Tony Renna
Anthony James Renna was an American racing driver who competed in Indy Lights and the Indy Racing League from 1998 to 2003. Renna began competitive racing at the age of six, winning 252 races and two national quarter-midget championships before the age of fifteen. Renna progressed to car racing at sixteen, competing for three years in the Barber Dodge Pro Series and partnering with stock car driver Jerry Nadeau to finish second for the United States team at the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup. He progressed to Championship Auto Racing Teams' developmental series Indy Lights, winning one race during his three seasons in the championship from 1998 to 2000.
In 2002, Renna signed with Kelley Racing to be its test driver in the IRL, and was the driving coach and spotter to actor and Infiniti Pro Series participant Jason Priestley. Renna competed in seven races for Kelley Racing before signing a contract to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2004 IndyCar Series. During an October 2003 tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Renna was killed instantly in a collision with a retaining fence. He was the first driver to be killed in an accident in the IRL since Scott Brayton died during practice for the 1996 Indianapolis 500. As a consequence of Renna's death, car speeds and horsepower were reduced through a reduction in engine sizes and aerodynamics were altered in a bid to prevent cars becoming airborne. A memorial fund and IRL award were named after him.
Early and personal life
Renna was born in Victorville, California, on November 23, 1976, to jockey and meat-company owner Joe Renna and his wife Mary. He had two sisters; he was a cousin of George Steinbrenner IV, co-owner of Harding Steinbrenner Racing. The family moved to Apple Valley, California, from Tampa, Florida, in 1975 and Renna's parents subsequently divorced. His family later moved to the Orlando neighborhood of College Park before residing in DeLand.Renna was educated at Bishop Moore High School and Father Lopez Catholic High School, graduating from the latter in 1995. As a child, he was a batboy for the New York Yankees baseball team, and played American football, basketball and baseball. He was engaged at the time of his death, and was due to marry in Hawaii on November 22, 2003.
Junior career
Karting and sprint cars
Renna began go-kart racing in Orlando at age six. He spent his Friday nights at Horsemen's Park in Ocoee, refined his driving ability at circuits in Barberville, Bithlo and New Smyrna Beach, and was taught by former driver Ralph Liguori. Renna focused full-time on racing after deeming himself inadequate at Little League Baseball. He told his father of his choice of career, and was asked, "Do you know what you're asking for? Do you know you are asking for the brass ring and the Olympic gold medal?".Renna began focusing on an opportunity in open-wheel racing, idolizing drivers Rick Mears, and Al Unser Jr., and wanted to drive for Team Penske. Renna went on to drive a quarter-midget, a mini sprint, a motocross bike, and a micro-sprint. He won 252 races, and two national quarter-midget championships before the age of fifteen. His mechanically inclined father constructed and maintained the machinery that Renna drove, and acted as his crew chief. Renna's mother was his timekeeper, and one of his sisters acted as a tire changer.
Early car racing career
At the age of sixteen, Renna progressed to car racing, competing in the Skip Barber Formula Ford Racing Series in 1993, in a bid to become a road course ringer. He took one win and seven top-three finishes for tenth in the final points standings. His form improved the following year, when he won eight races and achieved three-second-place finishes to win the series championship.In 1995, Jim O'Bryan, an employee of American driver development organization Racing for America, asked if Renna was interested in driving in Europe; Renna said he was but his father was unsure because the family budget was strained through entering selected rounds of the 1995 Barber Dodge Pro Series. O'Bryan met the Renna family again in mid-1995 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and agreed to compete in Formula Three. Renna tested a Mark Bailey Racing-owned Ralt Formula Three car. Team owner Mark Bailey was complimentary towards Renna, whose father signed him to drive for Murray Taylor Racing until he pulled out due to budget concerns. In the UK, Renna drove six races in a Dallara F394-Vauxhall car for West Surrey Racing in the 1995 British Formula Three Class B Championship. He secured a category win at Pembrey Circuit that was later nullified because of an infraction, three pole positions, and three podiums.
In 1996, Renna returned to the United States with a depleted budget. He competed in a Dodge-powered Mondiale car in the 1996 Barber Dodge Pro Series, finishing seventh in the Drivers' Championship with 105 points from three podium finishes and two pole positions. He was named the 1996 Barber Dodge Pro Series Rookie of the Year, and won a Skip Barber Racing School Big Scholarship. Renna won the Team USA Scholarship over six other candidates and participated at the 1996 EFDA Nations Cup at Donington Park. He partnered with stock-car driver Jerry Nadeau in a Formula Opel Lotus car, finishing second to win the silver medal. Renna was selected as a finalist for the Team Green Academy as one of the top-five of 25 competitors, and was nominated for the Lynx Racing Scholarship.
Later junior career
Renna made one appearance in the U.S. F2000 National Championship for DSTP Motorsports in its 23 Van Diemen-Ford car at Walt Disney World Speedway in January 1997, finishing ninth. He continued to race in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, entering eight races and claiming three podium finishes and two pole positions to score 54 points and place tenth in the championship. In September 1997, Mattco Raceworks founder and owner Matt Cohen hired Renna to drive for its Indy Lights team for the 1998 season. Renna moved from DeLand to a studio in New York City later that year to be closer to the team. He visited Mattco's headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey four days per week to acquaint himself with the team. Driving the 77 Lola-Buick car, he won at Michigan International Speedway, took two pole positions, and had six top ten finishes to place eighth in the drivers' championship with 68 points.In April 1999, CART imposed a one-year suspension on Mattco Raceworks from its racing series for illegal engine modifications in the car of Renna's teammate Mark Hotchkis. Renna, still contracted to Mattco, sought employment in either NASCAR's Busch Series or the Truck Series. Motor-racing journalist Jeremy Shaw and the Team USA Scholarship made the PacWest Racing team aware of Renna's potential. He drove a partial 1999 Indy Lights schedule for PacWest, and was the test and development driver for its CART team. Renna drove the 17 vehicle, gaining two top-ten finishes and a sixteenth-place finish in the drivers' championship with 22 points.
Having signed a five-year contract in late October 1999, Renna returned to PacWest Racing for the 2000 Indy Lights, and continued as its test and development driver. He undertook a two-day test session at Firebird Raceway in December 1999 as preparation for the season. Renna changed his car number to 18; he attained top-ten finishes in every round during the season except for two due to consecutive retirements: a mechanical failure at Milwaukee Mile and an accident in Detroit. Renna finished fifth in the drivers' championship with 105 points.
Before the 2001 racing season, an agreement for Renna to drive for PacWest's CART team fell through, and he was released from its Indy Lights operation. Renna was less active in professional car racing during the year, making one appearance in the SpeedVision World Challenge at Mosport International Raceway in May, driving the 12 SSC Parts/TC Kline BMW M3. He finished 17th and was 54th in the final standings with nine points. He spent much of the year seeking employment with race teams, visiting garages, writing letters to them, and networking within the Indy Racing League. Renna was employed as a driving instructor at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Derek Daly Performance Driving Academy, and competed in NASCAR late model stock car events for Dick Cobb on a weekly basis at the track.
IndyCar Series career
team owner Tom Kelley and general manager Jim Freudenberg were introduced to Renna in 2000. The three became acquainted; Renna inquired about employment at the team, and signed a contract in May 2002. In mid-2002, Renna and his business manager suggested he should coach actor Jason Priestley, who raced in the developmental Infiniti Pro Series that year; Kelley Racing was enthusiastic about the idea and agreed. Renna also served as Priestley's spotter, and the two became friends. He was employed as Kelley Racing's IRL test driver, curtailing his stock car driving to focus on the job. Renna listened to radio communication from Kelley Racing driver Al Unser Jr. during races, learning patience, and acted as his spotter. When Unser went into an alcohol rehabilitation center in Connecticut in July 2002, Kelley Racing searched for a replacement driver for two events and asked Renna to fill in for Unser because he demonstrated enthusiasm.Under the observation of three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, Renna passed an IRL-sanctioned, four-phase, rookie test at Texas Motor Speedway that allowed him to compete. In his first two races driving Kelley Racing's 7 Dallara-Chevrolet vehicle in the 2002 Indy Racing League, Renna took consecutive top-ten finishes at Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway. After Unser returned from rehabilitation, the team expanded its roster to three cars because they were impressed with Renna's performance and obtained sponsorship to allow him to continue driving. Renna switched his car number from 7 to 78, and took two more top-ten finishes for 24th overall with 121 points.
After the season concluded, a budget decrease led Kelley Racing to reduce its roster from three to two cars, leaving Renna without a race seat; he remained an employee of the team. Renna continued to work as Unser's spotter and drove go-karts to maintain his fitness. The difficulty in finding sponsorship to compete in races restricted Renna primarily to being a test driver, but he made a single race appearance in the 2003 IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis 500. Starting from eighth place, Renna finished in seventh. In Indianapolis, Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull told team owner Chip Ganassi that Renna was a driver to take notice of. In October 2003, Ganassi offered Renna a driving role in his team for the 2004 IndyCar Series in place of Tomas Scheckter— who moved to Panther Racing—and to partner 2003 IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon. Renna accepted the role; Tom Kelley allowed him to leave on October 1 and join CGR, because he could not guarantee Renna would drive for Kelley Racing in 2004.