last NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race of
the season at Road Atlanta in Georgia, where Dylan
Kwasniewski brings a five point advantage over Brett
Moffitt into the finale.
Right after the race, Jeremy Catania, broadcast
spotter for the TV crew and brother of Thompson
Sunoco Modified driver John Catania will take Derek
to the Atlanta airport to catch a late evening
flight landing in Boston and finally arriving at
Thompson Speedway long after midnight.
Pernesiglio’s schedule for the weekend consists of
doing his familiar reporting duties for the NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour broadcast on Sunday and driving
a NEMA Midget for the family team. “It’s going to be
a crazy weekend,” said an excited Pernesiglio. I’ve
never raced and reported in the same day, there
won’t be much down time.”
The Thompson Speedway holds a soft spot in
Pernesiglio’s heart, he’s been coming to the track
since his single digits and worked there as a track
announcer eventually spring-boarding him to a
television career. “I’ve been coming to the World
Series since I was four years old, said Pernesiglio,
I’ve been a fan there, a driver there, an announcer,
heck my first time pit reporting gig of any kind was
on the PA for a Tour race there in 1997. To report
the Whelen Modified Tour race on Fox Sports makes
the career feel like it’s come full circle.”
 On
the racing side, Derek will drive a NEMA Midget for
legendary open-wheel car owner and father “Mazda”
Pete Pernesiglio. After taking a ten year break from
driving he was bit by the racing bug again at
Thompson of all places three years ago. “I was field
producing a video for the NASCAR Banquets, explained
Pernesiglio. A car owner showed up with two cars and
one driver, my brother talked him into letting me
drive and it was back in the saddle again!” When
asked about his predictions for the race Pernesiglio
was diplomatic. “I’m not going to push it like a
year ago, said Pernesiglio, last year I put so much
pressure on myself for a top ten finish I got in
over my head and put Dad’s car in the wall, a top
ten would feel like a win but I still have to report
after the NEMA feature so I’m not going to put the
car in a dangerous position.”
In the months preceding, Pernesiglio has been
sticking to his open-wheel roots racing a Mini
Outlaw Sprint Car at the Millbridge Speedway close
to his Charlotte home where he’s won four races and
the tracks 2013 Winter Series championship. “The
Mini Outlaws are fun, said Pernesiglio. “They have a
hundred horsepower and weigh about four hundred and
fifty pounds. They’re light, snappy little cars like
a midget and I’ve had more seat time going into this
race than than we did last year.”
Known as the “Indianapolis of the East” the World
Series falls on October 18th, 19th and 20th and has
been the grand fall finale of racing events in the
Northeast hosting sixteen divisions of racing from
the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and International
Supermodified Association to the NEMA Midgets, Pro 4
Modifieds and stock cars. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series
and Whelen Modified Tour can be seen on Fox Sports.
For more information on the World Series of Speedway
Racing racing visit
www.thompsonspeedwayoval.com
For more information on the Northeastern Midget
Association visit
www.nemaracing.com
For more information on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series
and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visit
www.nascarhometracks.com |
