Anthony Bongiovanni and the Micro Strategies Race team hit the track this past weekend, rolling into Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, PA with the familiar Micro Strategies Ford Mustang Cobra Jet race cars. While team driver Dan Fletcher has been doing well at various NHRA and Bracket events, this was the first outing for Bongiovanni.
Competing in Stock and Super Stock, Bongiovanni completed qualifying by placing 10th in Stock (of 117 entrants) while running 8.78 seconds in the quarter mile at over 150 mph. He ran slightly quicker in Super Stock (8.77 elapsed time) to earn the 5th spot on the 81-car ladder.
In Stock, Bongiovanni was defeated in Round 2 as a redlight cost him a chance at the win, however, in Super Stock, Bongiovanni lasted more rounds and earned valuable NHRA points. He kicked off Round 1 with an .032 reaction time to beat Eddie Chin, then used a .039-to-.044 starting-line advantage to beat Division 1 standout Herbie Null. Unfortunately, despite getting the win in Round 3, mechanical issues kept Bongiovanni from moving on in the eliminator. Thankfully, the problem was small one and he’ll be ready for the next race.
“This was our first race in 2024 and we battled a few issues,” said Anthony Bongiovanni. “We have new engines in the cars and are working to get them dialed in. Sometimes it takes a race or two to get everything just right. We’re heading to Epping, New Hampshire for the New England Nationals this weekend. It’s a race where we’ve had great success in the past and Michelle [Bongiovanni] will be behind the wheel of her Micro Strategies Cobra Jet Mustang. It’s always a fun time in Epping, and nothing beats racing with your daughters. The weather forecast looks fantastic so we’re hoping to have a successful weekend,” he added.
